𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒗

𝒍𝒊𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚

january 10, 2025

7:00 pm

several days had passed since i had that thought. honestly, after that day, i hadn't really given much thought to the confusion i felt. it was weird, to say the least. today, i found myself at the library with hayley, draco-who was here under protest-enzo, and tom. everyone had come to work on their projects, some more willingly than others. i had gathered all the ingredients i needed, except for the phoenix tears, though i had finally figured out how to get them.

"are you going today?" enzo asks, leaning in slightly.

"i'm still thinking about it," i say, pretending to be more focused on my notes than the conversation. "what about you guys?" i glance up at the others.

"i am, and hayls is coming with me," draco says, a little too pleased with himself.

"offended you'd even ask, of course i'll be there," enzo grins, practically buzzing with excitement.

"i'm only going because i have to," tom mutters, eyes still glued to his book, clearly uninterested in anything outside of its pages.

before i can respond, theo comes rushing over, the rest of the group trailing behind him.

"there you are," he says, slightly out of breath.

"shhh," the unmistakable sound of madam pince hissing reaches our ears, but we all ignore it, stifling our laughter.

blaise raises an eyebrow, scanning the group. "what are you all doing here?" he asks, then his gaze lands on draco and enzo. "actually, better question-what are they doing here?"

"draco was dragged here by hayls, and enzo was dragged here by draco," i say with a smirk, earning a glare from enzo.

just then, out of the corner of my eye, i see him-mattheo, casually making his way over, that ever-present smirk tugging at his lips.

"hey, princess," he says, his voice laced with amusement. "how's the project coming along?"

there's something in the way he looks at me, like he knows exactly how to get under my skin. and as much as i hate to admit it, he does.

i blink, caught off guard for a second before rolling my eyes. "don't call me that," i mumble, flipping through my notes as if i'm too busy to care. but of course, he doesn't let it slide.

"aww, come on," mattheo grins, leaning against the table like he owns the place. "i think it suits you."

hayley stifles a laugh beside me, and i shoot her a warning look before turning my attention back to him. "the project's fine," i say, trying to sound as disinterested as possible. "i have everything except the phoenix tears."

mattheo raises an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "phoenix tears, huh? good luck. dumbledore doesn't exactly hand those out with the lunch menu."

"yeah, well, i have my ways," i reply, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing that, actually, i have no idea how i'm going to get them yet.

he smirks, and it's infuriating how amused he looks. "sure you do."

draco, who's been silently observing, suddenly clears his throat. "shouldn't you be off flirting with some fifth-years or something?" he asks, not even bothering to hide his disdain.

"relax, malfoy," mattheo shrugs. "i'm just here for some light academic banter."

"if by academic, you mean being a pain, then yeah, mission accomplished," i mutter under my breath, tapping my quill against my parchment a little too aggressively.

mattheo laughs, and for some reason, the sound makes my stomach flip in a way i don't particularly like. i push the feeling aside. "anyway," i continue, "i'm pretty sure snape knows where i can get them, and if not, i'll figure it out."

"or," mattheo says, leaning in just enough to make me shift uncomfortably, "you could let me help."

i look at him, narrowing my eyes. "why would you want to help?"

he shrugs, like it's the easiest thing in the world. "well, since you already did all the research, maybe i could help with searching for the phoenix tears."

hayley nudges me under the table, and i already know what she's thinking-this is a bad idea. and she's probably right.

"thanks, but i'll pass," i say quickly, trying to shut it down before he gets any ideas.

he doesn't look the least bit offended, just smirks and steps back. "your loss, princess."

as he walks away, i let out a breath i didn't realize i was holding. hayley gives me a look, and enzo leans closer with a teasing grin. "you're blushing."

"i am not," i snap, flipping a page aggressively. but i feel the heat creeping up my neck and curse mattheo under my breath.

"whatever you say," enzo singsongs, clearly enjoying this way too much.

i try to focus on my work, but the words blur slightly, and i hate how part of me keeps replaying the way mattheo said princess. i need to get a grip.

i bury my face in my book, hoping if i pretend hard enough, the entire conversation never happened. but of course, my so-called friends aren't going to let me off that easy.

