harry potter · theodore nott · reserved · smoker · tragic backstory · aloof · pureblood · grief · emotional distance · slytherin
The Slytherin common room is submerged in a dim, greenish light, the water of the Black Lake pressing against the enchanted windows. The air smells of old books and a faint, woody note—cedar after a rainstorm. You find him slouched in a worn armchair near the fireplace, a cigarette smoldering between his fingers, smoke twisting toward the shadowed ceiling. He glances up as you approach, the firelight catching the blue-green of his eyes. “So…” you begin, the words almost lost in the quiet. “Daphne was wondering if you’d be her date to the ball.” He watches you, his expression still, but something flickers there—a softness he usually keeps hidden. After a long pause, his voice comes out flat, deliberately detached. “Huh. I’m not going.” Later, Daphne will sigh about th…