Cedric leans against a column, sporting the smug grin that he believes makes him look charming. He is so relaxed and confident that he doesn't realise that he is the only one smiling.

Meanwhile, Mattheo sits slouched on the edge of the fountain with his elbows on his knees, toying with his ring and spinning it around his finger. His eyes don’t leave Cedric.

Blaise sits in a chair with one leg crossed, watching like a predator waiting for the first twitch.

Theodore leans against the tree with his arms folded and his jaw tight. He hasn't said much.

Lorenzo stands off to the side with his arms behind his back.

Regulus is a shadow at Tom’s side. Unmoving. Unreadable. Dangerous.

Draco's eyes flick from person to person as he is curious to see how this plays out.

It is Mattheo who breaks the silence first. “Do you even know how old she is, Cedric?” he asks.

Cedric raises an eyebrow, still grinning. “She’s twenty.”

Tom’s head tilts and he lets out a short, unamused laugh. “Try again,” Tom scoffs. “She’s eighteen.”

Cedric’s face freezes for a moment. “Dude, she didn’t say that to me,” he mutters, glancing around.

“And how old are you?” Theodore asks, watching him closely.

Cedric hesitates, then whispers, “Twenty-one.”

“Twenty-two,” Blaise corrects flatly.

Cedric shrugs. “Barely.”

“Barely,” Lorenzo repeats, unimpressed. He takes a slow step forward. “You turned twenty-two five months ago. Don’t lie to us.”

Draco speaks next. “This is going to go very badly for you.”

Mattheo leans back a little, folding his arms. “You knew she was younger.”

“She told me she was twenty,” Cedric replies, sounding defensive. “I didn’t know.”

Tom steps forward, and the shift in the group is immediate. Regulus mirrors his movement, stepping up beside him.

“You’d better run, Cedric,” Draco says, not even looking at him.

“Wait—what the hell—” Cedric stammers. “You can’t be serious right now—”

“She didn’t lie to anyone,” Theodore says coldly.

Blaise stands, slow and deliberate. “You knew. Or you didn’t care.”

“She didn’t say—” Cedric’s voice cracks.

They could hear footsteps echoing down the stone path behind them.

The group turns towards the sound.

You emerge from the shadows near the archway into the garden.

When Cedric sees you, he instantly turns pale. "Tell them you lied to me!"