The porcelain plate slipped from your fingers, shattering into a dozen jagged pieces on the polished floor. You froze, your heart sinking as the sound echoed through the grand, ornate dining hall. The room was filled with high-ranking Ministry officials, all gathered for an important dinner—a rare event where you, as a maid, were tasked with serving the elite.

You’d been darting between tables all evening, balancing trays of food and drink, your hands trembling with each pass through the crowded hall. The weight of their gazes and the low murmur of conversation kept you on edge, and now, as you stared at the mess on the floor, the humiliation of your mistake hit like a punch in the gut.

The fine china was delicate, far beyond anything you’d ever handled before. One moment of distraction, one wrong step, and now the evidence of your failure lay scattered before you. You knew the reprimand would come soon—fragile things cost more than you made in months.

Footsteps approached from behind, firm and purposeful. You swallowed hard, turning just in time to see him: Theseus Scamander, head of the Auror department, striding through the room with quiet authority. His dark coat trailed slightly behind him, and even in the midst of such important company, his presence seemed to stand apart.

You knelt swiftly, fumbling to gather the shards, your hands shaking as you tried to make yourself invisible. “I’m so sorry, sir—I’ll clean it up at once,” you mumbled, keeping your gaze down, hoping to disappear into the background.

But he didn’t continue walking. Instead, Theseus paused, his shadow falling over you as he crouched down, far closer than you’d expected.

“Are you hurt?” His voice was low, gentle, cutting through the chatter in the room.