A Confused Hufflepuff Living In A Muggle Would

Questions first began to arise before one of Slytherin’s quidditch matches last month, particularly when Mattheo was changing into his uniform and Draco noticed the scratches down his back. The boys teased him over it, questioning him on who was the lucky girl who made them. Mattheo just smiled on and let them try to decipher who it was from his giggles at each attempt they gave.

On the other end, questions circled around you when your friends first began to notice the hickeys that littered your neck, blushed cheeks and meek responses when your friends pressed on knowing who mauled their friend.

It’s not that you were purposely hiding who they were from, you just didn’t want to say who it was from until both of you knew what you were to each other. Mattheo had been there during a party hosted by Gryffindor, things moved pretty quickly that night when you set your eyes on him. He was pleasantly surprised the new transfer student had her gaze set on him, so much so that he didn’t reject her whispers about going back to his secluded prefect dorm. There were some more nights after the first, some more innocent than others, but there was never one important question asked from either side.

You didn’t know if the Mattheo Riddle was open to a relationship, Mattheo Riddle had simply thought you two were already together in his own world. He just simply didn’t kiss and tell.

While you sat in the stands waiting for the quidditch match to start, you were brought to attention when Cormac McLaggen sat next to you. “Excited for the game?” You questioned him as he chuckled, “if its not my own, not much,” he joked as you smiled. “Why aren’t you with the others? I’m sure the rest of your team are betting against Zacharias,” you hummed.

He grinned, “my bets are always against whoever Malfoy is against, doesn’t play fair,” he said before continuing on. “I wanted to spend some time with you for the game, if that’s okay,” he said as your eyes widened in surprise.

“Me?”

“That’s not a problem, is it?” He asked as you shook your head no. “Of course not, I just, well I noticed you talking with Hannah Abbot recently and I assumed…” your voiced trailed off as you looked away for a moment.

“She…ah, we’ve been comparing notes recently. She wants to get in good standing with Slughorn, she says the club seems like fun,” he admitted as you nodded.

“So there's-“

“Nothing between us two, I assure you,” he said with a smile.

Before you turned back to look at Cormac, you noticed the familiar head of curls staring directly at you two. Even from all the way out in the field, you could feel the death glare Mattheo was giving to Cormac. It surprised you, as Mattheo had never shown interest in any others talking to you before, but he now seemed distracted as they were beginning to set up for the match.

You hadn’t waited to talk after the match was over, Cormac walked you back to your dorm after, saying goodbye to you after telling him how you needed to study for your potions exam. He promised to send a letter later that night, to plan an outing in Hogsmeade on the weekend but when the hours passed and no letter was slipped under your door you grew curious.

It wasn’t until one of your roommates came in, going over to your desk. “Be glad we aren’t in slytherin, lost a hundred points earlier,” she said as you looked up from your notebook. “How come?” You asked as you set down your pen.

“Riddle sent McLaggen to Madam Pomfrey,” she said as you stared at her, quickly getting up from your seat.

“Did you hear why?” You asked her as you grabbed your cardigan, put it on quickly, and went to put on your shoes.

“No, but I did hear he spent the afternoon with you. Is Mattheo the one who gave you all those hickeys?” She asked as you rolled your eyes.

“I am not the reason they fought,” you said as you went to the door. “Where’s Riddle now?” You questioned as she took a seat on her bed. “Back in the Slytherin common room, I heard Dumbledore is questioning taking him off the team,” she said as you huffed, opening the door and heading to the dungeons.

When you made it past the password ridden door, you looked around before you saw Pansy taking care of Mattheo’s knuckles as she was scolding him. “Pomfrey said I was ok, Pans,” he grumbled. You made your way over to the couch he was sat on, his eyes on you when he noticed you were near.

“Why are you here?” He asked, “we have an exam tomorrow, you’re always busy the night before,” he said as Pansy looked between you two, dropping Mattheo’s hand as you looked him over.

“I heard what you did, I wanted to know why McLaggen is nearly in a coma from you,” you said, knowing you were exaggerating it a little. Mattheo only laughed as he stood from the couch, heading to his dorm. “It should be obvious as to why,” he said, anger laced in his words. “Obvious?” You questioned as you followed him.

“Yes, I thought it was very clear why. Why else would I risk being kicked off the team?” He stated as he walked faster.

“You are at risk with every fight you’re in. This isn’t even your first fight this month!” You reasoned as he let out a bitter chuckle. “Why did you fight with him, Mattheo? You won today’s game! So why are you so angry?” you questioned him as he stopped and turned to you.

His eyes were watery despite the angered look on his face, “I am angry because my girlfriend is entertaining other guys wanting to go on dates with her when she doesn’t even go with me,” he said as he stared down at you.

“Girlfriend?” You asked, a bit taken back and hurt by his words. You weren’t aware he had a girlfriend. “You never told me you had a girlfriend,” you said, backing away from him.

He blinked, eyebrows burrowed in confusion as he looked down at you. “you’re- you’re the girlfriend. You know that…right?”

You gave him a bewildered look, “me?” you questioned, just as confused as him.

“Yes. I wouldn’t- merlin, I wouldn’t cheat.” He groaned, bringing a hand up to his face, pinching the space between his eyebrows.

“You’ve never asked me to be your girlfriend,” you said, trying to remember if there was a time that he forgot about.

“You have been the only girl I’ve seen for the past month,” he explained. “I thought, I thought when you kept coming back that it meant you were mine.” He said as you shook your head.

“I just thought it was a mutual understanding,”

“An understanding?”

“You know, like, friends with benefits. You never said otherwise. We’ve never been on dates! Even Cormac at least wanted to go on a date,” you said, Mattheo’s face twitching at the mention of another.

“I was going to take you for our anniversary,”

“What anniversary Mattheo? We are not dating!” You explained as he frowned, turning away from you now.

“We aren’t dating,” he said, nodding as he continued to his dorm. “You can have your date at the infirmary with McLaggen then,” he huffed out.

“Mattheo! Mattheo!” You called out, following behind him. You reached for his arm before he quickly shook your hand off.

“Mattheo, I don’t understand,”

The dark haired boy turned around, getting close to your face now. “You seek me out just for fun, come to my dorm nearly every night that you aren’t studying and you think I did not develop feelings for you? On the nights we don’t spend in my dorm, I spend all night in the astronomy tower, in the common room, at the Black Lake, anywhere you want to go for the night. I’ve shared with you about my father and his expectations and you’ve told me about your life and interests and how school was before your transfer and you just think I see you as some girl I only use for sex?” He asked, looking deep into your eyes, his own angered and burning with tears.

“You think I would risk losing my spot on the team over some girl I don’t care about?”

A lump formed in your throat, tears filling your eyes as you stared into his. “Mattheo..” you croaked out, your voice barely above a whisper.

“You haven’t known me for long but I never thought you would take me for someone like that,” He said as he scoffed, almost turned around before you reached for his arm, looking up to him.

“I never, I just thought… I- I don’t know what I thought,” you said slowly.

His face softened, looking away from you for a moment.

“I’m sorry, Mattheo. I just figured, maybe you didn’t want a girlfriend, or that… I don’t know. I truly thought you just wanted to be friends with benefits,” you admitted to him as he nodded.

“I never asked because I was afraid you’d reject me,” he said softly, looking down. “You’re smart and sweet, I thought once you knew about my family, my father…you’d run away,”

“You are not your father,” you said as you looked up at him. “I wouldn’t have said no,” you hummed, catching his attention.

“Really?”

“I wouldn’t have a potions partner if I did,” you teased as he chuckled.

“You really needed to study tonight,” he mumbled before he moved your hand from his hand, lacing his fingers between yours. “I’m sorry for making assumptions,”

“I’m sorry for never asking how you felt,” you said in return, making him shake his head.

“Well….since we’re already here…I do know a way we can make it up to each other,” he said with a smirk, you rolled your eyes.

“You just told me I needed to study,” you said as he grinned, “you do, you still can. I can quiz you,” he said as he leaned in closer.

“You also need to study,” you reminded him as he chuckled. “You’ve been hanging with Granger too much,” he teased as he walked with you, opening the door to his room. “We can study tonight, but tomorrow if you pass, I know a special reward I can give you,” he said as he kissed your neck.

“A reward for me? Sounds like it’s a reward for you,” you mused as he gently bit your neck.

“Are you saying I don’t treat you well? I’ll have to remind you,” he hummed against your skin, making you shiver.

And before he forgot, he promised himself that he wouldn’t tell his friends. Not yet at least. He really didn’t feel like being ridiculed for being shy.

Staring from afar turned out to be quite the feasible option. Since you sat across the room from him in most classes, he would only have to put his head in his hand and there you were. The most perfect face he’d ever seen, flowing hair and just the right amount of cute and sexy. Everytime you ran your hand through your hair and flipped them in the most elegant way, his pupils grew wider.

Seeing you awakened the inner protector in him. He just had to be by your side. As long as he wasn't, he wouldn’t be able to enjoy a peaceful day.

