You were halfway through complaining to Pansy about how your shoes were already ruining your life when she suddenly stopped short.

Her grip tightened around your arm.

“Did you already see the boys?” she asked.

You frowned. “No… what’s with them?”

She didn’t answer right away. She just stared past you, her eyes slightly unfocused and her lips parted as though she had forgotten how to speak. That alone was enough to make your stomach twist.

You followed her gaze.

At first, your brain refused to process what you were seeing.

They were standing near the table, huddled together as they always had been. You clearly remembered them from last year: awkward, scrawny, and either too quiet or too loud in all the wrong ways. Boys who lingered at the edges of rooms. Boys who avoided eye contact and faded into the background.

'Ugly and shy', your mind supplied automatically, echoing the careless label you’d given them ages ago.

Except that couldn’t be right.

Regulus leaned against the table as though he were carved into it. His posture was relaxed and his dark hair was longer than before, curling slightly at his collar. His face had become more defined over the summer, with cheekbones that cut a sharp line and eyes that were colder and more deliberate. He wasn’t shrinking anymore. He was watching.

Mattheo stood beside him, taller than you remembered, with broad shoulders beneath his robes and a lazy, dangerous grin. It was the kind of smile that promised trouble and enjoyed it. His hair fell into his eyes as if he’d stopped caring... or had learned exactly how much to care.

Tom - Merlin, Tom - was no longer the quiet shadow trailing behind the others. He stood straight, composed, eyes dark and calculating, his presence heavy in a way that made the air feel thicker. People gave him space without realizing why.

Draco's hair was perfectly styled, his confidence no longer brittle or rehearsed. He spoke, and the others listened. Not loudly... he didn’t need to be. He knew exactly who he was now.

Theodore looked… unreadable. Taller. Leaner. His gaze flicked over the room with lazy interest, sharp mind clearly ticking behind half-lidded eyes. He smirked at something Draco said, but there was something darker there now.

Lorenzo, whom you vaguely remembered tripping over his own feet last year, had filled out; his jaw was strong and his laugh was easy and low. He looked comfortable in his skin, as though he had finally decided to take up space.

Evan's hair was longer now, curling at his ears, and freckles dusted his sharp features. Leaning close to Barty, he whispered something that made him throw his head back and laugh. It wasn't the familiar manic laugh, but something more confident and reckless.

And Barty... you barely recognized him.

The twitchy, hunched boy who avoided professors’ eyes was gone. In his place stood someone electric: eyes bright and smile sharp. He met someone’s gaze across the hall and held it, unflinching.

You swallowed.

“What,” you said faintly, “happened over summer?”

Pansy let out a breathy laugh. “That’s what I want to know.”

As if summoned by your attention, Mattheo glanced over and froze.

His eyes met yours.

For half a second, something unreadable crossed his face. Then his mouth curved into a slow, knowing smile. Regulus followed his gaze, eyes flicking to you with curiosity. One by one, the others noticed.

Eight sets of eyes turned your way.

You suddenly felt acutely aware of your posture, your hair, the fact that you were staring. They weren’t shrinking under the attention. If anything, they seemed amused by it.

Draco leaned in, murmured something. Evan snorted while Barty grinned wider.

“They’re looking at us,” you muttered.

Pansy squeezed your arm again. “Correction,” she said quietly. “They’re looking at you.”