#nott!reader

“This is good,” he mused, chewing. “Did you make it, or did you bribe Theo to?”

Y/N scowled. “I ordered it, you absolute menace.”

Draco stole another bite.

She smacked his arm. “Draco!”

He only grinned, completely unbothered. “You always taste-test my drinks when we’re out. Consider this payback.”

“You let me do that!”

“Exactly. Which means you should let me do this.” He reached for another bite, and Y/N yanked the plate away, scrambling off the couch.

“Touch my food again, Malfoy, and I will hex you.”

Draco just leaned back, smug. “You wouldn’t dare. You like me too much.”

Y/N narrowed her eyes. 

Then, very slowly, she stuffed the biggest forkful of pasta into her mouth, chewing pointedly as she stared him down.

Draco’s eyes widened slightly. “You’re so mean.”

Y/N smirked. “Right back at you.”

Draco huffed, watching her with a mix of amusement and betrayal as she deliberately took another exaggerated bite. 

“You know,” he drawled, stretching his legs out on her coffee table, “I could just order my own, but it wouldn’t taste as good as stolen food.”

Y/N rolled her eyes. “Then starve, thief.”

But Draco was nothing if not persistent. With the swiftness of a Seeker, he lunged forward, trying to grab the plate. Y/N, already anticipating his move, twisted away, barely dodging him.

“Draco!” she shrieked, laughing as she held the plate high above her head.

He grinned, eyes alight with mischief. “You forget, love, I’m taller than you.”

Before she could escape, Draco grabbed her wrist, yanking it down just enough to snatch another bite. He let out a triumphant hum as he chewed, savoring his victory.

“You absolute menace!” Y/N shoved at him, but Draco only grinned wider, chewing obnoxiously.

“Mm,” he said, swallowing. “Tastes even better when you fight back.”

She groaned dramatically. “I swear, Malfoy, if you don’t stop—”

“You’ll what?” He tilted his head, smirking. “Hex me? Kick me out? Please, Nott, we both know you love my company.”

Y/N huffed, crossing her arms. “I tolerate your company.”

Draco leaned in, eyes twinkling. “Right, and you ‘tolerate’ me stealing your food?”

She glared at him for a moment before dramatically shoving the last bite of pasta into her mouth, chewing slowly, tauntingly.

Draco sighed. “You’re cruel, you know that?”

Y/N smirked, swallowing the last bite. “Only to you, Malfoy.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “Unbelievable.”

Y/N wiped her hands on a napkin, then looked at him expectantly. “Since you’ve officially ruined my lunch, you’re buying me dinner.”

Draco smirked. “Deal. But I’m stealing half of it.”

She rolled her eyes but didn’t protest. Because, if she was being honest, she didn’t really mind.

Y/N narrowed her eyes at Draco, still chewing the last bite of her pasta. 

“What are you doing here, anyway?” she asked, voice slightly muffled.

Draco stretched out on her couch like he owned the place, arms draped over the backrest. 

“What, I need a reason to visit my best friend?”

“Yes,” she said flatly. “Because every time you visit, you steal my food, take up all my space, and somehow make yourself at home without even asking.”

Draco smirked. “So, just being my usual charming self, then?”

Y/N snorted. “Charming isn’t the word I’d use.”

Draco ignored her. “Actually, I was bored. Theo’s busy, Blaise is Merlin knows where, and Pansy’s on some shopping spree. That left you.”

Y/N raised a brow. “So I was your last choice?”

Draco placed a dramatic hand over his heart. “Never. You were my best choice.”

She rolled her eyes, but her lips twitched. “Right. And you conveniently showed up at lunchtime?”

Draco shrugged. “Pure coincidence, I assure you.”

“Liar.”

He smirked but didn’t deny it. Instead, he reached over, plucked her fork from the now-empty plate, and twirled it between his fingers. “Since I’m already here, what are we doing today?”

Y/N crossed her arms. “We? Malfoy, I had plans.”

Draco gasped, mock-offended. “Without me?”

“Yes, actually. A nice, peaceful afternoon. Alone.”

Draco tsked. “Sounds boring. Good thing I’m here to fix that.”

Y/N groaned, flopping back against the couch. Draco simply smirked, completely unbothered. “Come on, Nott. Let’s go do something fun.”

Y/N sighed, already knowing she was going to give in. “Fine.”

Draco smirked. “I knew you couldn't resist the Malfoy charm.”

She smacked his arm, but he only laughed.

A few minutes later, Y/N stood in front of her vanity, rummaging through her makeup bag as Draco lounged on her bed, watching her with an amused expression.

“You know,” he drawled, propping himself up on one elbow, “I never understand why you go through all this effort when you already look good.”

Y/N rolled her eyes, uncapping her lipstick. “Flattery won’t make me forget that you stole my food, Malfoy.”

Draco smirked, completely unrepentant. “It was worth a shot.”

She turned back to the mirror and started applying her lipstick, her movements precise. Draco watched, fascinated, as her lips took on a richer shade. He never really paid attention to things like this, but there was something oddly mesmerizing about the way she did it.

“Do you always do this when you go out?” he asked, tilting his head.

Y/N hummed. “Most of the time.” 

She grabbed her eyeliner next, swiping a thin line over her lids. “Why? You planning on picking up a few tips?”

Draco chuckled. “Maybe. I could pull off a good eyeliner look, don’t you think?”

She snorted. “I think you’d cry halfway through applying it.”

Draco scoffed. “I do not cry.”

“Mm-hmm,” Y/N muttered, unconvinced, as she reached for her mascara.

Draco watched as she carefully brushed the wand through her lashes. 

“You take forever,” he complained, though he didn’t actually mind.

“If you’re impatient, you can leave,” Y/N quipped, not even sparing him a glance.

Draco scoffed. “And miss this? Not a chance.”

Y/N shook her head, biting back a smile as she finished up. She leaned in, checking her reflection one last time before turning to face him. “Done.”

Draco sat up, scanning her face. “Hmm.”

Y/N raised an eyebrow. “What?”

He smirked. “Missed a spot.”

Before she could react, Draco leaned forward, swiping his thumb over the corner of her lip but whether to fix her lipstick or just to mess with her, she wasn’t sure.

Y/N stilled, eyes narrowing. “Malfoy.”

Draco only grinned, wiping his thumb on her napkin. “Relax, love. Just helping.”

She huffed, grabbing her purse. “You’re insufferable.”

“Maybe. But you keep me around.”

Y/N rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. “Come on, thief. You owe me dinner.”

Draco smirked, falling into step beside her. “Lead the way, love.”

—-----------------

Y/N strolled through the boutique, casually running her fingers over the fabric of a silk dress while Draco followed behind, hands in his pockets.

“Are you actually going to buy something, or are we just here to waste time?” he asked, smirking.

Y/N shot him a look. “I don’t know, Malfoy. I would’ve had time to shop earlier if someone hadn’t barged into my flat and stolen my lunch.”

Draco grinned. “And yet, here we are, having the time of our lives.”

Y/N rolled her eyes before picking up a pair of heels, examining them. She checked the price tag then immediately put them back.

Draco, of course, noticed. “What?”

“They’re nice, but I don’t need them.”

Draco didn’t even hesitate—he plucked the shoes off the shelf and walked straight to the counter.

Y/N’s eyes widened. “Draco, what are you doing?”

“Buying them.”

“Absolutely not.”

Draco turned to her, exasperated. “Oh, come on, Nott. Just let me get them for you.”

She crossed her arms. “I can buy my own things, Malfoy.”

“Obviously,” he said, waving the shoes at the cashier. “But why would you when I can do it for you?”

Y/N groaned, trying to snatch them back. “You are not paying for my stuff—”

Draco easily dodged her, handing over his card. “Too late.”

She stared at him, incredulous. “You are the worst.”

Draco smirked. “No, I'm not. You love me.”

Y/N huffed, grabbing the bag from him when the cashier handed it over. “I’m not letting you pay for anything else.”

Draco gave her an innocent look. “Of course not, love.”

She narrowed her eyes but let it go—until ten minutes later, when he paid for a dress she had barely considered buying.

“Draco!”

He only smirked. “Oops.”

Y/N groaned, but he wasn’t done. Every time she so much as glanced at something for more than two seconds, Draco was already paying for it. Accessories, perfume, even a ridiculous little keychain she picked up absentmindedly.

“Malfoy, I swear—”

Draco draped an arm around her shoulders, smug. “Too bad, love. You should’ve stopped me earlier.”

Y/N glared at him, but the warmth in her chest betrayed her. 

Draco Malfoy was impossible. 

Ridiculous. 

Overbearing.

And yet, she couldn’t bring herself to really mind.

Y/N swung her shopping bags over her shoulder and glanced at Draco, who was still grinning smugly from paying for everything. “If you’re so eager to throw money around, Malfoy, you can buy me a new couch.”

Draco raised an eyebrow. “A new couch? What happened to the old one?”

“It’s old,” Y/N said simply. “And I don’t like it anymore.”

Draco rolled his eyes. “Of course. Merlin forbid you live with something you don’t like.”

“Exactly,” Y/N said, already walking toward a nearby furniture store. “Come on, you’re helping me pick one.”

Draco groaned but followed anyway. “This is the most boring thing you’ve ever dragged me into.”

Inside the store, Y/N made a beeline for the couches, testing out different ones while Draco trailed behind, looking unimpressed. She flopped onto a plush emerald green one and patted the spot beside her.

“This one’s nice.”

Draco sat down reluctantly. “Not bad.”

Y/N raised an eyebrow. “You could at least pretend to care.”

“I do care,” Draco said. “I care about how long this is going to take.”

Y/N ignored him and stood up, moving to another couch. “This one feels softer.”

Draco leaned back, stretching his arms across the cushions. “I don’t see the difference.”

She huffed. “That’s because you have the attention span of a goldfish.”

Draco smirked. “At least I still have the patience to deal with you.”

Y/N rolled her eyes and kept testing couches, but every time she sat down, Draco followed, getting comfortable as if he lived there.

When she finally found one she liked, black leather, sleek but cozy, Draco sighed dramatically. 

“Finally. I thought we’d die here.”

Y/N ignored him and turned to the salesperson. “I’ll take this one.”

Draco, of course, stepped in before she could pull out her wallet. “She won’t be paying for it.”

Y/N groaned. “Malfoy—”

He held up a hand. “No arguments. Consider it a gift.”

After finalizing the purchase—entirely against Y/N’s will, because Draco refused to let her pay—the store promised to have the couch delivered to her flat by the evening.

As they stepped out onto the street, Y/N sighed, shaking her head. “I don’t know why I even bother arguing with you.”

Draco smirked, slinging an arm around her shoulders. “You don’t. You just like pretending you have a choice.”

She rolled her eyes but didn’t shake him off. “You’re an insufferable, overgrown ferret.”

“And you love me for it,” he quipped.

“Debatable,” Y/N muttered, adjusting her shopping bags.

Draco noticed and effortlessly took half of them from her hands.

Y/N blinked. “I didn’t ask you to carry those.”

Draco shrugged. “I know. I’m just naturally chivalrous.”

She snorted. “Sure. Keep telling yourself that, Malfoy.”

As they walked through Diagon Alley, Draco glanced at her. “So, what now?”

Y/N thought for a moment. “Dinner. Since you owe me, remember?”

Draco smirked. “Right. But I’m still stealing half of your food.”

She groaned. “You’re unbelievable.”

“And yet—”

“—I keep you around,” she finished, rolling her eyes but grinning despite herself.

Draco chuckled, nudging her playfully as they headed toward their usual restaurant. It was a cozy little restaurant tucked into a quieter corner of Diagon Alley. Immediately, the hostess greeted them with familiarity and led them to their usual booth by the window.

As soon as they sat down, Y/N stretched her legs out, sighing in content. 

“Shopping is exhausting.”

Draco smirked, casually draping an arm over the back of the booth. 

“Exhausting? I don’t think it is when you insist on dragging me into it.”

“You’re the one who kept paying for everything,” Y/N shot back, picking up the menu.

Draco shrugged. “It’s my way of showing affection.”

Y/N snorted. “So you just throw money at your problems?”

He smirked. “It’s worked so far.”

She rolled her eyes, but a small smile played on her lips.

When the waiter arrived, Y/N immediately rattled off her order, making sure to get extra sides because she knew Draco would inevitably steal some. When Draco ordered for himself, he glanced at her with a knowing smirk. “Extra sides? How thoughtful of you.”

Y/N shot him a glare. “I learn from experience.”

Draco chuckled, leaning back as the waiter left. “So, what time will this new couch of yours arrive?”

“8:00 pm,” Y/N said. “And no, you don’t have to come over and inspect it.”

Draco raised a brow. “Who said anything about inspecting? I was planning on testing it out.”

Y/N narrowed her eyes. “You’re not sleeping on my couch, Malfoy.”

He smirked. “We’ll see.”

Before she could argue, their food arrived. Y/N dug in immediately, but, as expected, Draco shamelessly stole a bite from her plate.

She swatted at his hand. “Unbelievable.”

Draco only grinned, completely unbothered. 

—-----------------

Dinner passed in their usual rhythm—bickering, stolen bites of food, and Draco smirking at Y/N’s frustration. By the time they finished eating, Y/N leaned back in her seat, fully satisfied.

“That,” she said, pointing at her empty plate, “was exactly what I needed.”

Draco smirked, sipping his drink. “You mean, what we needed. Since, you know, I had half of it.”

Y/N huffed. “I don’t know why I ever think I’ll get to eat in peace with you around.”

Draco shrugged, completely unrepentant. “You love the company.”

“That’s likely,” she muttered, though the amusement in her eyes gave her away.

When the bill arrived, Draco reached for it without hesitation.

Y/N groaned. 

“No point arguing, love.” He handed the waiter his card before she could even attempt to grab it. “I paid for everything else today, might as well keep the streak going.”

Y/N crossed her arms. “This is getting ridiculous.”

Draco leaned forward, smirking. “You keep saying that, and yet, I don’t see you walking away.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, but the warmth in her chest betrayed her. 

He was ridiculous, but he was also Draco—her Draco. Infuriating, insufferable, and somehow always there, spoiling her whether she wanted him to or not.

Once they left the restaurant, Y/N stretched, sighing. “Alright, now I really just want to go home and sit on my new couch.”

Draco smirked. “Perfect, I’ll come with.”

Y/N shot him a look. “You’re joking.”

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

“Yes, because there is absolutely no reason for you to come over.”

Draco gave her an exaggerated gasp. “What if the couch is ugly? You’ll need moral support.”

She groaned. “It’s not ugly.”

“Let’s go find out,” Draco said, already walking toward the nearest apparition point.

Y/N sighed, but she didn’t stop him. Because, at the end of the day, Draco Malfoy always found a way into her plans whether it was regarding her flat, her food, or her life.

And maybe… she didn’t mind so much after all.

They apparated straight to Y/N’s flat, landing with a soft pop in her living room. The moment they arrived, Y/N let out a satisfied sigh because there it was, her brand-new black leather couch, sitting perfectly in place where the old one used to be.

Draco hummed in approval. “Not bad.”

Y/N raised an eyebrow. “See? I have taste.”

Draco smirked. “Questionable, considering you keep me around.”

She rolled her eyes and stepped forward, running a hand over the smooth leather before flopping onto the cushions. 

She let out a dramatic sigh. “Oh, this is perfect.”

Draco chuckled before moving toward the couch and sitting beside her. He stretched out, propping his feet on the coffee table. “Not bad at all. Might be my new favorite place to nap.”

Y/N turned her head to glare at him. “No. You have your own flat for that.”

Draco smirked. “But yours is much cozier.”

Y/N huffed but didn’t bother pushing him off. Instead, she leaned back, closing her eyes for a moment. “It is a nice couch.”

Draco hummed in agreement, relaxing beside her. For a while, they sat in comfortable silence.

Then, without warning, Draco stretched out even more, laying his head on her lap.

