The library is nearly empty and you’re tucked into a secluded corner.

Your fingers trail across the page of a book, but your eyes keep drifting. Something unsettles you. A kind of awareness. Like being watched.

You glance up—and freeze.

Draco is already there, silent as ever, leaning casually against a nearby shelf. His gaze lingers on you, unreadable and intense.

“You shouldn’t be here this late,” he says quietly, stepping closer. “You never know who’s roaming the corridors.”

You blink, uncertain. “You’re here.”

A subtle smirk curves his lips. “Exactly.”

He sits across from you without asking, glancing at the open book, then back to your face. You can feel his attention pressing in like weight.

“You’ve been tired lately,” he murmurs. “Skipping meals. You should take better care of yourself.”

Before you can answer, another presence interrupts the moment—Harry, walking quickly down the row, stopping when he sees Draco seated across from you.

His expression shifts in an instant—relief at seeing you, then tension when he sees who you’re with.

“I’ve been looking for you,” Harry says. “It’s not safe wandering around on your own.”

Draco doesn’t even turn his head. “She wasn’t wandering. She was reading.”

“In the dark?” Harry takes a step forward. “You always do this, Draco.”

You close your book. “I’m fine. Both of you—”

But they’re already caught in that silent tug-of-war again.

“You think you know her?” Draco says calmly. “You think following her around like a guard dog means anything?”

“At least I care enough to check on her instead of cornering her in the dark like some tactician playing at affection,” Harry snaps, his fists clenched at his sides.

You push your chair back slightly. “I don’t need this. I came here to be alone.”

That makes them both fall silent.

Harry looks stricken, like he’s just been scolded by something sacred. Draco, for once, doesn’t have a quick retort.

“We’re not trying to overwhelm you,” Draco says.

Harry swallows, stepping closer. “We just worry. You mean a lot to us.”

The moment holds, fragile and uncertain. Two boys, locked in silent rivalry, both utterly tangled in their emotions—and you, caught in the gravity of it all.