LUNACY ll Mattheo Riddle x Reader

45. ᴘʀᴏᴍɪꜱᴇ

I expect the worst the next morning. For McLaggen to have told the whole school about what I did to him yesterday afternoon. But two things have stopped any rumors from spreading- Firstly, nearly being throttled to death seems to have scared McLaggen into a state of silence, so it's the boy who ran for Snape that's telling the story, but as he never saw what actually happened, he's finding it difficult for people to take notice.

But the main reason for it is that another tale is being passed through the student body, as well as the faculty, too- The kind that makes my own story seem hardly worth listening to.

"Weasley, Longbottom, and Lovegood got caught sneaking into your mother's office!" Enzo exclaims, racing up to us at breakfast with his hair a bedraggled mess. "They were trying to steal something, I don't know what."

"Who caught them?" Draco frowns. "Can't have been my mother, she's off at the Ministry, meeting with Yaxley and Thicknesse."

"Didn't she leave her office in Snape's hands?" Theo asks.

"But Amycus is supposed to be her deputy when she's away," I point out.

Mattheo shakes his head. "Technically, yes, but Snape's been a family friend of hers for years, whereas she believes the Carrows to be a bit..."

"Unhinged?" Draco suggests.

"Precisely that," Mattheo nods. "So it was Snape, then. Anyone know what he did to them once they were caught?"

"Not sure, but he didn't hand them over to the Carrows like he was supposed to. They would've made their punishment another public spectacle if that were the case."

"And they seem pretty fine to me," I nod in the direction of the Gryffindor table, where Ginny and Neville are sitting together, not appearing particularly hurt in any way.

"Is that Blaise?" Enzo gawks.

We all watch as Blaise walks up to the Gryffindor table, taps Ginny on the shoulder, then says something to her. She looks alarmed at first, her hand already fisting and getting ready to throw a punch if she has to. But then her expression softens, and she gives an answer in return.

"Zabini," Mattheo calls, when Blaise returns to the Slytherin table. Theo, Draco, Enzo, and I all stare at him in surprise- None of us have talked to Blaise since that fight broke out on our first day back.

Blaise looks up but stays where he is, seeming to be internally arguing with himself. Muttering something under his breath, he eventually walks over to us.

"What did Weasley say?" Mattheo asks.

"Why should I-" Blaise sighs. "Snape sent her, Longbottom, and Lovegood into the Forbidden Forest to do some work for Hagrid. Need anything else?"

"Actually, yes," Mattheo sets down his glass of pumpkin juice and turns to fully face him. "Sit with us, Blaise."

Blaise stares at him for several seconds, as if waiting for a catch. When it never comes, "No, I don't think so."

"You're really going to let the matter of something so stupid as our parents wreck the years between you and these two?" Mattheo points two fingers in Draco and Theo's direction.

"Like that's not what you're doing? Discriminating according to people's ancestry?"

"Zabini," Mattheo grits out, "You know I've never believed in any of that-"

"I don't, actually, but let's say I take your word for it- Doesn't change the fact that they have," Blaise sends two glares Draco and Theo's way. "I appreciate you trying to- To get us back together or something, but I'd been putting up with their shit for years until you came along. Both of them always going on about blood-traitor this and Mudblood that-"