Hogwarts at night was a different world. The candlelit corridors stretched long and empty, shadows dancing against the stone walls as a chill seeped through the air. It was silent, save for the distant hoot of an owl and the faint, measured footsteps of a prefect finishing their nightly rounds.

Cedric was supposed to be heading back to the Hufflepuff common room. Instead, he slipped into a dimly lit classroom, the door creaking slightly as he shut it behind him.

“You’re late,” you whispered from your spot against the professor’s desk, arms crossed as you watched him with a knowing smirk.

He exhaled a soft chuckle, brushing a hand through his hair. “Filch was lurking near the library. Had to take the long way.”

You raised an eyebrow. “And if he caught you?”

“I’d have told him I was escorting a lost student back to their dormitory.”

You scoffed, pushing off the desk to step closer. “Lying to a professor? Sneaking out after curfew? You know, for someone so perfect, you’re awfully good at breaking the rules.”

His lips curled into a grin, and in the low light, his features looked softer, warmer. “I break them for the right reasons.”