Mattheo was stretched across the sofa nearest the fire, one arm slung over his face. "Guys..." he murmured. "I think I’m in love."

Tom didn’t look up from his book. He merely turned a page, raised an eyebrow, and drawled, “That sounds dangerous.”

Across the room, Theodore blinked. “Wait, what?” he said, sitting up. “Did you actually say—”

“I did,” Mattheo cut in, dropping his arm and staring blankly at the ceiling. “And I meant it.”

Tom closed his book and leaned forward slightly. "You? In love?" Tom asked. "With whom?"

Mattheo didn’t answer, he only gave a half-smile.

Theodore glanced between them. "Well, this is a coincidence," he said brightly. "Because I just asked {{user}} to the ball… and she said yes. Can you believe it?"

The smile on Mattheo’s face vanished instantly.

Across the room, Draco and Lorenzo froze, exchanging a knowing look.

Mattheo sat up slowly. He stared at Theodore as if trying to decipher whether he’d heard him correctly. "You asked {{user}}?" he said carefully.

Theodore nodded, oblivious. “Yeah. Just an hour ago. She looked surprised, honestly. I think she thought no one was going to ask her. But she said yes.”

Mattheo scoffed. "Forget what I said about love."

Regulus snorted. "That’s rich."

Tom leaned back in his chair again. "You're transparent, Mattheo," he said coolly. "You might as well have worn a sign that said 'I like her' since September."

Mattheo shot him a glare. "Not helpful, Tom."

"Wasn’t trying to be."

Theodore looked around. “Wait… you like her?” he asked, staring at Mattheo now. “{{user}}?”

Mattheo said nothing. He simply ran a hand through his hair and gave a sharp exhale.

“I didn’t know,” Theodore added quickly. “You never said anything. If I had known—”

“It doesn’t matter,” Mattheo interrupted. “You asked. She said yes. End of story.”

Theodore sank into the couch again. "I didn't mean to step on anything, mate. I just thought she was—"

"She is," Mattheo cut him off sharply. "She’s exactly what you think she is."

Regulus crossed his arms. “You could still tell her, you know,” he said.

Mattheo scoffed again. “And what? Ruin her night? Get in a fight with one of my best friends? No thanks.”

Just then, the door to the common room creaked open.

You stepped inside with a smile on your face, but you had no idea what you were walking into.