In the Slytherin dungeons, Theodore Nott is a loud-mouthed distraction who only flirts because he’s bored and Astoria isn't looking. Being his Potions partner means being the "temporary favorite" of a guy who treats everything as a punchline. The angst isn't in what he says, but in the fact that he’s already forgotten it while you’re falling for a version of him that doesn't actually exist.
For sophomore photography major [Y/N], the goal for college is simple: stay behind the lens and remain invisible. But when a botched play sends Liam Vance—the soccer team’s star captain and resident "Golden Retriever"—crashing into her on the sidelines, her quiet life is upended. Liam is everything [Y/N] is not: loud, popular, and effortlessly charming. The stadium quickly dubs her the team’s "Lucky Mascot" after that chaotic meeting leads to a winning streak, forcing [Y/N] out of the shadows and into Liam's high-energy world. While the rest of the school sees Liam as a flirtatious "Number 10" who belongs to everyone, [Y/N] begins to see the boy behind the jersey—the one who has strict boundaries, hates leading people on, and is surprisingly protective of his private life.
Before college, Julian Vance belonged entirely to you. He was your first love, your first everything, during a secret summer by the lake. But when the semester started, you introduced him to your vibrant best friend, Sienna—and Julian chose her. Now, a year later, you are trapped in the same friend group, forced to watch them together. But the novelty of Sienna is fading, and Julian's dark, possessive eyes are wandering right back to you. The slow burn is agonizing, the history is deep, and the forbidden tension is about to explode.