𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞 || Mattheo Riddle

²¹, the bride's choices

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? How are you, Lacey. I haven't seen you in a while." I can recognise their voices everywhere. "Where is your little boyfriend?" Bellatrix grins grabbing my jaw pulling me up. "We know he is here." "The poor boy fell for the witch we want so badly." There is total chaos around us. "He is not my boyfriend," I say struggling to break free. 

As she drops me my nose hits the ground, breaking it. "Him caring is going to get him killed, rather sooner than later." Bellatrix laughs as Greyback fires the spell. Every nerve in my body is set on fire and not in a good way. I feel like I am burned alive, my screams filling the entire room. "Stop it!" It stops and I see one of Fleur's nieces staring at me in fear. "Amilia run!" The girl does as I say and quickly makes her way out of this. The spell stops for a moment leaving me on the ground panting loudly. "Oh your his weakness and we got in because of him-" "The poor boy doesn't even know that." The two bully my best friend. "Crucio!" I screech when I feel the spell again.

"Lacey!" 

Hermione who was on her way to Ron and Potter stops running. "Go! Hermione! I will be fine, I promise." My voice is way too high as I am trying to get myself together. "No you won't-" Bellatrix whispers in my ear kneeling close to my head. A scream leaves my mouth before speaking.  "Yes I will-" I say at the same time as the Weasley brothers. "Yes, she will." 

~

I am holding a napkin against my nose, feeling dizzy, leaning against the wall, when the first people of the Order walk in again. I feel nauseous and Ginny is just on time holding the bucket in front of me, so I vomit in it. I cough when I am done pushing the bucket away, letting her put the warm cloth against my forehead again. 

"Are you sure you don't want to sit on a chair or anything?" Ginny mumbles carefully, not minding the people who just walked in. "I am going to be sick-" she backs away pushing the bucket back under my nose. As I puke I hear them quietly talking. 

"What happened with her?" It's George he sounds concerned. "I don't even know, when Bill and I arrived she already looked like this."  

"They were torturing her, it was bad, George." The groom responds, pain reflects in his voice. "We looked at this the wrong way, I don't think they were here for Harry...-" Charlie continues carefully, "they were here for her." George finishes glancing over at me. Sweat drips off my forehead, chills shoot through my body and my nose is still firmly bleeding. 

"Where is she?" The boy runs inside with some children. His eyes move over the room before stopping at me. "Are you okay?" He whispers brushing some of my hair behind my ear. "I will be. I am fine." "No your not-" "I am-" "Stop lying to me, Lacey." He states angrily while taking over the napkin I am holding against my nose. "I- I-" Oxygen gets stuck in my throat when thinking about it again. "I want to be normal-" I mutter in pain. 

"I know, you do. We will figure it out, don't worry." Molly stares at the boy for a moment before focusing herself on the group. 

"We need to find out who did this, who slipped information." 

"I bet it was that little snake- he is the reason they got in and ruined our brother's wedding." The red-haired boy, I once called my boyfriend, points at the boy in front of me. His eyes show that he's furious so I am doing the only thing I can do. 

"It was me, I am the reason they got inside-"

Everyone now glances at me and Mattheo stiffens, his hand folds around my fist. "They contacted me about a week ago, telling me they know where my family is hiding and even though we are not fully blood-related, he is one of the few I still call him my brother and-" "Sweetie, it is okay! Don't 'orry." Fleur bursts taking me in her arms. I didn't lie, not fully. They did come again this summer, they did threaten to kill my mom and my brother, but I didn't give in, they are still in hiding. The only reason Blaise can go to Hogwarts is that I told them I would kill every single one of them who dared to come close to us. I am not scared of him, he is scared of me.

"You are lying," the boy says furiously. "I am not, Fred. Why would I be lying about something like this? You should know better than others how much my family means to me." A fierce headache knocks me off my feet and I lean my head against the wall again. "Lace, stop being so stubborn and let me help," Molly says concerned coming closer. "Sure-" 

After she healed me I get outside with Matheo to get some fresh air. His arm around my waist makes sure I don't fall. 

"You shouldn't have done that, Lacey," 

The boy looks like he is about to faint and I haven't seen that a lot. "After this summer it shouldn't come as a surprise that I defended you-" I stop talking when I see how Fred and Angelina walk past us. "Snakes-" she mumbles making sure we can hear it. "Says the one who is dating a charity case-" A bit further Charlie and Bill are holding their snorts. I became quite close with the two oldest brothers over the summer, which pisses Fred off, a lot. 

"Don't talk to her like that-" "Listen closely Weasley, your little girlfriend ran away during the attack while Lacey stayed and protected most, it's not our fault your dating a scared little girl." 

I hide my head in his neck trying not to snort. 

"That's enough! I heard you two bickering all summer!" Molly shouts as she runs outside hitting both of us with a dishcloth. "Ouch, mom!" "No, you need to grow up, you lost an amazing girl because you were an idiot and it's not her fault that you are fed up about that!" She turns and I am not going to lie, she scares me. "And you- Stop defying my son all the time, like I said, I know he is an idiot and can be a pain in the ass, but it doesn't help to go all Slytherin on him." 

Silence.

A silence where I have to hold in my laughter. "All Slytherin on him?" Charlie chuckles also listening to the conversation. "Shut it, you all know what I mean!"