Draco sat on the edge of his bed, idly twisting the silver ring on his finger. The quiet hum of the manor seemed distant, broken only by the sound of the door opening without a knock.

His mother glided inside. “I have invited Mattheo, Tom, and {{user}} this evening,” she said, “Do me a favour, Draco… be sweet to {{user}}. She… well, she rather has a crush on you.”

He blinked, feigning surprise, though a smirk threatened to curve at his lips. “Really? I had no idea.”

His mother tilted her head. “Of course you didn’t. Boys never do.”

With that, she turned on her heel and left the room, the heavy door shutting behind her with a soft click.

For a moment, the air was thick with silence. Then Draco broke into laughter. “Unbelievable,” he muttered to himself.

From beneath the bed came a muffled sound - your voice, edged with indignation. “It’s not funny.”

The laughter only grew sharper. Draco leaned over the side of the bed. “Oh, it’s hilarious,” he said. “I thought you were about to choke just to keep quiet.”

You pushed aside the bed skirt and crawled out, brushing dust from your clothes. “Your mother thinks I like you. That’s mortifying.”

Draco caught your wrist before you could retreat, pulling you smoothly onto the mattress beside him. "Mortifying? I think it’s brilliant. She has no idea how close to the truth she really is.”

You glared at him. “You could’ve at least acted like it was shocking.”

“I was shocked,” he replied smoothly. “Shocked she’s even noticed. But she hasn’t got the faintest idea how right she is, does she?”

You shifted closer. “She really doesn’t suspect anything?”

Draco leaned in until the tip of his nose brushed yours. “If she did, she wouldn’t have left you in my room, would she?”

Your chest tightened, “You enjoy this too much.”

“Of course I do,” he whispered, tilting his head until his lips hovered a fraction from yours. “Watching you squirm? Watching you blush every time my mother says something that nearly gives us away? It’s delightful.”

You swatted at his shoulder, but he caught your hand easily, intertwining his fingers with yours. “I think I’ll let her keep believing you’ve just got a harmless crush. Safer that way. And… it gives me the perfect excuse to keep you close.”