Y/N’s eyes snapped open. “Draco—”

“Testing the comfort,” he said casually, eyes closed, completely at ease.

Y/N narrowed her eyes. “Testing the comfort on my lap?”

He smirked. “I need a pillow, and you’re conveniently here.”

Y/N groaned, tempted to shove him off, but after a long day of shopping, eating, and dealing with Draco’s ridiculousness, she was too tired to fight.

Instead, she sighed and muttered, “Unbelievable.”

Draco peeked up at her. “And yet—”

“I keep you around,” she finished with a small smile, lightly flicking his forehead.

Draco chuckled, closing his eyes again, and Y/N let herself relax.

Maybe he was insufferable. Maybe he did steal her food and invite himself into her home. But if she were being honest with herself… she didn’t actually mind.

Y/N absentmindedly ran her fingers through Draco’s platinum-blond hair, her nails lightly scratching his scalp. She didn’t even realize she was doing it at first. Her hand just started moving on its own as she relaxed into the couch.

Draco let out a soft hum of approval, his eyes still closed. “If you keep doing that, I might actually fall asleep.”

Y/N scoffed, but her fingers didn’t stop. “You invited yourself over, stole my couch, and now you’re planning to nap on me?”

Draco smirked, his voice lower, lazier. “Can you blame me? You’re comfortable.”

Y/N rolled her eyes, but her touch remained gentle, smoothing through his hair. “Unbelievable.”

“And yet…” Draco murmured, tilting his head slightly, leaning into her touch.

She sighed dramatically, but a small smile tugged at her lips. “Yeah, yeah. I keep you around.”

For once, Draco didn’t respond with some smug remark. He just let out another contented hum, his breathing steadying.

Y/N glanced down at him—his sharp features relaxed, his usual arrogance softened. There was something almost peaceful about him like this, stretched across her lap without a care in the world.

And for reasons she didn’t want to think too hard about, she let him stay.

As Draco drifted off, the steady warmth of Y/N’s hand in his hair, his mind slipped into a dream—one that felt so vivid, so real, he almost believed it.

He was in a flat. Their flat. He didn’t recognize the place, but it felt familiar, like he belonged there. The living room was bathed in golden light, the faint scent of coffee lingering in the air.

Y/N sat across from him, curled up on the very same couch he had just bought her, a book in her lap. She looked comfortable, at home.

Draco watched as she absentmindedly reached for her mug, only to find it empty. Without a word, he stood, taking it from her hands and walking to the kitchen, filling it the way he somehow knew she liked—just a little bit of sugar, no milk.

When he handed it back, Y/N gave him a lazy smile, her fingers brushing against his as she took the cup. “Thanks, Malfoy.”

There was something different in the way she said his name. Something softer. Warmer.

Draco smirked, sitting back beside her, his arm draping over the couch. “Anything for you, love.”

And the most surprising part? He meant it.

The dream shifted. It was nighttime now, and they were still in the flat, but this time, Y/N was next to him, curled against his side as they lay on the couch. Draco could hear the rain tapping softly against the windows, but all he could focus on was the steady rise and fall of her breath, the way she fit so perfectly against him.

He felt himself lean in, brushing his lips against her temple.

“Draco,” she murmured sleepily, her voice barely above a whisper.

His name had never sounded so right.

But just as he was about to respond, the dream dissolved.

Draco’s eyes fluttered open, the weight of the dream lingering in his chest like something half-remembered, something important.

The first thing he saw was Y/N, still stroking his hair, still looking down at him with that same amused fondness.

For a split second, he thought he was still dreaming.

But no—this was real. The couch, her touch, the warmth of her presence.

Draco swallowed, unsure of what to say.

Y/N raised an eyebrow. “You okay? You twitched in your sleep.”

Draco blinked, quickly masking whatever emotion had been in his expression with his usual smirk. 

“Just dreaming of a world where you actually let me have my own plate of food.”

Y/N snorted, rolling her eyes. “Sounds unrealistic.”

Draco chuckled, shaking off the lingering haze of his dream. But as he looked at her again, watching the way she absentmindedly ran her fingers through his hair…

Something deep inside him whispered that maybe, just maybe, the dream wasn’t as unrealistic as he thought.

—-----------------

Y/N continued running her fingers through Draco’s hair, lost in thought. The flat was quiet, save for the distant hum of the city outside. She glanced at the clock. It was late. Too late for him to apparate back to his own place when he was already half-asleep.

Without really thinking about it, she murmured, “You should just stay the night.”

Draco’s eyes flickered open, his smirk immediate. “Oh? Inviting me into your bed, Nott? How scandalous.”

Y/N rolled her eyes, shoving his shoulder lightly. “On the couch, idiot.”

Draco hummed, as if considering it. “Hmm. I did personally approve this couch. It would only be right for me to test it properly.”

Y/N huffed. “So dramatic.”

“Only for you.” His voice was teasing, but there was something softer underneath it.

Y/N didn’t respond right away. She just watched him, the way his sharp features softened in the dim lighting of her flat.

Draco tilted his head slightly. “You sure you don’t mind?”

“If I minded, I wouldn’t have asked,” she muttered.

His smirk widened, but there was something almost pleased in his expression. “Alright then. I’ll stay.”

Y/N exhaled, shifting so he could sit up. “Blankets are in the closet. Don’t touch my stuff.”

Draco stretched lazily before standing. “No promises.”

Y/N shot him a glare, but she was already walking toward her bedroom, suppressing a small smile.

“Goodnight, Malfoy.”

Draco smirked. “Sweet dreams, Nott.”

And as Y/N shut her door, Draco stared at the empty couch, the warmth of her lingering in the air.

He hadn’t planned on staying. But for some reason, now that he was here…

He didn’t really want to leave.

—-----------------

A few minutes later, Draco padded quietly through Y/N’s flat, heading toward her bedroom to grab a blanket from her closet. He had stayed over at her place enough times to know his way around, though she would probably hex him if she caught him snooping.

He pushed open the door, stepping inside without much thought. The room smelled like her. It was something warm and faintly sweet, a scent he knew all too well. He made his way to the closet, about to pull it open when the bathroom door swung open.

Y/N stepped out, steam curling from behind her, hair damp, skin flushed from the heat of her shower.

And she was wearing nothing but a towel.

Draco froze.

Y/N froze.

For a split second, neither of them moved. The towel clung to her in a way that left very little to the imagination, and Draco’s brain short-circuited completely.

Y/N’s eyes widened in realization, then—

“Draco!” she shrieked, scrambling back into the bathroom.

“Merlin’s bloody—” Draco whipped around so fast he nearly tripped over himself. “What the hell, Y/N? A warning would’ve been nice!”

“A warning?!” Her voice was muffled behind the door now. “Why are you even in my room?!”

“I was getting a blanket like you told me to!” Draco ran a hand down his face, trying to erase the image now permanently burned into his brain. 

“How was I supposed to know you’d be—” He gestured wildly at the door, even though she couldn’t see him. “—half-dressed and dripping?”

The bathroom door cracked open just enough for her to glare at him. “Dripping?”

Draco smirked before he could stop himself. “Well, I mean, you were.”

Y/N groaned, disappearing back inside. Draco chuckled, finally grabbing the blanket and making a quick escape. But as he settled onto the couch, throwing the blanket over himself, he realized something.

That image with Y/N standing there, flushed and damp, eyes wide with surprise was definitely going to haunt him for a while.

Draco lay on the couch, staring at the ceiling, blanket pulled over him but to be honest, there was no chance he was going to fall asleep anytime soon. His mind kept replaying the image of Y/N in that towel, damp hair clinging to her skin, the way her eyes had gone wide with shock.

Bloody hell.

He groaned, rolling onto his side, burying his face into the pillow. 

This is fine. 

Totally fine. 

Just forget about it.

Except he couldn’t.

A few minutes later, he heard her bedroom door creak open. His body tensed instinctively, but he forced himself to stay still, pretending to be half-asleep.

Y/N padded toward the kitchen, her movements quiet. Probably getting water or a snack. Draco kept his eyes shut, determined to not make things any weirder than they already were.

“Are you awake?”

Draco cracked one eye open, finding her standing near the couch, arms crossed. She was now in an oversized Slytherin Quidditch sweater and a pair of shorts, hair still damp from her shower.

He smirked sleepily. “Depends. If I say no, will you leave me alone?”

She rolled her eyes. “Doubtful.”

Draco sighed dramatically. “Then yes, unfortunately, I’m awake.”

Y/N hesitated for a second before shifting her weight. “Look… about earlier.”

Draco grinned, propping himself up on his elbow. “Oh, this should be good.”

She shot him a glare. “I’m serious, Malfoy. If you tell anyone—”

“What, that you were practically naked in front of me?” He tilted his head. “That you practically flaunted yourself at me?”

Y/N gaped. “I did not!”

Draco chuckled. “Mmm. Maybe not intentionally.”

“Draco,” she warned.

He held up his hands in surrender, still grinning. “Relax, Nott. Your reputation is safe with me. You have nice skin anyways.”

She studied him for a moment, then sighed. “Good.”

Draco watched as she hesitated again, shifting slightly, as if debating whether to say something else.

Then, finally— “…I can’t sleep.”

Draco raised an eyebrow. “You woke me up just to tell me that?”

“I didn’t wake you up,” she argued. “You were already awake.”

Draco smirked but sat up anyway, stretching. “Alright, princess. What do you want me to do? Sing you a lullaby?”

Y/N snorted. “No way in hell. I’d rather suffer.”

He smirked, then patted the couch beside him. “Come on, then.”

She frowned. “What?”

“You can’t sleep. I’m awake. Might as well keep me company.”

Y/N hesitated, eyeing him suspiciously. “You’re not going to make this weird, are you?”

Draco placed a hand over his chest, feigning offense. “Me? Weird? I’m hurt, truly.”

Y/N rolled her eyes, but after a moment, she sighed and moved to sit beside him.

And just like that, they sat together in the dim glow of the flat, the air between them filled with quiet conversation and something neither of them was quite ready to name.

Y/N pulled the blanket over her lap, settling into the couch beside Draco. The room was quiet except for the faint ticking of the clock on the wall. 

Draco shifted slightly, resting his arm along the back of the couch, fingers absentmindedly toying with the edge of the blanket. 

“So,” he drawled, glancing at her, “what’s keeping you up?”

Y/N exhaled, running a hand through her still-damp hair. “Dunno. Just one of those nights, I guess.”

Draco nodded, understanding. Y/N glanced at him, a small smirk tugging at her lips. 

“Or maybe I’m still recovering from the absolute trauma of you barging into my room unannounced.”

Draco groaned, throwing his head back dramatically. “Are we really still on this?”

“Yes, we are,” Y/N said, leaning into the couch. “Because you saw something you shouldn’t have, and I have to live with the knowledge that you will never let me forget it.”

Draco smirked, tilting his head. “To be fair, I’ve seen worse.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Worse?”

“Blaise, fourth year,” he said, shuddering. “Walked into the dorm after practice, and there he was, completely starkers, admiring himself in the mirror.”

Y/N burst out laughing. “You’re lying.”

“Swear on my broomstick,” Draco said, grinning. 

“He even struck a pose. Said something about ‘appreciating one’s own beauty.’”

Y/N shook her head, still laughing. “Merlin, I’ll never be able to look at him the same way again.”

Draco smirked, watching her, enjoying the way her laughter softened the edges of the night. 

He nudged her foot lightly with his own. “See? Talking to me does help.”

She huffed, crossing her arms. “I never said it didn’t.”

Draco studied her for a moment, then, more seriously, he asked, “Want me to stay up with you?”

Y/N hesitated. Looked at him. Then, slowly, she nodded.

So they stayed like that, side by side, wrapped in a shared blanket, talking about everything and nothing until the weight of exhaustion finally settled in.

At some point, Y/N’s head dropped against Draco’s shoulder, her breath evening out as she fell asleep.

Draco stilled, his body instinctively tense. But then, after a moment, he let himself relax, leaning back into the couch.

His arm curled slightly around her, and with a small smirk, he muttered, “Guess I’m staying, then.”

And for some reason, he didn’t mind at all.

“Do you wanna know a secret?” Y/N asks. 

Draco raised a brow. “What?” 

“I have a tattoo on my back above my buttocks.” 

Draco, who had been lazily resting his head against the couch, immediately perked up at her words. His gaze flickered to her, curiosity sparking in his stormy grey eyes.

“You what?” he asked, tilting his head slightly.

Y/N smirked, clearly enjoying his reaction. “You heard me.”

Draco shifted so he could properly face her, his interest piqued. “You have a tattoo? On your back?” His eyes gleamed mischievously. 

“Above your arse?”

Y/N rolled her eyes. 

“Above the buttocks, Malfoy. Let’s keep it classy.”

Draco let out a short laugh. “Since when do you have a tattoo?”

“Since sixth year,” she admitted, her smirk growing. ”Pansy knows. She saw it.” 

Draco stared at her, utterly intrigued. “And you just—what? Didn’t even bother telling me?”

“Obviously,” Y/N said, shrugging. 

Draco let out a disbelieving chuckle, shaking his head. “Alright, I have to ask—what is it?”

Y/N’s smirk deepened, eyes glinting. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Draco narrowed his eyes on her. “You can’t just drop that information and not tell me what it is.”

“I can, actually,” she said smugly, stretching out against the couch.

Draco scoffed. “You’re insufferable.”

“Likewise, Malfoy,” Y/N shot back, grinning.

Draco huffed but didn’t deny it. Instead, he leaned in slightly, dropping his voice. 

“I will find out, you know.”

“Oh?” Y/N raised an eyebrow. “And how do you plan on doing that?”

Draco smirked, his voice dripping with amusement. “I have my ways.”

Y/N just laughed, shaking her head. “Good luck with that, Malfoy.”.

Draco leaned back, arms crossed, watching Y/N with a smirk that said he was already plotting.

“You’re not going to let this go, are you?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Not a chance,” he replied smoothly. “You should’ve known better than to tell me something like that.”

Y/N rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the small smile tugging at her lips. “Alright, Sherlock, how exactly do you plan on finding out?”

Draco tilted his head, pretending to think. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe I’ll just ask Pansy.”

Her eyes widened slightly before she quickly masked it with a nonchalant expression. 

“She won’t tell you.”

Draco smirked. “We’ll see about that.”

Y/N huffed, pulling the blanket tighter around her. “You’re ridiculous.”

“And you’re avoiding the question,” he countered. “Which means it’s something interesting.”

Y/N groaned and flopped back against the couch dramatically. “Merlin, I regret saying anything.”

Draco chuckled, watching her. He was having way too much fun with this.

After a few moments of silence, she peeked at him from under the blanket. 

“If I tell you what it is, will you shut up about it?”

Draco smirked, leaning in slightly. “I make no promises.”

She let out an exasperated sigh, then, after a moment of hesitation, muttered, “It’s a dragon.”

Draco stared at her, completely still for a second, before his smirk slowly stretched across his face.

“A dragon?” he repeated, eyes gleaming with amusement. “Are you serious?”

Y/N rolled her eyes. “Yes, Malfoy. A dragon.”

He let out a dramatic gasp, placing a hand over his chest. “Merlin, you’re obsessed with me.”

Y/N groaned, already regretting telling him. “Oh, shut up.”

“No, no, let’s talk about this,” Draco said, leaning closer, utterly delighted. “You got a dragon tattooed on your body—above your arse, no less—and you expect me to believe this isn’t about me?”

“It’s not about you!” she insisted, though her ears were turning pink. “I just like dragons. They’re cool.”

Draco scoffed, smirking. “Sure you do.” 

He tapped his chin, pretending to think. “Although, if I had to guess, I’d say it’s a tribute. A little dedication, perhaps? I knew you adored me, but this—this is next level.”

Y/N grabbed a pillow and smacked him with it. “You’re so annoying!”

Draco just laughed, catching the pillow before it could hit him again. “I can’t believe you’ve been walking around all these years with me permanently inked on your skin.”

“It’s not you, Malfoy!”

