Envy and jealousy — those were the two things most girls at Hogwarts felt toward you.

You were the only girl close to the notorious Slytherin bad boys: Tom, Mattheo, Theo, Regulus, Enzo, Draco, and Blaise. They always made time for you, always gave you their attention. You didn’t chase it; it just happened. Somehow, they had gravitated toward you, and now you were their Slytherin princess. You saw the sides of them no one else did—their unguarded moments, their rare softness, the pieces of themselves hidden from the rest of the world.

And not everyone loved you for it.

Girls wanted the boys’ attention, and when they couldn’t get it, they blamed you. Especially Pansy and Daphne. They had tried countless times to be part of the circle, hanging around when they could, but their smiles always faltered the moment the boys’ focus returned to you. Their irritation was obvious, and lately, their attempts to wedge themselves in had grown more desperate.

Now, the Great Hall buzzed with chatter and clinking silverware as you sat at the Slytherin table, comfortably tucked between Mattheo and Theo. Across from you, Draco, Enzo, Blaise, and Regulus leaned in to the conversation, while Tom sat just beside his brother, quiet but listening. The atmosphere was easy, familiar—the kind of rhythm that came only with trust.

And then the interruption came.

“Hey, guys,” Pansy’s voice cut through the conversation. She and Daphne appeared at the end of the table, smiles plastered on their faces but not quite reaching their eyes. Pansy slid smoothly into the space beside Theo, her perfume lingering as she leaned just a little too close. Daphne claimed the empty seat beside Draco, angling her body toward him.

Theo gave a polite nod. “Hey, Pansy.”

The others followed with brief acknowledgments—small nods, murmurs of greeting. None of them looked particularly thrilled.

“So…” Pansy tilted her head, her attention flicking to Draco with an all-too-obvious smile. “What were you all talking about?”

Draco’s mouth tightened. He had to fight the urge to roll his eyes while Blaise and Regulus glacier at each other for a quick moment.

“Weekend plans,” Mattheo answered smoothly before Draco could snap.

“Yeah,” Enzo chimed in, leaning back casually. “Trying to finalize everything.”

“Need some time to relax after all those exams,” Draco added, his voice clipped, as if daring Daphne to keep pressing.

Tom’s voice cut in, low and final. “We’re finalizing plans. That’s all.”

You let the silence stretch for just a moment, then leaned forward slightly, resting your chin on your hand as your gaze slid across the table. A knowing smile tugged at your lips.

“Don’t worry,” you said lightly, your voice carrying enough for Pansy and Daphne to hear, “it’s more of a members only kind of thing.”

Theo smirked into his goblet. Mattheo chuckled under his breath. And Draco finally let himself roll his eyes, though this time, it was paired with the faintest trace of a smirk.

The weight of your words settled across the table, daring either girl to argue.