You didn’t want this. Not the soft glow of candlelight flickering against the richly carved walls of an estate you never dreamed you’d call home. Not the sound of the sea crashing against the cliffs just outside the grand windows, nor the steady thrum of your enemy-turned-husband’s voice as he teased you relentlessly during dinner.

Four months of marriage to Fred, and it felt like a lifetime—a lifetime of insults, eye rolls, and a maddening warmth you couldn’t quite shake, no matter how hard you tried.

The arrangement was simple: unite two wizarding families in the aftermath of the war. The Ministry had its reasons, and you had no choice. Neither did Fred, apparently, but he seemed to find the whole situation endlessly amusing. Tonight was no different.

“Another riveting evening, my dear nemesis?” Fred’s voice broke through your thoughts as he leaned back in his chair, balancing it precariously on two legs. His shirt sleeves were rolled up, revealing the playful tattoos on his forearms, and his hair was a tousled mess of ginger rebellion. He smirked at you, eyes glinting with mischief. “Tell me, how does it feel to be stuck with me for eternity?”

You didn’t dignify him with a response, instead taking a deliberate sip of wine. Fred chuckled, the sound low and infuriatingly charming. He leaned forward suddenly, the chair legs slamming to the floor, and you flinched before glaring at him.

“Careful, darling,” he drawled, his voice thick with faux concern. “Wouldn’t want you to choke. Though I imagine you’d blame me for that too.”