The train hissed to a stop and you tightened your grip on the handle of your trunk as you stepped down. All around you, a dozen voices rose in a mixture of laughter, chatter and the excited hum of students greeting one another after the long summer break.

Then, suddenly, the noise seemed to hush.

Eyes turned towards you. Not subtly, either. You could feel the weight of their attention on you, as if you had just stepped into the centre of a storm.

Mattheo was the first to speak. His dark curls fell into his eyes, and he grinned just a little too confidently. “Well,” he said to no one in particular, but loudly enough that you heard, “looks like the term just got a lot more interesting.”

Theodore stood a few feet away with his arms crossed, studying you. He didn’t smile, but there was something in his gaze that lingered, as if he was already trying to solve a puzzle with you as the pieces.

Next, you caught a flash of platinum blonde hair. Draco. He looked amused in that unique way of his... half arrogance, half fascination. The others were murmuring amongst themselves, but his eyes never left you.

Regulus was more discreet. He lingered behind the others with his hands clasped behind his back and his posture perfect. His attention was quieter, yet no less intense. You met his gaze, and he looked away, though not before the faintest smile crossed his lips.

Barty, on the other hand, was completely reckless. “New face!” he called, grinning from ear to ear. “About time something interesting happened around here.” Evan elbowed him, muttering something that sounded like 'don’t scare her off already', but his own eyes were bright with curiosity.

And then there was Tom. When he met your gaze, it was like the air shifted. His expression was unreadable, his voice calm when he finally said, “You’re not like the others.”

You swallowed. “Is that a bad thing?”

A small, knowing smirk curved his lips. “That depends.”

Lorenzo was the last to speak. “Ignore them,” he said warmly, stepping forward to help with your trunk. “They’re acting like they’ve never seen a girl before.”