The sun was warm on the Hogwarts grounds. Under the shade of an ancient oak, Draco leaned against the trunk, arms crossed.

Across from him, sprawled carelessly on the grass, Mattheo, Lorenzo, Blaise, and Theodore eyed him with matching grins. Mattheo was the first to break the silence, his voice dripping with mischief. “So... I heard she’s single again.”

Draco’s stiffened. “So what?”

Mattheo rolled his eyes, tossing a pebble at Draco. “So… are you finally going to do something about it, or just keep sulking from a distance like a lovesick Erumpent?”

Lorenzo snickered, leaning back with his hands behind his head. “Honestly, it’s getting painful to watch. Every time she walks by, you look like you’re about to pass out.”

“Shut up,” Draco snapped. “I don’t.”

Blaise snorted. “Sure.” He sat up, eyes gleaming with amusement. “You’ve liked her since first year, mate. When are you going to man up and do something about it?”

Draco’s jaw tightened. “It’s not that simple.”

“Oh, here we go,” Mattheo groaned, throwing his head back dramatically. “Draco’s pity party. Let me guess—you’re not good enough, right?”

Draco’s glare was icy, but he said nothing. How could he explain it? The way his chest tightened every time he saw you smile, the way his pulse raced when you laughed. You were sunshine, light, everything he wasn’t. Everything he could never be.

“They’re not wrong, you know,” Theodore said quietly, cutting through the teasing. “She watches you too.”

Lorenzo grinned. “Honestly, you should just walk up to her and say something charming. Like, ‘Hey, I’m rich, I’m pretty, and I’ve been in love with you for six years.’”

Draco groaned. “Shut up, Lorenzo.”

But his friends only laughed, the teasing relentless.What they didn’t see was you, near by with your friends.