“Mm-hmm.” He was grinning ear to ear now, clearly having the time of his life. “Does it have blond hair? A sharp jawline? A tragic backstory?”

Y/N groaned, burying her face in her hands. “I hate you.”

Draco nudged her foot with his. “Admit it.”

She peeked at him through her fingers. “Admit what?”

“That a small, tiny part of you thought of me when you got it.”

Y/N huffed, crossing her arms. “You weren’t the inspiration, Draco.”

Draco smirked. “So you have thought about me in that way, then?”

Y/N blinked before realizing her mistake. “That’s not what I meant!”

Draco just leaned back, looking incredibly smug. “Too late. You already said it.”

Y/N groaned again, shoving him. “You’re impossible.”

Draco chuckled, enjoying himself far too much. “And you, my dear, are mine.”

“In your dreams.”

Draco simply smirked. 

“Oh, trust me, Nott. I will be dreaming about this.”

Y/N groaned, throwing her head back against the couch. “I swear, if you bring this up one more time—”

Draco stretched out beside her, arms behind his head, looking insufferably pleased. “Oh, I’m definitely bringing this up again.”

Y/N narrowed her eyes at him. “You wish that tattoo was about you.”

Draco turned his head, smirking. “I don’t have to wish, love. You practically confirmed it.”

“I did not,” she huffed, crossing her arms.

Draco chuckled, tilting his head. “Alright then, if it’s not about me, then why a dragon?”

Y/N rolled her eyes. “Because dragons are powerful. Majestic. Fierce.”

Draco nodded slowly, his smirk deepening. “Right. And remind me—who else do you know that’s powerful, majestic, and fierce?”

Y/N groaned. “I hate you.”

Draco just laughed. “I’m just saying! I am Draco. My name does mean ‘dragon’ in Latin.”

“Oh, Merlin, shut up!”

“I bet it even looks like me. A little dramatic. Probably breathtaking.”

Y/N let out a frustrated noise, pushing herself up from the couch. “I’m going to bed. I refuse to entertain your delusions any longer.”

Draco followed her, still smirking. “You know, if you ever do want to dedicate something to me, I’d suggest something more obvious. Maybe my name in cursive across your wrist—”

Y/N turned and shoved him backward. “Get out of my room, Malfoy!”

Draco held up his hands, laughing as he backed away. “Fine, fine! I’ll behave.” 

He leaned against her doorframe, watching her with that same mischievous glint in his eyes. “But just so you know, I am honored. Even if you won’t admit it.”

Y/N exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair. “You are impossible.”

Draco winked. “And yet, you let me stay.”

She rolled her eyes and slammed the door in his face.

From the other side, Draco chuckled to himself.

She definitely got that tattoo because of me.

—-----------------

The next morning, Draco pushed open the door without thinking, a smug grin on his face. “Oi, get up, lazy—”

He froze mid-sentence.

Y/N stood in front of her mirror, her back fully exposed as she pulled a shirt over her head. And there it was.

The tattoo.

A sleek, intricately detailed dragon curled elegantly along her lower back, just above the waistband of her shorts. The black ink shimmered slightly under the morning light, its wings extending in a subtle arc, its serpentine body coiled with effortless grace.

Draco’s mouth went dry.

Y/N gasped, whipping around. “Draco!”

He barely heard her. His eyes were locked on the tattoo, his smirk slowly returning. 

“Well, well, well,” he drawled, crossing his arms. “Would you look at that?”

Y/N yanked her shirt down and glared. “Get out!”

Draco ignored her, stepping further into the room, his smirk widening. “You knew I wanted to see it, and yet, here you are—practically showing off first thing in the morning.” 

He tsked. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you wanted me to see it.”

Y/N groaned, grabbing the nearest thing—a pillow—and chucking it at his head. “I swear to Merlin, Malfoy, I will hex you!”

Draco dodged it effortlessly, still grinning. “Oh, come on, don’t be shy now.” 

He leaned against the doorframe, tilting his head. “I was right, wasn’t I? That dragon is a tribute to me.”

Y/N scoffed, cheeks burning. “Get over yourself.”

Draco pretended to think. “You know, I’m feeling very honored right now. I should return the favor. Maybe I should get ‘Y/N’ tattooed somewhere on my body. Any placement suggestions?”

Y/N let out a strangled groan, shoving him toward the door. “Go eat your bloody breakfast, Malfoy!”

He let her push him, still laughing as he stumbled into the hallway. “Fine, fine! But you’re never living this down.”

Before she could slam the door, he peeked his head back in. 

“For the record, I love it.”

Y/N rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide the small smile tugging at her lips. 

“Out, Malfoy.”

Draco chuckled and finally let her shut the door, grinning to himself as he walked back to the kitchen. Best morning ever.

Y/N took a deep breath, pressing her hands against the door as she listened to Draco’s footsteps retreating. 

Merlin, he’s insufferable. 

She turned back to the mirror, slightly lifting her shirt, glancing over her shoulder at the tattoo. 

She had always loved it—always thought it was elegant, powerful. 

But now? 

Now it felt like his smirking face was permanently attached to it.

Shaking her head, she quickly finished getting dressed before heading to the kitchen.

Draco was already sitting at the table, smug as ever, sipping his tea. “Took you long enough.”

Y/N rolled her eyes, plopping into the chair across from him. “I was debating whether or not to hex you before breakfast.”

Draco smirked, setting his cup down. “A very predictable debate.” He nodded toward the plate in front of her. “Eat up. I slaved away in the kitchen for you.”

Y/N raised an eyebrow, eyeing the food. “You made toast and eggs, Malfoy. Let’s not get dramatic.”

Draco feigned offense. “Toast and eggs require skill. Perfectly golden toast, eggs cooked just right. Do you know how much effort that takes?”

She snorted, cutting into her eggs. “Thank you for your service.”

Draco leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, watching her with amusement. “So… let’s talk about that tattoo.”

Y/N groaned. “Oh my—Draco, let it go.”

“Never,” he said immediately. “It’s too good. My favorite discovery ever.”

Y/N shook her head, stuffing a bite of toast in her mouth.

Draco leaned forward, smirking. “Alright, serious question. When you got it, did you think of me? Even for one second?”

Y/N chewed slowly, keeping her face neutral. “No.”

Draco squinted at her, analyzing every inch of her expression. Then, suddenly, his smirk deepened.

“Liar.”

Y/N choked on her toast. “I—I am not!”

Draco’s grin was pure amusement. “Oh, you so did.” He tilted his head. 

“Was it while they were sketching the design? Or maybe when the needle first hit your skin? Or was it after—when you looked at it and thought, ‘Bloody hell, this reminds me of a certain arrogant blond git I know’?”

Y/N picked up a piece of toast and threw it at his face.

Draco caught it effortlessly, popping it into his mouth with a smirk. “You’re just proving my point.”

Y/N groaned, dropping her head onto the table. Draco just chuckled, sipping his tea. “

—-----------------

A few days later, Draco found himself with a different Nott. Theodore Nott, his best friend and his best friend’s older brother. 

Draco froze mid-sip of his drink, his eyes locked on the ink just peeking out from Theo’s rolled-up sleeve.

It was a sleek black cat, stretched out lazily along the curve of his forearm.

Draco set his drink down. “What’s with the cat?”

Theo glanced down at his tattoo, smirking. “Family tradition. The Notts all get a symbol of their soulmate inked on them.”

Draco raised an eyebrow. “Soulmate?”

Theo nodded, taking a sip of his drink. “Yeah. It appears on its own when we come of age. No one knows exactly how or why, but it’s been in my family for centuries. Some say it’s magic woven into our bloodline.” 

He smirked slightly. “Even my sister has one.”

Draco’s brain short-circuited.

Even my sister has one.

Y/N.

Y/N has one.

His heart picked up speed, his mind racing through every conversation, every teasing remark, every glance he’d stolen at her back. 

Draco suddenly felt like the world had shifted beneath him.

That tattoo on her lower back. The dragon.

Draco sat up straighter, keeping his voice casual. “And what’s Y/N’s?”

Theo shrugged, completely unaware of the storm brewing inside Draco’s head. 

“Dunno. She won’t tell me.”

Draco barely heard him.

His hands clenched around his glass as a realization hit him so hard he almost choked.

Y/N’s tattoo—

The dragon.

Bloody hell. It was him.

Draco barely kept his composure as he leaned back in his seat, gripping his drink a little too tightly. Y/N’s soulmate tattoo is a dragon.

It wasn’t just some random choice. It wasn’t just because dragons were majestic and powerful.

It was him.

His heart was practically slamming against his ribs. He replayed every moment from that morning like the way she’d gone stiff when he walked in, the way she’d refused to talk about the meaning behind it, the way she’d freaked out when he teased her about it.

It all made sense now.

She had known. And she never told him.

“Draco?”

He blinked, snapping out of his thoughts as Theo gave him a weird look.

“You alright, mate?” Theo asked, raising an eyebrow. “You look like you just saw the Dark Lord resurrect again.”

Draco forced a smirk, trying to steady his voice. “Yeah. Just processing the fact that you have a soulmate tattoo and never mentioned it before.”

Theo snorted. “You never asked.” He took another sip of his drink. “Why? Thinking of getting one yourself?”

Draco rolled his eyes, masking the absolute chaos inside him. “Yeah, because I’d definitely trust some ancient magic to brand me with someone’s name.”

Theo chuckled. “It doesn’t give names, idiot. Just symbols.” He stretched his arms behind his head. 

“It’s all about fate or whatever. Some people try to fight it, but…” He smirked. “Doesn’t change the fact that it’s real.”

Draco exhaled slowly, his mind still spinning.

Y/N’s tattoo was a dragon.

Was it possible that she didn’t know what it meant? Maybe she thought it was just a coincidence?

No. She had to know.

Which meant she’d been hiding it from him all this time.

Draco leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, smirk firmly in place. “And you’re telling me Y/N never mentioned what hers was?”

Theo shook his head. “Nope. And believe me, I’ve tried to get it out of her.” He scoffed. “She’s stubborn as hell.”

Draco chuckled, even as his mind reeled. Yeah, she is.

But now that he knew?

Oh, she was never going to hear the end of it.

Draco leaned back, crossing his arms, trying to appear nonchalant even though his mind was still reeling from the whole soulmate tattoo revelation. 

“So,” he drawled, lifting a brow, “who’s the lucky person, then? Who’s your soulmate?”

Theo smirked, glancing at his tattoo before shrugging. “Dunno.”

Draco frowned. “What do you mean, dunno?”

Theo took a sip of his drink, completely unfazed. “Exactly that. Haven’t figured it out yet.”

Draco narrowed his eyes. “You have a bloody black cat permanently inked on your arm, and you’re telling me you don’t know who it represents?”

Theo rolled his eyes. “It’s not like the universe hands us a bloody manual, Malfoy. We have to figure it out ourselves.” He smirked. “Some people get lucky and know straight away. Others? It takes time.”

Draco studied him carefully. “And you’ve got no suspicions?”

Theo hesitated for half a second.

Draco caught it instantly. His smirk widened. “Oh, you do.”

Theo exhaled through his nose, shaking his head with a small grin. “Doesn’t matter. If it’s meant to happen, it will.”

Draco hummed, intrigued. He’d definitely be prying into that later.

But right now?

Right now, he had another soulmate mystery to deal with.

And a certain Y/N Nott to confront.

“I’m visiting your sister.” Draco declares. 

Theo raised a brow, setting his drink down. “You’re visiting my sister?”

Draco smirked, swirling his drink lazily. “Yeah. Why?”

Theo leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “Didn’t realize you two were that close.”

Draco scoffed. “Oh, please. I’ve practically been part of your family since Hogwarts.”

Theo tilted his head. “Sure. But you’ve never randomly mentioned visiting her before.” His smirk turned knowing. 

“Something I should know?”

Draco kept his face carefully neutral, but internally, his mind was still stuck on the dragon tattoo. 

He shrugged. “She just dragged me furniture shopping the other day.”

Theo chuckled. “So you’re saying my sister made you—Draco Malfoy—walk around a bloody furniture store?”

Draco rolled his eyes. “She insisted. You know how she is when she wants something.”

Theo smirked. “I do.” 

He studied Draco for a long moment before humming. “Alright. But if you start acting weird around her, I’ll know something’s up.”

Draco huffed. “Please. I’m always charming.”

Theo laughed. “That is not what I meant.”

Draco just smirked and finished his drink. 

—-----------------

Later that evening, Draco stood outside Y/N’s flat, hands in his pockets, his mind still spinning with everything he’d learned.

A soulmate tattoo. A bloody dragon.

He exhaled, schooling his expression into one of casual ease before knocking on the door.

A few seconds later, Y/N swung it open, hair damp from a shower, dressed in an oversized black shirt and shorts. She blinked at him. “What are you doing here?”

Draco smirked. 

“What, no hello? No ‘Draco, you look devastatingly handsome today’?”

Y/N rolled her eyes. “If you’re here to be insufferable, I’d like to remind you that I own a wand.”

He stepped inside without waiting for an invitation, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Relax, love. I just came to check on my favorite Nott.”

Y/N snorted. “I heard you just saw Theo earlier.”

Draco’s smirk widened. “Exactly.” 

He strolled into her living room, eyes flicking around before settling on her. “Speaking of your dear brother, he told me something very interesting today.”

Y/N crossed her arms, raising a brow. “And what exactly did Theo say?”

Draco leaned against the back of her couch, watching her closely. “That the Notts have a little tradition.”

Y/N’s expression didn’t change, but he swore he saw the slight stiffening of her shoulders.

Draco tilted his head. “Something about a soulmate tattoo?”

Silence.

Then—

Y/N huffed, turning toward the kitchen. “I’m making tea. If you’re planning on being annoying, at least make yourself useful and grab the sugar.”

Draco’s smirk deepened. Oh, she’s avoiding it.

Which meant she knew.

He followed her, leaning against the counter as she busied herself with the kettle. 

“Funny thing, though. Theo showed me his. A black cat.” He paused, letting his words sink in. “Said you had one, too.”

Y/N kept her back to him, reaching for two mugs. “And?”

Draco pushed off the counter, closing the distance between them, lowering his voice just slightly. “And I’m dying to know what yours is.”

Y/N turned, mug in hand, expression unreadable. 

“Why?”

Draco held her gaze, his smirk never fading. “Because I think I already know.”

She raised a brow. “Do you?”

Draco took another step forward, eyes flicking to her back—the very spot where he knew it was inked onto her skin. 

“Tell me, love…” He met her eyes again, voice dropping to a whisper.

“Why do you have a dragon tattooed on you?”

Y/N went still. And for a moment, the only sound in the kitchen was the faint bubbling of the kettle.

She scoffed, rolling her eyes as she turned back to the counter. 

“Oh, please, Malfoy.” She reached for the tea leaves, her voice perfectly nonchalant. “Not everything is about you.”

Draco smirked, but he could see the way she was gripping the spoon just a little too tightly. 

He leaned against the counter beside her, watching her closely. “Is that so?”

Y/N kept her focus on pouring the tea. “Yes.”

Draco hummed. “So you’re saying the ancient magic that brands Notts with their soulmate’s symbol just happened to give you a dragon?”

Y/N lifted a shoulder in a lazy shrug. “Maybe I got lucky. Dragons are cool.”

Draco chuckled, shaking his head. “You’re so full of it.”

Y/N turned, handing him a mug, eyes meeting his with an easy smirk. “And obsessing over it.”

Draco took the tea, eyes narrowing. “I knew you were hiding something.”

Y/N took a sip of her own tea, looking completely unbothered. “You know, it’s funny. Your ego is so massive, you actually think the universe revolved my entire soulmate mark around you.”

Draco smirked. “Oh, I don’t think—” He set his mug down and stepped right into her space, lowering his voice— “I know.”

Y/N’s breath hitched. His smirk widened. 

“Alright, then. If you’re so certain it’s about you, prove it.”

Draco raised a brow. “Oh?”

