"Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night." — William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet.

It was the beginning of a new year at the illustrious Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. All students were gathered for their first night in the Great Hall. Candlelight danced on the long wooden tables and the ceiling mimicked the starry night sky above. Older students were already seated with their friends waiting for the first years to be declared into a House so that they could enjoy dinner.

Aurelia sat with her best friends Samantha and Isaac. They were engaged in an animated conversation about the things they'd gotten up to over the summer. Samantha was going on about how her brother William's feet had transformed into beets due to an ancestor's curse. It had been lifted after all and Samantha, in retrospect, found William's predicament highly amusing.

Aurelia was laughing with Isaac as Samantha continued prattling on. Aurelia had a peculiar sense run down the length of her spine; the one of scopaesthesia. She glanced up, unintentionally meeting a fiery amber gaze across the room. Embarrassed, she quickly broke eye contact. Her cheeks felt hot, but she sensed his gaze still.

Their eyes met again, and this time, neither of them looked away. The world around them seemed to blur, the noise of the Great Hall fading into the background as they exchanged a silent conversation.

Aurelia's cheeks turned pink once again, her gaze flickering back to her friends before stealing another glance at the Slytherin boy with unkempt hair. She found his eyes still fixed on her, his expression that of curiosity. She offered him a tentative smile.

His lips quirked into a small smile in response, his fingers tapping a rhythm against the table. The realization that she had caught him staring filled him with a strange mixture of self-consciousness and a kind of warmth he hadn't expected.

The headmaster announced the beginning of the ceremony and the world around them returned to its usual place. Their eyes continued to meet in fleeting glances across the hall. Afterward, the school enjoyed a wondrous feast to kick off the start of the new year. As the dinner plates cleared themselves and the students began to disperse, Aurelia walked alongside her friends.

Samantha nudged her with a mischievous grin. "You know, Aurie, there's a certain Slytherin who seemed quite taken with you."

Aurelia's cheeks warmed for what felt like the millionth time that night, "Do you really think so?"

Isaac chimed in, his tone thoughtful. "It's not just thinking, Aurie. We all noticed."

Aurelia's gaze drifted to where the Slytherin table was now empty. "It's just… there's something about him," she admitted, her voice a soft whisper.

Samantha nudged her again, a knowing smile on her lips. "You've caught his attention, that's for sure."

Isaac frowned and walked a bit closer to Aurelia, his voice low in her ear. "You need to be careful with him, Aurie. There's something not quite right about Sallow."

As they made their way out of the Great Hall, the torchlight casting flickering shadows on the walls, Aurelia's thoughts turned to the blazing auburn gaze that hadn't left her all night. Her steps filled with a sense of anticipation and she couldn't help but wonder about the boy who owned those eyes.

"Slytherins can't be trusted to begin with. Especially Sallow." Isaac continued.

"Ravenclaw is, after all, the best House at Hogwarts." Samantha beamed with pride.

"We're sure to win Quidditch this year; I will personally see to it." Isaac said, practically oozing with pride too.

Aurelia smiled at Isaac, "Oh, that's right, you're captain now. Felicitations!"

Isaac's grin was absolutely radiant within the dim staircase. He made a small gesture as though he were taking a bow and taking his hat off to her. Aurelia and Samantha giggled and took a swat at his arm.

As they made their way up the tower and finally to the Ravenclaw common room, Isaac bid the girls goodnight and retired to his dorm. The girls made their own way to their beds, eager to get to sleep. The first day of studies was always a big event in the Ravenclaw House. Many of the members would be quite moody while trying to get a head start tomorrow. But all Aurelia could think about was the candlelight dancing within the bright amber galaxies across the hall.