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Potions had always been Esmie's favourite class.

There was something deeply satisfying about the careful precision and methodical steps involved in brewing potions that appealed to her sense of focus and diligence. Today was no different. As she followed Hermione, Hope, and Grace into the dungeon classroom, Esmie couldn't help but smile to herself. She loved the earthy, herbal scent that lingered in the air, mixed with the coolness of the stone walls and floors. Potions was not just a class to her; it was an art form.

She was particularly excited because she, Hermione, Hope, and Grace had all earned Outstanding marks in their O.W.L.as the previous year, securing their places in this Advanced Potions class. Their hard work had paid off, and Esmie had never been prouder. Snape had made it very clear during their fifth year that anyone who received less than an Outstanding in Potions wouldn't be allowed to continue with the subject, which had seen many students, including Harry and Ron, unable to return to the class this year, but Esmie, Hermione, and the twins had all risen to the challenge, working tirelessly to ensure they remained top students. For Esmie, it wasn't just about the grades — it was about the love she had for the subject and her drive to excel in every aspect of it.

As they entered the room and found their seats, Hope leaned over, a grin playing on her lips. "So, is this going to be another year where you two battle it out for top Gryffindor student?" she asked, looking pointedly between Esmie and Hermione.

Esmie smiled, her eyes twinkling with amusement. Since their first year, she and Hermione had been locked in a friendly rivalry, constantly pushing each other to be better, work harder, and excel in every class. It had started as competition, but over time, it had grown into a mutual respect. Esmie had come to realise that their rivalry helped her stay sharp, and she suspected Hermione felt the same.

"Oh, come on, Hope," Esmie said with a laugh. "You know there's nothing wrong with a little friendly competition, right, Hermione?"

Hermione gave a small, knowing smile as she adjusted her stack of books on the table. "As long as it keeps us both at the top of our game, I don't see any harm in it."

Grace, who was always quick to join in on the teasing, leaned in. "Hope, my dear twin, I'm honestly shocked you'd even need to ask. It's Hermione and Esmie we're talking about. Of course they'll be competing for top student!"

Esmie rolled her eyes, playfully nudging the twins. "You two are ridiculous."

Before Esmie could say more, she felt a pair of arms wrap gently around her waist from behind, startling her. She gasped in surprise, then let out a soft laugh as she realised who it was. Turning her head, she saw Enzo standing behind her, his dark eyes sparkling with affection.

"Oh, hi, Sweets," she said, her cheeks turning a faint shade of pink as Enzo smiled at her.

"Hi, Mie," he greeted warmly, leaning down to press a soft kiss to the side of her head, causing Esmie's heart to flutter. His presence always had a calming effect on her, and despite the teasing from her friends, she couldn't help but feel grateful to have him by her side.

Enzo lingered for a moment, giving her a quick wink before heading off to join his usual group: Draco, Mattheo, Theo, and Blaise, who were seated a few tables away. Esmie watched him go for a second, smiling softly to herself. She glanced over at Danielle, who was standing nearby, quietly chatting with one of her friends. Esmie caught her eye and gave her a small nod, which Danielle returned with a smile.

Grace, noticing the interaction, grinned and nudged Esmie playfully. "You know, Esmie, I really don't think you're as focused on being top student this year as you claim to be."

Esmie blinked, tearing her gaze away from Enzo, and realising with a start what Grace was implying. "What? No way! I'm not going to let Hermione win that easily," she said with a laugh, her competitive spirit kicking back in. She threw her arm around Hermione's shoulders, squeezing her playfully.

Hermione laughed, hugging her back. "Don't worry, Esmie, I wouldn't dream of making it easy for you."

As they all settled into their seats, Esmie felt eyes on her and looked up to see Theo watching her from across the room, his expression amused. He tilted his head slightly, smirking. "You know, Grisky," he called out loud enough for the room to hear, "I know I'm gorgeous, but you can stop staring at me now."

His comment drew a wave of laughter from the Slytherins, and Esmie felt her cheeks heat up as she quickly looked away, trying to suppress a grin. Theo's teasing had always been good-natured, but today, it seemed to hit differently, and she found herself flustered.

Just in time, Professor Slughorn entered the room, his jovial demeanour commanding the attention of the class as he walked to the front. "Settle down, everyone, settle down," he said with a broad smile. His belly jiggled slightly as he made his way to the cauldrons that had been set up at the front of the room. Esmie adjusted her Potions textbook on her desk, glancing over at Harry and Ron as they entered the classroom, looking somewhat out of place.

