The common room was dimly lit and the air felt thick, charged with something unspoken, something waiting to break.

Mattheo shifted beside you, his fingers twitching as if he wanted to reach for something—someone—but held himself back. His dark curls fell messily over his forehead, his jaw tense as he exhaled, like the words on his tongue were a weight he was finally ready to bear.

“I like you, Pansy…” his voice was quiet, almost uncertain, but it was enough.

Pansy inhaled sharply. For a moment, she just stared, as if she hadn’t heard him right. Then, her lips curled into a smile—soft, hopeful, trembling with excitement she barely managed to contain.

“I like you too, Mattheo,” she said, her voice light, full of something close to relief.

You froze.

Your heart dropped, an ache so deep it stole the breath from your lungs. Why not me…?

It wasn’t fair. You hadn’t even realized how tightly you were gripping your robes, your nails digging into your palm. You swallowed against the lump forming in your throat, willing yourself to stay composed, to keep the flood of emotions locked away. But it was impossible.

The room blurred. The warmth of the fire did nothing to chase away the cold creeping into your chest.

Then—he spoke again.

“But I love {{user}}.”

Your breath caught.

Slowly, hesitantly, you looked up.

Mattheo wasn’t watching Pansy anymore. His deep brown eyes were locked onto yours, filled with something raw, unguarded—something that made your pulse stutter and the floor tilt beneath you.

Pansy let out a soft, sharp breath beside you, but it barely registered. All you could hear was the hammering of your heart.

Love.

The word wrapped around you like a whisper and a storm all at once.

For the first time in what felt like forever, you weren’t frozen anymore.