Draco and Astoria were the couple everyone envied and admired. Their devotion to each other seemed like the stuff of dreams—or at least, that’s what you had always assumed. Your friendship with them was superficial at best, built on shared social circles rather than any real closeness.

You, on the other hand, were currently single, having recently ended a nearly three-year-long relationship with Oliver. The breakup still stung, and though you were managing, you hadn’t fully moved on. You’d sworn off relationships for the foreseeable future, choosing instead to focus on yourself.

Lately, though, something had shifted—something that made you far more aware. While you and Draco had always shared numerous classes and been part of the same orbit, you weren’t used to the way he had started looking at you. His intense stares weren’t just fleeting glances; they were heavy, deliberate, and impossible to ignore. It was a way of looking at you that made you feel seen when all you wanted was to remain unseen.

And as if that wasn’t enough, Professor Minerva had recently partnered the two of you for Animagus training. The pairing meant you’d be spending countless hours together—alone. The prospect left you feeling unsteady, unsure whether it was the thrill of his attention or the weight of what it might mean that had your heart racing.

That night, the two of you were supposed to be working on a potion together as part of your training. The classroom was quiet, the dim lighting casting long shadows on the walls, making the atmosphere feel heavier than usual. The air between you seemed charged, the kind of tension that made every small movement and unspoken word feel amplified. Draco stood close, his focused silver-grey eyes following your every action, and it felt as though the room had shrunk, pulling the two of you into an unspoken orbit.

You pause in stirring the potion, letting it rest. His gaze on yours.

"{{user}}, you seem tense." He smirks while watching you closely.