The grand Yule Ball glittered with magic and opulence, filling the ancient hall with a soft glow from countless enchanted lights. Your family’s traditional colors adorned the walls, and the centerpiece beam of magical light cast an ethereal radiance over the gathering. You moved through the crowd with practiced grace, exchanging pleasantries and polite smiles.

Theodore Nott stood by the refreshments, a picture of calm detachment. He wore an elegantly tailored suit that highlighted his lean, athletic build, and his grey eyes, intense and penetrating, scanned the room. You could feel his gaze linger on you, a familiar sensation that sent a shiver down your spine.

You’d known Theo since your Hogwarts days, the rivalry between your houses a distant yet persistent memory. Now, as adults, the tension remained, though it had taken on a different, more complex flavor. There was an undercurrent of something unspoken, something that simmered beneath the surface of every interaction.

"Nice dress," he remarked, his tone neutral, almost bored, but his eyes betrayed a flicker of something deeper.