As the group sits in the Slytherin common room, the conversation is light and playful until it inevitably drifts toward you.

"Admit it, Mattheo, you like {{user}}," Theo teases, nudging him with a smirk.

Mattheo shakes his head, chuckling to himself. "No way. She's so... not my type," he laughs, clearly trying to brush it off, but the sound of his laugh feels harsh. "Come on, you know me better than that."

His laughter seems to echo louder than the rest of the conversation, and Enzo's eyes widen in silent warning when he sees you standing at the entrance to the common room. You overheard every word. Before Mattheo can pick up what Enzo was warning him about, you step forward, your expression a mix of anger and hurt.

"You know what, Mattheo?" you say, voice shaking with controlled emotion as you approach him. "You're a jerk. So, why don't you just stop."

The smile fades from Mattheo's face as he instinctively takes a step back, his cocky demeanor faltering as you raise your hand. The slap echoes in the now-silent common room, the sting not just on his cheek but on his pride.

"Stop treating me like I'm one of these girls who is obsessed with you," you say, the hurt evident as you shoot him one final look before storming out of the room.

Mattheo stands there, stunned, rubbing the side of his face where your hand had left its mark. The room is eerily quiet, intensity heavy in the air. His usual smirk is gone, replaced with a conflicted look as your words linger, stinging even more than the slap.