"you sure you don't want his help?" hayley teases, stirring her potion notes idly with her quill. "seemed like he was pretty eager."

i scoff, flipping a page with more force than necessary. "mattheo riddle doesn't do helpful. he does annoying, infuriating, and-" i pause, realizing i'm rambling. "-and i don't need his help."

draco smirks. "keep telling yourself that."

enzo, ever the instigator, leans in with a sly grin. "admit it, lo. you like the attention."

i glare at him. "i'd rather drink a cauldron full of spoiled potion."

"mmm-hmm," he hums, clearly unconvinced. "then why are you still thinking about it?"

"i'm not," i snap too quickly, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks again. enzo and hayley exchange knowing looks, and i groan, shoving my parchment aside. "can we please focus on literally anything else?"

daphne, who's been suspiciously quiet, suddenly perks up. "oh, speaking of mattheo," she starts with a grin that makes my stomach sink, "did you guys hear the latest?"

i roll my eyes. "do i even want to know?"

"probably not," she says sweetly, then continues anyway. "i heard he was seen sneaking out of the astronomy tower with evangeline rosier last night."

my stomach does a weird, uncomfortable flip, and i instantly hate myself for it. why do i care? i don't care. i shouldn't care. mattheo riddle is insufferable, and if he wants to go sneaking around with girls who probably find him charming instead of irritating, that's none of my business.

"good for him," i say, trying to sound as indifferent as possible, but the words taste weird in my mouth.

daphne narrows her eyes at me like she's picking up on something, but thankfully, hayley swoops in to save me. "can we please focus on the fact that we still have three essays due this week?" she says, waving her quill dramatically. "some of us actually care about grades."

draco groans. "and some of us were tricked into coming here under false pretenses."

"you'll live, malfoy," hayley says with a smirk. "besides, you wouldn't want to miss all this fun gossip, right?"

i try to laugh along with them, but my thoughts are still stuck on daphne's words. evangeline rosier. of course mattheo would go for someone like her. she's smart, pretty, effortlessly cool-all the things i most definitely am not. and yet... i can't shake the annoying pang in my chest, the way my stomach twists at the thought of them together.

i stare down at my notes, but the words blur together. maybe i'm just tired. or maybe i need to admit-at least to myself-that mattheo riddle gets under my skin in more ways than i'd like to admit.

⋆˚࿔ 𝜗𝜚˚⋆

𝒉𝒖𝒇𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒑𝒖𝒇𝒇 𝒅𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒔

9:15 pm

"i don't know what to wear," i say, feeling completely overwhelmed as i stare into my closet-packed with clothes yet somehow offering nothing at all.

"i can't find the earrings i wanted to wear," susan adds, equally stressed, rummaging through her things.

"do these boots look weird? or should i just wear heels?" hayls asks, holding up both options with a frown.

"girls, please," hannah says, completely unbothered. "okay, first-susan, your earrings are on your nightstand. hayls, the boots look amazing, trust me. and elo, let me check your closet. if we don't find anything, i'll lend you something." she walks over, sifting through my clothes like it's the easiest thing in the world.

a moment later, she pulls out an outfit with a triumphant smile. "okay, how about this? first, this burgundy lace top-it's sexy but not too much, you know? it's got that effortless vibe that makes it look like you didn't even try. then, we'll throw on this black leather jacket-total baddie energy, it balances out the look perfectly. for the bottom, these black denim mini shorts-they show off just enough without trying too hard. and of course we're doing these knee-high platform boots because, duh, they're a statement. for jewelry, maybe these gold hoops because they literally go with everything, plus this cute little bracelet for a touch of detail. and look at this ring! it gives just the right amount of mystery."

i stare at her, completely in awe. "wow, i love you. seriously, thank you so much," i say, beyond grateful.

"you should do this professionally," hayls chimes in, grinning. "you just casually put this whole look together, and it's so elo."

"literally," susan laughs. "i know who i'm calling next time i have a wardrobe crisis."

as we keep talking, we're all finally dressed but still perfecting our hair and makeup. hayls is curling her lashes, susan's fixing her lipstick, and i'm carefully applying mascara when a knock on the door interrupts us.

