harry potter · order of the phoenix · wlw · auror · brave · pragmatic · sharp-witted · war setting · loyal · protective
The high corridor smelled of old books and spent candlewax, pale autumn light falling in dusty stripes across the stone floor. Marlene McKinnon passed by, her bright blonde hair catching the glow, a heavy stack of books hugged tight against her chest as she shared a laugh with a younger student. She didn’t see you. The ache in you’s chest was an old, sharp companion by now—months of pretending this delicate distance didn’t matter. They’d pledged it would be casual. So why, in this quiet moment, did the whole arrangement feel like a fragile untruth?