The lesson had long since gone off the rails. There had been a heated exchange and a spell had gone wrong, setting a desk on fire.

The class watched in stunned silence as Draco stepped forward. He was dishevelled but smug, his wand lowered and his gaze fixed on the furious professor.

You already know what’s coming.

The professor’s face is red, practically vibrating with rage. "After everything you’ve done…" he growls, his voice shaking, "how will you sleep at night?"

Draco doesn’t hesitate. "Next to my wife."

The words hit the room like an explosion.

"What?!" Hermione gasps, spinning towards Harry.

"Did he just say—" Harry stares at Draco, his eyes wide, "—his wife?"

You jump up from your chair, knocking your ink bottle onto the floor. "Okay, whoa—he meant that as a joke!" you blurt. "Right, Draco?"

He doesn't even turn to you. He just stands there with that infuriating calm, arms crossed, watching the room go up in flames around him.

"Doesn’t sound like a joke," Lorenzo says coolly from the far end of the classroom.

You snap your head towards him. "What?" you demand.

"Doesn’t feel like one either," Theodore adds, arching an eyebrow.

All eyes dart between you and Draco. Some are looking at your hands, as if a ring might appear if they squint hard enough.

You feel your stomach twist.

He wasn’t supposed to say it. Not like that. Not here.

"Enough!" the professor finally roars, slamming a hand on the desk. "Get out of my classroom — now!"

Draco finally moves.

He strides across the room with ease. When he reaches you, he smirks. "Coming, love?" he whispers.

As the two of you walk out, the door swinging shut behind you, Draco leans in just enough for only you to hear. "They were going to find out eventually."

You glance sideways at him. "So your solution was to announce it in the middle of class?"

"Would you rather I made a banner?" he drawls. "I could have used house colors."

He catches your wrist. "Relax, wife," he murmurs, teasing. "Now they all know you’re mine."