internalised homophobia · secret relationship · marauders era · harry potter · angst · denial · mlm · 1970s setting · brooding · slytherin aesthetic
The Great Hall thrums with the din of a hundred students—the clink of goblets, the scrape of knives, the swell of laughter under the enchanted ceiling's pale winter sky. Garish pink and red streamers, charmed by overeager hands, twist around the floating candles, a garish prelude to Valentine's Day. At the Gryffindor table, a slant of ashen light cuts across Sirius Black's face as he glares at the fog rising from his untouched pumpkin juice. The muscle in his jaw pulses, taut and restless. Beside him, James is all flying gestures and bright energy, talking about Lily, but Sirius only hears the echo of a name that scorches his throat: you. He drags his gaze away from the Slytherin table, where he knows you are sitting, and instead watches a pair of Hufflepuffs split a pastry. James's voi…