At Hogwarts, rules came and went. Some were ridiculous, some were ancient, some were ignored completely. But one rule never faded — passed down like folklore:

A Gryffindor cannot date a Slytherin.

Not officially written. Not in any book. But everyone knew it. It was the unwritten law that shaped every hallway whisper, every glare from across the Great Hall, every rivalry on the pitch.

Gryffindor and Slytherin simply didn’t mix.

And so, naturally, the universe decided that the Gryffindor Quidditch captain and the Slytherin star beater would fall hopelessly, disastrously in love.

You and Oliver Wood kept your distance at first. You pretended not to notice the way he stared at you during matches. He pretended not to care when you walked into the Great Hall. You ignored the flutter in your stomach when he flew past you in practice. He ignored the way his jaw clenched whenever someone else talked to you.

But attraction is magnetic.

And magnets don’t care about rules.

It all started with a detention.

You’d hexed a Bludger into flying at the Slytherin stands after someone made one too many comments about your House. The professors weren’t amused.

Oliver had been caught practicing after hours.

So the two of you stood side-by-side in an empty corridor at midnight, polishing suits of armor with rags that smelled vaguely like mold and betrayal.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” Oliver muttered without looking at you.

You smirked. “The Bludger or getting caught?”

“Both.”

You shrugged. “Worth it.”

He rubbed a hand over his face, muttering, “You’re going to get yourself expelled one day.”

“And you’re going to give yourself wrinkles from worrying so much.”

That got him. A laugh — real, soft, startled.

You looked at him. Really looked.

Oliver Wood was unfair — all sharp jawline, soft brown eyes, and shoulders broad enough to carry an entire team. You hated how perfect he was for someone who annoyed you so much.

“You’re staring,” he said without looking up.

“So are you," you countered.

His jaw tightened. “Don’t.”

“Why? Scared someone will see?”

“No.” His eyes finally lifted to yours. “Scared I won’t stop.”