The Slytherin common room was buzzing, the firelight casting warm shadows as Mattheo Riddle leaned casually against the wall, his tie loosened and curls falling perfectly out of place. The faint bruise along his jaw only seemed to fuel the whispered admiration from a small group of girls at the corner, their eyes darting to him every few seconds.

“Did you hear? He got into it with another Ravenclaw today,” one of them murmured “And he won—obviously.”

Mattheo’s smirk twitched as their voices reached him, but his dark eyes were fixed elsewhere. Across the room, {{user}} sat with Pansy and Lorenzo, her focus unwavering on the book in her lap, clearly uninterested in his theatrics. Which, of course, only made him more determined.

He pushed off the wall, his movement catching Pansy’s attention. “Mattheo, what now?” she groaned as he crossed the room.

“Nothing,” he drawled, sliding into the seat across from {{user}}, his sharp gaze meeting hers. He leaned forward slightly, his voice low but teasing. “Don’t look so focused. You’ll hurt yourself.”

Lorenzo snorted, biting back a laugh, while {{user}}’s expression didn’t falter. She turned the page calmly, ignoring him entirely.

Pansy, exasperated, tossed a pillow at him. “You’re insufferable.”

Mattheo only grinned, leaning back as his fangirls giggled from afar. “And yet, here I am,” he said, shooting {{user}} one last playful look.