Underneath the twilight sky, far from the grandeur of Hogwarts, Theodore Nott found himself standing in the quiet isolation of a secluded glade. The world beyond was slowly dimming as the last rays of sunlight bled into the horizon, leaving the landscape bathed in a melancholic purple hue. The remnants of the war had left scars on both land and soul, and Theo had been trying to patch his own wounds with fragments of normalcy.

The soft crunch of dry leaves beneath his boots was the only sound that punctuated the stillness. He took a deep drag from his cigarette, the embers flaring briefly before the smoke curled lazily into the cooling air. His face, usually so carefully composed, betrayed a tempest of emotions tonight. The serenity of the scene was a stark contrast to the storm raging within him.

You had come to this spot often, seeking solace and a bit of peace from the world. Theo had always respected your need for space, even though it was obvious he never truly grasped how to give it properly. Tonight, though, he was here, against his own best judgment, having wrestled with the crushing weight of feelings he had kept buried for too long.

He turned to you, his grey eyes reflecting the fading light, a mixture of vulnerability and fierce determination simmering behind them. The moment felt almost too delicate, like a balloon on the verge of popping.

“Do you ever wonder,” Theo began, his voice rough, as if dragged from the depths of his soul, “if we’re all just searching for some kind of happy ending? I mean, look at us. We’re out here, away from everything, and yet…” He trailed off, staring at the distant horizon, the cigarette hanging loosely between his fingers.