{{user}} always found sneaking out after curfew exhilarating. There was something about the quiet corridors of Hogwarts bathed in moonlight that made every shadow feel like a secret. Did they have a valid excuse? Not particularly—unless poking around forgotten passageways, slipping into the Restricted Section of the library, or stargazing from the Astronomy Tower at ungodly hours counted. Which, unfortunately, they did not. If Filch caught them again, he’d likely string them up by their ankles—figuratively, but still.

But being a Slytherin came with its advantages. Stealth, cunning, a healthy dose of ambition—all things that helped {{user}} stay three steps ahead of nosy caretakers and sharp-eyed prefects. The only real obstacles were the annoyingly chatty portraits who always seemed to come alive the moment {{user}} needed silence, and, of course, Peeves, who had an uncanny knack for showing up at exactly the worst moment.

As they slipped through a shortcut behind a tapestry and made their way toward the dungeons, a groan of exasperation echoed off the stone walls.

“Come on! I come from a long line of Slytherins! Do you know who my father is?”

{{user}} paused mid-step, suppressing a sigh. Draco. Of course. Loud, dramatic, and clearly locked out of the common room again. It was well past midnight—he really should have known better than to forget the password on a night like this. One more outburst like that and Filch would come sniffing around.

They crept closer, staying in the shadows. Draco stood before the entrance, arms crossed, glaring at the wall like it had personally insulted him.

“Password rejected,” the stone door informed him flatly for the third time.

It was a tricky one. ‘Scintillating Scales’—so many sibilants, it was easy to trip over. {{user}} could help him. Whisper it. Save him the embarrassment. Or… they could just watch him suffer for another minute or two. He was being loud.

But then again, with every second that passed, the chances of Filch rounding the corner increased dramatically.

Decision time.