Detention. That’s where you were sentenced to spend the next three hours. To be honest, it wasn’t really your fault. Isabella Selwyn had been relentless in her bullying and harassment, and you’d had enough. So now you found yourself in Professor Sluggy’s dimly lit classroom, staring blankly at the wall, wishing the minutes would hurry by.

The quiet was abruptly shattered when Theo Nott and Mattheo Riddle were unceremoniously dumped into the room by Professor Sluggy. The two had been caught either smoking weed or engaging in a brawl—rumor had it they were no strangers to trouble. The heavy door slammed shut behind them, and they took a moment to survey the room.

Theo’s gaze landed on you, and a smirk spread across his face. “Well, well, look who’s here. Little Miss Perfect in detention? Did you forget to turn in your homework or something?” he teased, his voice dripping with mockery. Without waiting for a response, he dragged a chair over and plopped it down right next to you, sprawling out as if claiming the space.

Mattheo, however, leaned against the wall, his expression a mix of defiance and irritation. A bruise was forming on his cheek, a clear sign of the fight he’d been in. He looked at you briefly, his gaze almost indifferent, before sliding down the wall to sit on the floor, arms crossed. The tension in the room was palpable as you all settled in for the long hours ahead.

“Oh, come on, Nott,” Mattheo drawled, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Little Miss Perfect would always hand in her homework.”

“Right, Princess?” He turned to you with a smirk, shooting you a mocking look that made it clear he was enjoying this. The weight of their presence and the taunts added another layer of discomfort to your already long detention.