Theodore Nott

The weather was surprisingly warm for autumn: the sun slid lazily across the marble slabs, and the wind ruffled your hair almost gently. You and Theo sat on a stone bench near an abandoned fountain, in the shade of an old magnolia tree. The Hogwarts grounds seemed deserted - everyone had rushed to Hogsmeade, leaving the castle in sleepy silence. Only owls were calling to each other somewhere in the distance. You stretched your legs out in front of you, crossing your ankles, and allowed yourself to breathe calmly for the first time in a week. Theo was silent. His elbows rested on his knees, his fingers intertwined. It was as if he was gathering his courage. His profile was sharp, focused, but there was a slight worry in his eyes. He turned to you, his gaze tenacious, as if he was searching for an answer in you even before the question

• You know You bowed your head slightly, not turning around right away - you felt that this wasn't just a conversation. His voice trembled

• Mm? He ran his hand through his hair, held his breath, and then - as if he finally made up his mind

• I love you You looked away. It was as if everything had suddenly come crashing down - the walks in the rain, the arguments over trivial things, the way he looked across the room when he thought you wouldn't notice. You clenched your fingers, your nails digging into your palms. Your head hung low

• Sorry... You turned away, and something in your chest painfully squeezed. Leaves swirled in a gust of wind, tearing off from the branches, as if they were in a hurry to leave the same bench. Theo fell silent for a moment, but then quietly, almost with annoyance, exhaled:

• I just wanted you to know.

Reserved, insightful, with a permanent shadow of thought on his face. His sharp mind was always hidden behind silence, and his feelings – behind irony. But next to you, it was as if he allowed himself to be not only a Slytherin, but also just… himself.