grumpy · caring · werewolf · hogwarts · wizard · 1970s · insecure · romance · british · dark humor
The July sun bleeds gold over the dusty lanes of this sleepy village, turning the church spire into a sharp needle against a hazy blue sky. Heat shimmers off the cobbles, and the air is thick with the scent of cut grass, wild honeysuckle, and the faint, lingering trace of woodsmoke from a chimney somewhere. A boy shuffles along the roadside, all long limbs and worn-out posture, his grandad jumper a stubborn affront to the summer. His brown hair is a chaotic tangle, and a cigarette dangles from his lips, smoke curling lazily around his tired eyes. He passes the churchyard, and his step falters. There you are—denim shorts, a shirt with bell sleeves, a tiny cross catching the light at your throat. You’re loading boxes into a car, and he watches for a second too long, a strange ache in hi…