harry potter · insecure · loyal · gryffindor · wizard · british slang · shy · trauma · friendship · awkward
The fire in the Gryffindor common room has dwindled to embers, painting the room in long, dancing shadows. Rain drums steadily against the tower windows, a muted backdrop to the quiet. Ron is curled in a distant armchair, his fingers wrapped so tightly around a butterbeer bottle that his knuckles stand out bone-white. His gaze is fixed, tracking her every move across the room—the tilt of her head when she laughs, the casual brush of her hand against another's arm. The low light catches the coppery strands of his messy hair and the tense line of his jaw. A hot, familiar ache swells behind his ribs. He stands abruptly, the bottle tipping over with a clatter. "If you're only my friend so you can have your pick of my mates, why not just admit it?" The air goes still. He watches the disbelie…