"What are they doing here?" Hope whispered, her eyes narrowing as she watched the pair of them.

Before Esmie could respond, Slughorn noticed Harry and greeted him warmly. "Harry, m'boy! I was starting to wonder where you were!" His gaze then shifted to Ron. "And I see you've brought a friend!"

Ron, clearly uncomfortable, stammered, "Ron Weasley, sir, but I'm awful at Potions, really. I'm a menace in the classroom so I probably shouldn't— "

"Nonsense!" Slughorn interrupted cheerfully. "We'll sort you out. Any friend of Harry's is a friend of mine!" He gestured for them to find seats.

Esmie exchanged a glance with Hermione, who rolled her eyes knowingly. Ron was famous for trying to avoid classes he didn't like, and it seemed today was no exception, but Slughorn wasn't having any of it. He quickly instructed them to fetch books from the cupboard and proceeded to introduce the various potions he had prepared for the lesson.

Hermione, as usual, stepped forward, eager to identify the potions. "That one's Veritaserum, a truth serum," she said confidently as she approached the first cauldron. She continued, moving on to the next, "and that's Polyjuice Potion— "

Esmie, feeling the familiar rush of competition surge through her, stepped up beside Hermione. Her eyes fell on the third cauldron, and as Slughorn lifted the lid, a distinctive scent wafted toward her.

"It's Amortentia!" she exclaimed excitedly. "The most powerful love potion in the world. It smells different to each person, based on what attracts them most. For example, I smell —" She leaned in to take a deeper breath, and her senses were immediately filled with the scent of something warm and familiar — aftershave, wild bluebell, and ... parchment? The unexpected combination caused her thoughts to drift to Enzo. Before she could continue, Hermione chimed in again, her voice tinged with eagerness.

"I knew that!" Hermione said quickly, not wanting to be outdone.

Grace smirked from the sidelines, whispering to Hope, "And here we go again. The great Esmie and Hermione showdown."

Esmie rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her grin. As competitive as they were, she valued Hermione's intelligence and knew their rivalry only made them better.

As they were listening to Slughorn, Esmie noticed Theo smelling the Amortentia before he made a face, and she raised an eyebrow as she watched him curiously.

The lesson continued, and when Slughorn introduced the next potion — Felix Felicis, or Liquid Luck — Esmie's competitive spirit reignited. Slughorn announced that the student who brewed the best Draught of Living Death would win a tiny vial of the potion, and Esmie was determined to win.

As she gathered her ingredients from the supply cupboard, Theo appeared beside her, nudging her lightly. "Need a hand, Grisky?" he teased, offering his hand to help her gather her ingredients.

Esmie laughed, accepting his help. "Thanks, Theo," she said, bundling her ingredients into her arms.

He leaned in, his tone playful. "So, what did you smell in the Amortentia?" he asked, his eyes glinting with curiosity.

Esmie raised an eyebrow, deflecting the question. "The better question is, what did you smell? You didn't look too thrilled."

Theo grinned. "Ah, but I'm not the one who stopped mid-sentence."

Esmie shook her head, her voice teasing. "I didn't smell anything. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a potion to brew." She brushed past him with a grin, though his words lingered in her mind.

"You're lying, Grisky," Theo called after her, his voice dripping with playful accusation, but Esmie ignored him as she returned to her table, where Hope and Grace were already setting up.

The twins were conspiring about how they were going to brew a better potion than Hermione and Esmie, but Esmie was focused on the task at hand. She opened her textbook to page ten and began reading the instructions carefully.

"Cut up one Sopophorous bean," she muttered to herself, ready to dive into the challenge ahead. As much as Theo's teasing and Enzo's presence distracted her, Esmie knew that when it came to Potions, there was no room for anything less than perfection.

Esmie nodded to herself as she picked up a Sopophorous bean, trying once more to follow the instructions she had read a hundred times in her Potions book. The cauldron bubbled softly in front of her, and she tried to focus on the task at hand, the familiar sense of excitement she usually felt in Potions class battling with her growing frustration. Potions was her favourite subject, but today, everything seemed to be going wrong.

