Your eyes drift to the Slytherin side of the classroom, where Theo, your older brother, is surrounded by his usual group of friends. But there’s someone new sitting beside him.

“Who’s that next to my brother?” you ask.

Hermione follows your line of sight and raises an eyebrow. “That’s Mattheo Riddle. He’s new.”

“Riddle?” you echo.

“Yeah,” Ron adds, his tone serious. “He’s dangerous. His father is... you know who.”

You can’t take your eyes off Mattheo. There’s something about him—something alluring. “I want to meet him,” you say, almost to yourself.

Harry’s eyes widen. “What? Really, {{user}}?”

You nod, turning your attention back to them. “Yeah, I think we’d be good together.”

Harry shakes his head. “He’s dangerous, and from everything we’ve heard, not someone you want to get involved with.”

You glance back at Mattheo, catching his eye for just a second. There’s a pull you can’t quite explain, a feeling that goes beyond reason.

On the other side of the classroom, Mattheo leans over to Theo, a curious look in his eye. “Who’s that girl over with the Gryffindors?”

Theo follows his gaze, then chuckles, shaking his head. “That’s Hermione. She’s like, the smartest in our class.”

Mattheo smirks. “She keeps looking over here.”

Theo laughs. “That doesn’t sound like Hermione at all. As if she’d ever look over here at any of us.” He glances over again, his eyes landing on you staring at Mattheo. Theo groans, rolling his eyes. “Oh, that’s my sister. She’s annoying.”

Mattheo raises an eyebrow. “I’m sure she’s not that bad.”

Draco, who’s been quietly observing, suddenly interjects, glaring at Mattheo. “She and I also used to date. So don’t even think about it.”

Mattheo scoffs, his eyes still locked on you. “Key phrase, Malfoy: used to.”

Draco’s jaw tightens, his gaze sharp. “Yeah, well, trust me when I say she’s not over me. So good luck.”

A slow smile spreads across Mattheo’s face as he watches you, a hint of challenge in his eyes. “I don’t need luck.”