Y/N’s smirk turned teasing. “What, Malfoy? Afraid you’ll be wrong?”

Draco loved a challenge.

He leaned in, voice a low drawl. “Careful, love. You dare me to figure this out, and I will.”

Y/N met his gaze, unwavering. “Good luck with that.”

Draco chuckled, taking his tea and stepping back. 

Y/N sipped her tea, forcing herself to remain composed. He doesn’t know.

Draco might be clever but there was no way he could figure this out on his own. Not unless she let him.

Because the truth was simple: If Draco was her soulmate, all he had to do was touch the tattoo. If he did, it would glow golden.

But there was no way she was going to tell him that.

She smirked over the rim of her cup, watching as Draco sat back on her couch, legs stretched out, still watching her with that insufferable, knowing smirk.

“You’re staring, Malfoy,” she drawled, setting her mug down.

Draco tilted his head, looking utterly unbothered. “I’m thinking.”

“That’s dangerous.”

He chuckled, eyes gleaming. “You’re hiding something.”

Y/N feigned innocence, widening her eyes slightly. “Me? Never.”

Draco scoffed. “Right.”

She rolled her eyes and moved toward her bookshelf, pretending to search for something, keeping her back to him. She could feel his gaze trailing along her spine—like he was trying to see through the fabric, to confirm what he already suspected.

He was getting too close to the truth.

And the last thing she needed was for him to accidentally brush his fingers over her tattoo and prove everything right.

Because what then?

What if it glowed?

What if Draco realized?

She couldn’t risk that.

So she turned back around with a smirk, crossing her arms. “Give it up, Malfoy. You’ll never figure it out.”

Draco only grinned. “Watch me, love.”

Y/N huffed, rolling her eyes as she flopped onto the couch beside him. He was still looking at her, eyes sharp with amusement and determination.

So she smirked, tilting her head. “Alright then, Malfoy. What if it is about you?”

Draco blinked, caught off guard for the first time. “What?”

Y/N shrugged, keeping her expression teasing. “What if I do have a dragon because of you?” She leaned forward, elbows on her knees. “What would you do about it?”

For a second, Draco hesitated. And that was interesting.

Because she expected him to gloat, to smirk and tease her mercilessly. But instead, he just stared at her, expression unreadable.

Then, in the next moment, he recovered, his usual cocky grin slipping back into place.

“Well,” he drawled, “I’d say you have excellent taste.”

Y/N rolled her eyes, but her heart was hammering in her chest. She had to keep playing this game carefully. She couldn’t let him win.

Because if he touched that tattoo, even accidentally, it would all be over.

—-----------------

Draco was obsessed.

After leaving Y/N’s flat, he went straight to the Malfoy Manor library, ignoring the house-elves and his father’s questioning gaze as he stormed through the halls.

There had to be something here.

The Notts were an old family, one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, just like the Malfoys. And if their soulmate mark was truly tied to ancient magic, then there had to be records of it somewhere.

Draco ran his fingers over the spines of the books, muttering under his breath as he scanned the shelves. Bloodline Magic. The Bonds of Old. Sacred Family Traditions…

He grabbed the last one, flipping through the pages until he found the section on the Notts.

His eyes skimmed over the words, his breath catching as he read:

“It is said that the Nott family carries an ancient enchantment, marking each descendant with the symbol of their destined one. Unlike other soulmate bonds, the mark remains dormant until the soulmate themselves makes contact. Only when the true match touches the symbol will it glow, confirming their fate.”

Draco froze. His mind raced, heart pounding.

He snapped the book shut, running a hand through his hair. 

The tattoo. A dragon.

Draco’s stomach twisted.

He had assumed it was about him, had teased her about it, but now—now he needed to know.

Because if Y/N had never let anyone touch it…Then there was only one way to find out.

Draco shut the book, jaw set.

Draco wasted no time. As soon as he slammed the book shut, he strode out of the library, his mind racing.

He needed to see Y/N. Now.

The fact that she had lied wasn’t what bothered him the most. It was the why.

His thoughts were a mess by the time he reached Y/N’s flat. He knocked—more like pounded—on the door, and when she answered, brows raised, he barely let her get a word in.

“I know about your soulmate mark.”

Y/N blinked. “Hello to you too, Malfoy.”

Draco pushed past her, stepping inside. “I did my research. I know how the Nott bond works.” 

He tilted his head, eyes locked on hers. “The mark doesn’t just sit there, does it? The second the right person touches it, it glows.”

Y/N’s jaw tensed.

Draco took another step. “So let’s try it.”

Y/N stilled.

Draco’s heart was pounding, but he kept his expression smooth. “Unless,” he added, voice softer, “you’re scared.”

Y/N swallowed, something unreadable flickering across her face. Draco could feel the tension between them now, thick and suffocating.

And then, after a long beat of silence, Y/N merely smirked. “Alright, Malfoy.”

She turned around, lifting the back of her shirt just enough to expose the dragon tattoo.

Draco’s breath caught.

This was it.

He reached out, his fingertips hovering just above her skin.

One touch. That was all it would take.

“Draco.”

His name. Soft. Almost hesitant.

He swallowed. “Yeah?”

Y/N turned her head slightly, eyes meeting his over her shoulder.

“What if it does glow?” she whispered.

Draco’s pulse pounded in his ears.

He didn’t have an answer.

So instead—he let his fingers brush against the inked skin.

And in the next second, the dragon glowed.

The world stopped.

Draco barely had time to register the warmth beneath his fingertips before the dragon shimmered to life, glowing with a golden light that pulsed softly against Y/N’s skin.

His breath caught in his throat.

They both stared as the glow flickered, confirming what Draco had suspected but hadn’t dared to believe.

He was her soulmate.

Y/N yanked away from his touch, stumbling forward as she quickly yanked her shirt back down. 

“No,” she muttered, shaking her head. “No, no, no—”

Draco barely heard her over the sound of his own heartbeat.

He was hers.

She was his.

And she had known. Of course she had known.

Y/N turned to face him, arms crossed tightly over her chest, eyes wide and panicked. 

“This…this doesn’t mean anything.”

Draco blinked, still caught between shock. “Are you serious?”

“It’s just some old magic, Malfoy. It doesn’t dictate our lives. It doesn’t control us.”

Draco’s jaw clenched. “Then why didn’t you tell me?”

Silence.

That was all the confirmation he needed.

“You knew.” His voice was quieter now, but no less intense. “You knew it was me.”

Y/N swallowed. 

“I—I thought it might be. But I wasn’t—” She exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair. “I wasn’t going to risk it.”

Draco took a step closer, searching her face. “Risk what?”

She hesitated. 

“Losing you.” She whispered. 

Draco stilled.

Y/N clenched her jaw, looking away. “If it turned out to be someone else—if it wasn’t you—” She shook her head. “I didn’t want things to change.”

Draco exhaled slowly. “Y/N…”

She turned back to him, eyes burning. 

“It doesn’t have to change, okay? We can just forget it. Pretend it never happened.”

Draco stared at her.

Forget it?

Forget that she was his?

That they were meant to be?

Something fierce burned in his chest, something he had no intention of pushing down.

Because now that he knew? There was no way he was letting her pretend this didn’t matter.

Draco moved before he even realized what he was doing.

One second, Y/N was standing there, stubborn and defiant, trying to push this all away and the next, she was in his arms.

He pulled her in tight, his grip firm, unrelenting. Y/N tensed at first, her body stiff against his but then, slowly, she melted.

Draco felt her arms wrap around him, hesitant at first, then tighter, as if she was afraid he’d slip away.

“Idiot,” he muttered into her hair.

Y/N huffed a quiet laugh. 

“Excuse me?”

Draco didn’t let go. 

“You really thought I’d let this change anything?”

She was quiet.

Draco pulled back just enough to look at her. “I’m not going anywhere,” he said firmly. “And neither are you.”

Y/N bit her lip, eyes flickering between his. “Draco…”

“No,” he interrupted. “You don’t get to push me away. Not after this.” He shook his head, exhaling. 

“You’re my best friend, Y/N. You always have been. This just…” He swallowed. “This just proves what I already knew.”

Y/N blinked up at him. “And what’s that?”

Draco gave a small smirk, but his voice was softer now. “That I was always meant to be yours.”

Something in her expression cracked then, and before she could argue, before she could say something stupid like this doesn’t change anything—

Draco pulled her back in.

And this time, she didn’t hesitate to hold on.

They stood there for what felt like forever.

Y/N’s face was pressed against Draco’s chest, her arms wrapped around him tightly.

Draco wasn’t letting go either. He refused to.

“I don’t know what to do with this,” Y/N admitted quietly against his shirt.

Draco exhaled, pressing his chin lightly on the top of her head. “Then don’t do anything.”

She pulled back slightly, looking up at him with furrowed brows. “What?”

“You’re overthinking it, Nott. As usual.”

“I am not—”

“You are,” he interrupted, smirking. “You’re already thinking of reasons why this is a problem, why we shouldn’t make a big deal out of it.”

“Well… yeah.”

Draco shook his head, tightening his hold just slightly. “Then stop.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, just stop, huh? Wow, why didn’t I think of that?”

Draco snorted. “You’re so annoying”

“Where’d you think I got it from?”

He smirked. “Me but you love it.”

Y/N opened her mouth, probably to argue, but then paused.

And then, to Draco’s surprise, she let out a soft laugh, shaking her head.

Draco raised a brow. “What?”

Y/N glanced away, exhaling. “It’s just… it’s you.”

Draco frowned. “Obviously.”

“No, I mean…” She bit her lip, then met his gaze again. “I spent so long being scared of this. Of finding out. And now that I know…”

Draco waited, watching her carefully.

Y/N gave him a small, almost shy smile.

“I’m not scared anymore.”

Something tight settled in Draco’s chest at that.

He reached up, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Good.”

Y/N shook her head. “You’re so smug about this.”

“Of course I am.” Draco smirked. “I was right.”

Y/N groaned, shoving him back. “I take it back. I am scared. Imagine being stuck with you for the rest of my life.”

Draco caught her wrist before she could move away, tugging her back to him. His voice was softer now.

“You will be, though.”

Y/N met his gaze, something unreadable flickering in her eyes.

Draco tilted his head, smirking. “Stuck with me, I mean.”

Y/N scoffed. “Merlin help me.”

Draco just grinned. “Too late. You’re mine now.”

Y/N rolled her eyes. But she didn’t let go.

Suddenly, she asked “What if you find another girl?” 

Draco blinked. Then he frowned. “What?”

Y/N bit her lip, looking away. “I mean… just because we have the soulmate mark, doesn’t mean you have to love me. What if—what if you meet someone else? Someone who isn’t me?”

Draco stared at her. Was she serious?

He let out a slow, exasperated sigh. “Y/N.”

She still wouldn’t look at him.

Draco reached out, gently tilting her chin up so she had no choice but to meet his gaze. His voice was quieter now. “Do you really think that’s possible?”

Y/N hesitated. “I—I don’t know.”

Draco scoffed. “Of course you don’t. Because you’re an idiot.”

Y/N scowled. “Draco Lucius Malfoy—”

“I already love you, Nott,” Draco cut in, shaking his head. 

“I’ve always loved you. Why do you think this is such a big deal to me?”

Y/N didn’t say anything.

Draco sighed again, softer this time. “You’re my best friend, yeah? The person I trust most in this entire bloody world.” 

His fingers absentmindedly traced the inside of her wrist. “I don’t need a soulmate mark to tell me that. I knew before I ever saw it.”

Y/N’s lips parted slightly, her breath hitching.

Draco smirked. “And for the record, there is no other girl. There won’t be another girl. Because there’s only you.”

Y/N swallowed hard, her hands clenching slightly at his shirt. “Oh.”

Draco chuckled. 

“Oh,” he mocked, raising a brow. 

“That’s all you have to say?”

Y/N exhaled sharply, closing her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, they were softer, warmer.

Then, without another word, she leaned up and kissed him.

It was quick, hesitant—like she wasn’t sure she was allowed.

But Draco wasn’t having that.

Before she could pull away, he cupped her face and kissed her back, properly, deepening it, telling her everything she needed to know without a single word.

When they finally parted, Y/N was breathless, eyes wide.

“You’re mine, Y/N. You always have been.”

Y/N let out a small laugh, shaking her head. “Merlin, I can’t believe it had to glow for us to finally admit this.”

Draco grinned. “To be fair, you were very stubborn about it.”

Y/N rolled her eyes. “Shut up and kiss me again, Malfoy.”

Draco didn’t need to be told twice.

SEASON 1 !

episode 01. what’s the plan again?

ೃ⁀➷ mattheo’s sure he’s cracked the case this time, but his “genius” plan drags everyone into a mess. theo’s annoyed, blaise is convinced he'll die, enzo’s just trying to stay out of it and draco’s researching ways to dispose of evidence. what started as a small mystery spirals out of control, and now they’re all in way deeper than they ever imagined. oops.

episode 02. haunted, obviously

ೃ⁀➷ mattheo’s “protective charm” locks everyone out of their rooms, forcing them to spend the night in the common room. no wands, no teachers, and strange noises that send blaise and enzo into full panic mode. as paranoia grows, they’re left wondering if they’re really safe—or if something darker is lurking in the shadows.

episode 03. confusion: signed, sealed, delivered

ೃ⁀➷ a mysterious love letter, oddly lacking both a sender and a recipient, shakes things up in the group. everyone has a theory—who wrote it, who it’s for, and who’s making the situation way more awkward than it needs to be. (hint: it's everyone.)

SEASON 2 !

episode 04. who's dating who?

ೃ⁀➷ to be continued

episode 05. checkmate, idiots

ೃ⁀➷ to be continued

episode 06. the kiss

ೃ⁀➷ to be continued

SEASON 3 !

episode 07. awkward, as usual

ೃ⁀➷ to be continued

episode 08. curse me once, shame on you

ೃ⁀➷ to be continued

episode 09. tell theo i said hi

ೃ⁀➷ to be continued

EXTRAS !

ೃ⁀➷ tweets

ೃ⁀➷ playlist

ೃ⁀➷ short and chaotic drabbles

TAGLIST !

@mehrsdigitaldiary @swaysister @shyamanuensis @mattiesgf @shari-berri @the-lurking-await-you @marikajhaha @livia7137 @idiotussupremus @catiwinky

mattheo riddle was sitting on a couch in the slytherin common room, body bend forward, only the the tip of his arse still on the seat. he was holding a magnifying glass, studying a piece of parchment on the table in front of him.

"huh" theo muttered when he came down the stairs and saw mattheo's weird position. "working on your divination essay? you know we have to submit it in three days, you're about five days too early"

mattheo rolled his eyes at his friends lame joke, but didn't look up from the parchment.

"he's been staring at that for the past twenty minutes" draco added, who was slumped on an armchair across from mattheo, reading the newspaper. "he's acting all mysterious"

"that was awesome" blaise' voice suddenly bounced off the walls of the common room, when he and enzo entered, highfiving each other, before peeling out of their quidditch gear. they threw themselves down on the sofa on either side of mattheo, who frowned in annoyance.

"it was pretty peaceful before you guys came along" he muttered, eyeing theo, blaise and enzo.

"well, what's ruined your day, huh?" blaise puffed out air like he was smoking a cigarette, as he leaned back on the sofa and tried to reach for mattheo's shoulder, who moved out of the way before blaise was able to touch him.

"yeah" enzo agreed. "we missed you on the pitch. blaise learned this really cool—“

"this is serious, okay?" mattheo interrupted, reaching for his parchment, that theo had been studying while mattheo was preoccupied.

"that just looks like random numbers" theo shrugged, a little surprised by mattheo's sudden maturity.

"he believes it's a code" draco exclaimed with a roll of his eyes.

mattheo, completely ignoring draco, put on a knowing look. "i believe it to be a code" he said, matter of factly.

draco pointed a lame hand in mattheo's direction, followed by a very clear facial expression that basically said: 'i told you, he's crazy.'

theo sighed, realizing that he probably wouldn't be able to spend the rest of his day in peace, if he wouldn't indulge further. "a code?" he asked. "what makes you think that?"

