slytherin boys react

draco malfoy: realizing they might like you

during class, he was seated at his desk, diligently taking notes and trying to be a good student. he noticed the empty seat next to him and assumed another student will occupy it soon.

until you plop down beside him with a loud thud. instantly, his irritation flares up at your presence.

you look at him and give a cheeky grin, knowing full well you intend to annoy him the entire period. "hey, draco," you say jokingly.

"you know, you're really going for a record of trying to get me to strangle you to death by the end of the year," he mutters under his breath before returning to his notes, attempting to ignore you.

you glance around the classroom. "there's no other seat," you say with a shrug.

"there are clearly plenty of other empty seats around this class," he frowns.

"do me a favor and just go sit elsewhere. i don't know why you're even sitting next to me. don't you know you're the most annoying person i've ever met?" he snaps.

"oh, shh, be quiet. someone might hear you," you mock.

"you are insufferable," he grumbles under his breath.

as class went on, you kept bumping your shoe into his chair, finding great enjoyment in irritating him. he keeps glancing at your face, noticing the sly smile that creeps onto your lips every time he reacts.

despite himself, he finds his thoughts drifting. the more he tries to focus on his notes, the more his mind wanders back to your grin, the glint in your eye, and the playful challenge you present. he finds you pretty, it frustrates him that he finds you pretty and how much you are getting under his skin. he is supposed to hate you, after all. but here he is, sneaking glances at you and feeling something entirely different.

you catch him looking and raise an eyebrow. "enjoying the view, malfoy?" you tease.

"hardly," he snaps, but his cheeks redden slightly.

as the class continues, his agitation turns into something else entirely. the banter, the way you challenge him, the way you don't shy away from him. it all starts to gnaw at the walls he's built around his heart. by the end of the period, he realizes with a jolt that the irritation he feels isn't just annoyance. it's something deeper, something he's not quite ready to acknowledge yet.

but as you leave the class with a final cheeky grin thrown his way, he finds himself hoping you'll sit next to him again tomorrow.