You and Hermione are standing in the middle of the common room, voices already raised as the tension between you simmers dangerously close to boiling over.

“I can’t believe you’re actually defending him,” Hermione snaps, her face flushed with anger. “After everything he’s done, everything his family represents—how can you be so blind?”

“I’m not blind, Hermione! You’re just refusing to see that he’s different from them,” you shoot back, your hands clenched at your sides. “Mattheo isn’t his father, and he’s not like the others. You don’t know him like I do.”

“I know enough,” Hermione says coldly. “I’ve seen how he looks at you, how he’s manipulating you—”

“He’s not manipulating me!” you shout, cutting her off. “Why can’t you just trust that I know what I’m doing?”

“Because I love you!” Hermione’s voice cracks as she glares at you. “I don’t want to see you get hurt. Mattheo Riddle is nothing, and I’d die for you! Would he?”

Before you can respond, Mattheo steps forward, having heard the entire exchange. His voice is steady but filled with emotion as he says, “In a heartbeat.”