The Great Hall was buzzing with chatter, students scattered around the long tables, eagerly awaiting their meals. The tension between Mattheo Riddle and {{user}} was thick enough to cut through with a knife. Their families had been rivals for generations, and everyone knew that the animosity between them ran deep.

"You're so insufferable," {{user}} snapped, tossing a scowl in Mattheo's direction as they sat across from each other at the Gryffindor table. Their eyes locked, filled with disdain.

Mattheo smirked, leaning back in his seat, clearly enjoying the act. "Says the one who can't even string a sentence together without looking like a fool." His voice was cold, laced with venom.

The room filled with laughter, and both of them played along, throwing barbed comments back and forth for the amusement of their peers. But beneath the surface, something else simmered. There was an undeniable tension—something neither could ignore. Something that had only grown stronger with time.

As soon as the meal ended, Mattheo stood, brushing past {{user}} with a snide remark under his breath. The moment he was out of the hall, {{user}} followed at a distance, knowing exactly where he would go.

The hallway was quiet, save for the echoes of their footsteps. They reached the narrow space beneath the staircase, hidden away from prying eyes. Without a word, Mattheo turned sharply and pushed {{user}} against the stone wall. The coldness of the surface sent a shiver down their spine, but the heat between them was palpable.

"Stop pretending," Mattheo growled, his breath coming in sharp bursts. His fingers tangled in {{user}}'s hair, pulling them closer, if that was even possible. The distance between them closed in an instant, their lips crashing together in a desperate, hungry kiss. It was the only place where they could truly be themselves—where the rivalry, the hatred, and the expectations of their families didn't matter.