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⟢ DATING
── .✦ THE SUN HUNG LOW in the sky, casting a golden glow across the hogwarts grounds, as you and a group of slytherins enjoyed a rare, carefree afternoon by the black lake. there was a lightness in the air, a break from the usual routine of classes and homework. you had kicked off your shoes and were running along the edge of the water, laughing as theo pretended to chase you, his arms flailing dramatically as he called out for mercy whenever you splashed water at him.
mattheo leaned back against a tree, one leg stretched out lazily in front of him while the other remained bent, his hand casually resting on his knee. from where he sat, he had the perfect vantage point to watch you - your carefree laughter, your eyes sparkling with joy. the way you threw your head back, completely lost in the moment, made his chest tighten in a way he wasn't sure he'd ever get used to.
at first, he wasn't one for public displays of affection - at least, not in the conventional sense. sure, he'd throw an arm around your shoulders or pull you close when someone else got too familiar, but it wasn't about proving anything to others. no, for mattheo, the most intimate moments were the ones like this: when you didn't even know he was watching. when you were just... you.
as you tossed your hair back, shaking off the water droplets that had managed to cling to the ends, mattheo couldn't help but smile to himself. there was something magnetic about the way you moved, the way you lit up when you were having fun. it wasn't like you were putting on a show or trying to impress anyone. you were just... alive. and he found himself caught up in the way you seemed to shine when you were in your element.
draco and blaise were laughing from a distance, engaged in their usual banter, and pansy had taken a seat near mattheo, her attention split between the group and a book she had brought with her. but mattheo? he couldn't take his eyes off you.
he watched as theo finally caught up to you, and in a fit of exaggerated drama, collapsed onto the ground, feigning defeat. you laughed, the sound bright and infectious, and without a second thought, flopped down beside him, your hair spilling around you like a halo. there was something almost surreal about the way you interacted with the world - how easily you embraced the simple joys of life, as if the weight of the world couldn't touch you in moments like this.
mattheo took in a deep breath, his eyes softening as he watched you. you didn't notice the way his gaze lingered, how his lips twitched into a subtle smile every time you laughed, or how his fingers absentmindedly traced patterns into the grass as he focused entirely on you.
it was a quiet sort of admiration, the kind that most people wouldn't notice if they weren't paying attention. but mattheo wasn't most people. he knew the difference between infatuation and something deeper, and as he sat there, watching you, he couldn't deny that this was the latter.
