The atmosphere between Ezekiel and Daphne had shifted irreversibly.
No longer filled with hesitation. No longer tangled in doubt.
The kiss they had shared—**raw, desperate, filled with unspoken promises—**was now a lingering sensation between them, always present, always pulling them back toward each other.
But despite how much their relationship had evolved, the world around them hadn't stopped.
They still had to navigate the complexities of their roles—as Lord and Lady, as students, as two people bound by fate yet wholly drawn together by choice.
---
Hogwarts carried on as if nothing had changed. Classes resumed, the chatter of students filled the halls, and the routine of their daily lives continued.
But for Ezekiel and Daphne, everything had changed.
They found themselves drawn together at every opportunity—stolen glances across the Great Hall, brushing hands in the corridors, quiet conversations beneath the candlelight of the library.
Their relationship, once a carefully measured balance of formality and restraint, had turned into something far more intimate, far more dangerous.
And yet, neither of them wanted to slow down.
"You're staring again."
Ezekiel smirked, not bothering to look away from where Daphne was sitting beside Alys at the Slytherin table. "Am I?"
Adrian Selwyn, seated across from him, rolled his eyes. "You're practically undressing her with your eyes. It's a miracle Greengrass hasn't hexed you yet."
Ezekiel leaned back, unconcerned. "She doesn't seem to mind."
Adrian scoffed. "No, but the rest of Slytherin certainly does. Do you know how many people have been glaring at you since you walked in?"
Ezekiel spared a glance at the Slytherin table and noted a few displeased looks in his direction. A handful of older students had clearly taken notice of his closeness with Daphne.
Not that he cared.
Daphne belonged to him, and anyone who had an issue with that would simply have to deal with it.
---
Later that night, Ezekiel found himself wandering the castle once more. He wasn't surprised when he found Daphne waiting for him in the Astronomy Tower, her arms crossed as she leaned against the stone railing.
The moon cast a pale glow over her, making her blonde hair shimmer like strands of silver.
"You're late."
Ezekiel smirked as he approached, placing a hand on either side of her, caging her between him and the railing. "I wasn't aware we had set a time."
Daphne arched a brow, but her lips twitched in amusement. "You always find me, regardless."
Ezekiel hummed. "Perhaps you're the one who wants to be found."
She didn't deny it.
Instead, she let him close the distance between them, her breath warm against his lips, her body melting into his as he kissed her—slowly, teasingly, as if he had all the time in the world.
Daphne's fingers curled into his robes, pulling him closer, her lips parting to deepen the kiss.
Ezekiel growled lowly, his hands trailing down her back, pressing her against him until there was no space left between them.
The world around them faded.
For now, in the quiet of the night, they were the only two that existed.
---
The tension between them had been building for weeks. Stolen kisses. Lingering touches. Whispers in the dark.
Ezekiel wasn't sure when restraint had become an impossible feat, but tonight, he didn't want to hold back.
His hands slid along her waist, fingertips grazing the curves beneath her robes as he explored the soft, heated skin beneath.
Daphne shivered but didn't pull away. Instead, she pressed closer, her arms wrapping around his neck as their kiss deepened into something far more dangerous.
A battle for dominance. A test of control.
Ezekiel's fingers slipped beneath the fabric of her robes, trailing up the smooth skin of her thighs as Daphne gasped softly into his mouth.
Her nails dug into his shoulders, her breath hitching as he pushed her against the railing, trapping her completely beneath his body.
"You like teasing me," Ezekiel murmured against her lips, his voice dark, husky.
Daphne's smirk was almost challenging. "I like watching you lose control."
A low growl rumbled in Ezekiel's throat. "Then you'll love what happens next."
His lips moved to her jaw, trailing down to the sensitive skin of her neck. Daphne tilted her head back, granting him full access as his mouth ghosted over her pulse point, his tongue flicking out to taste her.
Daphne's breath came out in uneven gasps, her fingers gripping the back of his head as his lips moved lower, his hands gripping her thighs possessively.
The Astronomy Tower was silent, save for the sound of their ragged breathing.
The air between them was charged, heavy with anticipation.
Ezekiel pulled back just enough to meet her gaze, his stormy blue eyes dark with hunger.
"I could take you right here," he whispered, his fingers digging into her hips.
Daphne shuddered but smirked. "Then do it."
Ezekiel inhaled sharply, his grip on her tightening. She was tempting him—pushing him to his limits.
But not yet. Not here.
Instead, he pressed one final kiss against her lips—slow, deep, and filled with a promise.
"Soon."
Daphne exhaled shakily, nodding. She knew he meant it.
And for now, that was enough.
For now.
---