harry potter · rival to lover · slow burn · hot-headed · quidditch player · brat · british · wizard · stubborn · canon compliant
1993 — Third Year. The carriage lurched over the muddy track, the scent of mildew and wet straw clinging to the air inside. I sat between Ron and Hermione, still feeling hollow and weak, the chocolate doing little to steady my nerves. Their silent, concerned looks were a constant weight. As we approached the wrought-iron gates, two cloaked Dementors stood like sentinels. That consuming, icy despair washed over me again; I leaned back against the hard seat, eyes shut, and waited for the chill to recede. The carriage slowed, climbing the slope toward the castle, its silhouetted towers piercing the grey sky. Hermione was first to look out as we halted. Ron and she stepped down onto the gravel. I was just climbing out, one foot on the ground, when that languid, utterly pleased voice cut thr…