"well" mattheo smiled smugly, like he had just been waiting for someone to ask about his investigation. "i spyed on your sister—" he paused at theo's sharp glance and lowering gaze. "not like that, mate, come on." mattheo shook his head, like he couldn't fathom theo jumping to such a conclusion. "well, i heard her talking, to pansy. they were discussing something dangerous, i just immediately knew"

"what did they say?" enzo perked up. "are they in danger?"

"life-threatening danger" mattheo nodded ominiously.

theo crossed his arms. "are you sure?" he exchanged a glance with blaise. "last time you said that, you got us convinced pansy had a stalker. turns out her and y/n had been talking about an episode of 'unsolved mysteries', but by the time we realized that mcgonnagall didn't really care anymore, did she?"

"that was a simple mistake, could've happened to anyone"

"i still have nightmares about that day" enzo muttered.

"i had to step down from my position as a prefect!" draco argued. "i was only allowed to be one the next year for special services, which required me to be filch's little helper for a month"

"i said i was sorry" mattheo crossed his arms in annoyance. "and this time i'm sure, by the way."

"you are?" enzo asked.

"i am" mattheo confirmed. "this message isn't any regular one. i know those numbers. it's part of benny's code"

"benny?" blaise repeated. "you mean blackout benny?" he asked with a worried expression as he leaned forward to try and study theo's reaction.

theo's face had whitened, shortly getting rid of any emotion, before anger crossed his features. "i swear to god, mattheo, if i find out my sister's taking heroin or cocaine, you're gonna die a painful death"

"what?" mattheo asked stunned. "what do i have to do with that?"

"i don't know" theo shrugged sarcastically. "who was the one to buy coke from benny for that ravenclaw party last year?"

"that was one time"

"impossible" blaise shook his head. "either you suddenly have eidetic memory, —what should be impossible after all the weed you smoked— or you used that code often enough to remember it."

"i'm kinda convinced it's the second one" enzo shrugged.

"i'm gonna kill you" theo muttered between clenched teeth, but draco's arm shot forward, before he was able to throw himself at mattheo.

"maybe we should all calm down" draco send a sharp look in theo's direction, who finally nodded.

"yeah, yeah" mattheo nodded, slumping back onto the couch, from which he had risen the second he thought he might have to fight theo.

"let's not jump to conclusions without properly thinking"

"couldn't we just ask black— i mean benny, what y/n and pansy wanted?" enzo suggested.

"and get roped into this?" blaise asked in disbelief. "who knows how deep they're in. it starts with coke and quickly evolves to a cartel level of involvement."

"i think we're still pretty far from that" theo smiled sarcastically.

"you all go ahead and search for benny" draco directed.

"and what about you?" mattheo asked confused.

"i'm gonna stay back and search for legal ways to dispose of evidence." he sent a look in theo's direction, who had started frowning at the mention of evidence. "just in case of course"

"sure" theo nodded. the others were easier to convice as they got up from their position and followed mattheo outside the common room.

"so where do we find benny?" blaise asked as soon as they were out of the dungeon, he looked around suspiciously, as if someone was spying on them.

"the code is the answer" mattheo grinned, pointing at the confusing numbers. “each number stands for a different information.”

"i think i got it", enzo mumbled, studying the parchment, mattheo held in the middle of the four. "ehh, he's waiting behind the witch with the black hat? no, wait next to hagrids— does this even make any sense?" he looked at theo, who quietly shook his head.

"he's in the courtyard" mattheo shrugged. "benny had these complicated codes back when he started, but he always forgot where he was supposed to be, so he started handing out the same over and over again. he's in the courtyard, trust me."

"i'm not so sure we should" theo send mattheo a suspicious glance, before he started walking in the direction of the courtyard, enzo right behind him.

a hand slipped onto mattheo's shoulder. "i'm getting the baddest vibes from this, mattheo" blaise muttered, quiet enough for the others to not hear. "maybe we should start asking ourselves how much we love pansy and y/n"

"yeah" mattheo nodded ominiously. "come on."

the courtyard was empty when the slytherins arrived, but there was a shadow creeping behind a tree and when he heard the approaching steps, benny revealed himself.

"remember, confidence is key" mattheo reminded his friends. "we don't know what's going on, but that doesn't mean benny knows that"

"sayonara, nott!" blackout benny greeted.

"'sayonara' means goodbye, idiot" theo crossed his arms, unamused.

"wow" benny shook his head, pressing a hand against his chest as if he had been wounded by theo's words. "why so hostile?"

"yo, benny," blaise stepped in front of theo, puffing out his chest like he was auditioning for a gangster drama. "we need answers. pronto. and no funny business, alright?"

benny squinted. "funny business? i am funny business. what are you even talking about?"

mattheo stepped forward, his expression dark, dramatic, and entirely too intense for the situation. "we know you know about everything, benny."

benny blinked. "what?"

"you know what," mattheo said cryptically and benny shook his head cluelessly.

"don’t lie to us, benny," blaise jumped in, his voice shaking slightly. "we know the stakes are high, but some of us—" he paused for dramatic effect, swallowing hard, "—some of us might not make it out alive."

"okay, whoa," benny held up his hands. "what in merlin’s saggy socks are you talking about? make it out of what?"

theo sighed, glancing at blaise with an incredulous look in his eyes. "ignore him," he furrowed his brows, stepping closer. "have you talked to my sister today?"

"oh" benny smiled and a smug smirk displayed itself on his features. "depends"

"depends?" blaise repeated with a sudden panic in his voice. "oh god we know too much, right? and now we've seen your face, there's no other way" he sank to his knees in front of benny and closed his eyes, as if he was waiting for an incoming shot or hex. "i mean i always knew i would die this way, i'm sure another way would've been way too boring considering my bright personality, at least i go down like—"

"what the fuck are you doing?" mattheo interrupted, dragging blaise back onto his feet by his arm.

"i'd like to point out that we've known how benny looked for years" enzo added and hid a giggle behind his hand. "also: how long was that final monologue supposed to be?"

"you're not gonna kill us?" blaise questioned, opening one eye and then the other to glance at benny.

"the fuck? of course not, i'm selling coke, i'm not a fucking killer"

"well, matter of interpretation" theo shrugged. "but calm down, blaise"

"so, as i was saying" benny muttered, sending a sharp gaze in blaise's direction as if to try and see how many times he would throw himself down on the ground. "depe—well, how much is it worth to you?" benny smirked.

"worth to us?" enzo repeated confused.

"due to your elaborate spending habits, i know you guys are loaded, don't go stupid on me now" benny held out his hand, moving his fingers, repeatedly opening and closing a fist. "well?"

theo sighed, before he grabbed a few galleons and threw them in benny's waiting hand. the others followed quickly after.

"i do think that might be enough to get me to talk" benny nodded, putting the money away. "pansy and y/n were here this morning and bought something for their, well, let's call it an event"

"event?" enzo repeated with furrowed brows.

"wow, very specific, thank you benny" mattheo rolled his eyes. "what did they buy?"

"supplies" benny shrugged, not even trying to break it down further. "well, the usual, had to bring it to one of those giant abondended classrooms"

"how much?" theo asked between clenched teeth.

"oh" benny laughed. "a lot. the girls spend more than double of what you guys just gave me"

"oh god. this is bad." blaise muttered. "we all know what kind of event need this much of supplies—"

"a party?" enzo suggested.

"a massive smuggle" blaise quickly interrupted before enzo could continue. “drug cartel, mafia, pablo escobar level”

"my sister isn't smuggling drugs," theo shook his head, clearly annoyed at blaise's suggestion.

“how do you know pablo escobar?” enzo muttered confused.

“well, i’ve done my research”

“you mean you’ve watched narcos” mattheo rolled his eyes. “told you muggle shows were stupid. you’ve turned all paranoid.”

"well, whatever your sister is doing, i can’t discuss it further, because i have to go now" benny said, mingling himself back into the conversation. "got places to be"

"very practical, huh?" mattheo called after him. "you're probably involved in this—in this eh— drug scheme! yeah!"

"so what now?" enzo asked, staring at the door benny had just disappeared behind. "i mean we know close to nothing, right?"

"we know enough" blaise disagreed. "enough to keep out of it now"

"keep out of it?" theo repeated. "whatever my sister got herself into, i won't just leave her to deal with it on her own."

"well, she's still got pansy" blaise shrugged, unbothered. "isn't one of us going down with her enough?"

"no one's going down just now" enzo said, surprisingly calm. "what is the plan, theo?"

"well, i think we should find draco, tell him what we know and see how to go from there and maybe also search for that classroom."

"i didn't know your name was theo" theo furrowed his brows and send a look to mattheo, who shrugged like he had simply overheard that enzo hadn't been talking to him.

the slytherins walked back through the door to the castle and into the direction of the common room. before they could walk down the stairs to the dungeon, a frantic draco came running up, a thick book in hand.

"ha!" he called as soon as his eyes fell on his friends. "i got it!! the perfect loophole: we're allowed to get rid of evidence, as long as it doesn't include any illegal substances—" he lowered the book. "no! why are you all looking at me like that? took me an hour to find this"

"well, draco—" enzo muttered, but was interrupted by mattheo.

"they're in deep" he quickly said. "meth, coke, heroin and whatever else comes to mind."

"drama queen" theo muttered with a roll of his eyes. "as long as we make sure it ends now and doesn't escalate further, no one is in deep."

blaise shook his head in disbelief. “we’re already in deep. why can’t we just save ourselves and send a nice postcard to pansy and y/n in azkaban? you know, like, ‘thinking of you—hope the dementors are chill.’”

“stop whining,” theo growled, clapping him on the shoulder. “if they’re going down, we’re going down too. that’s what friends do.”

blaise shook his head, muttering, “friends don’t let friends get killed by drug smuggling”

"so far you're the only one speaking about getting killed" enzo smiled. "so you might be a tad bit paranoid. we just go and find pansy and y/n in that abandoned classroom and everything will turn out to be okay."

the rest of the group nodded, before they fell into easy step, enzo and draco following the group as the last.

"i don't enjoy saying this" draco whispered, so only enzo was able to understand. "but if it's really something to do with smuggle, then we're doomed. no one comes clean from that, not even in the wizarding world."

"i know" enzo nodded, sending a fake smile in blaise's direction, when he turned around and looked at draco and enzo suspiciously. "we just have to hope it's anything but that."

"hey, nott?" a sudden voice behind them made them perk up. hermione granger was standing at the entrance of the library, a stack of books under her arm and a piece of paper in her other hand. she was waving it around frantically.

"granger?" draco and theo said at the same time.

"your sister left this here earlier" she handed the paper to theo. "don't know if it's important, but i'd hate losing stuff i wrote down while studying, so i thought she should have it.“

"ehh, thank you" theo nodded. "i'll pass it on."

hermione send the group a tight-lipped smile, tinged with a little bit of suspicion, before she turned around and started walking in the direction of the gryffindor common room.

"well, are you gonna read it?" mattheo questioned, as the five of them stood leaning over the paper in theo's hand.

"i don't know" theo mumbled unsure. "what if it's private?"

"i think private went flying out the window about an hour ago" draco remarked, crossing his arms.

theo sighed, but nodded and unfolded the parchment. this one was a little simpler than the last, a list with names. it took them all a moment to comprehend that their own ones were written on it.

"i'm the only one talking about killing, huh?" blaise screeched at enzo, before he ripped the paper from theo's hands, holding it up and pointing at it like a madman. "this is a fucking HITLIST!"

enzo shrugged. "it could very well just be a guest—“

"AND LOOK WHO'S NAME IS RIGHT AT THE TOP!" blaise continued screaming. "WELL, YOU GUESSED IT! MINE!!!"

"woah" mattheo muttered, his eyes scanning the names. "if anything i should be worried. my name is the first one, yours is only the third."

"technically you just have to be faster than mattheo and draco," theo shrugged sarcastically.

"well, that's really comforting, theo" blaise' eye seemed to be twitching in an unusual rhythm. "especially knowing your name comes last between all of us. i bet you're just waiting to throw us under the bus and save yourself."

"don't be ridiculous, blaise" enzo shook his head, trying to reach for the list, but blaise moved his hand before he was able to.

"enzo is right" draco nodded. "theo would never do something like that, come on."

"he doesn't have to" blaise nodded as if he was seeing through everything. "i mean he's got his killer sister to take care of it, am i right?"

"wait when did we establish y/n was a killer?" mattheo asked confused, exchanging glances with theo. "thought she was just a coke whore or whatever that kind of job is called nowadays."

"you've all gone way too far with your disrespect" theo muttered between clenched teeth. "my sister is neither a killer nor a fucking coke whore, what the actual fuck mattheo?"

"i'm just the messenger" mattheo held up his hands in surrender.

"yeah! he's right!" blaise nodded frantically. "and you know what they say about the messenger? DON'T KILL HIM!!"

"let's just all calm down, eh?" enzo suggested in a soft voice, one of his hands each on blaise's and theo's shoulders. "we just have to find out what's going on. and that abandoned classroom seems to be the best way to do that, right?"

the group all collectively nodded, while mumbling a few inaudible sentences.

the slytherins continued to walk through the giant hallways of the castle, following noise around corners, until they arrived in front of a door, which was probably the one you and pansy were behind.

mattheo outstretched his hand to twist the knob, when a person quickly slid between him and the still closed door.

the group made similar noises of surprise.

blaise screamed loudly.

"you can't go in there" pansy smiled sweetly, "not yet anyway"

"what are you hiding?" mattheo narrowed his eyes, watching the girls expression closely.

pansy furrowed her brows and crossed her arms. "why are you so eager? i thought today was firewhiskey friday. shouldn't you be slurring your words by now?"

"this isn't funny, pansy" theo interrupted from behind. "we're worried."

"worried?" pansy repeated with a hint of surprise. "unusually caring for you guys, huh? and you, blaise? been through it, what?"

blaise exchanged a nervous glance with draco. "for the protocol: i know nothing, about nothing and have no idea who's involved in anything. that should do it, yeah" he nodded, quite proud about saving himself from a seemingly dangerous situation.

"involved in what?" pansy smiled as she shook her head. "is it possible y'all watched too many muggle films about cartels or something?"

"there!" blaise screeched, pointing an accusing finger at pansy, who raised her brows impossibly higher. "she said the c-word. oh god, this is it."

"relax, blaise" enzo clamped a hand around blaise's shoulder. "that was obviously a joke. where's y/n?" he asked, with a little hope to break up the situation before it could escalate.

pansy's eyes wandered to the door. "she's busy"

"pansy" theo muttered in a warning tone. "i want to see my sister. now"

"oh god, she's probably already dead" blaise shook his head, the panic temporarily returning.

"she's not dead, idiot" pansy rolled her eyes. "she's just doing something at the moment."

"doing what? coke?" mattheo snorted, but his laughter quickly died down at the expression on pansy's face.

"you're gonna let us through the door, pansy" theo demanded.

"yeah, he's right" draco nodded with slumped down shoulders, already accepting his fate. "there's no point in hiding it any longer."

"hm" pansy nodded. "i guess you're right"

faster than any of them could react, she had thrown the door open. blaise winced, throwing his hands up in front of his face.

"surprise!" the room was filled with party decor in every possible corner. there was a huge banner that read 'happy birthday', drinks and food had been organized on a table and various guests were smiling at the clueless group of slytherins, who all seemed to sigh in relief at the sight in front of them.

"what—?" blaise let his hands sink down as his eyes flew around the room, almost passing out from the shock of well, nothing threatening ahead of him.

"hey guys" you smiled, walking through the crowd of people. "happy birthday, mattheo" you grinned, hugging the boy, who reluctantly returned the gesture.

