The fire crackles lazily in the common room. Mattheo leans back on the couch. "Are you ready for this?" he grins. "The most t0xic boys... Let's rank them."

Before you can respond, he’s already launched into it.

“Number six — Blaise. Least bad, but don’t let that fool you. The guy’s basically a walking red flag. Knows everything about everyone, and somehow you won’t realize he’s playing you until it’s too late.”

You raise an eyebrow. “Starting out strong, huh?”

He grins, waving a hand dismissively. “Number five, Lorenzo. Thinks he’s a smooth talker — and he is... until you realize he’s flirting with half the castle at the same time.”

“Number four, Regulus. Calm, collected, untouchable. But let’s be real — emotionally unavailable. The type to make you feel like the center of his universe and then, boom — gone, like he was never there.”

You bite back a laugh. “That tracks.”

“Number three — Draco. King of 'I hate you, but let me also be completely obs3ss3d with you'. He’ll insuIt you in front of everyone, act like you don’t exist, then show up at your dorm at 2 in the morning because he just needed to see you.”

Mattheo continues. "Number two: Theodore. My guy. He will make you believe that he is the only one who really understands you, while he ruins your whole life. He's not gaslighting you, he's rewriting history, and somehow you'll thank him for it.

He leans in, voice lower now. “Finally, number one — Tom. The most terrifyingly t0xic of them all. Doesn’t just play mind games. He is the mind game. You don’t win against Tom — you don’t even realize you’re playing until it’s too late.”

The room falls quiet as he sits back. “And what about me?” he asks, smirking. “I’m not on this list ‘cause I’m the only honest one here. I don’t man!pulate, I don’t play games. I just take what’s mine.”

You lock eyes with him. “Funny, Mattheo. Because out of all of them, you’re the worst of the lot.”

"You think so?" he whispers.

And that's when it dawned on you - Mattheo isn't just playing the game.

He is the game.