And just then his day took a pretty embarrassing turn. “Mr.Riddle, if you could stop staring at ms.y/n for just a second, you would’ve maybe heard my question the first time. But I am going to ask again…”

All the students immediately burst out laughing, his friends being the loudest. They couldn’t help but turn their heads towards you too, to see who the Mattheo Riddle was checking out. You could feel your cheeks heating and tried hiding your face a little. Why did Snape have to be such a prick about him not paying attention…

Mattheo grinned awkwardly at his comment, trying to play it off. Unfortunately his friends weren’t going to let this opportunity to embarrass their boy go.

“AWEEE MATTYS’ GOT A LITTLE CRUSH”, Blaise yelled across the room, causing even more outrageous laughs from everyone.

Tom wasn’t helping by loudly announcing “Don’t say that Blaise. It’s not a little crush, if anything it’s a big boy crush.”

More mocking and laughter followed his doom. He looked over at you, to see how you were reacting. He swore if this was what ruined his chances he would strangle everyone, including Snape, one by one…

It was like you could read his thoughts because instead of the reassuring look he’d hoped for, you were giggling with your friends. The chances were beginning to look slimmer and slimmer.

“That’s enough”, Snape finally chimes in, “quiet down now, or you will all have to write a three page essay.” For the rest of the class Mattheo’s mind kept spinning. How could it not.

Although his friends were idiots ninety nine percent of the time, there were rare moments of wisdom. This time was not one of them. Their advice was simply “stop being such a pussy, mate.” Eloquently put as always, but they had a point. He had to remind himself of who he was again. So what if Snape embarrassed him in front of everyone? Wasn’t he handsome and charming enough for it to just make him seem more adorable?

Eventually you two got to separate yourselves from your friend groups, allowing you to enjoy an actual conversation.

…

“So am I getting my hopes up for nothing, or were you genuinely staring at me?”, you bluntly ask him. You had to know whether Snape only said that to punish him for no reason, or if he actually had a point.

“What do you think, gorgeous?”, he cheekily replies. “I wonder how anyone could not stare at someone as pretty as you”

“You’re so stupid”, you chuckle at his attempt to charm you.

Sometimes, you have to push yourself out of your comfort zone to get what you want.

And if that means asking for help from your favorite gossip that slightly terrifies you, then so be it.

“Isn’t this just a bit too revealing?” 

You turn towards Pansy, tugging your borrowed mini dress down as she puts her hand on her hips, smiling, adding a finishing touch of maroon gloss onto your lips.

She steps back to admire her work, using her hands to frame you as you mock pose.

“Y/n. You’re a work of art,” she grins, putting on her own earrings. “And most people in art are naked, so just be thankful I didn’t insist on that.”

“You’re so merciful, Queen Pancy,” you fake a bow as she rolls her eyes grabbing your hand.

“Ok, ready? What was the one rule we went over?”

Your demeanor drops at the mere thought of him.

“I know, I know…don’t get distracted by him.”

Pansy sighs, shaking you by the shoulders. “He’s not the fucking Dark Lord, y/n. Say his name.”

You roll your eyes, annoyed at having to discuss the matter in the first place.

“Don’t get distracted by Nott.”

Theodore Nott.

You had to stop, but…

You’d loved him for a while

You’d loved him when he sat next to you on the first train to Hogwarts; picking scabs on his fingers out of nervousness. You’d distracted him with silly stories of your childhood. Of days spent creating little leaf huts for your ducklings and dreaming of adventure in the glades near your home. 

You loved him when you’d leave your table to sit next to him; leaning in close and sharing whispers about neverending topics. When he’d visit your dorm for a quiet night of reading and look around in awe at the cozy blankets and lamps illuminating his self-proclaimed safe space.

To say the least, you were head over heels for this boy. Head over heels for the way his eyes hid emotions if only you were worthy of revealing them. For the longest time, it seemed inevitable that Theodore Nott’s favorite person was y/n. 

Until 6th year, when Nott came back as a new boy. He’d grown what seemed like a foot and his face seemed carved of marble stone, only covered by his locks of dark hair. He was vastly desired and gained a multitude of new friends.

And he left you in the dust.

As Plato once said, "the measure of a man is what he does with power,” and Theodore Nott used that power to skyrocket his social standing until there wasn’t room for you anymore.

This year, however, was your year. The summer spent interning at the ministry had invoked a sense of confidence within you. You were always beautiful, however, you never usually showed it off.

This year, you’d decided to flaunt it.

Well, kind of..

Thank Merlin for Pansy Parkinson, your adoptive parent Slytherin.

You both headed down the stairs from the girl’s dorms, the music blaring and the raucous party already in full swing.

“Just as I planned: fashionably late,” Pansy smirks, leading you to the bar

 Every year, a different house hosts the back to school party, only for 6th and 7th years, although many lower years sneak in. This year, everyone was delighted that it was Slytherin. 

Slytherin was known for many things, and their ability to throw a rager was one of them.

You leaned against the counter, sipping a Negroni and surveying the party. You wanted to let loose and create a new image for yourself? Well, this back to school party was your chance.

Unfortunately, your eyes land on a certain boy, half obscured in the shadows of the outskirts. 

Theodore Nott was leaning against the wall, a wicked grin on his face as he nodded along to some Gryffindor girl’s words. Was it possible he became even more gorgeous over break? He seemed to have procured a perfect tan along with his longer dark locks that curled around his ears, framing his toned face.

It was sickening to look at him. Memories came flooding back of the numerous summers you’d spent with him; reading under a tree or laying under a blanket of stars. Your parents would let him come over for a few weeks, and those would be the highlight of your summer break.

And now, you feel sick to your stomach.

Especially when his eyes began roaming as if sensing you, and then they met yours. Dead eyes gleaming in surprise at the sight of you at a party. 

Theodore Nott knew you well, and he knew you were the type to spend a Friday night reading to your plants or whipping up a midnight snack in the kitchens after hours. He didn’t expect to find you drinking at a party, wearing the most sinful black mini dress that hugged you in all the right places. 

He simply couldn’t pry his eyes away.

You, however, glanced away immediately, feeling his stare a more burning sensation than the gin sliding down your throat. You swallow the rest of your cocktail in one gulp, eyes slightly tearing up at the feeling, and stride away, wanting to get as far as possible from Nott.

You knew you promised Pansy not to let him get to you, but that proved to be impossible. You looked back at Pansy who just realized you had disappeared when suddenly you ran into a figure, gasping as he spilled some drink on you. Looking up, feeling defeated, your eyes meet the hazel ones of a Ravenclaw boy named Roman Vaughn. Captain of the Ravenclaw quidditch team, top of the 7th year Charms class, wealthy, and an overall heart throb with his chocolate brown skin, silky black hair, and hazel eyes. 

He had grabbed your attention before, but you’d never acted on it. What were the odds you’d run into him of all people.

“Y/N! I am so so sorry here, let me find a napkin,” he immediately sprung into action, taking you by the hand and pulling you towards the bar for napkins. He grabbed a handful and began to wipe the drink from your chest, but then he realized he probably shouldn’t be doing that. He jerked away with a nervous laugh, scratching the back of his neck. “Anddd I keep making this situation worse and worse..”

You laugh, taking the napkins from his hand and dabbing at the stain that wasn’t even visible against the black fabric.

“Good thing it’s black, otherwise you’d be in big trouble, Vaughn,” you raise an eyebrow teasingly as he gives you another laugh.

“I guess luck is on my side tonight,” he smiles, eyes lighting up as if his words had a double meaning.

He asked you to dance, leading you gently to the dance floor after you both downed some drinks. And that's how you spent your night, taking shot after shot of vodka with Roman’s hands on your waist and yours in his hair, swaying to the beat. You noticed Pansy grinning at you while giving you a nod of approval. Her plan had come to fruition.

What you failed to notice in your newfound glee, however, were Theodore Nott’s eyes staring at your figure with a seemingly neutral look on his face. Within was utter turmoil.

He had ceased to pay attention to the Gryffindor girl in front of him, and absentmindedly handed her his drink, finding an empty chair to sit in. 

He was aware he had become power hungry, leaving you behind last year. The truth is, the amount of yearning Theodore felt towards getting his old life with you back was insurmountable. He had felt like he was floating in a beautiful galaxy whenever he’d been with you, sitting amongst scarlett poppies. You made him feel safe with your familiar scent of vanilla and honey, melting all his troubles away. 

Unfortunately, his efforts at getting you back were pushed down.

The trust you had for him seemed to have broken.

He tried once last winter, walking up to ask you if you wanted to stop by his home in Italy for winter break. He’d overheard you already planning a trip to Belgium with your best friends, so he backed off. 

Then, he’d attempted to ask if you wanted to visit the book shop with him on a Hogsmeade trip, but when he had approached you, a random girl came up to flirt with him and you’d walked off, scoffing.

There were a multitude of other failed attempts; each one corroding his confidence more and more. He would never fully give up on you, but as more time passed, the more he felt like you were lost forever. You were a dandelion spreadings its tufts, and there seemed to be only a couple left, clinging on.

Seeing you dancing happily with Roman Vaughn proved to him without a doubt that you had forgotten about him. You have moved on.