"eh thank you" he muttered with a nod, before turning in draco's direction. "that was today?"

draco just shrugged.

mattheo had been so busy with this whole conspiracy theory, he had completely forgotten what day it was, not that he was normally very excited to remember his birthday. this was probably the first party he had gotten since he had been a kid.

that realisation made him unfreeze, as he broke into a smile. "thank you!" he repeated, pressing a sloppy kiss to your cheek before walking into the room and greeting the other guests.

"what's gotten into you?" you still smiled, but looked a little confused as you looked from one boy to the next. they still hadn't walked into the room, the same confusion on their faces as on yours.

"oh god" theo finally mumbled, walking through the group until he reached you, pressing you close to his chest and hugging you. "i'm so glad you're not a coke-whore"

"huh?" you mumbled against your brother's chest.

"long story" draco shrugged, when you found his eyes.

"oh" you suddenly remembered. "so i guess you guys found the clue pansy and i left behind?"

"clue?" enzo repeated.

"well, we thought the best way to keep mattheo from finding everything out was to keep him busy with thinking he's finding everything out." you smiled. "seems like it worked better than we thought" you chuckled nervously.

"benny said you bought a lot of supplies" theo added.

"yeah, party supplies" you nodded. "benny has a side hustle, he's pretty good with the decor and stuff"

"fuck" blaise suddenly said, breaking out in obnoxious laughter.

"oh yeah" enzo said at that. "blaise was sure he was going to die."

"—die for you, y/n" blaise interrupted. "i was ready to sacrifice my own life, so that the bad guys would spare yours"

"aww blaise" you smiled after him as he walked around you and into the party.

"ladies, who's ready for some blaise?"

"don't believe a word of that" draco chuckled, clasping a hand around your shoulder and squeezing it, before he followed after blaise.

"well, now that we've discussed that, are you gonna come inside or what?" you asked, pointing behind you.

enzo and theo answered at the same time: "yeah."

sometime later, you were standing near the table with the drinks, watching mattheo cut the huge birthday cake in the middle of the crowd, when enzo stepped next to you, holding a cup filled with your favorite drink in your direction.

"oh, thanks" you smiled surprised, taking the cup from his hand.

"that was a crazy afternoon" enzo giggled. "but i have to pay pansy and you my respect, you guys got us pretty good. mattheo was busy the whole time, so i guess it was pretty successful. i think the code for benny was enough for all of us to start panicking."

"you really did?"

"well, mostly blaise, but yeah" he nodded, taking a sip from his cup. "i had a feeling it was something like this in reality, although i have to admit i was unsure from time to time too."

"you knew?"

enzo shrugged. "you have a lot of qualities but dealing or smuggling drugs isn't one of them, no offense"

you laughed at that and enzo felt a sudden warmth spread in his chest at the sound.

you opened your mouth to say something else, when enzo and you both saw pansy standing across the room, eagerly waving you over. "oh, seems like i'm needed."

"yeah" enzo nodded with a sigh of disappointment. "it's probably important."

"probably" you nodded, before you glanced back at him. "well, thanks for the drink and everything else" you smiled, before you went off, helping pansy to reorganize a few rogue balloons.

enzo wasn't able to take his eyes off of you.

your smile was enchanting and he was sure he had been under the influence of your special magic longer than he realized.

TAGLIST !

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“this is the worst day ever, seriously” blaise zabini said as he crossed his arms and let himself fall onto one of the big dark couches in the slytherin common room.

“come on, it’s not so bad” mattheo shrugged, trying to hide his smile.

“no, actually, he’s right” you gestured between your friends, all obviously annoyed, apart from (you guessed it) mattheo. “this is the worst day ever”

“some friends you are” mattheo mumbled under his breath, turning away and huffing about the situation.

“well, it’s your own fault” theo shrugged unbothered. “you had to come up with that stupid charm”

“excuse you?” mattheo bluffed, holding his heart like theo had hurt him deeply. “i was just trying to help”

“emphasis on trying” draco muttered, sorting through a chest of blankets which was standing against one wall of the common room. “that’ll do”

“i could conjure up a few sleeping bags or beds” mattheo suggested, raising his wand.

“no!” the slytherin screamed in unison and pansy ripped the wand from mattheo’s hand, before he was able to react.

“hey!” mattheo complained, but everyone just ignored him. “i was trying to do something nice for my friends. not a reason to be bitches about it.”

“say the word ‘bitch’ one more time and—“

before blaise could fulfill his threat, enzo came back into the room, just barely breathing.

“snape is already in his chambers— or whatever you call that”

“sleeping quarters?” you suggested and enzo pointed a finger at you, thankful for the help.

“well, that means we can’t do anything until tomorrow” draco concluded the obvious.

“shit” pansy muttered and all of you send similar hateful glances in mattheo’s direction.

“how are we going to explain it to him anyway?” you asked, while you helped your brother to unfold the couch to a bed. “hello professor snape, we are idiots and locked ourselves out of our rooms, could you help us get back in please?”

“no” blaise shook his head. “we’re going to say that mattheo is an idiot, he looked us out of our rooms and now he needs professor snape’s help to get back in.”

"again, i'd like to point out that the intention was to help you" mattheo declared dramatically. "but whatever, just sell me out like that i guess."

"great"

"works for me"

"sounds good"

your voices chorused through the room and mattheo pouted offended.

"okay, what way are we sleeping?" enzo asked the group.

you shrugged, not really caring where you would need to sleep.

"well" draco said, looking around the room. "four of us can sleep on the two couches. one can sleep in the armchair, it's long enough when we drag out the foot rest and i guess to of us have to sleep on the floor."

"i'd say the girls get one of the sofas" theo suggested, while packing up a folded blanket and handing it to you, before nodding to the couch behind your back.

"normally, i’d call out the whole 'superior male savior complex' thing," pansy smirked, draping herself over the couch with a dramatic sigh. "but tonight? i’ll allow it. anything’s better than the floor."

"i agree" you grinned, following her lead.

"how generous of you," blaise rolled his eyes. "well, one of us gonna volunteer for the floor?"

all eyes darted to mattheo, who was at fault for the entire thing anyway, since he had decided to highten the security on his friends' and especially the girls' dorm room doors, enchanting them with some weird spell, that should've just simply made sure that no unauthorised people could enter the room, but now not even the people who were supposed to could.

"yeah, yeah" mattheo muttered, stuffing the floor with a blanket and sitting down on it. "of course i'd be the first to go."

"don't victimize yourself" draco smiled sarcastically.

"yeah," blaise nodded. "if anything, i'm the victim, considering my back will hurt horribly tomorrow"

"you mean us" enzo raised his eyebrows and blaise quickly agreed, like he had simply mispoken on accident.

"so, rock, paper, scissors?" theo suggested and blaise, draco and enzo nodded, before they split into two teams, dueling each other until there was a winner on each side. they repeated the process until three people had won against the others and only one person had lost: enzo.

"this is just because i'm the youngest:" he muttered, when he arranged his bed down on the floor next to the sofa pansy and you were sleeping on.

"i don't think age is considered in the game, enz," you said in a soft tone, helping him to make the floor as comfortable as possible to lighten his mood.

"so what now?" draco asked as soon as they all had been settled: blaise and him on the remaining couch and theo on the arm chair, legs hanging over the footrest.

"scary stories?" mattheo suggested with a hint of mischief in his eyes.

"aren't we a bit old for that?" draco asked with furrowed brows as he looked from one friend to another.

"we're a bit too old for sleepovers too, but who cares?" enzo grinned from the floor, catching your face light up at the mention of scary stories.

"do any of you know some?" you asked, adjusting your position under the blanket, ready to get scared.

"oh, please" mattheo smirked. he adjusted his position on the floor, before his voice dropped to a lower octave. "there’s a story the ministry doesn’t like to talk about. a case from decades ago, buried so deep you’d only find it if you knew what to look for. It’s about a child born to a pair of powerful wizards—prodigies, really. they wanted their child to be just as extraordinary as they were, maybe even more so. but there was one problem: their daughter eden was born a squib."

your brother and you exchanged unimpressed glances.

"a squib? really?" draco repeated.

"that's not meant to scare us, is it? because if you think that just because we all grew up in pureblooded families we might be scared of—"

"obviously not," mattheo interrupted blaise with a wave of his hand. "would you let me continue now?"

"go on," you nodded, crossing your arms and leaning back against the cushion of the sofa.

"so, eden was born a squib. and her parents? they couldn’t bear it. a child with no magic? in their family? so, they searched for a solution. and they found one—a forbidden spell from an ancient book, a ritual meant to transfer magical power from one soul to another. it required… a tether. something living." he looked between his friends ominiously. "they found a boy. a muggle orphan, barnett. young enough not to be missed, old enough to survive the spell—barely. they brought him into their home, dressed him like a brother to their daughter, and told the world he was family. the ritual worked."

you all shrieked up as the light flickered at his words. mattheo's smile widened, before he continued the story.

"eden gained incredible power, but the tether didn’t just give her the boy’s magic. it tied him to her—body and soul. at first, it wasn’t so bad. he would simply mimic her. if eden laughed, barnett smiled. but over time, it became… worse. eden started to hear barnett's voice in her head, whispering things she didn’t want to hear—begging her to let him go. one night, she woke up screaming. she said he was inside her skin, crawling, clawing his way out. they found her curled up in her bed, her body jerking violently. and barnett? he was standing in the corner, completely still, his eyes wide and empty."

the light flickered again and your hand unconciously clenched around pansy's wrist. pansy pulled the blanket closer, as if to shield you both from an invisible force.

“the parents tried to undo the ritual, but it was too late. barnett started appearing in places he shouldn’t have been—in reflections, in the dark corners of the house. eden began to waste away, her body covered in strange, blackened veins. she kept saying, ‘he’s taking it back.’ one morning, they found her lifeless in her bed. and barnett? he was gone."

you could see both blaise and draco furrow their brows simultaneously, unable to tell in which direction the ending of the story was going.

“the house was abandoned after that, left to crumble into ruin. sometimes, people walking by the old estate hear faint whispers, like the sound of children laughing. and if you look closely into the cracked windows, you might see a boy standing there, pale as death, waiting for someone to join him. some people said they could hear him whisper through the glass, calling for his sister: 'e—"

mattheo was interrupted by a loud thump. all of you shrieked up, your eyes on the wall were the sound had come from.

"that was probably just—" enzo wanted to say, before he too, was interrupted.

"eden!" a loud voice beamed, making you all start screaming simultaneously. "eden!" the chandelier above you started swining and the lights flickered once again.

the process lasted about thirty seconds, before everything stopped and the room looked totally normal again.

all of you had crowded together in a circle, watching the ordeal back to back.

"what the fuck was that?" pansy muttered, pressing a hand to her chest to calm her heartbeat.

your eyes wandered through the circle of people before they landed on mattheo and you stepped forward, a finger hitting his chest.

"ow!" mattheo cried at the surprising pain of your small touch.

"this isn't funny, mattheo" you snapped.

mattheo pushed your finger away. “calm down, woman. i didn’t even do anything.”

“then it was one of you!” pansy accused looking between the remaining guys.

“literally no one here has a wand, except for mattheo.” theo crossed his arms, annoyed at her stupid accusation, but there was also a hint of worry in his words.

mattheo rolled his eyes. “pansy took it earlier, remember? when i generously suggested to conjure up comfortable beds or something.”

all eyes flew to pansy.

“it wasn’t her.” you exclaimed with a shake of your head. you glanced over to the sofa, the abandoned wand lying in the middle of where pansy and you had sat. “i would’ve noticed.”

“great” blaise smiled sarcastically. “so that leaves… who exactly?”

“no one, okay?” draco nodded, his lips pressed tightly together. “this is a magical school and we’re inside an incredible old castle. this might just happen sometimes.”

you looked to the side to find enzo’s eyes, who just shrugged.

all of you knew that there needed to be a different explanation, but rather ignored the pending question, as you settled back to your sleeping spots.

there were a few more minutes of light chatter, all of you growing increasingly more tired, before it was finally time to sleep. with a wave of mattheo’s wand, pansy put out the light and all of you got under your blankets.

you drifted off to sleep easier than you would've guessed, your mind being tired down from an exhausting school day and your body feeling the effects of walking up and down stairs all day.

you didn't even mind the snoring of the boys, as your mind settled on a sweet dream about something you surely wouldn't remember in the morning.

just when you thought the night wouldn't be as bad as expected, you woke up around 3am, the air in the common room was ice cold and you were shivering even under your thick blanket.

you opened your eyes to try and find the source of the coldness in the darkness, only for your gaze to flicker to enzo, who was stirring in his sleep, before he finally opened his eyes, directly looking back.

enzo made a surprised sound at you looking down at him and sat up. "why are you awake?" he whispered, as to not wake your still sleeping friends.

"it's cold," you muttered back, your eyes wandering around the room once again.

"oh," enzo nodded. "the fire is out." he threw back his blanket and got up. "here, let me just.." he grabbed a few pieces of wood and reached for mattheo's wand on the table to enlight the flame. the fire prickled to life quickly, illuminating the room in a warm glow and you immediately felt a lot warmer.

"thank you." you smiled gratefully as you watched enzo walk back over.

"anything," he smiled down at you and even in the dark you could see his perfect white teeth and your cheeks grew pink from the warmth of his gaze.

for a few seconds the both of you just simply looked at each other. you, still sitting on the couch, and enzo leaning slightly over you, keeping his gaze locked onto your eyes.

the moment was interrupted by a loud bang, when a shelf collapsed, sending a dozen books down to the floor. you had gripped enzo’s hand and he had fallen onto your legs as he had shrieked away from the sudden sound.

the rest of the slytherins now opened their eyes too, just as disturbed from the sudden loudness as enzo and you.

"what the hell?" mattheo sat up, rubbing his eyes.

all eyes wandered to the books on the floor. draco and blaise sat up too, pansy groaned and theo cleared his throat when his gaze dropped to enzo sitting half on your lap. enzo got back onto his feet in a hurry.

"i see you're counting on my sister to protect you, huh?" theo quirked a brow, a sarcastic smile settling onto his lips. but he was less amused than annoyed.

"n-no" enzo stuttered and looked at you for help.

you rolled your eyes, not willing to entertain your brother any further than necessary. "well, if you must know,” you began, sitting up straighter, “enzo was just about to confess his undying love for me before the bookshelf rudely interrupted.”

enzo choked on air. “i—what?” he quickly shook his head. "theo, i swear i wasn't—"

pansy, now fully awake, smirked. “oh, this just got interesting.”

draco groaned, flopping back against the couch. “It’s too bloody late for whatever this is.”

theo, however, narrowed his eyes at you. “hilarious.” his tone was flat, but the slight twitch of his jaw told you he wasn’t entirely amused. “but let’s focus on the part where random objects are flying around while we’re supposed to be sleeping.”

"exactly." blaise nodded, pointing a hand in theo's direction. "i think theo brings up a very good point: someone should go over there and inspect the thing."

"okay. why not you?" mattheo challenged, narrowing his eyes at his friend.

blaise shook his head, laughing like mattheo had suggested the stupidest thing ever. "for obvious reasons, mattheo." without explaining further, his eyes darted across the room, landing on pansy and you. "ladies?"

"and they say chivalry is dead." pansy smiled sarcastically, crossing her arms across her chest, "i'm not doing shit. i heard draco has studied well for the upcoming defense exam. he should go"

"actually" draco corrected, holding up a finger. "theo has been the one who helped me study, so i really think he—"

"fucking babies." you muttered, climbing down from the couch and walking closer to the book shelf at the back of the room.

"the wand, y/n" mattheo suggested, as he nodded at the fireplace, where enzo had left his wand.

you nodded, gripping the wand in your hand and slowly stepping closer.

"you're really letting her do this?" enzo frowned in theo's direction. your brother simply shrugged, not quite convinved there was something that could hurt you waiting in the corner of the room.

"y/n, wait"

you froze in the middle of the room. the same distance between you and your friends as to the bookshelf in front of you. you turned around and saw enzo standing in the middle of the two couches, looking unsure.

"what?" you questioned at his dramatic stance.

"i'll come with you."

