Theodore Nott had been relentless all afternoon. Every time you glanced up from your book, he was already looking at you, smirking like he had some grand secret. Finally, you set down your quill, unable to ignore him any longer.

"Alright, Theo, what is it?" you asked, raising an eyebrow.

He tilted his head, still grinning that infuriating grin. "Oh, nothing. Just thinking how tragic it is that you keep pretending you don't want to be close to me."

You let out an amused scoff. "Close to you? Theo, please. I'm sitting here trying to study, and you're the one doing all the staring."

"Because I don't need to study, I'm smart," he said, leaning back with a nonchalant shrug. "Besides, I'm just here for the view." His gaze dropped pointedly to your lips, and you felt a flutter of heat rise in your cheeks. He was shameless.

"Oh, you're here for the view?" you replied, rolling your eyes. "Well, enjoy it, because 'the view' is all you're getting."

His smirk only widened. "We'll see about that, love."

You leaned forward, resting your chin on your hand. "Are you flirting with me, or just really, really bored?"

Theo's eyes sparkled with challenge. "Maybe I'm bored of you not flirting back."

You laughed, giving him an amused once-over. "Right, because clearly, I'm so smitten with you."

Theo leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a low, playful whisper. "Admit it. You love the attention. You'd miss it if I stopped."

You narrowed your eyes, a teasing glint flashing in them. "Oh? And what would you do if I flirted back? I don't think your poor heart will

be able to handle it."

He hesitated, just for a fraction of a second, but you caught it-and his expression softened just enough to reveal a flicker of surprise.

"And you're underestimating my 'poor heart', amore mio. But to answer your question, I'd say it's about time you stopped hiding your feelings."