He sighs, wondering why he was so caught up with this when they were only ever friends.

Right?

Sure, there had been lingering stares and a hint of adoration in both of their eyes. Maybe a spark of a deeper feeling that they were both too young and stubborn to comprehend. 

He shook his head, drowning himself in more drinks to forget about this night.

To forget about you.

The next day, he was sitting in Charms class right in front of your two best friends. What he heard instantly soured the rest of his day.

“PLEASE, Hannah, you have to come on the Hogsmeade trip. Y/n is going with that Vaughn dude, so I’ll be walking around like a loser,” she pouts.

y/n going with Vaughn??

Theodore had assumed whatever they had going on at the party was just some temporary, drunken fun, but the worst possible outcome from his late night overthinking came true.

Y/n was going on a date with Roman Vaughn.

Theo scoffs to himself. Vaughn. Sounds like a cheapass beer brand.

What could y/n possibly see in him? Sure, he was tall, handsome, smart…ok…

Theo sighs, putting his head down on the table. Mattheo, knowing all about Theo’s current troubles and his undying obsession with y/n, pats him sympathetically.

Theodore understood that this was your decision and your life, so, despite how much he was compelled to, he refused to meddle with your love life. He didn’t want to risk being the one to make you sad. Again..

If this was the cost of his actions, he supposed he deserved it.

The trip to Hogsmeade had arrived, and Theo felt as depressed as ever. He forced himself to roll out of bed and adorned himself in a brown sweater and slacks. His friends wouldn’t let him sulk around in their dorm during a Hogsmeade trip.

He was walking with the Slytherin gang, hands shoved into his pockets. Despite the mantra he kept repeating to himself, telling himself over and over again not to think about you and Vaughn, Theo couldn’t stop. He wondered what you were doing with him. Maybe holding his hand with your slender ones, always a bit of dirt stuck between your nails. You loved being outside and Theodore often felt like the magic of nature failed to reveal itself to him again after he stopped spending time with you. As if its beauty died with your absence. Makes sense. You could make any moment or setting beautiful. He was always happy if you were there.

“What do you think, Nott?” Mattheo elbows him, looking at him expectantly.

“Oh- Uh…what?”

“What’s on your mind that's more interesting than us, mate,” Draco raises an eyebrow.

“We were talking about hitting Zonko’s first,” Mattheo offered, grinning knowingly.

“Yeah, anything’s fine with me.”

When his friends were busy laughing at the steam coming out of their ears from candy samples, Theodore gave in to his intrusive thoughts and decided to sneak out and find you and Vaughn. Just to survey the area, make sure he was treating you right, of course. Theodore would always consider you his closest friend. 

He walked across the leaf-strewn autumn ground and spotted Roman walking into the 3 Broomsticks. You must be waiting for him there. 

He scoffs to himself again.

Of course the asshole made her wait.

He enters the 3 Broomsticks and sees Vaughn taking off his coat and sitting down at a table with his friends. Where was y/n? 

Theo stood there looking confused, wondering what happened to you. Did he ditch you for his friends? 

He walked out of the pub, stepping on crispy-looking leaves, absentmindedly enjoying the crunch.

Where could you have been? Perhaps you realized that you deserved better than Vaughn, but even Theodore knew that was wishful thinking.

He walked down a path leading down to a view of the Shrieking Shack where you and he used to sit and sip warm, spiced butterbeer on these cold autumn days. Often, he feels as if he’d give anything to turn back time. To stop him from letting you leave his life. Because life never felt the same after your departure. You were physically so close, yet so far.

He comes across a small field of poppies, red and blazing like fire with the orange leaves scattered about. You loved poppies even naming your pet ducklings after the flower. Poppy I, Poppy II, Poppy III, etc.

He laughed to himself at the memory. You always insisted you could tell them apart and to this day he didn’t know if you were bluffing or not.

He doesn’t exactly know what prompted him to, but he begins picking the poppies, intending on perhaps drying them and preserving them in a journal forever. Another remnant of you. Tying them together with a loose piece of wool from his sweater, he continues his trek to the vantage point and sees a figure sitting on the old log fence. Sighing at this obstruction, he walks closer nonetheless and notices that the figure is you. 

You were right there in front of him, sitting in the chill, scarf tied tight around your neck. 

This was his chance. His chance to prove that he could be better than Vaughn. Prove that he was worthy of a second chance; worthy of you.

He walks up to you, leaning back on the fence, forcing himself to make eye contact with you and pour his heart out.

“Y/n?”

Your eyes widen at the sight of him and you sit there, frozen, waiting for him to continue.

"Please just hear me out, ok?" he takes a deep breath.

“I know Roman makes you happy, and he makes you smile, and he’s smart and everything…I know you despise me for what I did, rightfully so, and you probably want to run for the hills right now. But, y/n, I adore you. Every second I have spent without you has felt like an endless cycle of agony. And, not only do I want you back as a friend, but I was wondering if you would consider being anything more with me. If not, that's completely fine. I suppose that's a conversation for another time. If you ever even want to converse with me... I know you’re probably on your way to meet Vaughn right now, but please reconsider. Please. And-”

You interrupt him with a suppressed laugh, putting a gloved hand to his mouth to stop his endless rambling. 

“Theodore, I’m not-”

“LOOK!” He gently takes your hand away from his mouth and desperately pulls out the small bouquet of wild poppies, holding them out to you. “Look, y/n, I haven’t forgotten, see? Remember the poppies?” He has an almost maniacal gleam in his eyes.

You can’t help but laugh at his actions, softly accepting the poppies from his hands. 

“How would I forget my favorite flower, Theodore?”

“And that's not all, I remember your favorite season is autumn because you love the warm colors and spices. I know you cry every time you rewatch that muggle movie, La La Land. I know you have a celebrity crush on the one middle-aged man from-”

“OK! I believe you, Theo, you know me too well,” you smile at him. “Can you...let me say something now?”

Theodore was certain you were going to tell him you had to leave to go find Vaughn. If anything, he had probably convinced you to go find Vaughn just to escape.

Nonetheless, he nodded, looking into your eyes with his own melancholy ones.

“I was never going to go on a date with Roman. I have no clue where you got your information,” you laugh, shaking your head. “I think you need a more reliable news source.”

“But…but your best friends? They said you were?”

“Oh yeah, I think they just assumed it because they saw him walk up to me, asking if I would go with him. They left before they could hear my answer.”

“And what was your answer?” Theodore picks at scabs on his hands, a bad habit you had noticed when you first met him on the Hogwarts Express. You move your hands to hold his, stopping him from picking his skin to death.

“I said no. I couldn’t force myself to have feelings for him, no matter how hard I tried.”

He looks at you, eyes wide with the happiest gleam. 

“Can we..start over?”

“Let's just resume where we left off,” and with that you lean your head on his shoulder as he leans his on yours, watching the autumn leaves fall to the ground. Watching himself fall for you even more; if that were even possible.

2 months later

You laugh as your snowball hits Theodore Nott clean in the face, turning his nose and cheeks even more rosy red. 

“Headshot!”

Your laughter is quickly stifled as his snowball hits you in the stomach, and you slip falling into the snow. Theodore runs up to you, laughing, laying down sprawled right next to you. He looks to the side, eyes a clear blue matching the light refracting from icicles. He gives you a kiss, lips cold yet comforting.

“C’mon, let's go inside for some hot cocoa,” he grins, watching your every breath.

You smile, nodding and standing up, helping him up with you.

“Good effort, soldier,” you salute teasingly, “but I think we both know who really won.”

He laughs softly as he envelops you in his arms, your chest pressed against his warm body. 

“Yeah. Me.”

You narrow your eyes, booping his nose as you start walking. Theodore had come over for the winter break, and you had loved every second of it. You both come across the icy pond where your ducks usually reside. You stare at it with a melancholic look, your ducks long gone since they had flown south for the winter.

Theo holds you even tighter, kissing the side of your head.

“They’ll be back,” he whispers. “Probably with wicked tans.”

You laugh at that, looking into his dead eyes, alive with a joyful light.

He can't believe all his wishes came true. They had all culminated and led up to this beautiful life with you.

“I love you, y/n..” he whispers.

“I love you more, Theo,” you smirk.

If dying of embarrassment were a thing, Mattheo Riddle would be deceased.

“In Potions, I think I saw you actually drooling over her, mate.”

Enzo chuckles at Theodore’s quip, adding, “I knew it was bad, but not that bad.”

Mattheo groans, hiding his face in his hands as the three boys are sat around a table in the Slytherin common room, the flames of the fire dying out at the later hour, gentle rain tapping the low windows that offer an inky view of the Black Lake.

“She answered a question no one knew the answer to. You have to admit, that’s pretty impressive,” Mattheo says desperately, raising his head from the table, hoping for a glimpse of sympathy from his friends.

All it succeeds in doing, however, is inciting further fits of laughter from them.

“With friends like you guys, who needs enemies,” Mattheo lowly mutters, crossing his arms and glaring.

“No, but since when were you into smart girls, Riddle?” Enzo asks in between laughs.

