War, Love, and Riddle //Matteo Riddle x OC

Chapter Twenty Seven

"Matteo" Hermione's voice carries through the room as he turns his head to look up at her. The instant he does he feels his legs get weak. Pansy's hands go to his back as all their friends watch Hermione and Ron walk closer to them. Hermione's face tear streaked, Matteo knew....he knew exactly what she was about to say. Some how his body just stood frozen, everyone moving around him as he just stood there watching Hermione in slow motion as she handed him a vile of something. He could only make out Dumbledore and pensive from her words. "I need to go after her." his voice coming out strangled. Hermione stands in front of him as she shakes her head no. "They have to do this Matteo. It's the only way." fresh tears falling off her cheeks. "I don't fucking care about saving the world! I don't give a damn if this world burns to the fucking ground as long as she is safe....as long as she is home with me. She is my world!" his shouting made Hermione and Pansy flinch. "I'm sorry Matteo. She wanted me to tell you that meeting you was the greatest happiness of her life. Just Emma and just Matteo...forever." Hermione has never seen a man fall to his knees and sob before.....watching Matteo break down was almost too much to handle.

After a few moments Theo and Pansy help Matteo up as they lead him towards Dumbledore's office. The Slytherin friends were all silent as they walked together, trying to comfort each other. All of them in disbelief, everything Emma has been preparing for.....everything she said was coming true. She was going to die in this battle, all of them feeling the emotional tidal wave hitting them right in the chest....right in their hearts. The Slytherin group have been friends since year one but it wasn't until Emma came along when they truly felt like their little group was a family. She had a way of bringing them together, caring for them, loving them. Emma showed them all what love meant and now they were loosing her.....loosing someone who loved them unconditionally.

The pensive is right where Emma and Harry left it, Pansy holding Matteo's arm as he walks up pouring his wife's tears out of the vial. He slowly puts his head into the sliver white cloud like liquid. All of Emma's memoires of them from the moment they met until their last moment floated through the pensive. She had loved him the moment her eyes found him when she was sorted into Slytherin. She didn't realize that little feeling blooming in her chest was love, but Matteo knew...he knew what it was because he felt the exact same way except he knew he loved her the moment those light green eyes found his. He watched the way her love for him grew with each passing day until it was so overwhelming it could knock you off your feet. He watched as her need to protect Harry at all cost shifted into wanting to protect Matteo...wanting to keep him safe from his parents....wanting to take his childhood trauma away and fill it with a future full of love. He watched as his love healed the broken pieces in her. Emma's memoires floating around him like a book retelling their love story, the most breathtaking love story Matteo would ever read. Her last memory was her standing in the same room as him, she looks at her reflection in one of the glass doors. Tears streaming down her face "Matty....." her voice surrounding him like a siren song. "You have woven into my very being so deeply that no one would ever compare to you. You are the reason I laugh, the reason I light up, the reason I found true happiness...you Matteo Riddle are the greatest love of my life now and forever. I hope you see yourself through my eyes....see how exceptionally incredible you are. How much you deserve to be loved fiercely and infinitely. I wanted to give you the world....the moon....the stars...the whole fucking universe. I'm so sorry baby....I'm sorry for not saying goodbye properly but I knew if I looked into those chocolate eyes I wouldn't have gone. I have to do this Matteo....for you, for our friends...they deserve to live. Promise me you will move on. Promise me you will live. Live for me....I love you, just Matteo. I'll find you in the next life." her voice fades and her memories with it. Matteo moves his head out of the pensive as everyone watches him carefully. He walks away without a word as everyone looks at each other confused. "Matteo! Where are you going?" Enzo asks in worry. He doesn't look back at his friends, he just continues walking out of Dumbledore's office. "I'm going to save my wife." he answers them as they all chase after him.

Harry and Emma walk through the forbidden forest their words caught in their throat. Emma continues to slowly walk not realizing her brother has stopped for a moment. Harry pulls out the golden snitch from his pocket whispering that he was ready to die before bringing the snitch up to his lips and kissing it. The snitch opens relieving the resurrection stone. "Emma" Harry whispers as she stops, turning around to watch her brother in shock. The stone floats out of the snitch causing her to rush over to her brothers side. Harry grabs a hold of it as Emma takes and puts her hand over his, both of them closing their eyes. When they open they see their parents, Sirius and Remus standing before them. Emma felt the tears free flowing down her cheeks. Their mother holding her hand out towards them, both of them walking over to her as they try to take her hand in theirs but she wasn't solid and their hands went right through hers. Deep, profound emptiness filled Emma's heart. All she wanted was to feel her mothers touch."You've both been so brave, my sweethearts." their mother tells them. "Why are you here? All of you?" Harry asks her as Emma gives him a glare. She didn't care why they were here, she was just happy to see them one last time. "We never left" she tells them as Emma nods her head knowing exactly what she meant. Emma has always felt them in her most important moments and her most mundane moments. They have always been with her.

Emma looks over to Sirius "Does...does it hurt? Dying?" she asks him. Harry turns his attention to his sister and Sirius. "Quicker than falling asleep" he tells her, a faint smile on his lips. "You're nearly there" Their father tells them from behind them. They quickly turn to look at him, Emma couldn't help noticing how much Harry looked like him. "I never wanted any of you to die for me.....die for us." Harry begins as he turns to look at Lupin. "And, Remus, your son...." Harry shakes his head, him and Emma knew exactly how Teddy would feel growing up...his parents dead as he tries to go through life without them. It was a pain they wished on no one. "Others will tell him what his mother and father died for. One day, he'll understand." he tells the twins. Emma knew no matter how they died it still wouldn't replace the unimaginable pain of loosing your parents. Both of them look around them surrounded by their loved ones. "You'll stay with us?" Emma asks her voice cracking. "Until the end." her father gives her a somber smile. "And he won't be able to see you?" Harry asks "No, we're here, you see." Sirius tells him pointing towards his heart. "Stay close to us" Emma says as their mother looks at the twins teary eyed. "Always." Emma takes one last long look at them, Harry opens his hand as the stone drops to the forest floor ensuring it become lost forever.

"I thought they would come" Voldemort's voice rings throughout the clearing in the forest. He turns to look at Bellatrix for a moment, she watches him carefully before quickly looking down. As he turns to walk away a quiet murmur circulates though the death eaters as they see the twins come through the thick trees. Emma felt her entire body seize in fear as she see's Bellatrix, her torture playing though her memories. Emma could feel a breeze guiding her to continue walking. Her eyes find his, those dark pits of darkness. She has never known a more evil, vile man in her life as Voldemort looks at the twins. "Harry....Emma? No! What are you doing here?!" Hagrid cries out as he see's the twins. Emma's eyes widen as she see's the ropes around his neck keeping him in place. "Quiet!" one of the men snaps at him. "Harry and Emma Potter. The siblings who lived. Come to die." his voice was like a slither in their ears as Emma tried to stand tall. She wouldn't let him see her weak, wouldn't dare let him see her cower. Nagini comes through the forest past Hagrid and right up to Voldemort, the perfect pet. Emma hoped their friends would be able to kill her....kill the last horcrux. The elder wand pointed towards the twins. Both of them closing their eyes at the same time, Emma's hand finding Harry's in comfort. All she could think about was those chocolate brown eyes staring at her with love, those soft lips tilted into a smile. "Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort yells the forest illuminated in green.