The Manor’s drawing room was bathed in the warm glow of the late afternoon sun. Mattheo had just finished recounting a particularly daring escapade, and the group erupted into laughter.

Draco smirked. “You’re lucky you didn’t get caught, Mattheo. That plan was reckless even by your standards.”

“Reckless, maybe, but brilliant,” Mattheo shot back, his grin wide.

Theo, perched near the window, wasn’t laughing. His dark eyes were fixed on the horizon, the vibrant hues of the setting sun casting long shadows on his face.

“Everything alright, Theo?” Regulus asked, his tone careful yet curious.

Theodore blinked, as if jolted from a memory. He turned his head slightly, but the usual calm in his expression was absent. Instead, there was something heavier—something raw.

“She was… my best friend,” Theodore said softly, his voice barely more than a whisper.

The room fell silent. The shift in the air was palpable as the group turned their attention fully to him.

"She understood me," Theo continued, his voice breaking. "More than anyone ever has." He let out a shaky breath, his hands gripping the window sill. "And then she left the country. Just... left."

Blaise leaned forward. “Theo…”

But Theodore wasn’t finished. “I didn’t even get to say goodbye properly,” he admitted, his voice trembling. “And I didn’t realize how much I’d miss her until she wasn’t there anymore.”

Tears began to streak down Theodore’s cheeks, his composed exterior cracking as the weight of his emotions overtook him. He slumped into the nearest armchair, burying his face in his hands.

“She was my best friend,” he repeated, the words muffled but heavy with pain.

After what felt like an eternity, Theodore sat up, wiping at his face. His tears had slowed, though his eyes were still red and glassy. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone.

With trembling hands, he typed out a message.

“I miss you. I hope you’re okay, wherever you are. I’d give anything to see you again.”

He stared at the screen for a moment before pressing send.