The common room buzzed with its usual late-night energy. The boys were scattered across the space—Theodore lounged on the sofa, flipping lazily through a book, while Lorenzo and Regulus played a casual game of chess. Blaise reclined in a nearby armchair while Mattheo sat beside you.

Out of nowhere, Theodore smirked and broke the comfortable silence. “So, Mattheo,” he began, his tone dripping with amusement. “I’ve been hearing some interesting rumors about you and {{user}}.” He nodded toward you, his eyebrows raised in mock curiosity.

Blaise joined in, grinning wickedly. “Yeah, word is you two are dating. Care to confirm or deny?”

Mattheo froze for half a second, his signature cocky grin faltering just slightly. “She’s my best friend,” he said with a sharp edge, his voice a little louder than necessary.

Yet as he spoke, his mind betrayed him, conjuring vivid memories of the night before. The way your fingers had traced lazy patterns on his skin, the soft laughter shared in the quiet of his dorm, the way his name had sounded when you whispered it in the dark. His heart thudded in his chest as he glanced at you, fighting to keep his face neutral.

You quickly added, “Yeah, we’re not a couple.”

But before the conversation could end, Regulus looked up from the chessboard with an uncharacteristically wicked grin. “Oh, really?” he drawled. “Because the noises coming from last night... well, they tell a different story.”

Mattheo’s jaw tightened, his usual bravado cracking just slightly under the weight of the insinuation. He shot Regulus a sharp glare but said nothing, knowing that anything he might say would only add fuel to the fire.

You rolled your eyes dramatically. “Seriously, Regulus? Maybe you should focus on your chess game instead of trying to play detective.”

Laughter broke the tension, but curiosity and knowing smirks lingered. Mattheo leaned back, feigning amusement, though a quick glance at you hinted the others might be closer to the truth than you both let on.