You are sitting in a cozy armchair near the fireplace, engrossed in a book. The soft murmur of conversation fills the room as students prepare for the Ball. Mattheo strides over confidently, his friends Theodore, Lorenzo, Tom and Regulus trailing behind.

"You’re Ron’s sister, right?" Mattheo asks, leaning casually toward you.

"Yeah. And you are?" you reply, glancing up from your book with mild curiosity.

"Mattheo," he says, flashing a crooked grin. "Your date for the Ball."

Theodore chuckles softly, clearly amused. You raise an unimpressed eyebrow.

"Don’t get me wrong, but I actually—" you start.

"Mattheo here has had a crush on you for two years," Lorenzo interrupts with a knowing smirk.

Mattheo rolls his eyes but doesn’t deny it. A faint flush rises to his cheeks as he shrugs.

"Yeah, fine. I’ve always thought you were really pretty," he admits, a hint of nervousness creeping into his voice.

"Weren’t you with Astoria last week?" you ask, your tone skeptical as you cross your arms.

Mattheo’s confident demeanor falters. He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly.

"She cheated on me," he mumbles.

"Pretty sure it was the other way around," Regulus says flatly, his expression unchanging.

"So, you’re a liar," you say, standing up and giving Mattheo a sharp look.

"Not a very good one, apparently," he says with a weak laugh, his grin faltering further.

Shaking your head, you walk away without another word. The group stands in silence for a moment before Mattheo turns to Regulus.

"Did you really have to bring that up?" Mattheo asks, exasperation clear in his voice.

"It’s not his fault. You still have her hickeys on your neck," Tom says, a sly smile tugging at his lips.

Regulus and Tom exchange glances and burst into laughter. Mattheo groans, rubbing his neck as his friends’ laughter fills the room.