You were standing near the drinks table, laughing lightly and genuinely. Two seventh-year boys had asked if they could top up your drink and were standing around you. You accepted without giving it a second thought.

You were radiant.

And watched.

Across the common room, Mattheo stood motionless. His eyes never left you, not even once.

At his side, Theodore raised an eyebrow as he followed Mattheo’s gaze. He swirled the last of his drink in his goblet, smirking. “Protecting her?” he asked.

Mattheo didn’t answer right away. His jaw clenched slightly as one of the boys stepped closer to you, laughing a bit too loudly, his fingers brushing your wrist as he handed you your drink.

Mattheo’s voice was barely above a whisper when it came. “We all do.”

Theodore’s smile faded. He looked over at you again, this time with a quiet reverence. You were laughing again, completely at ease. “Yeah,” Theodore said, softer this time. “We do.”

Mattheo’s eyes narrowed. “Look at those boys,” he muttered. “They keep staring at her… like she’s theirs to take.” His voice hardened. “It drives me mad.”

On the nearby couch, Draco lifted his head from where he had been sprawled lazily. “They’re just too stupid to notice us watching,” he countered.

“Then maybe we should remind them,” Mattheo muttered.

“Not yet,” Regulus interrupted from behind them. “She’s fine for now. But the moment she’s not…”

“They’ll regret it,” Lorenzo added. “The moment any of them steps out of line, it’s over.”

Meanwhile, you remained oblivious to the heat building in that corner of the room. One of the boys offered to walk you back to your dorm. You weren’t quite ready to leave, but you didn’t want to be rude.

That was when you felt it.

That pull.

That chill down your spine — not fear, not danger, but awareness.

You looked up and across the room, your gaze locking on Mattheo.

He didn’t move. He didn’t smile. But everything in his gaze told you exactly what you needed to know.

You weren’t alone.

You never had been.

The boy touched your elbow, and suddenly Regulus was moving, crossing the room. He didn’t say anything at first. He simply placed a hand on the table beside you, his eyes flickering between you and the boys.

“Everything alright?” Regulus asked.

Before you could respond, Draco appeared on your other side. “Did you enjoy the party?” he asked, ignoring the others entirely.

You nodded and turned to answer him, but by the time you looked back, the boys had already stepped away.

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Lorenzo leaning near the wall with his arms crossed, keeping a silent watch. Theodore winked at you from across the room. Mattheo still hadn’t moved — or blinked.

And though no words were said, the message was deafening.

You were protected.

And anyone who dared forget that?

They wouldn’t get a second chance.