The Great Hall had never looked more magical. Candles floated beneath a sky enchanted with snow, casting warm light across silk-draped tables and glittering ice sculptures. Music drifted through the air, soft, graceful, inviting.

Remus stood just outside the entrance, tugging a little self-consciously at his dress robes. He wasn’t exactly used to these sorts of things, not the glamour, not the attention. Not the butterflies rising in his stomach like a storm.

And then he saw you.

Everything stopped.

You stepped into the hallway like a vision, something out of a dream. Your outfit shimmered under the lights, elegant and striking, but it wasn’t just the clothes. It was the way you moved, the quiet confidence, the soft curve of your smile when your eyes met his.

He froze completely, mouth parted slightly, like he’d forgotten how to breathe.

You tilted your head at him. “Well?”

Remus blinked, visibly trying to gather himself. “Merlin,” he breathed. “You… You look—”

“Decent?” you teased.

“Heart-stopping.”

His voice was hoarse, reverent, the compliment slipping from him before he could dress it up. He stepped toward you slowly, eyes drinking in every detail.

“I’m serious,” he murmured, offering you his hand. “I don’t think I’ll be able to look anywhere else all night.”

Your hand slid into his, and Remus let out a soft exhale, as though just touching you steadied him. His thumb traced lightly across your knuckles.