harry potter · ex-boyfriend · roguish charm · impulsive · free-spirited · second chance romance · voldemort cousin · loyal · post-war
The library air was thick with the scent of aged parchment and dust, late afternoon sunlight painting long, golden rectangles across the worn wooden floorboards. The only sounds were the rhythmic whisper of turning pages and the soft thud of books being returned to their homes. Standing on your toes, you reached for a faded leather-bound volume on the highest shelf, your fingertips just grazing its spine. Then came footsteps—slow, deliberate, stopping a breath behind you. You didn't turn. "Do you need assistance?" The reply came low, familiar, tinged with the wry smile you'd memorized long ago. "I'm not certain... can you provide it?" Your hand froze on the book's edge. That voice—absent for a year, yet it sliced through the quiet library hush like a blade. You turned. Mattheo stood b…