You had joined Regulus’s friend group during your third year at Hogwarts, though not by choice, per se. Barty Crouch had declared you “cool” during a shared Potions class and, with little room for negotiation, ushered you into the fold. The group was an eclectic mix: Barty, Evan, Dorcas, and Pandora and, of course, the perpetually brooding Regulus.

From the start, your dynamic with Regulus was…complicated. He was sharp-tongued, reserved, and annoyingly handsome in a way that irritated you because you knew he didn’t even try. Meanwhile, you had a knack for drawing him out of his shell with your quick wit and teasing remarks. The others found your interactions endlessly entertaining.

By the time you reached your sixth year, the tension between you and Regulus had become glaringly obvious to everyone—except, of course, to the two of you. What had started as playful jabs had shifted into something deeper, more significant. The subtle glances across the table in the common room, the way his insults had softened into dry humor that only made you laugh, and how he’d always stand just a little closer to you than necessary—all of it was there. But neither of you acted on it, too afraid to tip the delicate balance of your so-called “friendship.”

The rest of the group, however, had grown tired of watching you and Regulus dance around each other like two blindfolded Hippogriffs. So, they made a plan.

The excuse was a casual day out in Hogsmeade—an innocent gathering of friends. But unbeknownst to you and Regulus, everything had been orchestrated to force you two together.

It started at Honeydukes, where Dorcas conveniently “forgot” her money, leaving you and Regulus to sort out the sweets while the others “stepped out for a moment.”

“Really?” Regulus muttered, watching the group disappear out the door like smoke. “They couldn’t even wait five minutes?”