She held the bean firmly, aligning the knife as precisely as she could. The instructions clearly stated to cut the bean, but no matter how hard she tried, the slippery surface resisted her efforts. As soon as the knife pressed down, the bean slipped from her grasp once again, bouncing toward the edge of the table.

"Argh!" Esmie groaned, lunging to catch it before it hit the floor. She managed to grab it just in time, though her frustration had reached new heights. She straightened up, feeling the eyes of her friends on her.

"There's no possible way to cut this stupid bean!" Grace complained, her voice ringing through the classroom.

Esmie looked over at her friends, noticing that Grace and Hope were both struggling as much as she was, their own Sopophorous beans rolling around on the table. Grace had a deep frown etched on her face, her frustration matching Esmie's, while Hope tapped her knife against the cutting board, glaring at the bean in front of her like it had personally offended her.

"Seriously," Hope muttered, her lips twisting in annoyance. "Why are these beans so difficult to deal with? They're impossible!"

Esmie wanted to laugh, but her own irritation kept her from finding the humour in the situation. Potions usually brought her peace, but today it was testing every ounce of patience she had.

"How did you do that?" Hermione's voice interrupted the grumbling, and Esmie turned around to see her looking at Harry with wide eyes.

Esmie glanced in their direction just in time to see Harry successfully chopping his Sopophorous bean into neat pieces, seemingly with no effort. He placed them into his cauldron, the potion inside swirling smoothly, as though mocking everyone else's struggles.

"How the hell did Harry manage to cut his bean when everyone else is struggling?" Hope asked, her frustration deepening.

Harry looked up, a bit embarrassed by the attention. "I didn't cut it," he explained with a shrug. "I crushed it."

Esmie blinked, her gaze shifting between Harry and her own stubborn bean. She glanced at the instructions in her textbook once more. The book was clear — it said to cut the bean, and yet, here Harry was, succeeding where the rest of them were failing. She bit her lip, feeling torn. Should she crush it, like Harry suggested, or stick to the instructions?

"No," she muttered to herself. "The instructions say to cut it."

Beside her, Hermione was also frowning at Harry, clearly torn between the logic of his success and her unwavering trust in the written instructions. "No, really, it says to cut," Hermione insisted, her voice filled with determination.

"Shh," Hermione suddenly hissed at the chatter around her, making Esmie stifle a laugh.

Esmie sighed, her frustration mounting before she looked across the classroom and noticed Enzo talking to ... or flirting with Katie Bell and she furrowed her eyebrow, irritated, as she turned her attention back to her potion. She tried once more to cut the bean, but the knife slipped again, and this time, her patience snapped. With an annoyed huff, she grabbed the remaining ingredients for her potion and tossed them into the cauldron with far more force than necessary.

She barely had time to register what happened next.

The cauldron let out an ominous bubbling noise, followed by a loud pop. Before Esmie could react, a thick cloud of purple smoke erupted from her cauldron, and the next thing she knew, her potion exploded, sending the contents flying all over her.

The classroom went silent for a moment as everyone turned to look at her, shocked by the sudden explosion. Esmie stood there, stunned and covered in the sticky, gunky potion. The purple goo clung to her hair, her clothes, and her skin, and she could feel it dripping from her sleeves onto the floor.

Then, Grace and Hope broke the silence.

"Esmie!" Grace managed to get out between fits of laughter. She doubled over, clutching her stomach as she struggled to contain her mirth.

Hope wasn't far behind, her giggles echoing through the room as she wiped a tear from her eye. "You're a complete mess!" she teased; her voice barely steady through her laughter.

Esmie glanced down at herself, seeing the full extent of the disaster. Her once-pristine uniform was now a sticky, purple mess, and her blonde hair was plastered to her forehead with potion gunk. She felt her face flush with embarrassment as she stared at the ruin of her potion, but her friends' laughter was infectious, and soon enough, she found herself chuckling too, despite her predicament.

Before she could clean herself up, Enzo sauntered over, a knowing smile tugging at his lips as he surveyed the damage. He crossed his arms, leaning casually against the table, his dark eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Mie," he said, his voice filled with teasing affection, "you do know that the goal was to brew an acceptable Draught of Living Death, right? I'm pretty sure exploding your potion all over yourself doesn't count as 'acceptable.'"

Esmie groaned, her cheeks flushing even more under his gaze. She shot him a sheepish glance, though she couldn't help but smile at his teasing. "I know, I know," she muttered. "I'm going to go get cleaned up."

