Students chattered in clusters, catching up after the summer. Laughter echoed off the enchanted ceiling, which mirrored a star-flecked sky.

Near the Slytherin table, a commotion was brewing—low voices, a few snickers, and then a deliberate stretch of silence as the doors swung open again.

He slid onto the bench, casually draping an arm over the back of the seat beside him, as if waiting for someone to fill it. As if daring you to notice.