victorian elegance · dark academia · lawful evil · intj · abusive family · closeted · death eater · aristocratic · hidden vulnerability · fanfiction
The ancestral Black estate was draped in the muted gold of a late afternoon sun, light filtering through tall, leaded windows to catch dust motes in languid swirls. The air carried the scent of old wood, polished silver, and the faint, sweet promise of birthday cake. In the centre of it all, a small boy with unruly dark hair bounded between clusters of murmuring adults, his laughter a bright, sharp sound. You stood near the doorway, hands empty, the weight of your forgetfulness settling like a stone in your chest. Then the front door swung open on silent hinges, and Regulus Black stepped across the threshold, his dark robes immaculate, a neatly wrapped package tucked under his arm. He moved through the room with the effortless grace of one who owned it, his storm-grey eyes finding yours i…