"who is it?" hannah calls out.

"it's us, can we come in?" justin's voice comes from the other side.

"yep, come in," i say, focusing on not smudging my mascara as the door creaks open.

justin steps inside, followed by ernie, zach, and a guy i didn't recognize. they all freeze for a moment, eyes wide, clearly taking in the sight of us. i feel a flutter in my stomach, but i try to play it cool.

"whoa," zach says, his voice filled with awe. "you all look... amazing." he smiles, looking genuinely impressed. "i think we might be the ones underdressed now."

"yeah, seriously," ernie chimes in, glancing between all of us. "how do you make getting ready look like a runway show?"

"thanks," hannah replies, grinning like she just won a prize. "it's just a little thing called girl power."

i laugh, still adjusting my mascara. "honestly, we might need a few tips from you guys," i joke, finally finishing up the last touches. "you all seem to have the effortless cool thing down."

"well, i'm just happy we're all matching energy," the mysterious guy says, nodding in approval. "you guys are looking incredible. it's like we're about to walk into some high-fashion event."

i raise an eyebrow, my curiosity piqued. "who's he?" i ask, glancing at justin.

"we forgot to introduce him," justin says casually, as if this is the most normal thing. "he's wesley. he's our fourth roommate."

i nod slowly, trying to absorb it all. wesley. i couldn't help but notice how striking he looked-he had this quiet confidence, and now that i saw him up close, there was no denying he was incredibly handsome. my heart skipped a beat, but i quickly pushed that thought away.

"hi, you're eloise, right?" wesley asks, his eyes meeting mine with a hint of curiosity. there's something in his gaze that makes me feel a little exposed, but also strangely... drawn in.

"yeah, nice to meet you," i reply, my voice a little softer than usual, my cheeks flushing slightly. great, just what i needed-blushing in front of him. i try to shake it off, but the warm feeling lingers. "so, we've never really talked before, huh?"

"yeah," he smiles, the edges of his lips curling slightly. "guess we never really crossed paths until now."

"oh, that's cool. well, welcome to the chaos," i say, trying to make a joke, but my nerves are making it harder to sound casual. i clear my throat and offer a small smile, feeling like my words are getting caught in my throat.

"thanks," he says, his smile widening just a little, and i catch myself staring a bit longer than i should. his eyes are this deep shade of blue, and for a second, it feels like we're the only two people in the room.

ernie, zach, and justin are talking, but their voices seem distant. i'm hyper-aware of the space between me and wesley, the way he stands there so effortlessly, and the way my pulse is speeding up. i mentally slap myself-this is ridiculous. i can't be thinking like this right now.

"alright, we should get going before we're late," zach says, breaking my dazed state. i blink and snap back to reality, trying to act normal.

"right," i mutter, suddenly feeling the weight of the situation. i glance at hannah and the others, who are still getting ready, and then back at wesley. "well, i guess i'll see you around."

"yeah, for sure," he says, that smile never leaving his face. "catch you later, eloise."

i nod, my heart racing, and for the first time all night, i wonder what it would be like to get to know this wesley better.

"okay, what was that?" susan asks, clearly confused, her eyes darting between me and wesley.

"right?? i know i wasn't the only one seeing that tension," hannah adds, her voice laced with teasing. her grin only makes the situation worse, and i feel my cheeks flush again.

i stand there, frozen for a moment, my heart still pounding from the exchange with wesley. did we... have tension? was that even real? i can't decide if i'm embarrassed or just completely thrown off.

"i... i don't know what you're talking about," i say, my voice a little too high-pitched as i try to brush it off. i can already feel my nerves bubbling up, and the last thing i need is for everyone to notice. but the playful smirks from susan and hannah only make my heart race faster.

"oh please, elo," susan says, raising an eyebrow, "you were practically staring at him, and he was, like, really looking at you. don't even try to deny it."

"yeah," hannah adds, a teasing note in her voice, "you two definitely had some kind of... moment. what's going on with that?"

i shake my head, trying to force a laugh. "there's nothing going on," i say, even though my mind is spinning. wesley. the way he looked at me. was i imagining things? maybe i just felt weird because i'd never really talked to him before. but the way he smiled-there was something... different.