Without waiting for a response, Esmie turned and hurried toward the sink, desperate to wash off the sticky mess. As she scrubbed her arms and face, trying to get the potion out of her hair, she couldn't shake the image of Enzo standing with Katie Bell. The thought gnawed at her, distracting her from everything else. Why did it bother her so much?

From across the room, Enzo watched her go, his smile fading into a look of concern. He couldn't understand why Esmie had been so distant with him suddenly. Usually, she was quick to laugh off her mistakes, but today, there was something different in her eyes — a sadness or frustration that hadn't been there before.

"Hey, are you okay?" Dani's voice pulled Esmie out of her thoughts as she approached the sink, her expression filled with concern.

Esmie let out a sigh, her hands still covered in potion gunk. "No," she admitted quietly, her voice barely audible over the sound of the running water. "I saw Enzo flirting with Katie Bell, and then I blew up my potion."

Dani blinked, confusion flickering across her face. "Enzo flirting with Katie?" she repeated. "Esmie, he wasn't flirting with her. He was telling her to leave him alone."

Esmie looked up at her, surprised. "He was?"

Dani nodded, grabbing an ingredient from the nearby cupboard before giving Esmie a small, reassuring smile. "Trust me, I know Enzo. He's totally in love with you."

Esmie's heart skipped a beat at Dani's words, but she quickly shook her head, feeling even more flustered. "We're just friends," she mumbled, though the uncertainty in her voice was obvious.

Dani raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Mmhmm, sure. Keep telling yourself that, Emsy, but I'm telling you, it's more than that."

Before Esmie could respond, Mattheo appeared beside her, a curious grin on his face. "What happened to you, Emmy?" he asked, his eyes sweeping over the potion-covered mess that was her uniform.

"My potion exploded," Esmie groaned, still trying to scrub the sticky substance off her clothes.

Mattheo chuckled, reaching out to pluck a glob of potion from her hair. "How'd you manage that?"

"I got distracted," Esmie admitted, her voice barely more than a whisper. Her mind was still racing with thoughts of Enzo and Dani's words.

"You look like a right mess, Esmeralda," Draco's voice suddenly cut in as he walked over to join them, a smirk tugging at his lips.

Esmie rolled her eyes, though she couldn't help but smile at Draco's teasing. "And here I thought this was my best look," she joked, making both Mattheo and Draco laugh.

As Mattheo continued to help her pick the potion out of her hair, Enzo watched from across the room, his jaw tightening. His eyes narrowed as he saw Mattheo's hand lingering on Esmie's hair, and a sharp pang of jealousy surged through him. He clenched his fists, watching as Esmie laughed at something Draco said, the sound of her laughter hitting him harder than he expected.

"Try not to blow up any more potions in your face, Emmy," Mattheo teased, his voice light as he finally stepped back, surveying the mostly clean Esmie.

"I'll do my best," Esmie said with a laugh, grateful for their help but still feeling unsettled. She returned to her table, surveying the ruined remains of her potion. "Well, that's definitely ruined," she muttered under her breath.

"I think you hurt Enzo's feelings," Grace whispered as she walked over, casting a glance toward Enzo, who was still at his own table, his expression distant.

Esmie's heart sank. She hadn't meant to act so coldly toward him, especially when she was still sorting through her own confusing feelings. With a soft sigh, she closed her Potions book and made her way over to Enzo's table. Gently, she placed her hand on his shoulder, causing him to look up at her.

"Hey," she said softly. "I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings. I didn't mean to be distant — I just wanted to get myself cleaned up."

Enzo's expression softened, and he offered her a reassuring smile. "Mie, you didn't hurt my feelings. You don't need to apologise," he said, his voice gentle, though there was still a hint of something unspoken in his tone. Before she could ask him more, he pulled her into a warm hug, and Esmie felt the tension between them melt away, at least for the moment.

"Thanks, Sweets," she whispered, hugging him back before pulling away and returning to her table. Despite the comforting hug, Esmie still felt a lingering sense of confusion.

"This is total bullshit," Theo grumbled loudly as Slughorn finally called an end to the lesson. Esmie looked around and noticed that most of the students seemed just as frustrated as she was. Even Hermione looked frazzled, her normally neat hair frizzing and curling wildly, indicating just how challenging the potion had been for everyone.

"I didn't even finish my potion," Esmie muttered, moving to stand between Hermione and Enzo as they watched Slughorn inspect Harry's work.

