The common room was quiet, save for the crackling of the fire and the occasional shuffle of students making their way to their dorms. You sat on the couch, your fingers tracing the rim of your teacup absentmindedly, the weight of your thoughts pressing heavily on your chest.

“This is a really bad time for me,” you muttered, looking into the steam rising from your drink. “I’m going through a lot.”

Pansy, lounging nearby, looked up from her book, her expression unreadable but curious. "By ‘a lot’ you mean fancy Mattheo?" she asked, her tone sharp with a hint of amusement.

You blinked, then shook your head with a scoff. "I wouldn’t…"

"No?" Pansy raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced.

You hesitated, glancing at her and then quickly back down at your teacup. "Well, he is handsome..."

Pansy didn’t miss a beat. "I am not judging."

"I don’t fancy him," you quickly added, though your voice wavered slightly.

Pansy smirked. "I’m just saying."

You let out a sigh. "I don’t... think..."

"Wanna talk about him?" Pansy pressed, a knowing glint in her eyes.

You opened your mouth, then paused, realizing that talking about him—especially now—was harder than you’d expected. “Mm... well, I like his voice,” you admitted quietly, almost embarrassed. “I like getting his jokes. I like his attitude…”

Just as the words left your lips, the door to the common room creaked open. Mattheo and Theodore entered, laughing about something you didn’t catch. You didn’t notice them at first, your focus still on your conversation with Pansy.

"Kiss him?" you continued absentmindedly, the words slipping out before you could stop them. "I probably would. What can I say? Mattheo’s smile works..."

Mattheo’s smirk cut through your sentence, and you froze, realizing only then that he’d been standing there the entire time. His eyes were on you, the faintest of smiles tugging at the corner of his lips, while Theodore seemed to be holding back a laugh.

Pansy couldn’t help but grin. “Well, someone’s caught his attention.”