"i'm not going to war, enz."

you were unable to stop the boy, the determination had already settled on his face, as he grabbed a pillow and stepped across the room.

"fucking idiot," you could hear blaise mutter under his breath. "two funerals is gonna be super expensive."

"no ones getting buried." pansy whispered back harshly.

"and you're loaded anyway." theo lazily commented.

you ignored your friends, your gaze still fixed on enzo, who looked like he wanted to be anywhere else. you were sure whatever it was, it wasn't as bad as to warrant that kind of fear.

"you really don't have to." you furrowed your brows at the way the pillow was shaking in his hold. "it's probably nothing."

"but what if it isn't?" enzo glanced to the shelf. "then you need someone to protect you."

normally you would've immediately corrected that stupid assumption, but the boy was so determined and ready to jump between you and whatever was waiting near that shelf, that you just couldn't. he was too lovely for his own good.

"okay," you nodded, stepping closer to the shelf.

the atmosphere in the room only grew to be scarier, as all of you held your breaths and the slytherins kept their eyes trained on enzo and you, stepping closer to whatever was awaiting you.

your hand gently wandered over the shelf in the wall, and after a few quiet seconds, your exhaled your breath, relief flooding your features. "see?" you said, turning back to your friends, "nothing—"

a loud crash echoed through the room when the remaining shelves all broke through at the same time. enzo jumped forward, gripping your hand and effectively sending mattheo's wand flying, as he pushed you behind him and threw his weapon,—pansy's super soft foam pillow that she always carried in her enchanted bag in case she got tired—, at the shelf.

"run," he then screamed, pushing you back into the direction of the couches, accompanied by your and your friends frantic screams.

"now should be the right time to get the fuck out of here." pansy suggested with a screech.

"could you please, uh, NOT SCREAM THAT DIRECTLY INTO MY EAR?" blaise's voice rang through the room.

"great! you left the wand" mattheo looked a little shaken up, but a lot less than the rest of your friends. the same could be said about theo.

"calm down," your brother said loudly, interrupting the fight that was going on between pansy and blaise, who were both continuously screaming at each other.

"calm down?" blaise repeated. "this is the fucking conjuring. how am i supposed to calm down?!"

"what's the conjuring?" draco asked confused, looking at you for help, but you could only shrug, never having heard that name before.

"muggle horror film." theo exclaimed with a roll of his eyes. "what in merlins name are you doing?" he narrowed his eyes at blaise, who was hectically lifting blankets and seemingly searching for something.

"oh, i'm out of here." blaise shrugged, still searching. "but i'm not about to leave my gucci scarf down here."

"gucci scarf?" enzo repeated in a whisper.

"might be another muggle thing." you shrugged.

"and where exactly are we leaving to?" draco crossed his arms. "i'm not about to be caught in the halls and lose like 50 points each."

"whatever we decide on, my wand is still lying at the end of this room." mattheo nodded to the point where his wand was still moving a little from falling from your hand.

"that's on me." you nodded. "i'll get it." you stepped forward, but before you could move further, enzo pushed you back into pansy's arms.

"i'll go. it was my fault anyway."

"lovely." blaise nodded sarcastically. "i'm gonna find good words for your funeral, brother."

"ready to die for a girl who isn't even his girlfriend." draco muttered under his breath.

theo's head turned to the blonde boy, his gaze sharp. "his what?"

draco averted his eyes and followed the line of sight of the rest of his friends, including you, who were staring after enzo with a guiltridden expression.

enzo took one step after the other, very slowly nearing the wand, his eyes darting from one side of the room to the other, as if to look out for any hints of an intruder or another thing happening.

he hesitated only for a second before taking a step forward, reaching down toward where mattheo’s wand had landed—

then, without warning, the flames in the fireplace extinguished completely. darkness swallowed the room. the temperature plummeted once more.

and from the depths of the common room, an unmistakable whisper slithered through the air—low, cold, and utterly inhuman.

run.

all of you took a moment to react, frozen in your movement, before blaise broke your trance, jumping over the couch like he was a gold winning athlete. "save yourselves!" he screamed, already half up the stairs.

screaming, you and your friends bolted for the stairs, trampling over each other in a frantic attempt to get out.

mattheo tripped over a pillow. pansy shoved draco out of her way. enzo sprinted across the room, holding onto your wrist, practically dragging you toward the common room entrance.

you all arrived at the doors, which just wouldn't budge, trapping you in the room.

a loud laugh echoed through the room, as all of you stood, your backs pressed against the doors, looking ahead with sheer horror at whatever was about to reveal itself.

then a poof and the sickly satisfied expression on peeves' face was staring right at you.

"PEEVES?" pansy shrieked, her voice cracking as she clutched onto draco’s arm.

"you've got to be kidding." theo groaned, rubbing his temples.

mattheo exhaled sharply, dragging a hand down his face. "i knew this was too stupid to be a real haunting."

"stupid?" peeves gasped, clutching his chest like he’d been mortally wounded. "STUPID?" then, as if deciding that was a compliment, he grinned. "oh, but it worked, didn’t it? look at you all! shaking in your boots!” he twisted midair and did a mock bow. “peeves wins again!"

"you're dead," blaise muttered. "dead. when the baron gets back, you’re done."

at that, peeves did a lazy backflip and grinned. "ah, but he’s not here tonight, is he? nooo, the baron is out twirling with the other ghosts, leaving poor little slytherins all alone… and ripe for a bit of mischief!" he cackled, swooping down to hover inches from theo’s face. "you lot are always so boring—all your rules and manners and pureblood traditions—blah, blah, blah! so i took my chance, locked you out of your rooms and had a little fun.”

"so it was you!" mattheo pointed at the ghost, before turning his gaze back to all of you. "see! it wasn't my fault, my hex would've worked just as intended if this stupid little—"

"actually," peeves interrupted, spinning in midair. "you were this close to making things a whole lot worse. your hex would’ve triggered a nasty smell throughout the whole castle, like rotten fish and burnt hair. not to mention it might've set the curtains on fire. a real disaster, if you ask me."

"what?!" mattheo's eyes widened in disbelief. "i didn’t—"

"of course you didn't, mattheo" pansy rolled her eyes, stepping away from the door and sending a last scornful look in peeves' direction. "if you would excuse me? i'm going back to sleep."

"yeah, me too." draco sighed, following pansy back down into the common room.

the rest of you nodded too, leaving peeves behind, who pouted at your sudden disinterest, as you settled back into your sleeping bags for the night.

tomorrow you would explain to professor snape what peeves had done, maybe leaving out the part where mattheo had nearly burned down something and cursed the entire castle, and he would hopefully help you unlock your rooms and return to normal.

enzo smiled up at you, when you had gotten comfortable under your blanket.

the others had already grown quiet, indicating them drifting off to sleep.

you were still wide awake, looking down at the boy, who didn't make any move to close his eyes or go back to sleep either.

"thanks for protecting me tonight." you whispered softly. "especially while you were scared too."

"any time." enzo assured.

you weren't sure what possessed you to do it, but your hand wandered down slowly, softly brushing against his arm, as if to comfort him.

"really, though," you continued, your voice quieter now, "i don’t think i could’ve made it through all that without you."

enzo's lips curled into a small smile, but he didn’t say anything right away. his hand, almost instinctively, moved closer to yours, fingers brushing against yours in the slightest, a silent acknowledgment.

"you’ve got a way of making me feel less stupid," he said after a beat, a teasing undertone in his voice that made you laugh softly.

"maybe that’s because you’re not stupid at all," you replied, your heart suddenly racing for reasons you couldn’t quite explain.

"is this okay?" he whispered softly, taking your hand into his fully.

you nodded, before you closed your eyes. enzo's voice being the last thing you heard before drifting off into a dream filled with the golden light of the sun and whispered promises under cherry blossom trees.

"goodnight, y/n." he whispered, his voice soft but sincere. "i'll be waiting for you."

TAGLIST !

@mehrsdigitaldiary @swaysister @shyamanuensis @mattiesgf @shari-berri @the-lurking-await-you @marikajhaha @livia7137 @idiotussupremus @catiwinky @deepeststarlightmoon @ahead-fullofdreams @jjsblueberry

"good gracious, woman, you're looking dashing today." mattheo said when you walked into the slytherin common room in the morning.

you narrowed your eyes at his weird behaviour. "are you—" your frown deepened. "—are you flirting with me?" you crossed your arms. "stop it, it's weird."

"is it really weird when i'm just trying to tell you how beautiful you look?"

your eyes darted across the room as if to search for something that would explain this very twilight zone experience. or maybe your friends were trying to get a rise out of you once again.

"it's ten in the morning, so if you're doing anything else than shutting up, then yeah, it's weird." you walked up the stairs to leave the common room and walk into the direction of the great hall, mattheo still hot on your heels. "also it's saturday. you normally sleep in until two or something."

"i was waiting for you."

"waiting for me?" you repeated. "are you sick?" you froze in the middle of the hallway, worriedly pressing a hand against mattheo's forehead.

mattheo pushed your hand away with his own, trying to interlink your fingers with his in a smooth gesture.

you pulled away quickly. "handholding?" you took another step back. "what has gotten into you, mattheo?"

"nothing," mattheo shook his head and fluttered his eyelashes at you— you guessed that that was supposed to look cute, but it send shivers down your spine. "i just had a visit from a little friend called armor."

"sure" you nodded unimpressed. "tell you friend to take his medicine."

"your sarcastic energy is killing all the positive feelings." he gestured between the two of you.

"good" you smiled.

"ugh." mattheo groaned. "i'll leave you to it for now, but i'll be back and hopefully you're ready to accept my undying affection by then."

"yeah, hopefully." you rolled your eyes. "i know that i told you to stop doing that, but maybe you should get beaten up to get whatever is loose in your head back in it's original place."

"just love" mattheo muttered, before he turned around and walked back in the direction of the common room.

you looked after him in confusion, before you shrugged, deciding to forget about the thing. it was probably part of some screwed up plan mattheo had cooked up once again. nothing to get angry about.

the great hall was filled with nearly the entire school, loud chattering echoing off the walls as students sat longer than normal, as they had no classes to attend.

"morning," you muttered, sitting down in your usual seat beside pansy. theo and blaise were studying a book about quidditch and draco was pointing out something in the papers for pansy to look at.

your friends returned the greeting.

you reached across the table and grabbed the jam, before you put a big scoop onto your bread.

"very interesting morning so far" theo muttered under his breath and you quirked a brow at him. "did mattheo catch you?"

"oh" you said surprised. "yeah, he did." you averted your eyes, not really keen on talking about the weirdest conversation you had had in a hot minute.

"was muttering something about your eternal beauty." blaise laughed, "some idiot he is, if you ask me."

"eternal what?" enzo asked, just arriving at the table.

"oh, just my sister's eternal beauty that is suddenly so actively talked about." theo muttered with a sharp tone. "any input?"

"uh. y-yeah" enzo nodded, quickly choking down the piece of bread he had started nibbling on. "it's uh- it's there."

"how dashing, enzo," blaise rolled his eyes. "really smooth. i see she's already taking off her shirt—oh, no, sorry, she isn't."

you shot blaise a deadpan look, "you know, blaise, if you spent as much time with your head out of the gutter as you do in it, you might actually be a decent human being."

"touché," blaise raised an eyebrow, smirking, before he returned to his book.

"looks just like me, doesn't he?" your gaze wandered from blaise to draco, who was pointing at a picture in the newspaper— oh no, that was definitely one of pansy's magazines.

"the male model there?" pansy repeated with disbelief.

draco tried to mirror the expression on the model's face. "do i look like him now?" he asked, his eyes jumping between pansy and you, since he had noticed you watching.

"well, you're definitely looking like... something." you winced, a little uncomfortable.

"draco, you don't even have the same hair color as that guy," pansy said unimpressed. "let alone those abs."

"want me to prove it?" draco let go of the magazine and unbottuned the first two buttons of his shirt.

"draco? what the hell?" theo shook his head, chucking the last piece of his bread at the blonde's head. "the fuck you're doing?"

"proving that i'm just as hot." his eyes narrowed at pansy. "if not hotter than this wanna-be model."

"i'm not sure he's just a wanna-be model." enzo corrected, now studying the abondened magazine. "this text here says that he is the highest grossing model of the last year. and that world wide."

theo stared at the magazine in disbelief. “wait, so he’s not just playing dress-up? he actually does this for a living?”

enzo shrugged. “seems like it. and apparently he’s ‘the face of global campaigns’ or whatever.” he paused, squinting at the page. “i mean, who knew?”

pansy’s lips twitched into a smirk. “yeah, draco, not just a wannabe. maybe you should take some notes.”

draco rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to retort something, but was promptly interrupted by blaise.

"yeah, sorry mate, you look nothing like this guy." he turned his head to inspect the image further. "although, i have to say that he looks a bit like me, don't you think?"

enzo shook his head slowly.

"well whatever." draco closed the magazine with a quick movement. "i look much better than him anyway."

"well, i don't see anyone paying money to take pictures of you too." you giggled, enjoying the way you could rile draco up with a simple comment, as he frowned at you.

"really smart, y/n" draco exclaimed with a roll of his eyes, before he stood up. “come on, pansy”

pansy furrowed her brows in confusion, but reluctantly got up, as draco made no move to leave without her.

“very weird morning so far” you mumbled, watching after your friends.

“hey, by the way,” enzo said, steering your gaze back to him. “i wanted to ask you if you could help me with my project for herbology. i had a problem with taking care of that plant.”

“that plant?” you repeated with a smile “you mean the roses we’re supposed to help grow faster?”

“exactly”

“sure” you nodded, reaching for the jam once more. “i’ll help you”

“oh, darling would you mind helping me with that very easy task for divination?” blaise fluttered his eyelashes at theo, who got the hint immediately, lifting his voice to mimic yours.

“you mean the one with the tea cup?” he smiled brightly, weirdly even looking a bit like you. “of course, my love”

their smiles vanished simultaneously and blaise turned in your direction. “this is how the two of you sound by the way”

“hilarious” you muttered, matching theo’s normally flat tone perfectly. “hey, mate, later i’m gonna make sure to smoke a whole pack of cigarettes and if i have time i might drown myself in the lake after that”

“sure” enzo nodded, his voice wavering and even picking up an octave to match blaise’ melodic tone. “i might order a few new gucci scarfs and after that i’ll watch that muggle movie that’s been on my list for ages” he dragged out the end of the word dramatically.

“and scene!” you grinned, turning in blaise’s and your brother’s direction. “and this, is how you sound by the way”

STUDENT INTERVIEW #183 — MATTHEO RIDDLE (take one) — by luna lovegood

camera turns on. mattheo sits in a very relaxed, almost offensively smug position, one leg thrown over the armrest of his chair.

mattheo riddle: so when i came down the stairs this morning, i found a mysterious letter on the table in the middle of the common room—

luna lovegood (leading lady of the student papers, behind the camera): actually you should talk about—

mattheo riddle: (frowning slightly) i wasn’t finished, goldilocks! anyway, i found this letter—

mattheo holds up a folded piece of parchment, camera zooms in.

mattheo riddle: —and surely we all know who wrote this.

mattheo unfolds the parchment, reads

mattheo riddle: ‘my love, i write this letter to tell you about my undying affection. i like everything about you: from the way you do your hair, to the way you carry your books. let me know if you feel the same. all my love, yours truly.’ no name. y/n was probably scared her brother could find this.

luna lovegood: y/n nott?

mattheo riddle: (grinning) well, obviously, she’s been in love with me for ages, hasn’t she? now my time has come to corrupt theo’s innocent little sister. if you’ll excuse me—

he stands up, takes off the enchanted mic and hands it to luna behind the camera. luna and colin creevey (cameraman) look after him in confusion.

