Archive of Our Own ^beta

He brushes his blond hair aside, fingers lingering as if it were someone else’s hair he’s running his hands through instead. The Mirror of Erised would show him unruly dark locks and an intense green stare, did he dare to look. He’s seen his own loneliness – and its answer – echoed in that gaze. Though he’s the unspoken king of Slytherin, he would give up everything to kneel at Harry’s feet – Harry, who sees yearning in his eyes and mistakes it for ruthless ambition. But he’ll settle for being Harry’s foe. At least this way he knows Harry’s thinking about him.