Mattheo sighs, leaning back in his seat. He gazes over at his faint reflection in the low windows, lost in thought. The truth is, Lorenzo made a good point. Mattheo was always into girls that would give him their undying attention and a few nights of fun. Then, he’d move on. It was a mutual understanding between them. He’d never truly play with their emotions, but he’d make his intentions clear. 

Take it or leave it.

And usually they’d take it. 

But you were truly something else. A genius on the pitch and in the classroom. Academic and athletic weapon, not to mention your biting humor that always seemed to make his heart beat faster.

“Tell you what, Matt. Let us help you,” Theodore leans forward, traces of amusement still evident on his face.

Mattheo raises an eyebrow at Theodore’s offer, waiting for him to continue.

“I propose a deadline. You have 5 days to ask her out before the Hogsmeade trip on Saturday.”

Mattheo sighs, his gaze settling suspiciously on the smiling boys.

“And if I fail?”

“You buy us as many sweets from Honeydukes as we desire,” Enzo grins, “and you know how much I love candy..”

Mattheo stands up, choosing to create an air of confidence around him, although he’s panicking about the prospect of confessing to you. 

“You have yourself a deal, boys.”

Day 1

His plan to confess as soon as possible so as not to feel the desperation of losing time reached a roadblock as Mattheo woke up remembering he had a Quidditch game that morning.

Against your house. (sorry slytherin readers forgive me)

He didn’t want you to be in a bad mood from a loss, but he also didn’t want to seem like a loser in your eyes. He would never be one to lose purposefully, as he knew you’d loathe that, so Mattheo resolved to play fair.

The game progressed onwards as his house took the lead, but he had to admit he wasn’t much help despite his efforts. Seeing your hair flowing in the wind against the lush green hills, your determined face, your shining skin…it was distracting to say the least..

Suddenly, you loop upwards, narrowly avoiding a bludger that zooms past you and heads straight towards Mattheo.

He barely avoids it, the bludger chipping away part of his brand new broomstick.

“Shit..”

“Keep your head in the game, Riddle,” you smirk, flying up next to him.

“Hard when those bludgers are attempting to behead me,” he grins back. Talking to his favorite person was his new favorite hobby, even if you could be intending to insult him..

You ended up catching the snitch and winning your house this integral game, shooting your team to the House Cup Finals. You landed on the grass, smiling gleefully, your face glistening with triumph and sweat despite the quite chilly weather.

Mattheo landed on the ground next to you, grinning at your expression. He wholeheartedly thought you deserved this win. He’d seen you practicing at the crack of dawn and the fall of the moon. He knew how hard you worked as captain. He saw you on his morning walks, and from the towers of Hogwarts when he’d smoke over the rail, watching your figure shooting through the air in the velvet darkness.

Lost in the ecstasy of the atmosphere, Mattheo resolved to let his feelings be known right then and there. What greater chance for you to agree to a date when your spirits were raised so high?

He approached you, broom in hand, and you turned around to look at him with an ecstatic grin on your face; one he couldn’t resist to mirror.

“Good game, Riddle,” you stuck your hand out, slightly sympathetic for the boy’s loss despite his oddly bright expression.

“Good game, y/l/n. I actually wanted to ask you something..” he trails off, scratching the back of his neck. Despite the adrenaline pumping through his veins, nerves were slowly eating away at his windpipe, restricting him from choking out the words he’d desired to tell you.

But he had resolved to do it.

And Mattheo Riddle was many things, but not a coward.

You raised your eyebrow at him, waiting for him to speak further.

“I was wondering if you would go with-”

He was interrupted by your surprised yelp and laugh of joy as your teammates lifted you to their shoulders, yelling and cheering your name. 

You put your hands up in victory, the golden snitch still struggling in your grip.

“We’ll talk later, Mattheo!” you shout at him, waving your hands to get his attention. 

Not that you had to.

You had forever stolen his gaze.

Day 2

So, his original strategy had proved to be a failure. The whole of yesterday, your house wouldn’t leave you alone. When you took a quick trip to the hospital wing to patch up some quick little cuts, your housemates followed you, cheering. When you were walking through the halls, you were surrounded by at least 8 congratulating classmates. In the night, you were at the party celebrating your win. Always busy.

Mattheo never got the chance to just confess as soon as possible, but no matter. This was just day 2, and he still had plenty of time. He had put up with more of his friends’ teasing regarding his harbored crush, but he’d be willing to brave the storm of his friends’ jabs if it meant eventually seeing it die away when he finally had you by his side.

If you’d accept him that is..

He groaned as he walked through the busy halls of Hogwarts during a break period. 

Love was too hard.

He walked into the courtyard to find his friends, but his eyes immediately landed on you. You were quickly skimming a Potion’s textbook, no doubt studying for the sudden test that had been sprung on by Slughorn. He can’t imagine you had much time to study due to the match and celebrations. It was unlike you to look so harried and unprepared. 

He knew this couldn’t be the right time, but he had to test the waters. Perhaps you were still in a good mood?

What he didn’t know was that you’d always be happy to see him. Even if you were having a meltdown, you'd grin at the sight of him.

And that’s exactly what happened.

Mattheo walked up to you, smoothly sliding onto the stone bench beside you. He was immediately met with your smiling face as your attention was diverted from the book.

“Y/N unprepared for a test? Never thought I’d see the day,” he nudged your shoulder playfully with his own as you gave him a mock glare.

“I’m hoping I’ll suddenly procure a photographic memory and just capture the words on this textbook in my brain,” you say, putting the book super close to your eyes as you pretend to absorb all the knowledge.

Mattheo laughs, “I wish I could help but I’m not the best person to ask for, well, any school subjects, to be honest.”

You snickered as you regarded him, eyes alight. 

“Oh yeah, what was it you were trying to ask me on the pitch yesterday?”

Well, he couldn’t back down now.

“I was just wondering if you’d like-”

“Y/N!!!” your best friend comes running through the halls toward you, waving a bundle of parchment with hastily written words. “I just took the Potions test and this is what's on it.”

Your eyes widen in delight as you peer over at her parchment. Your attention being completely drawn away, Mattheo gets up with a sigh and stalks off toward his friends, feeling dejected.

He doesn’t notice the sorry glance you throw his way, upset that his words got interrupted once more.

Day 3

You couldn’t sleep that night and you awoke feeling puffy and down. It seemed as if Mattheo Riddle had been avoiding you the rest of yesterday and you knew it was because he had something to say to you but kept getting interrupted. 

Something important to tell you and something that made him nervous.

That couldn’t mean…

Of course not.

But you’ve had feelings for him for a long time, and the prospect that he could feel the same excited you. Perhaps you should cave first and confess because if that’s what the poor boy had been attempting, after being interrupted twice you doubted he had the guts to do it again. Besides, it’d be a weight lifted from your heart. 

You knew he took early morning walks as he’d often retell his experiences to you when you used to sit next to him in class:

“...and then this bigass bird took a fat shit on McLaggen’s head, and that's when I knew it was going to be a glorious day,” he finished proudly, smiling.

“Now, that’s a good omen if I’ve ever heard of one,” you grinned as you both indulged in quiet laughter, hidden at the back of the History of Magic Classroom.

Who knew such a dull class would quickly become your favorite.

He must’ve not taken a walk today because you couldn’t find him. 

Now, cruel fate had moved him as far away as possible in that classroom with no chance to sneak a quick conversation in. He seemed quite upset today in the one class you’d seen him in, keeping his head low and dozing off a few times. Twice you’d seen him steal a glance at you then look away abruptly.

You found him later that day, walking through the dark hallways after dinner. It was quiet and empty as the rest of the students had made their way to their common rooms or the library. He was looking down and was wiping something from his nose with the back of his hand. It looked like…

Blood.

“Riddle?” you called out softly, and his ebony eyes trained on you in a panic.

He had never intended for you to ever see him like this. Dejected and bleeding.

You stand there, hugging yourself amidst the chills of the vast, stone halls, clinging onto your sweater. 

“A fight?”

He nods, not being able to meet your eyes.

You gently grab his arm, beginning to pull him in the direction of the Hospital Wing. Maybe you could confess in there while he was getting patched up, although that may not be the best time for it. 

Perhaps now to lighten the mood of this awkward walk?

If he rejects you, at least teasing you about it would make him more cheerful.

“Hey, Mattheo…I just wanted to let you know that-”

Before you could get very far, however, a bloodied Gryffindor boy strides toward you guys, calling Riddle’s name in an icy tone. 

You both whirl around, and Riddle grits his teeth, upset to see the boy he had just fought with.

“You thought you could just escape?” the boy stops 7 feet away, balling up his fists

“You were out cold, so yeah, I assumed I could.”

“Rematch, Riddle.”

He looks back at you, something glistening in his eyes.

“Go, y/l/n.”

You cross your arms, narrowing your eyes, “You think I’m just gonna leave you here, bleeding?”

“Go.”

