Sly slytherin, dumb gryffindor.
Born by blood, torn by fate. Slow burn between a malfoy heiress and the chosen one.
UMBRA REGNET.
Started on 08/31/2024
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December 6th, 1995. Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry.
The cold winter air bit at Aurora's skin as she walked alongside Adrian, her breath visible in the frigid December weather. Hogwarts in winter was beautiful, but the biting chill wrapped around her like an unwelcome blanket, leaving her feeling numb in more ways than one.
She pulled her robe tighter around her body, though it wasn't the cold that bothered her most.
It was him.
Adrian Pucey, her boyfriend of over a year, walked confidently beside her, his arm draped loosely around her shoulders. To anyone else, it probably looked like an innocent gesture of affection. But to Aurora, it felt heavy, almost suffocating. His presence, once so comforting, now made her stomach churn. Every step she took beside him felt like she was being pulled further into something she wasn't sure she wanted anymore.
The air felt different today. Or perhaps it was just her, unable to shake the lingering discomfort from the night before-the night at the get-together. Her mind kept circling back to it, to Theodore's confession, and to everything it had stirred up inside her.
It wasn't that she had ever thought or ever would think about Theo that way-he had always been her brother's friend first, then hers. He'd been there through her childhood, part of the background of her life. But something about the way he had spoken to her last night, the rawness in his voice, had unsettled her.
"Why are you still with him" His voice echoed again in her head.
Aurora shivered, though she wasn't sure if it was from the biting wind or the uncomfortable knot forming in her stomach.
Beside her, Adrian was oblivious. He seemed more concerned with keeping his grip on her tight enough that everyone could see. They passed groups of students headed to their morning classes, their faces flushed from the cold, their voices bright and lively in contrast to the heavy quiet between her and Adrian.
Adrian, as if sensing her distraction, tightened his grip on her shoulder, tugging her closer. His body heat should have offered some comfort against the biting cold, but instead, it felt stifling. "You're quiet today," he commented, his voice low but sharp with an undercurrent of suspicion. "Everything alright?"
Aurora gave a noncommittal shrug. "Just tired," she sighed, the words feeling hollow in her throat. She could feel his eyes on her, his gaze dissecting her every word, looking for any sign of dishonesty.
Adrian's gaze didn't waver, even as they continued walking. He kept his arm firmly around her shoulders, pulling her a little closer, his fingers pressing into her coat, as though he didn't believe her for a second. His jaw tensed. "Tired?" he repeated, his voice carrying the subtle accusation of something more.
You're suffocating me, she wanted to scream, but instead, she swallowed the words, just like she always did. Instead, she just nodded, trying to brush it off as casually as she could manage. "Yeah, I was up late studying." she lied, hoping he wouldn't push further.