"Merlin's beard, but it's perfect!" Slughorn exclaimed, holding up Harry's potion for the class to see. "So perfect, I daresay one sip would kill us all! Your mother had a gift for Potions, Harry, but this ... this is extraordinary! Perhaps you'll save us all in the end," he added with a smile, before handing Harry the promised bottle of Felix Felicis. "As promised, one bottle of Liquid Luck. Use it wisely, m'boy!"

Grace, ever the tease, grinned at Esmie and Hermione. "So, how does it feel to have been beaten by Harry?"

Before either of them could respond, Enzo wrapped his arm around Esmie's shoulders and grinned. "I'm sure Mie would've won if she hadn't blown her potion up."

Esmie smiled, feeling a bit lighter with his arm around her. "Maybe," she laughed.

"Well, maybe this will teach you to pay attention next time," Hope added with a playful grin.

Esmie rolled her eyes but smiled, feeling a bit more at ease. "Honestly, I doubt I would've won anyway, but I can't believe Harry was the only one to pull it off."

As the class began packing up, Esmie lingered, cleaning up the remnants of her failed potion. Grace wandered over, ready to leave. "You ready to go?"

"You go ahead," Esmie replied, glancing at her messy workstation. "I'll catch up."

Grace nodded, bidding her goodbye before leaving with Hope, Hermione, Harry, and Ron. Esmie was left alone for a moment, quietly gathering the last of her ingredients.

Mattheo approached once more, offering her a hand. "Need any help?"

Esmie shook her head, offering him a small smile. "No, I'm almost done, Matty. Thanks."

"Alright, I'll see you later, Emmy," Mattheo said, nodding to Esmie with a small smile before turning to leave the classroom. As Mattheo walked away, Esmie glanced across the room toward Enzo, who was finishing up at his own table. Her heart felt heavy with the weight of everything that had happened. Dani's words echoed in her mind — was it possible that Enzo had feelings for her? And why had the sight of him with Katie bothered her so much?

Remaining in the class were only a few stragglers — her, Enzo, Draco, and Theo.

As Theo approached her, a mischievous grin on his face, Esmie knew what was coming. "You blew your potion up," Theo snickered, his voice dripping with amusement.

Esmie shot him a half-hearted glare. "It wasn't intentional. I just wasn't paying attention to what I was doing," she replied, still a bit embarrassed about the earlier incident.

"Uh-huh, sure, Grisky. Totally sounds like you were just a little distracted," Theo teased, his grin widening as he gave her a playful nudge.

Esmie rolled her eyes, finishing up cleaning her potion supplies. As she packed the last of her ingredients away, she noticed that Draco was still seated at his desk, his gaze fixed on the surface as if deep in thought. His expression was distant, almost troubled, and she frowned, curious.

"You know class has ended, right, Malfoy?" she called out, walking over to him.

Draco didn't look up. His fingers tapped rhythmically on the table. "Yes, I'm well aware, Esmeralda."

Esmie raised an eyebrow, ignoring his tone. "Then why are you sitting here staring at your desk like it holds all the secrets of the universe? Clearly, something's going on —" she started but cut herself off as Draco finally lifted his head to glare at her.

"I don't give a damn what you think," Draco snapped, his voice cold and sharp. "I told you before to stay out of my business, Grisky, so why can't you just learn to mind your own?"

Taken aback by his hostility, Esmie blinked, the earlier friendliness between them evaporating in an instant. "Fine. Whatever. I guess I'll see you around, Draco," she muttered, quickly realising that the brief, friendly interaction they'd shared earlier was nothing more than a fleeting moment. She had always hoped that, after years of knowing each other through Theo, Blaise, Mattheo, and Enzo, she and Draco would eventually grow friendlier, but with every passing year at Hogwarts, that seemed less and less likely.

Draco's cold exterior was as impenetrable as ever.

"Are you coming, Mie?" Enzo's voice broke through the tension, and Esmie turned to see him standing at the door, waiting for her.

She forced a smile, but the strange encounter with Draco still lingered in her mind. "You go on ahead, Sweets," she replied softly.

Enzo hesitated, his brow furrowing slightly as he looked at her, sensing something was off, but when she waved him on, he nodded and left the classroom, leaving Esmie alone with Draco. She cast one last glance at him, wondering what him had so troubled, before turning and exiting the classroom herself.