You realize there’s no stopping this fight and, frankly, you didn’t want to see Mattheo beating someone up. You walk straight to the nearest professor’s quarters and alert them of the fight, framing it so it sounds like Mattheo was ambushed and simply fought back as self-defense. After doing so, you slip into your room, lying awake, hoping he’s ok.

Day 4

Mattheo was cutting it close, but this week had been a doozy. He hoped today would be an ordinary day in which he could finally, peacefully confess his vibrant feelings for you.

That morning, Mattheo finds you in the library next to a stack of mythology books. He walks up, a smile already forming on his face at the familiar sight of your gorgeous, focused face.

“I wasn’t aware there was a Mythology class at Hogwarts,” he smiles, leaning against your table. His face was covered in cuts and bruises while his nose seemed haphazardly bandaged.

You look up at him disapprovingly, eyes tracing his injuries.

“It's called reading for fun, Mattheo. You should try it sometimes.”

“No, thank you.”

You shot him a sardonic smile, leaning back in your chair.

“Listen, y/n, I wanted to thank you for shifting the blame off of me for the fight but-”

“No problem, I had to do something,” you shrug.

“But…I could’ve handled it myself. You tainted my reputation and it made me seem like I’m weak and scared of authority.”

You raise an eyebrow, a look of disbelief blossoming on your face.

“You’re seriously annoyed with me for helping you NOT get in trouble?” you stand up from your seat staring him in the eye. “Your stupid pride and reputation is worth more than that?”

He furrows his brows, perplexed by your reaction.

“You wouldn’t understand,” he sighs. “My reputation is all I have” is what he meant to share, but vulnerability was not his strong point.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t,” you stand up, grabbing your books, and walk out, not looking back once.

Mattheo watches you go, feeling as if whatever grip he had on you had lessened. He could feel you falling through his fingers.

Day 5 ₊˚ෆ

Mattheo would’ve accepted his defeat if this was any other bet. Confessing to y/n was a harder task than it seemed. 

The thing is, this wasn’t any other bet, and Mattheo Riddle was as adamant as ever to let you know how he felt about you. Being in your presence was a hot bowl of soup on a sick day. It was a warm glass of spiced butterbeer after playing in the snow. It was a blanket after being warmed by the fire. It was a comfort he never allowed himself to indulge in.

He wanted it in a stronger dose. He needed the comfort of a relationship with you. And today, he intended to get it. 

He awoke early as usual since he couldn’t sleep past six: his thoughts always woke him up far too early. Getting dressed and heading outside, he sees you reading your mythology books under a big oak tree, bundled up in a deep grey trench coat. As he approached with his silent steps and hands in his pockets, he realized it was Norse mythology today. Despite him acting clueless, he also enjoyed reading myths for fun.

He stopped a few feet away from you and you looked up unsurprisingly, as if you knew he was approaching the entire time. With a quick glance at the empty spot next to you, you signal Mattheo to join you in the misty morning air. You couldn’t help but feel as if this replicated the foggy morning scene in one of your favorite movies, Pride and Prejudice.

He settled next to you, shoulders touching.

“I hope a bigass bird shits on your head,” you murmur in a playful tone, recalling his tale, looking at him with a fake gleam of scorn in your eyes. Not entirely fake as you were quite annoyed about yesterday night in the library.

He laughs at that, tilting his head to look at you in all your morning glory.

“I’m sorry about yesterday,” he whispers, looking at you with utter adoration, although you don’t characterize it as such. “I just…I feel as if my reputation is all I have.”

He looks away at that, across the grounds, embarrassed to admit anything so close to his heart.

You nod understandingly, touching his pinky with your own.

“We’re cool, Riddle.”

He takes a deep breath and keeps barreling on, ready to confess to you and pour out his heart. 

“Listen, y/n. I kept getting interrupted but I-”

“RIDDLE!” Draco is making his way towards them, looking frantic. You and Mattheo both stand up, looking concerned at his expression. He wears cloak with the hood up and looks panicked, striding towards them in a half run until he is standing before them, panting.

“What happened, what's wrong?” Mattheo urges, shaking Draco’s shoulders.

Draco yanks off his hood to reveal his baby pink hair and you and Mattheo stare at him for a moment.

And then burst out laughing.

“Do you know who did this?” Draco is fuming, balling his fists as he glares at the both of you.

“No, mate, but you have yourself a nemesis,” Mattheo says, gasping for breath. Draco grabs his arm beginning to pull him away, muttering something about helping him get revenge. You’re not letting Mattheo get away again, so you grab his other arm, engaging in a game of tug-of-war. Mattheo shakes off Draco and shoos him off with a wave of his hand and a small glare as Draco gives in and walks away, sulking.

“Where were we?”

“You were on a vulnerability rampage,” you smirk, releasing your grip much to his displeasure.

He smiles shyly as he looks off into the distance, finding your gaze a burning sensation. 

“I really, really like you, y/n. And I’ve been trying to let you know for a while now.

You smile as you angle your neck to force Mattheo to look into your eyes. 

Oh, how you loved his ebony doe eyes.

“Well, it’s a good thing I really like you too, Mattheo.”

What’s more is that the songs were not just curated but rather created for you. These were lyrics and melodies you couldn’t go out and stream on music platforms nor buy CDs for.

And yet for something that seemed so legendary, it looked just like any record store. The storefront was made with oak once bold and dark, now faded with time. And yet it gleamed where the sun hit it just so, showing off its carefully applied polish.

Past the large window, rows upon rows of vinyls were stacked neatly on shelves. Each album cover had an intriguing design. Different art styles fought for your attention, each with a story to tell.

Beyond the shelves stood cozy listening booths with dark leather seats, still proud and elegant as they had been in their early days. No less worn by the thousands of souls that have sat and listened to their perfect playlist.

The establishment had been so hard to find that most of its customers are those who stumble upon it by accident. Even rarer are those who managed to find its location in the intersection where angels last laughed and where a powerful witch dropped her earring. For it was never in the same place.

And somehow, you and Mattheo Riddle were standing right in front of it. “Surprise!” Mattheo said, motioning to the store. A sophisticated script spelled The Perfect Playlist on the door. You could hardly believe it.

“Who did you have to torture this information from?” You asked, eyeing your boyfriend suspiciously.

“This was through honest research this time,” he smiled proudly.

“You researched it?” You quirked an eyebrow.

“The important thing is we’re here now,” he said, deflecting. “Aren’t I the best?” He took your hand and started walking to the entrance. “You sure are something,” you grinned excitedly as you let him lead the way.

“Now let’s enjoy this once in a lifetime experience!” He said. And it was quite literal for you could only visit once, but it was all you’ll ever need.

The attendant greeted you brightly and he seemed to already know your names. He too, seemed quite ordinary in a shirt and trousers. But that was the last thing that would underwhelm you about this place, for it was never about the store or the beings inside it. It was all about The Perfect Playlist.

He beamed, “The love birds, your booth is ready. Right this way.” He led you to one of the listening booths with its wooden door leading to the cozy leather seat that sunk low when you sat. “Simply put on your headphones, press play when you’re ready, and let the music carry you away. It’s The Perfect Playlist for your relationship.”

He smiled brightly as he closed the door and returned to the counter. Mattheo tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear and placed the headphones on you. You watched his long lashes flutter and still blushed at his proximity even after all this time.

He then put on his headphones and looked at you to confirm you were ready. You smiled and held a thumbs up and so he pressed play.

A faint rhythm started in your ears, a beat that seemed to grow louder by the second. You closed your eyes to listen more carefully until a bright light took over the darkness, the upbeat music now loud enough for you to feel the bass in your headphones until you found your head bopping to the beat.

You may have never heard the song The Perfect Playlist created for you, but you felt the rush of excitement. It was like hearing a great song you haven’t heard in ages, both new and familiar at the same time.

As the beat picked up, bright colors danced along with its rhythm, swirling together until it formed shapes that resembled a music festival. Ahead of you, a DJ onstage hyped up the crowd with the song you were listening to.

Your friends were laughing around you and you were dancing with them, having the time of your life. Of course, this was where you first met Mattheo all those years ago.

Even in a crowded place where people danced and sang their hearts out, you stood out to him. To him, you were sunshine personified. He pretended to bump into you that day, knocking your drink out of your hand so he could buy you one.

You could almost laugh at how the world went in slow motion, the perfect soundtrack softening to something romantic as you introduced yourselves and the sparks flew instantly. It didn’t take long until you were dancing the night away, the playlist back to an upbeat song you could dance to forever.

Then there were long drives and motorcycle rides when you both wanted more speed and danger. Late night talks under the stars, huddled beneath blankets that always led to something more.

That was only the beginning. The Perfect Playlist still had albums worth of songs to play as you relived all your wonderful memories with Mattheo Riddle.

When it was finally your turn, the attendant dressed in a grim reaper costume announced the minimum for the attraction was two. When they called for another individual in line, you were fine with settling for a stranger as long as you got to experience the spooky thrills ahead. Except you recognized the boy with the curly hair and smug smile as he approached. It was your rival, Mattheo Riddle.

“Fancy seeing you here, partner,” he said sarcastically. Of course he had known you’d be there, it was all you could talk about the entire week.

