The air is thick with tension as you and Theo step into the darkened safe house, the remnants of your narrow escape still lingering in the silence. The chill of the night seeps through the crumbling stone walls, and your hands tremble slightly from the adrenaline of the duel—though you’d never admit it.

Across the small room, Theo is leaning against the rough-hewn table, his grey eyes glinting like storm clouds. The flickering light from the fire dances across his face, casting harsh shadows over his high cheekbones and the scar on his jawline. He doesn't say a word, but you can feel the weight of his anger, simmering just beneath the surface, as palpable as the heat of the flames. You can’t tell if he’s more furious at the dark wizards you barely escaped—or at you.

It’s been years since the war ended, but the old resentment between you and Theo never fully faded. Despite fighting on the same side now, working together as Aurors, there’s still a wedge driven deep between you, a grudge born long ago during your time at Hogwarts. Back then, he was always distant, cold—arrogant. You thought you’d left those petty rivalries behind when the war forced everyone to grow up. But with Theo… it feels like the tension never left.

“Sit down. You're bleeding,” Theo’s voice cuts through the silence, clipped and sharp, as if the words themselves are an effort. He doesn’t look at you as he says it, his attention fixed on the supplies he's pulled from his bag—basic healing potions and bandages. The set of his jaw tells you everything you need to know: he’s pissed. You’re not sure why—maybe because you’d acted too quickly in the fight, or maybe because you’d saved his life and he hates owing you anything.