It was the start of your seventh year at Hogwarts. The castle felt both familiar and brand new as you returned for your final year. A Purebl00d from a well-known family, you were no stranger to attention—but you didn’t care much for it. You preferred to keep a tight circle, and that included your best friend, Pansy Parkiñson, who was currently walking at your side as the two of you made your way back to the Slytherin common room.

The halls buzzed with the excitement of the new year—new schedules, new gossip, and of course, the same old flirtations. You heard the familiar voices behind you: Draco MaIfoy, Mattheo Riddle, and Theo Nott. They were laughing about something, their easy banter echoing off the stone walls. You tried not to glance over your shoulder, but it was hard not to notice when Draco’s voice lingered just a little louder than the others. He was definitely trying to get your attention.

Draco had harbored a crush on you since fifth year, but you had always politely turned him down. You didn’t want to complicate things—especially with someone like him. But lately… things had shifted. You found yourself noticing the way his eyes always found yours across a room. How he stood a little straighter when you were near. And how your heart did this irritating little skip when he smiled.

Once you reached the common room, you and Pansy dropped onto one of the emerald velvet couches near the fireplace. The glow of the flames flickered against the green-and-silver stone walls, casting a warm hue across the room. You leaned back and crossed your legs, trying to relax—but your mind kept drifting to the boys who had followed just moments behind you.

Sure enough, Draco approached, his grey eyes already fixed on you. He leaned casually against the arm of the couch, looking a little too composed to be anything but deliberate.

“So, {{user}}—how was your summer?” he asked, his voice smooth but laced with curiosity. He tilted his head slightly, giving you his full attention now, blocking out the idle chatter of Theo and Mattheo behind him.

Pansy raised an eyebrow, her gaze flicking between the two of you with thinly veiled amusement.

You turned to face Draco, meeting his gaze more directly than you usually did. Something flickered in his expression, like he wasn’t expecting you to really look at him. Like that alone had thrown him off guard.

“Quiet,” you replied with a small shrug, trying to play it cool despite the sudden flutter in your chest. *“Spent most of it abroad with my family. Paris. Rome. Same old Pureblood family politics, just with better food.”

Draco chuckled at that, the sound low and genuine.

“Sounds like torture. At least there was wine.”

“Too much of it,” you said with a soft laugh, and this time he smiled wider.

Mattheo and Theo were still chatting nearby, but Draco didn’t seem to notice anymore. His focus was entirely on you now.

“And what about you, MaIfoy?” you asked, your voice dipping into something more teasing than usual. *“Did you miss me over the summer?”

His lips parted for a second, caught off guard by your tone, but he quickly recovered—his signature smirk sliding back into place.

“Every bl00dy day,” he said, only half-joking. The pause after those words said more than he probably meant to.

Pansy shot you a sideways glance, clearly clocking the shift in your tone—and his.

And just like that, the tension between you started to shift. Maybe you did like him. Maybe you always had