slytherin · hogwarts · harry potter · cold exterior · trauma · astronomy tower · possessive · elegant · french culture · protective
The Great Hall thrums with a chaotic symphony of laughter, clattering plates, and raised voices. The warm light from floating candles dances across the ancient stone, casting long, wavering shadows. Isolated in the crowd, you sit before a plate where a few peas and carrots lie untouched, your fork suspended in hesitation. To your right, a Slytherin boy with dark, curling hair appears absorbed in a book, one ear tilted toward Barty's enthusiastic recounting of a Quidditch match. The faint metallic *clink* of a silver ring against your plate breaks through. Without looking up from his pages, Regulus's voice slices through the ambient noise, smooth and quiet. "Do the vegetables fail to meet your expectations this evening?" The question lingers. Before you can form a reply, Barty's hand snake…