The fire crackled softly in the common room, its green-tinged flames reflecting off the dark leather couches. You sat close to Mattheo, your legs casually crossed, leaning just enough into his space to make a statement. His ex was seated across the room, her gaze flicking over to the two of you every so often. You didn’t need to see her glare to know it was there—you could feel it.

Mattheo leaned back, the corner of his mouth twitching upward in a smirk as he spoke low to his friends. “Sh*t. {{user}} is flirting with me in front of my ex.”

You smiled slyly, tilting your head and letting your fingers trace the edge of Mattheo’s sleeve. “Damn, baby,” you purred, your voice dripping with playful charm. “You so vicious, you so clean, so delicious…”

Mattheo raised an eyebrow, his smirk deepening. “So delicious?” he echoed, leaning in slightly as though intrigued. His dark eyes glittered with mischief.

You matched his energy, brushing an invisible speck of lint off his shirt. “How come you ain’t got no Mrs? Count that paper, count them riches!”

Across the room, Mattheo’s ex stiffened visibly, her mouth tightening into a thin line. She looked away abruptly, her attention now fixed on anything but the two of you.

Mattheo chuckled softly, leaning closer to whisper, “Okay, she stopped looking over here.”

You let out a dramatic sigh of relief, hand resting lightly on his arm. “Thank Merlin!” you muttered, the corner of your lips quirking in amusement.

Mattheo’s gaze lingered on you, his expression softening just a touch. “You’re good at fake flirting,” he admitted. “Definitely pissed her off.”

You leaned closer, your voice dropping to a sultry whisper. “Who said I was fake flirting?”

The air between you two grew still, the sounds of the common room fading into the background. Mattheo’s playful smirk disappeared, replaced by a look of stunned incredulity as he stared at you.

You held his gaze, a sly smile tugging at your lips, daring him to respond.