“Just don’t slow me down,” you narrowed your eyes and accepted your fate as you walked past the door.

“Bet I could escape faster than you. Do try to keep up,” he taunted because of course, everything had to be a competition with him.

“We’ll see about that,” you smirked. You felt quite confident having played multiple games that included puzzles and required strategy.

When you entered the first room, you inspected everything. Turning items over and opening cabinets to look for clues. You each searched half of the room, collecting items that seemed significant and piecing them together.

You solved the first clue faster than expected and were ready to advance to the next room when the lights turned off. You yelped and instinctively grabbed Mattheo who held a protective arm around you.

He backed you into wall beside you, shielding you with his body. You felt his hot breath against your forehead and it sent delicious jolts of electricity through you. Bodies pressed together, you could feel his heartbeat drumming quickly, matching yours. You reminded yourself to stay focused.

When the lights flickered on again, you both made a run for it, hand in hand. You inspected the next room and just as you opened the cabinet, a headless body fell out. You jumped back and screamed.

Within seconds Mattheo was beside you, alert for any threats. When he saw the headless body, which turned out to be a mannequin, he laughed. Just as he was about to open his mouth to tease you, a hand closed around his leg.

It was his turn to yelp and jump back. A woman in a white gown with long hair crept away from where she hid and scurried off the opposite side of the room. It was your turn to tease him and talk about instant karma.

“Let’s just get out of here,” he huffed. Surprisingly, you both figured out the lock’s combination numbers quickly after solving clues, and moved to the next door. You hated to admit it, but you both worked well together.

As you moved to the next door, the lights switched off once again. Breaths held, looking cautiously around, Mattheo moved you behind him protectively.

You were about to argue how you could protect yourself when up ahead, you heard the zap of electricity. It was accompanied by a blue electric current illuminating a scary face. The effects were so convincing, you had to remind yourself it was just a fake taser and a mask.

Mattheo, however, let his instincts take over. He was always going to choose fight over flight. In the next second, you heard the impact of fists and the taser clattered on the ground. Red lights flooded the room as the warning sound blared through the speakers.

A security guard charged in, hauling away the scare actor from the frenzied boy. When you had a chance, you wrapped your arms around Mattheo to stop him. He melted under your touch and the fight went out of him. He was shocked how nice and comfortable it felt to be held by you.

You got kicked out the horror escape room.

“Well, that’s one way to escape,” you remarked, looking back at the attraction as you walked away.

“I’m creative like that, darling. Told you I could get us out faster,” he winked at you.

“That was not a complime-”

Before you could complete your sentence, he sidled up beside you, lowering his lips to your ear. “The next time you want to hold me like that back there, just tell me directly. No need for excuses, I can keep a secret.”

He shook his head as he opened the door, eager to get it over with. He took in pots and plants of various shades of green, color sprouting sporadically where flowers and fruits blossomed. Then there was you.

You saw the curly haired boy approach, Mattheo Riddle, you recalled. Everything about him spelled trouble from the frown fixed on his face, to his askew tie, and the way he strut as if the entire world bent to his will.

You smiled and introduced yourself politely. Your mum after all had raised you to give others a chance. To look beyond first impressions.

Still, it didn’t surprise you when his frown stayed glued to his face. “Mattheo Riddle,” he just stated by way of introduction. “Here’s how this will work. I’m going to stay here,” he said, grabbing a chair at the side of the greenhouse and taking a seat. “I’ll stay out of your way, you stay out of mine. When the time is over, I’ll walk away. Nice and simple.”

“So you’ll just let me do all the work?” You huffed, your fists clenched by your side.

“Glad you’re catching on, darling. Go on. Some would say it’s a privilege to be around me but it’s okay if you don’t see that yet.” He flashed you a shit eating grin and propped his legs up the table across him. Such a shame. He’d probably be handsome if his personality weren’t so rotten.

You caught yourself and your expression turned livid. “No, being around you is punishment. I don’t know what I did to Snape to deserve this,” you mumbled to yourself.

Your mum may have raised you to be polite, but she also taught you to stand up against bullies. You strode over to the arrogant boy, plucking a bearded iris on your way. You crushed it beneath your fingers, muttering an incantation.

When you were close enough, you hurled the crushed petals at his feet. Upon impact, sparks burst. Bright searing sprays of light was accompanied by a loud bang.

Mattheo dodged it, losing his balance. His chair tipped backwards. He crashed to the floor.

The bearded iris was otherwise called the firebreather iris. He should have known better than to challenge you.

You towered over him. “You will help me as Snape intended. It’s bad enough I have to spend time with you. You will make yourself useful or that,” you pointed at the ashes of the firebreather iris, “is just the beginning of what I can do. There are poisonous plants around here like nightshade. I will not hesitate to use them and make it look like an accident.”

He looked at you as if he saw you for the first time. The fire was brighter in your eyes than the spark you had thrown. He was silent for a beat as he recalled what Theo warned him about nice girls. You never wanted to see them mad. They were always more clever and therefore more dangerous.

As much as he loved danger, he very much preferred to stay alive. Besides, things just got more interesting. He schooled his face to a bored expression. “Fine,” he said standing back up and dusting the dirt from his clothes and hair. “If you teach me that cool trick, I’ll help out.”

“Stick around and I’ll teach you a few things,” you nodded, satisfied. You tossed him a pair of gloves. “We’ll start here, plant boy.” He suppressed the smile that threatened to break across his features. It was fascinating how you snapped quickly back to your good natured self, as if you weren’t just threatening him moments earlier. If there was anything Mattheo loved, it was a challenge.

As he put on the gloves, he felt detention wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Threatened by the poison and lured in by the idea of learning plant magic, Mattheo had surprisingly been a helpful herbology partner.

Yes, he was stubborn and annoying. But at the end of the day, he was quick to pick up the steps, memorizing which fertilizer to use for what plant, and how much water each plant needed.

The weeks quickly passed and you found a comfortable rhythm. You just had to put up with those terrible lines.

“Are you a flower bed?” Mattheo asked, his face streaked with dirt as he hauled another bag of soil.

“What is it this time?” You rolled your eyes. You found it impossibly adorable and ridiculous how he managed to get dirt all over his face despite wearing gloves and other gardening gear.

“Let’s pretend you asked me why. ‘Cause I want to lay you down and get dirty,” Mattheo said with his signature smirk.

You tried not to laugh, but you couldn’t wipe the silly grin off your face. Mattheo considered it a win. “That seriously works for you?” You pointed in his general direction. “I’d rather choke on a cactus,” you beamed.

Mattheo chuckled, “then I want to be a cactus.”

“Oh why, because you’re a prick?” You retorted, shoveling more soil to the new pot.

“No, you can’t use these lines against me,” he said, narrowing his eyes, grabbing a handful of soil.

“Don’t be such a weeping willow about it,” you quipped. “And I swear if you throw that lump of soil, you’ll have to clean it up.”

“Why don’t we go straight to the cleaning part?” He teased instead, returning the soil. He grabbed the water hose nearby and turned it on, aiming it directly at you.

Before you could react, you felt a steady stream of water hit you, the cold shocking your entire system. “You really did it,” you muttered uselessly, releasing a string of curses as you gathered your wits about you.

You ran after him, but he was quick to deflect, running off the opposite direction, taking the hose with him. Five steps in, you slipped on the mud and landed on your back. The wind rushed out your lungs and you laid there recovering your breath.

“Salazar! Are you ok?” He asked, running towards you.

“Come here,” you spoke softly and he leaned in to hear you.

“My name is not Salazar,” you declared when he was close enough. “It’s an expressio—“ he tried to explain but in one swift motion, you grabbed the collar of his shirt. The surprise was enough to send him down the floor. He slipped in the mud and joined you. You grabbed the hose from him and sprayed him with water.

He flailed for a few seconds before he caught purchase and rolled over you, yanking the hose away and then switching it off. You both found yourselves in hysterics, bodies shaking from the cold and laughter.

“I can’t believe it. You really laid me down and got me dirty,” you managed to say in between laughter.

“This is not what I meant. But if you want to know what I mean,” he said, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. But he was rendered speechless, the words and laughter faded in his throat.

He didn’t think it was possible. But up close, you were even more beautiful with your captivating eyes and kissable lips.

His intense gaze stole the laughter and breath from your lungs. You felt his heartbeat drum against yours, your breaths mingled with one another.

It sunk in then that he was on top of you, gazing at you like he wanted to do a hundred and one sinful things to you. He had a forest full of desires and you wanted to explore every corner of it. To go on an adventure with him. So you did.

You weren’t sure who started it, but the next second you found yourselves kissing each other. It was better than any euphoria plants could induce. His lips felt surprisingly soft and he started off tentative, seeing if you were okay with it. You just needed more and he quickly matched your pace, taking in as much of you as he could.

He was no longer gentle and he ran his hand through your mud streaked hair, holding you just where he needed you, deepening the kiss. You tugged on his hair in return and he rewarded you with a groan, his chest rumbling against you. He licked your lower lip, prompting you to open your mouth as his tongue darted in, exploring until you both needed to come up for air. Panting against each other.

