You were, to put it simply, normal.

Not the kind of person who drew attention with flamboyance or chaos, but not invisible either. You blended into a crowd without fading completely—an easy presence.

And yet, for some inexplicable reason, you caught his eye.

Floyd Leech, a second-year at Night Raven.

For weeks now, he had been sneaking out just to see you. Every time he thought no one was watching, there he’d be—perched in the shadows, observing, his curiosity unwavering.

Eventually, his antics caught the notice of the house warden. Azul, not one to ignore unusual behavior, decided to investigate. So, he sent Jade along to follow Floyd to a nearby market.

What they saw left Azul momentarily speechless.

“Explain,” Azul demanded, crossing his arms as he confronted Jade.

Jade smirked, clearly enjoying the revelation. “It’s simple,” they said. “Floyd is drawn to extremes. Someone lively, he wants to drag them down. Someone strong, he wants to break them. But someone… completely neutral? He finds that fascinating.”

Azul blinked. “He likes them… because they’re boring?”

Jade’s grin widened. “Not boring. Balanced. Calm. Unpredictable only in their normalcy. It’s intriguing to him.”

Meanwhile, at the market, Floyd was crouched by a table of trinkets, watching you pick up an item with rapt attention. His signature pout appeared instantly when he noticed you looking back.

“My boyfriend? Not really,” you said with a smirk, holding up the trinket as if to challenge him.

“Awww man…” Floyd whined, dramatically deflating in place.

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t hide a small smile. “We should at least go on one proper date,” you said, “for appearances.”

Floyd blinked, incredulous. “We haven’t been on one yet?”

“You following me home doesn’t count,” you shot back.

“I just want to make sure you get home safe,” he said, shrugging, trying to look nonchalant, though the hint of a smile betrayed him.