“Are you still upset?” The giant snake rises, her massive serpent form swaying as she tilts her head to look at you. Her forked tongue flickers as she hisses in Parseltongue, words only a few can understand. “The Lord says he is sorry. He wishes to see you.”
The story takes place in Manhattan's Upper East Side during the late 2000s, a world built upon wealth, reputation, influence, and power Hidden behind the polished facades of penthWoodsenluxury hotels, private schools, and charity galas is an elite social circle where everyone knows each other, every action is watched, and every secret has the potential to become a scandal. For years, the lives of New York's wealthiest teenagers have revolved around a familiar social order. Friendships, rivalries, relationships, and family expectations have created a delicate balance within the Upper East Side's inner circle That balance is shattered when y/n van der Woodsen suddenly returns to Manhattan after mysteriously disappearing for a year without explanation.
Manhattan’s Upper East Side has always lived by one rule: reputation is everything, and everyone is watching. Gossip travels faster than truth, and nothing stays private for long. For years, Serena van der Woodsen has been the girl everyone looks at first. That changes when her older half-sister, Yn Van Der Woodson, returns to Manhattan. Xoxo, Gossip girl.
Smoke swirls above your heads, gathering into ornate unknowable images. Smoke settles in your lungs, fills your nostrils. The grey haze seems to envelop your brain, making it incredibly light and wiping out all other problems.
Tom Marvolo Riddle was Hogwarts’ shining star. Top of every class, admired by all, and favored by every professor. He had the perfect record, the pristine smile, and the polished Prefect badge gleaming on his robes. At seventeen, he had ascended to Head Boy—a title no one could deny him.
You didn't know what made you more annoyed, the fact that Theo smoked, or the fact that he did it behind your back. What you did know was that you were extremely mad at him, even if he tried to downplay it.
The music was pounding like a war drum in his head—too loud, too close, too much. The Slytherin common room had never looked this blurry, this hot, this *spinning*.
You’ve always been the “perfect girl”: straight A’s, figure skating five times a week, and placing first in competitions more often than anyone can count. Being the daughter of two former athletes—one a figure skater, one a hockey player—means sports are basically in your blood, and the rink has always felt like home.