"okay, i have to get my books and then i'll meet you in the greenhouse, you go ahead." you told enzo, who nodded dutifully and walked out of the common room without another word.

you fetched the needed school books from your room quickly, walking back into the common room only mere seconds later. you studied the books shortly, pushing them into your bag, when you noticed an abondened piece of parchment laying on the table in the middle of the common room.

your eyes darted around the empty room. no hint of anyone. was that there already, when you came in a few minutes ago? you had no idea.

"whoops" you muttered, pushing the parchment off the table and bending down to pick it up. you unfolded it, your eyes flying over the words quickly.

"i like everything about you?" you repeated confused. "shit, enz" you shook your head, throwing the parchment back onto the table and leaving the common room.

STUDENT INTERVIEW #188 — Y/N NOTT (take one) — by luna lovegood

the camera flickers on, revealing y/n sitting across from luna. she looks skeptical, arms crossed, clearly regretting agreeing to this interview.

y/n nott: (tilts head) right. the letter. (pauses) well, obviously, it’s not mine.

luna lovegood: this is not— (sigh) no one said it was.

y/n nott: (ignores her) but if it was mine—hypothetically speaking—i’d have to assume it was from enzo.

luna lovegood: why enzo?

y/n nott: (shrugs) who else would write something like that? i mean, it’s way too nice to be from draco, mattheo would probably set it on fire before writing anything remotely romantic, and blaise—well, blaise would’ve signed it ‘from your future husband, blaise zabini’ and included a self-portrait.

luna lovegood: that’s very specific.

y/n nott: yeah, because it’s true.

luna lovegood: but you really think it’s enzo?

y/n nott: …i mean, maybe? probably? he’s always so nice to me. and the letter said something about liking the way i carry my books, and he notices that sort of stuff.

luna lovegood: that’s very observant of him.

y/n nott: (deadpan) yeah. suspiciously observant. what if he’s planning something?

luna lovegood: (cheerfully) like asking you on a date?

y/n nott: okay, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

luna lovegood: but would you want it to be from him?

y/n nott: … (groans) next question.

luna lovegood: there are no other questions.

y/n nott: fantastic.

the camera lingers on her vaguely distressed expression before cutting to black.

"i've done a lot for my body this past semester, you know?" draco smirked, throwing an arm up. "wanna feel?"

pansy furrowed her eyebrows, but complied, reluctantely pressing down on the blonde's biceps.

"wow, that's great" she nodded, smiling unsurely. "what are you showing me this for again? i mean any particular reason?"

"just letting you know." draco shrugged, as if it was obvious. "buffed and available" he pointed to himself.

"right" pansy nodded slowly.

"hey guys, you have time for a quick interview?" luna lovegood's voice interrupted the weird conversation between the two. draco shook his head and opened his mouth, ready to decline the offer, but pansy nodded, pushing the boy forward.

"actually, draco would love to"

STUDENT INTERVIEW #192 — DRACO MALFOY (take one) — by luna lovegood

the camera flickers on, revealing draco sitting with his arms crossed, looking like he’s being forced to attend a disciplinary hearing. luna, unbothered, gives him a pleasant smile.

luna lovegood: so, draco—

draco malfoy: —it’s from pansy.

luna lovegood: (sighing)…the letter?

draco malfoy: (nods, very serious) obviously.

luna lovegood: and you’re sure because—

draco malfoy: (leans forward, steepling his fingers) because she’s in love with me.

luna lovegood: interesting. and what proof do you have?

draco malfoy: she always sits next to me, she always compliments me—

luna lovegood: really? what’s the nicest thing she’s ever said to you?

draco malfoy: (thinking hard) … she once said, ‘draco, stop talking.’

luna lovegood: that’s not really—

draco malfoy: (interrupts) because she was overwhelmed. with emotion. also, it was obviously meant affectionately.

camera zooms in behind draco. pansy is leaning against the wall, slowly shaking her head.

luna lovegood: so you’re convinced she wrote the letter? i mean what if it wasn't her?

draco malfoy: (laughs, leans back) oh, luna. sweet, naïve luna. (pats his chest) denial is a river in egypt..

luna lovegood: you know how that quote ends?

draco malfoy: no?

luna lovegood: figured.

the interview ends with draco smugly running a hand through his hair, completely convinced of his theory.

"so just put it in there now?" enzo questioned, motioning the powder towards the rose in front of the two of you.

"right." you nodded, watching him gently shake the package until the powder had settled onto the entire plant. you studied the book in front of you. "now we have to wait about ten minutes, before we can continue"

"great." enzo nodded, dropping the empty package into the bin.

"great," you nodded with a tightlipped smile. you quickly continued talking, trying to keep the awkward energy to a minimum. "so how's everything going? i feel like we haven't talked in ages, i mean just the two of us. alone." you turned away shortly to fill a bucket with water. 'just the two of us'? you repeated to yourself, not sure what had gotten into you.

enzo, who was not noticing any awkwardness, smiled at the question. "totally." he grinned. "well, herbology has been a pain, but apart from that, everything's great. thanks again for your help."

"anytime," you nodded. "but you know i'm not that good in herbology myself. why didn't you ask theo?"

"well, for starters, he isn't as pretty as you." enzo smirked confidently, at the same time as all your facial features completely derailed.

"what?" you repeated in something close to a screech.

enzo's smile died down. "sorry, i didn't want—"

"no, you know what?" you grinned uncomfortably, trying to safe the situation. "it's fine—, oh ten minutes already?" you checked your invisible clock, before you pushed the water bucket against enzo's chest with a little more force then necessary. "water it!" you instructed between clenched teeth.

"o-okay" enzo nodded immediately, confused by your sudden mood shift.

STUDENT INTERVIEW #199 — BLAISE ZABINI (take one) — by luna lovegood

blaise sits in his dorm, his arms crossed, looking effortlessly cool.

blaise zabini: alright, let’s not waste time. that letter? clearly about me.

luna lovegood: are you sure?

blaise zabini: luna.

he gestures vaguely to himself.

blaise zabini: have you seen me?

luna blinks. colin adjusts the focus on the camera.

blaise zabini: "i like everything about you"—obviously referring to my impeccable fashion sense. "the way you carry your books"—have you seen me carry books? it’s graceful. regal, even.

luna lovegood: …do you have any idea who wrote it?

blaise zabini (smirking): i do, but it wouldn’t be fair to ruin their fun.

colin creevey (cameraman): (deadpan) so you don’t know.

blaise zabini: they’ll come forward when they’re ready. probably in a grand romantic gesture involving candlelight and expensive wine.

luna lovegood: you’re a minor.

blaise zabini: and yet, so emotionally mature.

the camera zooms into the background of the room, the entire wall is adorned by photos of blaise in various different poses.

"what do you think?" blaise asked, holding up two almost identical looking shirts. "this one, or that?"

theo looked up from the book he was reading. "i couldn't care less, actually."

"this is important, theo." blaise pleaded. "come on, mate."

theo sighed, marking the page of his book and closing it, before looking up at his friend once more. he studied both shirts for a few seconds, before he shrugged. "they look the exact fucking same."

blaise groaned, throwing himself down on his bed and staring at the ceiling. "i'm surrounded by idiots."

"what was that?" theo perked up, trying to catch blaise's gaze.

"nothing." blaise said quickly, not about to ruin his face by getting into a brawl with theo he would lose anyway.

"you sure?" theo raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the moment of confusion.

blaise let out a dramatic sigh, pushing himself off the bed. "whatever, i'm wearing this one," he muttered, pointing to the shirt he'd already decided on.

STUDENT INTERVIEW #204 —THEODORE NOTT (take one) — by luna lovegood

theo is standing in the hallway, with his back leaning against the wall.

luna lovegood: so, theo, we're here to ask you about—

theo nott (skeptically eyeing the camera): this is not getting published, is it?

luna lovegood (confused): well, it's for the student paper—

theo lets go of the microphone that flies back against the camera. he steps around it, walking away. the camera zooms in on his retreating form.

"you're acting weird." enzo noted softly as he watched you walk circles in the greenhouse.

"i'm acting weird?" you asked with a pointed look. "what about that letter, huh?"

"what letter are we talking about exactly?" enzo furrowed his brows in confusion.

you opened your mouth, ready to answer, when the door to the greenhouse swung open and mattheo walked inside.

"there you are!" he grinned, pointing at you.

"oh, great," you muttered, pressing a hand against your forehead.

"i've got about a million condoms with your name on them, darling." mattheo revealed a row of condoms from his pocket, that unrolled itself until it hit the floor.

"ew, no!" you called loudly, looking absolutely traumatised.

"what the fuck?" enzo had asked at the same time, looking baffled as his head swung back and forth between mattheo and you.

"what the heck are you doing?" you asked, walking to mattheo and trying your best to fold up the row of condoms, but failing.

"i'm being responsible," mattheo shrugged simply. "i would suck as a father."

“you would suck as anything” you whispered between clenched teeth.

"you'd have to have sex for that first." enzo noted with a mutter.

"right," mattheo nodded, obviously satisfied that someone pointed out the obvious, and then leaned forward, pressing his lips in your direction.

you quickly swerved to the side and mattheo opened his eyes, confused after simply kissing the air.

"not happening." you shook your head.

"you don't have to be so tasteful, love." mattheo wiggled his eyebrows. "if it's about enzo, i'm sure he'll leave us alone."

"oh, gladly." enzo nodded. you didn't miss the hint of anger in his voice. "if that’s what you want," he said to you, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"no, it definitely isn't." you pushed mattheo away from you. "enzo stays and you leave."

"come on, baby," mattheo pouted. "don't be like this."

"you heard her," enzo said, sounding much more menacing than intended. "i’ll help you find the door."

mattheo paused for a moment, staring at enzo like he just realized something. "wait... are you jealous?" he asked, suddenly smirking. "oh, mate, i didn’t realize we were competing."

"oh, trust me, you're not," enzo shot back, his voice smooth as butter, but there was a definite edge underneath it.

"he’s right, you know," you muttered under your breath, crossing your arms. "you’re not really competition for anyone, mattheo."

"ouch," mattheo made a dramatic face, rubbing his chest as though wounded. "i thought we were friends, y/n."

"well, clearly that’s not exactly what’s on your mind," you said, pointing at the condoms still clutched in his hand. "unless you think friends sleep with each other."

"you can call us whatever you want," mattheo shrugged with a grin, clearly unbothered. "just not boyfriend and girlfriend. that’s actually what i wanted to talk to you about. i’m not big on relationships, but an open one? that, i’m interested in."

"i'm not sure in which way i ever indicated that this—" you gestured vaguely between yourself and mattheo, "—was ever happening."

"oh, don't be daft, love," mattheo shook his head. "you don’t just leave love letters lying around without meaning something."

"love letters? wait you think i wrote that letter? and to you?"

"of course. who else could it be from?" mattheo scoffed.

"enzo wrote it." you answered without properly thinking.

"w-what?" enzo mumbled confused.

both mattheo and you looked at enzo.

"well, i surely didn't write it." mattheo recounted. "and if neither of you wrote it, then that leaves…” he trailed off.

"oh god." you realized. "that's why draco has been acting so weird all day. he thinks pansy wrote it. for him."

"isn't pansy currently hooking up with that ravenclaw?" enzo asked confused.

"exactly!" you nodded, quickly opening the door and walking out of the green house, mattheo and enzo close behind you.

you found draco and pansy in the slytherin common room. pansy lounged on the couch, unimpressed, while draco paced in front of her like a dramatic protagonist in a bad play.

"i can’t believe you would betray me like this!" he finally burst out, spinning to face her with all the flair of a soap opera lead.

"oh," he added in surprise, noticing the three of you stepping inside—mattheo still holding an alarming amount of condoms.

pansy turned her head to look at you. “fucking finally.” she sighed. “could please someone of you tell draco that i didn’t write that stupid love letter?”

“you didn’t just write it!” draco corrected. “you wrote it for me!”

“that’s where you’re wrong, young padawan!” a voice interrupted dramatically. everyone turned to see blaise and theo descending from the stairs, blaise throwing his arms open like a victorious gladiator. “the letter was clearly for moi!”

theo crossed his arms, sinking into the armchair. his facial expression hinted at how uncomfortable he felt. "more importantly—who the fuck do you need that many condoms for?" he asked mattheo, eyeing the absurdly long strip still hanging from his hand.

“well, your dear sister—“

“i did not write that letter” you said between clenched teeth.

“yeah. neither did i!” pansy bluffed, crossing her arm and staring at draco, who was clearly not believing her.

“it’s unimportant who wrote it!” blaise corrected. “it’s important that it was written for me”

“sure” draco nodded sarcastically. "if it was so clearly about you, then tell me—what hair were they talking about? because i see none on your head."

blaise inhaled sharply, clutching his chest as though he'd been stabbed. "how dare you," he whispered, scandalized.

chaos erupted. everyone—except theo, who remained as indifferent as ever—began shouting accusations, arguing over who wrote or faked the love letter.

the shouting match came to an abrupt halt when astoria greengrass strolled past you all, plucked the letter straight from draco’s grip, and smiled.

“hey guys!” she smiled. “i have been searching for that, thank you!” she grinned.

“you wrote that?” draco muttered stunned.

“yeah, it’s for a guy i like” astoria admitted sheepishly. “could you guys please not tell anyone? it’s kind of embarrassing.”

you all exchanged glances, before theo, who was the only one with a clear enough mind to think, nodded. “we’ll keep your secret” he assured the younger girl, who smiled gratefully, before she walked back to her dorm.

"well, that was—" you started, but mattheo promptly cut in.

"disappointing," he sighed dramatically, flopping onto the couch. "would've been fun to rub it in theo’s face."

"to rub what in my face?" theo raised an eyebrow.

"unimportant," enzo said quickly before mattheo could answer.

"well, now that that's been discussed. how about a round of chess?" pansy suggested looking at you and you nodded with a smile.

the rest of your friends settled down too, returning to either their homework or an abondened book they still wanted to finish.

STUDENT INTERVIEW #211 — LORENZO BERKSHIRE (take one) — by luna lovegood

the camera flickers on, revealing enzo sitting stiffly in his chair. He runs a hand through his hair, exhaling deeply.

luna lovegood: so, the love letter mystery has been solved. any thoughts?

enzo berkshire: (dryly) yeah. turns out we’re all idiots.

luna tilts her head. colin zooms in slightly.

luna lovegood: you didn’t seem very surprised when astoria took the letter.

enzo berkshire: (smirks lightly) no, i wasn’t.

luna lovegood: why?

enzo hesitates, looking off to the side. he exhales sharply through his nose, then looks back at the camera.

enzo berkshire: because i asked her to do it.

colin creevey: wait—what?

enzo berkshire: (shrugs, looking mildly uncomfortable) i wrote the letter.

the room goes still. luna blinks, tilting her head.

luna lovegood: for y/n.

enzo rubs the back of his neck, suddenly looking anywhere but at the camera.

enzo berkshire: yeah. (clears throat) it was… it was for her. but i—i don't know. it didn’t feel right. just leaving it for her to find. it just— i wanted to tell her myself. face to face. not in some anonymous letter she’d spend days overanalyzing. but by the time i realized that, i couldn’t just take it back, so…

luna lovegood: (softly) you asked astoria to pretend it was hers.

enzo berkshire: yeah.

colin creevey: so… are you going to tell y/n?

enzo breathes out a laugh, shaking his head.

enzo berkshire: i don't know, maybe. but not right now. she seemed overwhelmed when she thought it could possibly be from me. i want to wait, make sure she wants it.

luna studies him for a moment before nodding in understanding.

luna lovegood: i think she’d like to hear it from you. eventually.

enzo berkshire: yeah. i think so too.

the camera cuts, leaving a black screen.

luna and colin were both sitting in the classroom where the school papers were edited, overlooking the material, just having watched enzo's interview.

luna smiled as she remembered enzo's confession and turned to look at colin. "delete the video." she said softly. "it's not our secret to tell."

colin nodded, already having thought the same thing, before he deleted the video and made sure nothing of it was still left on the camcorder.

luna watched the screen go dark, then turned to colin with a small smile.

"besides, it's more fun to let them figure it out themselves."

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