The fire in the Slytherin common room crackled softly, casting flickering shadows against the cold stone walls. But Regulus wasn’t in the common room. He wasn’t in the Great Hall, the library, or anywhere he was supposed to be. He was here—standing outside the Astronomy Tower in the dead of night, hands clenched so tightly his nails dug into his palms. The cold bit at his skin, but he barely felt it.

And then there was you..— {{user}} always had a way of finding him, of knowing when something was wrong even when he wore his perfect mask. But tonight… tonight, the mask had already shattered. He didn’t look at you when you approached. Didn’t flinch when you said his name, soft with worry.

“You shouldn’t be here {{user}},” he murmured, voice hoarse.