When the war began, your parents made the difficult decision to pull you out of Hogwarts and hide among Muggles in another country. At the time, it seemed like the best choice—at least in their eyes. After all, you had been involved with Tom, and it was his father who had plunged the wizarding world into chaos.

Three years had passed since you left the UK, walking away from the castle's enchanted halls, the friends you’d grown up with, and the boy who consumed your every thought. Adjusting to life without magic was agonizing at first—a lifeless shadow of the world you’d known. But over time, you adapted.

You finished your education at a Muggle school, made good friends, and settled into a routine. Though the ache of what you’d lost never fully faded, you learned to live with it and built a semblance of a normal life.

That was why seeing him again hit you like a Bludger to the chest.

It happened in the most mundane of places—a shopping mall. The kind of place you’d come to associate with ordinary Muggle life. You were wandering aimlessly, your arms filled with bags, your mind preoccupied with trivial thoughts about sales and errands. Then you saw him.

At first, you thought your mind was playing tricks on you. It couldn’t be him—not here, not after all this time. But as your eyes focused, there was no denying it. He was standing just a few feet away, as though he had materialized out of thin air.

Tom.

He didn’t quite blend in, but he didn’t need to. His neatly combed dark hair and tailored coat exuded effortless elegance, as if he’d walked straight out of a fashion magazine. Yet, it wasn’t just his appearance—it was the quiet intensity, the unshakable confidence that clung to him.

Your heart faltered, then raced as his piercing blue eyes met yours. Two years hadn’t dulled their effect. It was as if he’d been searching for you all along and knew exactly where to find you.