“Why are you looking at me like I just kicked a puppy?” He asked.

You shook your head. “You’re just a boy trying to get through detention,” you stated.

“Darling, my detention was only a week long,” he admitted.

Your eyes widened. “But this is your third week helping me.”

“You still haven’t taught me how to make fire with flowers yet,” he said, kissing you on the nose.

“You’re not afraid I’d poison you?” You narrowed your eyes, recalling your threat.

“I looked it up. The nightshade you mentioned that first week isn’t even poisonous. You never meant to poison me, dear.”

“But you fell for it, that’s what mattered,” you insisted.

“Maybe it’s you I’ve pollen for,” he quipped.

“You’re never gonna stop with the plant puns, aren’t you?”

“No, because you’re ivy and you’ve fully crept in my thoughts. Next, you can creep in my—” you kissed him then to shut him up. He didn’t seem to mind at all. You really had had enough of his silly plant puns, even though you couldn’t get enough of him.

"How could I ever say no to that face?" Theo smiled at his girlfriend, sitting on his lap with a shy smile on her face. You asked him to go out for a walk since it's spring now and after being inside the whole winter, you wanted to get some fresh air again.

You gently stood up from his lap and put on your shoes, seeing him doing the same. He takes your hand into his and walks with you out of his dorm, through the common room and along the halls of your beloved school.

"The weather's nice." Theo states, looking around the yard when he see's the sun shining down on the two of you. "Yeah it is indeed. Come on." you start getting happy and pull him with you towards the big black lake where you walked for a while.

"You look beautiful prinicipessa." he says while looking at your face, admiring your beautiful features. Your cheeks start to heat up a little and you look away for a short moment before looking back at him again, smiling shyly at him." Thank you, Theo."

He smiles to himself when he sees your pink cheeks, knowing you're still shy around him. Even though the two of you officially are a couple, you told him from the start that you wanted to take things slow, partly because you're way more shy than others and need a little more time. He had no problem with that, concentrating on you character completely but sometimes, in those little moment, you drove him crazy.

Like that one time you bend over in class, such in innocent movement since you just wanted to pick up your pen but Theo couldn't help it and thought the whole day about it.

He gave you all the time you needed, since it's very important for him that you're comfortable. But at the end of the day he was just madly in love with you and also wondering how you would feel.

He once told you that, but you poor thing were so shy, that you wouldn't get out a word out of embarrassment for the next hour, so he remembered to think twice what he's saying to you.

And it also wasn't like you wanted to be that shy. You thought he was hot, like smoking hot and such a handsome face, but you just couldn't help it. Every little touch made you feel so hot you could be compared to a tomato.

Suddenly something wet hit the tip of your nose, your head going up instinctively and looking up at the sky that wasn't so blue anymore like a few minutes ago but grey clouds now above your head. "Looks like it's about to rain, let's go back." Theo say's, seeing your head going up.

You two started walking into the other direction again, back to school but rain was faster and so it happened that you two got wet, like soaked. At first it was kinda funny, Theo taking your hand and running with you, loud laughter from the both of you filled the air. It got even louder when Theo almost slipped on the wet grass but once you were back at your schools ground, a wave of shock came over you.

You looked down at yourself and saw that your white shirt was completely see through now, showing your cute red lace bra. You tried to hide yourself behind your hands but it was too late, Theo already saw what happened and wished he could stop time.

You were teasing him so hard right now even tho he knew it wasn't your mission to do so. "Damn Principessa.." he mumbles and pulls you closer to him. Of course your cheeks heat up even more now than before and you took a step back, turning your face away from him in embarrassment. "to which he said " "Don't shy away from me, baby." he says in a soft tone and carefully takes your arm, pulling you closer a second time.

"I - I'm sorry I didn't knew it would rain." Theo had to chuckle at your cute answer. " Of course you didn't baby, it's okay. Just know that you're safe with me yah? But also, you're so so beautiful and I promise you you have no reason to be shy around me. If someone's gonna be shy then it should be me so stunning that you are."

"Oh my god Theo, stoop." you giggled, hiding your face a little behind your hair but smiling from ear to ear. He leaned down to your ear and whispered into it. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen and someday you're gonna be mine forever."

thank you for reading 💋

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Both of their heads turned towards me, just now noticing me. Theo smiled at me and nodded. "Hey uhm – yeah. I wanna buy flowers for my girlfriend and don't know what to get her. I think she doesn't have favorite flowers but I wanna give her something.. special." I saw a light tint forming on his cheeks but I hid my smirk.

"Well I could tell you the meanings of some flowers and you can decide what fits the best for whatever you wanna tell her with them. How does that sound?" he instantly looked a little bit relieved. "Yeah, great. That would be really great."

I started to list some of our flowers we sell with their meanings to it but nothing seemed to fit until after a while I got an idea. "Oh my god wait I have the idea. You could gift her tulips. Each color means something different." "Really? That would be quite special, right?"

I waked him over to our tulips and started to pick some of them out of the vases. "So red means 'deep love' which obviously fits, right? Then we have the yellow ones that stand for 'happiness and sunshine which is perfect for happy occasions. The variegated ones mean 'you have beautiful eyes' because of their beautiful color patterns. The pink ones stand for 'affection and caring'. And last the cream tulips which mean 'I will love you forever.'"

Theodore looks at me impressed and starts smiling. "This is perfect, she will love this! Can you give me three of each please?" I smile back at him and start making a pretty bouquet out of the 15 tulips, adding some cream colored ribbons to the stems.

When I look up I suddenly met Mattheo's eyes, somehow staring into mine. I give him a shy smile and when Theo see's his best friends state he nudged him slightly against his shoulder. He breaks our eye contact and looks down to his feet. Did I do something wrong?

"Here, your flowers. I know your girlfriend will love them." I promise and send him a warm smile. "Thanks again y/n, don't know what I would have done without your help." And with that I give him the bouquet and he pays, leaving a generous tip which I refused to take at first but only took because he told me he would leave it on the door If I wouldn't take it. I have to admit he definitely has charm and I completely understand his girlfriend, but my mind couldn't forget the eye contact I had with his best friend.

I think I never saw Mattheo that quiet, which lets me worry I may have been boring him with all my talking about flowers. But now it was too late anyways to I tried to shake that thought off as good as I could.

The next day I walked through the halls of Hogwarts when suddenly a pretty girl stood in front of me. I think I recognize her somewhere, her necklace gives a hint of her being from Slytherin. "Hey, are you y/n l/n ?" she asks me with a little smile to her lips, tilting her head to the side a bit. "Yeah that's me, is everything alright?" I asked her kind of worried that maybe I am in trouble.

"No I just wanted to thank you. I am Theodore's girlfriend and he gave me the flowers he bought in your shop. He told me you helped him and I just wanted to tell you how much I loved them." A bright smile formed on my lips now and I nodded. "Oh I'm happy you liked them that much!" "Yes, especially the meaning behind the so, thank you again. I guess I will see you around." she politely comments. "Yeah, see you around." With that she walked away again and left me with a smirk on my lips. I'm alway's so happy when I see the reactions of the people that get gifted by our flowers.

Another day went by, the weekend over which meant I had to get ready for classes again. With a good mood I woke up my best friends which I shared a dorm with together and changed into my school uniform. First class today was Transfiguration.

I sat down next to my best friend Blair, waiting for the professor to start the lesson. "You remember when I told you that mattheo and Theodore were in my shop? I forgot to tell you that Theo's girlfriend came to me yesterday and thanked me for helping him with the flowers." I whispered to her. She turned her head to me with big eyes. "And that's something you just forget to tell your best friend? Where was your mind that you forgot?" she chuckled until she noticed my pink cheeks. "Oh my god, are you still thinking about Riddle?" Now my eyes had gone wide. "Shhhh –"

"Please open your books on page 286." Professor McGonagall started the class, just right on time so I wouldn't have to hear Blair try to tell me what a huge crush I developed in two days for him. Which isn't true I mean.

We were in the middle of class when someone knocked on the closed door. All heads turned towards it, inclusive Professor McGonagall's who spoke, "Yes, please?" The door opened and a younger boy from Slytherin, I guess from year 4 maybe, walked in with the biggest bouquet of sunflowers I've ever seen in my entire life.

"Wow.." I breathed out, stunned at the sight in front of us. Sunflowers were my absolute favorite flowers since I was a little kid and my dad planted them in our garden.

"Uhm – I'm sorry to interrupt your class Professor but.." I saw him gulping and had to swallow down my laugh. He looked so nervous under her arched brows and surprised face. ".. I was send to deliver these flowers to y/n l/n. It's a gift." What?

Now all heads turned to me, away from the boy. He walked over to me and handed me the bouquet, rushing out of the classroom. "Who the hell send these to you?" Blair gasped and gawked at all the flowers. " I - I don't know." I stuttered still too stunned to speak.

I met the gaze from McGonagall who's corners of her lips slightly turned upwards before she told the class to concentrate again and dismissed me to bring the bouquet to my room.

