The fire crackled in the common room and the group sat in their usual places, the oppressive silence of a late winter evening broken by Mattheo's restless energy. He sprawled across the armchair closest to the fire, his feet hanging over one side.

Theodore sat nearby on the couch, legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles, flipping lazily through a worn-out book he clearly wasn’t reading.

“I wish we didn’t have to deal with girls sometimes,” Mattheo said suddenly, breaking the calm. His voice carried that familiar mix of exasperation and humor.

From your spot, you raised an eyebrow, waiting to see where this was going.

Theodore didn’t even look up. “Yeah, me too,” he replied with a smirk, his tone dry and nonchalant.

Mattheo tilted his head toward him, his grin wicked. “I’d date you if you were a girl.”

Theodore chuckled, the sound low and easy. “I’d date you too. That’s normal, though.”

“Yeah,” Mattheo agreed, leaning back further into his chair. “Everyone feels like that about their best friend.”

Across the room, Draco, who had been leaning against a windowsill and looking out at the moonlit grounds, turned his head sharply. His blond brows knit together as he exchanged a glance with Lorenzo and Regulus, who were seated nearby in companionable silence.

“Do they realize?” Draco asked, his voice dripping with amused incredulity.

Lorenzo leaned back in his chair as he studied the pair by the fire. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Ah, give it some time,” he murmured, his tone as smooth as silk.

Regulus, seated on the edge of a table with his arms crossed, let out a soft, knowing chuckle. “Somehow, I doubt they’ll figure it out anytime soon.”

Draco shook his head, amused. “Idiots,” he muttered, though his tone held no malice.

"Idi0ts," Lorenzo echoed, his grin growing as he watched Mattheo's theatrical gestures.

"But they're our idi0ts," you said simply.

Regulus' lips curved into a rare smile, the firelight reflecting in his sharp grey eyes. "For better or worse."