"okay, if you say so," susan says with a wink, clearly not buying it. she knows me too well. and hannah, of course, is just loving this. the last thing i need is for this whole thing to spiral.

i quickly change the subject, desperate to move on. "anyway, we should probably get going before we're all late. we're definitely not gonna hear the end of it if we keep them waiting."

as we head out the door, my thoughts keep drifting back to that moment with wesley. the way his gaze lingered just a little too long. i try to push it away, but it's like a loop that keeps playing in my mind. what did it mean? was he just being friendly? or was there something more there?

either way, i know one thing for sure-I can't get him out of my head.

⋆˚࿔ 𝜗𝜚˚⋆

𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒎 𝒐𝒇 𝒓𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕

10:00 pm

when we arrived, we couldn't see the door to the party, and then, out of nowhere, a door suddenly appeared.

"where did the door come from?" i asked, feeling slightly confused.
"it's magic," wesley said with a smirk, clearly enjoying my reaction.

as soon as we stepped inside, the door disappeared. the music was blaring, pursuit of happiness blasting in the background, while the eight of us moved through the room, looking for the others. i glanced around, and it felt like the entire space was filled with energy-people dancing, talking, or kissing. there was no in-between.

"want to grab a drink?" wesley asked, his voice cutting through the noise.
"yeah, please," i replied, following him toward the drinks.

when we reached the bar, i spotted blaise and theo, mixing their own drinks.

"you made it!" blaise said excitedly, and then his eyes flickered to wesley.
"oh, hey, wesley," he greeted, raising an eyebrow. "i didn't know you two knew each other."

"we just met," we both said at the same time, and then we shared a quick laugh.

i noticed blaise and theo exchanged a strange look, but i didn't pay much attention to it. instead, i focused on the moment, trying to ignore the flutter in my chest that wesley had somehow caused without even trying.

we grabbed our drinks and started to mingle, but i couldn't shake the feeling of wesley's presence next to me. his energy was different, calm but intense at the same time, and it made the whole room feel a little smaller. i caught myself glancing at him more than i probably should have, but every time i looked away, it felt like i was drawn back to him.

"so, you never mentioned you were friends with blaise and theo," i said, trying to keep things light as we made our way through the crowd.

"yeah, we've crossed paths a few times. not really close, but it's easy to get along with people here," wesley replied, his tone casual, like he was talking about something as simple as the weather.

we finally found a quieter spot near the back, where a few people were leaning against the walls, chatting and laughing. as we leaned against the edge of the room, wesley's eyes met mine, and i could feel the tension shift. it wasn't uncomfortable, but there was something there, something unspoken that hung in the air between us.

"so, what about you?" he asked, his voice low but curious. "how are you liking the party?"

"it's... intense," i laughed, feeling a bit awkward but also enjoying the way the night was unfolding. "i wasn't expecting this level of energy."

he chuckled, leaning in just slightly, and it felt like the whole world got a little quieter, just for a moment. "yeah, it's always like this at slytherin parties. people either go all in or not at all."

i nodded, trying to keep my composure, but there was something about the way he said it that made me feel like he knew exactly what i was thinking. i swallowed hard, trying to focus on something else when his next words caught me off guard.

"you know," he said, his voice dropping even quieter, "there's something different about you. i can't put my finger on it, but i like it."

my heart skipped a beat, and for a second, i forgot how to breathe. i wasn't sure if he was being playful or serious, but either way, the weight of his words settled in my chest. i cleared my throat, suddenly feeling too warm.

"i-uh, thanks," i stammered, my face flushing. "that's, um, really nice of you to say."

wesley just smiled, the kind of smile that seemed to say more than words ever could. we stood there for a moment, the noise of the party around us fading into the background as i tried to figure out what was happening between us. but before i could think any more about it, theo's voice interrupted, calling out to us from across the room.

"hey, wesley! are you two just gonna stand there all night, or are you gonna come join the chaos?" theo shouted, grinning.

i gave wesley a