Once outside, Esmie made her way to the small shop at Hogwarts where she frequently bought chocolate frogs and other sweets to clear her head. After purchasing a bagful of sweets, she made her way back to the Great Hall. She smiled when she spotted her best friend, Josie, walking toward her, her arms swinging at her sides and her expression one of irritation.

"You'll never guess what Malfoy did," Josie grumbled as she linked arms with Esmie, pulling her along.

Esmie popped a chocolate frog into her mouth, her curiosity piqued. "What did he do this time?"

"Walked straight into me without even apologising!" Josie fumed. "He just brushed past like I wasn't even there. Didn't say a word."

Esmie sighed, glancing sideways at Josie. "I still don't understand what happened between the two of you. I remember back in first year when you two were best friends."

"We were friends before Hogwarts too," Josie explained, her voice softening slightly. "But then, out of nowhere, he cut me out of his life, like I wasn't good enough to be his friend anymore. Since then, he's been nothing but an asshole to me."

"Jos, he's an asshole to pretty much everyone at Hogwarts," Esmie reminded her, trying to lighten the mood. "Besides, it sounds like he's dealing with something, based on the way he was acting earlier."

"Doesn't excuse it," Josie huffed, though her irritation seemed to be fading.

"How was Herbology?" Esmie asked, changing the subject.

Instantly, Josie's face brightened, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "It was brilliant! We worked with Flutterby bushes today, and I just love being among the plants. It's so peaceful, you know? Like the whole world slows down."

Esmie smiled warmly as she listened to her best friend gush about her favourite subject. "I'll probably never truly understand half of what you're saying, because I'm terrible at Herbology, but it's adorable the way your eyes light up when you talk about it."

"Thank you," Josie said, beaming at the compliment. "And that's a total lie, by the way. You're not terrible at Herbology. You're still one of the top Gryffindor students, even in that class."

"Oh, come on, that's so not true!" Esmie laughed, shaking her head.

Josie just rolled her eyes with a grin as the two girls continued walking toward the Great Hall. As they approached, they spotted Enzo, who smiled brightly when he saw them. He made his way over, his eyes fixed on Esmie, and her heart fluttered at the sight of him.

"Hi, Josie," Enzo greeted, his smile widening as he wrapped an arm around Esmie, pulling her into a gentle hug. He pressed a kiss to the side of her head, making Esmie blush.

"Hi, Enzo," Josie smiled back, though her eyes twinkled with a knowing look as she watched the exchange.

"Mm, you smell like chocolate," Enzo chuckled, squeezing Esmie affectionately before reaching into her bag of sweets and grabbing a handful.

"Well, she's been stuffing her face with chocolate frogs," Josie informed him, playfully teasing her friend.

Enzo grinned at that, popping a chocolate into his mouth. "Ah yes, that sounds like my Mie."

Esmie felt her stomach do a flip at the way he said it — his Mie. She knew he meant it in a friendly way, but it still made her heart skip a beat. "His Mie?" Josie whispered with a smirk.

Esmie felt her cheeks warm even more. "He means it in a friendly way. We're just friends," she muttered quickly, trying to brush it off, though her heart wasn't quite as convinced.

As Enzo squeezed her one last time and walked into the Great Hall, Esmie watched him go, feeling that familiar flutter in her chest again. She called goodbye to Josie and made her way over to join her friends at the Gryffindor table, though her mind was still lingering on Enzo's words.

Sitting with her friends, Esmie tried to focus on their conversation, but her thoughts kept drifting back to Enzo. She smiled to herself as she thought about the easy affection, he always showed her, the way he teased her, and the way his presence made her feel at ease. As she glanced across the hall, her eyes landed on the Slytherin table where Enzo was now sitting. He caught her eye and smiled warmly at her, and her heart fluttered again in response.

But her gaze soon shifted to Draco, who sat at the Slytherin table as well. Unlike Enzo, he didn't seem to be paying attention to anything or anyone around him. His expression remained distant, and he stared ahead as if lost in thought, completely detached from the bustling atmosphere of the Great Hall.

Esmie frowned, her earlier curiosity returning. Something was off with Draco, and it wasn't just his usual cold demeanour. She made a silent vow to herself — she was going to figure out what was going on with him, no matter how much he pushed her away.

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What Esmie smelt in that Amortentia will be important later.

Enjoy! Xo

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