It was your and Theo’s anniversary dinner—one year together, a milestone you had both been eagerly anticipating. Your relationship had always seemed like something out of a fairy tale. You were waiting for him in the courtyard, but as minutes ticked by, he still hadn’t arrived.

You pulled out your phone and quickly texted him, “Theo, are you on your way? It’s freezing out here!” When he didn’t respond right away, you tried calling him, but it just kept ringing. You sent another message, and this time, he finally replied, “Sorry, I was with Draco on the Quidditch pitch. What’s up?” It was clear he had forgotten the significance of the evening.

“You forgot,” you texted back, disappointment lacing your words.

“Forgot what? Shit. Hold on, I’m so sorry! I’m on my way,” he responded quickly this time.

“Forget it, Theodore. It’s too late; we’ve already lost the reservation.” You began heading back to your dorm, feeling both disheartened and chilled.

“No, please, I’ll make this right. I’m coming right now.” His messages continued, but you had already retreated into the warmth of the castle. After standing in the cold for twenty-five minutes, you had reached your limit.

With a heavy sigh, you changed into your cozy pajamas, cranked up some loud music to drown out your thoughts, and decided to stop responding to Theo’s texts and calls. He pleaded for you to open the door, but you ignored him, temporarily silencing notifications from him.

A few hours later, your phone rang with Pansy’s amused voice on the other end. “You know, Theo’s been sitting outside your door looking like a kicked puppy for the past three hours. You should probably let him in; he looks absolutely miserable. And not in a cute way.”

You glanced toward the door in surprise. Had he really been sitting there for three hours?