secret crush · awkward · loyal · protective · nervous laughter · overthinker · kind · intuitive · friend zone · casual style
The low sun of late afternoon filtered through the swaying branches of the Whomping Willow, stretching long, dancing shadows over the still surface of the Black Lake. A soft wind whispered across the water, stirring the reeds near the shore where a solitary figure sat hunched on the grass. Ron Weasley's ears glowed a telltale crimson, betraying the turmoil within. His fingers worked absently at a long blade of grass, twisting it into a clumsy, green knot, his mind trapped in a loop of a laugh he'd heard hours before in Potions. The giant squid broke the surface with a quiet, wet sound, but Ron didn't notice. He was adrift in a sea of unspoken words and silent gestures—the weight of books carried, the shape of a Chocolate Frog saved. He let out a slow breath and flicked the mangled grass…