On my way out I smelled the, my heart instantly turning warm. Who could have send them to me? Who would know they are my favorites? I never told anyone beside my family and Blair. Was this a mistake? Oh god, a prank even?

I rushed to my dorm where the next surprise waited for me when I opened the door. What the –. At least a hundred of sunflowers were spread all over my dorm. On the beds, on the tables, nightstands, some even on the ground in white vases. Tears started to form in my eyes. Who could have done this? And how?

I mean, I wasn't even away for an hour. A half maybe? I stepped inside slowly, careful to not run over any of the flowers. The whole room smelled like them now, even with the opened windows. I think I've had never seen something so beautiful like this. I looked for any sign, a letter maybe.

Then, I found one on my nightstand. It was a little card. I opened it and read

" The most beautiful part is, I wasn't even looking when I found you."

I turned the letter around. But nothing. No sign of who's behind all of this. I took out a new vase of my own and put the flowers in my hand into it. Why is he keeping it a secret who he is?

A few days went by and I found myself working in the shop today again. The last time I was here, was when I helped Theodore. "Good afternoon." I greeted Mrs. Rosewood who already prepared some flowers. "Oh hello dear, good to see you. How are you?" I'm good, how about you? Lot's of people today?" She turns back to the flowers in her hand and answers, "No not really, I already thought about giving you a day off because I really don't know how to entertain you today."

"Ah you know I could always help preparing flowers." I chuckled, while grabbing my apron. "Hm no I'm already done with them. really dear, take a day off. And maybe spend them with your new boyfriend." she smiled at me. Boyfriend? What?

"Mrs. Rosewood, I don't have a boyfriend?" She turned to me again with a surprised look on her face. " Oh really? Then who was the boy in here ordering all these sunflowers for you?"

My jaw almost hit the floor. She know's who bought them for me? "What? You know who he was?When was he here?" I asked her eager.

"Oh it was a young boy in your age. He asked me what your favorite flowers were and what the meaning of them were. I told him Sunflowers, that's right. Right?" "Y-Yeah they are but- who was he? How did he look? I received them through someone else and all over my room but to the letter were no initials."

"Ah he had brown curly hair, brown eyes. He looked really handsome. Oh I forgot his name. Max? Matthew? Oh! Mattheo! His name was Mattheo." she smiled brightly at me while I felt all my color vanishing from my face.

Was this really a joke? But who would do this for a prank? Then a normal bouquet would have been enough. "Are you sure it's from him?" "Yes, yes I am. he was in here Saturday with his friend too while I took a break. I saw him from the other side of the street, I remember."

My heart pounded so fast in my chest I feared it crawling out of my mouth. Mattheo. Mattheo Riddle. He send them to me.

She must have seen my face because she smiled at me again. "You have a free day my dear, go talk to him." I let out a deep breath, nodding. "I - I will. Thank you so much!" And all of a sudden I couldn't stop smiling.

I almost ran towards our school, looking for the brunette boy. God where should I start looking for him? Then without really thinking about it, I walked towards the common room of the Slytherins, sporting just the person I needed right now.

"Pansy!" I almost shutout through the hall and jogged towards her just when she wanted to walk inside her common room. "Y/n? Did you already figure out it was- " "Yes, yes I did. Can you tell me where he is?" "He's inside. Should I tell him you're waiting here?" "Please, and thank you Pansy." She smiled at me and nodded her head. "No problem."

I felt like throwing up while waiting for Mattheo. Again my heart almost jumped out of my chest when he finally stepped out of his common room. He seemed nervous and scratched the back of his neck.

"Hey y/n." he nearly whispered, standing right in front of me now. "You.. send the flowers, right?" I asked him with so much hope in my voice. He nodded, a shy smile forming on his lips. "It was me, yes. Did you like them? The lady in the store told me Sunflowers are your favorites so I guessed you- " Without letting him speak his full sentence, I crashed into him and hugged him tightly, my head just reaching his chest.

"I loved them, thank you Mattheo. They are so beautiful. Nobody did something like that for me like, ever. The k you so much." I murmured against his clothes, my eyes welling up again.

He wrapped his arms around my body and looked down at me. "So, you're not disappointed that they are from me?" he softly asked. "What? How could I me disappointed at that? I have the biggest crush on you since -" I stopped myself when I realized the words coming right out of my mouth.

I slowly looked up into his teasing smile. "Hmm, a crush yeah?" my cheeks probably turned red like a tomato. he placed a hand on my cheeks and stroked it lovingly with his thumb. "I was so stunned when you offered Theo your help. I couldn't believe I never saw you before in school. I was so utterly falling in love that-"

Now he was the one who stopped mid sentence and I looked at him shocked. "Love?" He licked his lips and gulped before nodding slowly. "Yeah.. love at first sight or.. something like that. The told me it's called like that."

I couldn't believe my ears. Or my eyes. Was this really happening? "So, would you like to go on a date with me?" he asked me, still stroking my cheek. "Of course, I'd love to actually." I giggled, still wondering If this all was just a dream too good to be true.

[I feel like the ending kinda sucked but I couldn't do better right now, damn.]

thank you guys for reading, let me know how you liked it in the comments if u want to 💛

xoxo sarah <3

other info:

sunflower divider is by: @saradika 🌻

Mattheo was a real tease, and he knew it. No matter how hard y/n tried, he always managed to make her face all red in embarrassment.

This time was no different. The two of them sat together outside with his friends on a sunny spring day. It was the weekend so none of them had to wear their school outfits.

Mattheo always loved your outfits. The fitted your shy personality but also weren't too prude and showed some skin sometimes. Simple things like complimenting yo made your cheeks heat up, so he used being a nice boyfriend to his advantage.

"You look good today, did I told you that already? Like your sweater, looks cute on you." he mumbled against your hair, sitting beside you. You and his friends sat outside with a big blanket and some snacks in front of the black lake. So the fact that you were outside right now made it even worse for you and your cheeks. "Mattheo stoop." she whisper back, turning her head to look at him.

"What? Just telling the truth? Can't I tell my girlfriend that she looks nice?" Y/n felt Pansy looking at them, smiling like a goof. Pansy liked you very much, thinking you fit perfectly to Mattheo because your shyness and his boldness balanced each other out sometimes.

"Don't play innocent, I know what you're doing right now." she answers him, turning her head away from him again so he couldn't see her blushing cheeks.

"Oh come on, I'm just being nice baby, don't know what you mean. Wait, are you blushing?" he had a smug grin on his face, still holding his act up as If he didn't knew what he was doing. Still looking away, she shakes her head while she felt the heat creeping up into her face.

"Then look at me." he say's in a cocky tone, leaning forward to look at her face and maybe getting a glimpse of the red on her face which he found so damn cute. "No." she answered him stubborn, shaking her head again.

He gently grabbed her face and turned it towards him, kissing her hot cheek, leaving his lips on her skin for a few seconds before pulling away to see her widened eyes. "Damn, you're so adorable when you get all shy on me." he whispers into her ear. The heat in her face got almost unbearable, feeling like she'll overheat If he doesn't stop it. "Mattheo! Stop it!" she hisses at him, trying not to pull any attention to their conversation.

"What? Kissing my girlfriend's cheek?" again he smiles smugly, tilting his head to the side and playing dumb. "Yes." she says rolling her eyes at him. His eyebrows raised up, his mouth opened a little too. "Did you just roll your eyes on me, princess?" She had to bite down on her lip, realizing her 'mistake'. "No.." she says in a quiet voice, slowly shaking her head at him again.

"I'll kiss your whole face, don't try me." he states, looking at her with a serious face. She gulps, shakes her head again. "Don't." A wide grin forms on his lips when he leans closer to her again slowly. "Mattheo." she hisses in a warning tone but it's too late.

He grabs her and pulls her down on her back so her head falls down into his lap. She gasps when he leans down and starts kissing her whole face, smiling while doing so. She had to giggle, turning her face from left to right, trying to fight his kisses. "Mattheo stop!" she laughs loudly, all eyes on them now.

His friends start smiling at them, knowing that you're a shy one. Mattheo starts laughing too and adds his hands to your sides, tickling you lightly. Laugher fill the air from the two of you and your friends also, making your cheeks so red you could hide a tomato next to it. When he starts slowing down on her, the last kiss on her forehead, she look up at him with heart eyes. She felt so much joy in that moment that she didn't even realize that all of them looked at her and Mattheo, also not realizing what came out of her mouth without thinking.

"I love you.." she giggles quietly but loud enough for everyone to hear. His eyes go wide again, his jaw falls a little and he thought his heart stopped beating for a second. "What?" he whispers at her in total shock.

It was now that she realized what she told him for the first time. There is no explanation of how red her face got now, not just her cheeks anymore. He saw the worry in her eyes and the slight panic that started to creep up her neck. So he leans back down again and whispers "I love you too, y/n. With all my heart." and softly kisses her, not caring If they weren't alone. This was your moment, and no shyness could take that kiss from him.

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Little question: when are u the most active? And in what time zone do you live/where? would help me a lot so i know when to post 🫶🏻 little comment is enough, ty. hehe

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