"Do you think Cedric Diggory is cute?" Daphne plopped down in the chair across from me, her eyes sparkling with mischief. I was in the library, trying to concentrate on my homework when she barged in.

"Huh?" I looked up from my notes, bewildered.

"Yeah, do you think he's cute?" she repeated, her gaze unwavering.

"I mean, he's okay, I guess, but he's not really my type," I replied, shrugging as I returned to my notes.

Daphne rested her chin on her hand, gazing dreamily out the window at the rain pouring down. "I would totally hit on him if he were a Slytherin, though."

"I'm sure you would, Daph," I said, suppressing a smile as I tried to focus again.

"You missed dinner, you know. The champions got chosen," she said, leaning forward.

"Not hungry. Who got chosen?" I muttered, my attention still elsewhere.

"Cedric got chosen for Hogwarts, Krum from Durmstrang, and that pretty blonde French girl, Fleur Delacour," she added enthusiastically. Cedric Diggory was already a golden boy at

 Hogwarts, a prefect and a star on the Quidditch team. His selection only added to his reputation.

"Of course Diggory was chosen," I said, rolling my eyes. I didn't have anything against him. In fact, I'd had a small crush on him in my first year. He was a very good person; he'd even helped me with some homework in my second year.

"Oh, and guess what? Harry freaking Potter got chosen too! His name came right out of the cup. Dumbledore was so mad at him; you should have seen his face—it was priceless!" Daphne exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement.

"But how did Potter get his name in the cup? You have to be seventeen; he's only fourteen!" I exclaimed, despite knowing she wouldn't have the answer.

"No idea," she shrugged, yawning.

"Well, Potter is stupid for putting his name in. He's probably going to get himself or someone else killed one day." I didn't really hate Potter. Some people idolized him as the hero, the Chosen One, the Boy Who Lived. But in my eyes, he was just a boy who got famous for surviving; trouble seemed to follow him everywhere he went.

"Yeah, you're right," Daphne agreed, stretching her arms overhead. "I'm going to bed, Ari. I'm so tired." She stood up, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly, giving me a knowing look—the kind of look my mom used to give me when I'd stayed up too late. I sighed, putting my quill down and looking up at her.

"I'm not tired, plus I need to finish this," I insisted, trying to mask the exhaustion creeping into my bones. As Daphne walked away, I could hear her soft footsteps echoing down the corridor.Hours later, I started to feel the weight of fatigue settle over me. I was dozing off over my Charms textbook when I finally decided to pack up my things. I lazily shoved my supplies into my bag and made my way out of the library, navigating the dark, winding halls of Hogwarts toward the Slytherin common room. About halfway there, I changed my mind, opting for some fresh air instead.

By the time I reached the Astronomy Tower, it was well past one in the morning.

"Fuck," I sighed, throwing my bag down on the floor with a thud. I sat beside it and pulled out my sketchbook and pen, glancing around for something interesting to draw. The moon and stars might have been nice, but they were harder to capture than I'd thought. After a few minutes of searching, I stowed away my sketchbook and pulled out my Charms book.But something felt off, as if I were being watched.

I glanced around, squinting into the dim light. My mind raced with possibilities—was it Filch and his annoying cat? Or prefect? To my surprise, it was Matheo Riddle, hiding behind some old boxes. He sat down nearby, pulling some items out of his bag. He glanced around furtively before switching his belongings for a book, a curious glint in his eye.

"What are you doing up here?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Trying to escape Enzo's snors," he replied with a smirk, flipping open his book. "It's nice and quiet up here, isn't it?" I nodded

He looked thoughtful for a moment, then met my gaze. "Why do you spend so much time in the library anyway?" How did he know I was in the library? 

"Just trying to be the best in my year. Not all of us are born smart like that muggle-born, you know," I say, earning a chuckle from him.

"Maybe you should consider a little more chaos in your life," he suggested, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "You never know what kind of adventures could come from it."

"Adventures, huh? Like getting caught by Filch?" I shot back, Theo told me that Riddle always gets caught by Flinch's stupid cat

"Fair point," he conceded, shaking his head with a laugh. "But you can't deny that some rules were meant to be broken." I highly doubt that though. Rules are there for people like Riddle and some redhead twins. I rolled my eyes

he pulled something out of his bag it was a small white box with a red wrap around it he opened it, and it revealed cigarettes. I watched him put it in his mouth before offering me the box. I shook my head bering up my hand to push it away a bit

"No thanks," I say I had seen cigarettes before I just  never tried them nor do I attend to

"Come on Pucey loosen up a little plus it'll help you relax and I'm sure you of all people need it," He says turning on a lighter that he had in his pant pocket. I thought about it I really did, but I didn't want to get a nasty habit just because I was stressed out especially if that habit was from Riddle.

"You know that they kill you right?" I tell him not that I cared if they killed him.

"Life kills you Ariana," He says, I cringed at the way he said my name it was like my name was poison to his mouth and I hated it. 

"ARIANA PUCEY!" Someone yells my name making me jump to my feet. I saw it was Adrain

fuck I'm in deep shit

"what the hell are you doing out of bed?" He asks anger and worry written all over his face.

"Homework," Matheo says hiding the cigeteri bud behind hin he quikliy fliked it of the tower

"Ariana, dimmi la verità, cosa ci facevi qui con lui?"(Ariana tell me the truth what were you doing here with him" Adrian askes in Italian so Riddle wouldn't understand us

"Come aveva detto i compiti, lo stavo aiutando con gli incantesimi"(Like he said homework I was helping him with charms) I say shruging . Adrain shoke his head in disapproval

"This is a warning to both of you. I don't want to see you out of bed. Is that understood?" He asked both of us. I nodded and quickly picked up my stuff, and so did Riddle. We both were heading to the stairs before Adrain opened his big mouth.

"Ari you head to bed I need to talk to Riddle," Adrain says not even looking at me but at Riddle. Why the hell would he want to talk to Riddle? I would think he would want to talk to me not him

"but-"

"Ariana go" He cuts me off. Rude. I walk down the stars making sure I don't trip over my feet .

-hello lovely people how you doing? Cuz I'm doing shity 

-love your favorite latina V.C