spellbound hearts - SLYTHERIN BOYS.

005. the quiet observer

𖦹 ׂ 𓈒 🐇 ／ ⋆ ۪

── .✦ THE LATE AFTERNOON SUN barely reached the windows of the slytherin common room. the usual bustle had quieted, leaving only a few scattered students and the crackling sound of the fireplace that bathed the room in a soft, flickering light. yn sat close to the hearth, legs tucked beneath her, flipping through her notes from class. she had gotten used to the rhythm of life here - mattheo's intensity, lorenzo's playful charm, and even draco's cold indifference - but there was one person who had remained distant, always on the periphery. theodore nott.

from across the room, theodore sat alone in the corner, his tall frame hunched slightly over a book. his posture was relaxed, almost as if he was more comfortable blending into the shadows than being part of the lively conversations that usually filled the space. yn had seen him like this countless times - silent, observing, never quite engaging but always there.

as she skimmed through her notes, yn found herself glancing up more than usual, catching theodore's figure in her peripheral vision. he wasn't like the others. mattheo, lorenzo, and draco all demanded attention in their own ways, but theodore... he was a quiet presence, always watching, always listening. she hadn't had a real conversation with him since arriving, and she found that strange, given how often their paths crossed.

theodore, sitting in his usual spot, allowed his eyes to drift from his book, landing briefly on yn across the room. he had noticed her from the moment she'd arrived at hogwarts, a new and unexpected presence in their tight knit slytherin group. she had quickly found her place, navigating the tension between mattheo and draco, laughing easily with lorenzo. but with him? they hadn't spoken, and for some reason, that fact lingered in his mind more than it should.

he wasn't like his friends - bold and brash, quick to speak or act. theodore preferred the background, where he could observe without drawing attention to himself. but lately, yn had become the subject of his quiet fascination. he watched the way she interacted with the others, how she could shift from playful banter with lorenzo to challenging draco's cold stares without hesitation. but it was her quieter moments that intrigued him most, like now, when she was lost in thought, her brow furrowed as she studied.

it wasn't that theodore didn't want to talk to her - he just wasn't sure how. while his friends had no problem approaching her with their charisma and confidence, he hesitated, unsure of what to say, unsure if she would even care to hear from him.

as the common room slowly emptied and the firelight dimmed, yn stood to stretch, shaking out the stiffness from sitting too long. she glanced over at theodore once more, noticing that his attention seemed focused on something other than his book. it was now or never, she thought. it was strange that, despite being part of the same circle, they had never properly spoken.

deciding to grab a book from the shelf nearby, yn moved across the room. as she reached up to pull down a worn volume, her elbow nudged a stack of parchment off the table next to theodore, sending the papers fluttering to the floor.