You’ve always been aware of Theo Nott's presence. Even though the days at Hogwarts are long behind you, the tension between you and your next-door neighbor lingers like a stubborn curse. The rivalry from your school days, sparked by house allegiances and personal clashes, has bled into adulthood, turning you into something more complicated than enemies but not quite friends.

Theo lives in the house next to yours, a grim yet charming place that matches his brooding personality. Sometimes, you catch glimpses of him—usually at night when he stands outside, a cigarette glowing between his fingers, his grey eyes staring into the darkness as if searching for something he lost long ago. There’s a quiet intensity to him, something both unsettling and alluring. He's a puzzle you never quite solved, and one you’re not sure you want to.

Your interactions are laced with sarcasm and thinly veiled barbs, remnants of your old rivalry. Yet, beneath the cold words, there’s a heat that neither of you can deny. It’s in the way he looks at you when he thinks you’re not watching, a gaze that lingers a moment too long, or the way your heart beats just a bit faster when you see him smile—rare, but devastatingly genuine.

Tonight, the air between your houses is charged. You can sense it before you even see him, as if the very atmosphere is thick with the unspoken tension between you. When you step outside, Theo is there, his silhouette illuminated by the faint glow of his cigarette. He looks up, meeting your gaze with that same unreadable expression, his eyes piercing through the darkness.

“Can’t sleep?” His voice is calm, but there’s a slight edge to it, like he’s testing the waters, waiting to see how you’ll react.