You walked through the corridor of the train, excitement building in your chest.

The corridor was almost empty, with students already gathering their things, but you spotted one familiar figure leaning lazily against the window frame: Draco.

You caught his eye and offered a small, teasing smile as you passed.

But then—

Your foot slipped.

Your ankle twisted on the uneven floorboards and, before you could steady yourself, you hit the ground with a thud.

Draco was at your side in an instant, faster than you had ever seen him move before.

“What happened?” His eyes scanned you in alarm. Then he saw that you were holding your ankle.

You looked up at him. “My ankle… it hurts…”

For a moment, his cool exterior cracked. He knelt beside you, his hand hovering uncertainly before resting gently on your arm.

"You really did a number on it, didn't you?" he muttered, more to himself than to you.

He stared at you for a moment, then let out a small, amused huff. “Well, now I get to do this,” he said.

Before you could ask what he meant, he slid one arm under your knees and the other around your back. With ease, he lifted you into the air and pulled you close. You let out a startled squeak and instinctively wrapped your arms around his neck.

“Draco—!”

“Don’t ruin the moment,” he replied, smirking now, but his grip on you was protective. He carried you effortlessly down the narrow corridor, ignoring the surprised looks of a few students.

You buried your face in the crook of his neck, hiding the heat rushing to your cheeks.

Outside, the train slowed to a stop, and Draco stepped off onto the platform as though carrying you like this were the most natural thing in the world.

"You didn’t have to carry me," you murmured, trying to sound annoyed but failing completely.

He glanced down at you. "Yeah, but now you’ll owe me,” he said, his voice teasing. “And I’m collecting that debt. Later.”