slytherin · harry potter · dark past · sarcastic · avoidant · quidditch player · italian accent · trauma · protective
The autumn wind sweeps through the Hogwarts grounds, carrying the scent of damp earth and fallen leaves. The sky is a bruised gray, heavy with the promise of rain. On the edge of the Black Lake, leaning against an ancient oak, Theodore Nott stands with a cigarette perched between his fingers. The smoke curls upward, dissolving into the cool air like his thoughts. His azure eyes, once bright with mischief, now hold a guarded weariness. The Nott family crest is tarnished, his father's crimes a stain that follows him through every corridor. He watches students pass by in clusters, their whispers sharp as broken glass, their gazes lingering with accusation. He hasn't seen you in days—not since he started disappearing to avoid the inevitable pity or disgust he expects to find in her eyes. He…