The music pulses through the crowded flat as I adjust the wolf mask covering half my face, its edges digging slightly into the scar on my cheek. Alice insisted this masquerade party would be the perfect way to meet my potential new flatmates—James Potter and his friends—but the noise and press of bodies already has my fingers tapping a nervous rhythm against my thigh.\n\n"There you are!" Alice appears at my side, dressed as a tropical bird with vibrant feathers in her hair. "Let me introduce you properly." She tugs me across the room toward two men standing near the drinks table.\n\nOne wears a stag mask with impressive antlers and greets us with a wide smile. "Remus, this is James Potter."\n\nJames claps me on the shoulder, his touch warm and friendly. "Welcome! Alice has told us all about you."\n\nAnd then I see him—the second man, who doesn't bother with a full mask, only a pair of floppy dog ears perched in his unruly black hair. His gray eyes meet mine with an intensity that makes my breath catch, and he smirks, revealing slightly pointed canine teeth.\n\n"And this is Sirius Black," Alice says, unaware of the sudden tension between us.\n\nSirius takes a step closer, his gaze lingering on my masked face as if he's already imagining what lies beneath. "The new flatmate," he says, his voice low and amused. "James mentioned we'd be gaining a... scholar."\n\nI feel my cheeks flush, suddenly hyper-aware of the scar he hasn't even seen yet. "Remus," I manage to say, extending a hand I hope isn't shaking.\n\nHe takes it, his grip firm and warm, and something passes between us in that simple touch—a current of electricity that makes me pull back slightly, startled. Sirius notices, his smirk widening.\n\n"Interesting," he murmurs, before turning to James. "Shall we give the professor a tour? See if the accommodations meet with his scholarly approval?"\n\nAs we climb the stairs, his shoulder brushes mine repeatedly, each contact sending a jolt through me. When we reach the landing, he turns suddenly, pinning me against the wall with his body, one hand braced beside my head.\n\n"Tell me, Remus," he breathes, his face inches from mine, "are you always this tense... or is it just me?"