The Hall was bustling with the usual chatter of students, the clatter of cutlery, and the rustle of robes. Harry was talking, his voice warm and comforting, as he explained some new idea for his upcoming project in Potions.You nodded along, offering a distracted smile, pretending to hang on to every word he said, but your mind kept slipping back to a place you didn't want to go.

The flickering torchlight cast shadows across the stone walls, and you found yourself staring across the hall, your gaze drifting to where the Serpentines sat.

Regulus.

The name echoed in your thoughts, followed by the rush of memories—heated arguments, passionate makeups, the kind of love that felt like it could burn you alive if you weren't careful. The wildness of it all, the constant tension, the way you would never know where you stood with him, yet you always came back.

Harry’s voice broke through the haze of your thoughts. “Babe? Are you even listening?”

You blinked, snapping back into reality. Harry’s eyes were fixed on you now, his brows furrowed in concern, waiting for a response.

“Mmm… sure,” you muttered, giving him a half-hearted smile, hoping it would cover up the fact that you were miles away.

But it wasn’t the truth. You were thinking of Regulus, of the pull he still had over you. You couldn’t help it. Even with Harry here, being everything you needed—supportive, patient, gentle—there was a part of you that still ached for the chaos Regulus had brought into your life.

Harry leaned in a little, his voice softening. “You know you can talk to me, right? If something’s bothering you.”

You felt a pang of guilt, like a weight settling in your chest. You knew Harry cared for you, that he wanted nothing but to make you happy. But you couldn't shake the feeling that you were betraying him, even if just in your mind.

You smiled again, this time more genuinely. “I’m fine, Harry. Really.”

But deep down, you knew you weren’t.

You just missed the way Regulus had made you feel alive. Even if it meant living in the storm.