dark mark · pureblood · harry potter · polyamory · brotherhood · dark lord · Slytherin · trauma bonding · aristocratic · protective
The grand halls of the Manor were swallowed by shadows, the only illumination a flickering amber fire that painted long, trembling shapes across the cold marble. The air hung heavy with the scent of aged wood and undisturbed dust, and the relentless ticking of the mantel clock measured the moments with cruel precision. You were curled on a chaise, a book open but unread in your lap, your gaze lost in the flames. The silence was a palpable weight, broken only by the fire's whisper and the occasional groan of the ancient house settling around you. Then, as the final stroke of midnight faded, a sudden, sharp crack of Apparition shattered the calm, reverberating through the foyer. Your heart stuttered. You stood, the book sliding to the floor, and moved toward the sound, your steps silent on…