Troubled Nott || Mattheo Riddle (ON HOLD)

10.

"How's the pain?" Scarlet asked Mattheo as he sat down across from her with Blaise in the Great Hall.

"Not as bad as I thought it would be," Mattheo answered and Scarlet nodded, taking another bite of her eggs.

Enz chuckled, patting him on the shoulder. "At least you're alive, mate."

"Pat me again, Enz, and you won't be," Mattheo muttered with a glare.

"Hey, Scarlet." The girl looked over her shoulder with the boys to see Cedric standing behind her.

Scarlet turned around in her seat, facing him fully with a soft smile. "Hey, Diggory."

"I was, uh, wondering if you would like to come to the yule ball with me?" Cedric asked her, nervously scratching the back of his neck.

Theo spewed his pumpkin juice all over Draco who started swearing as Enz and Blaise sent Cedric death glares.

Scarlet sent Theo an annoyed look before facing back to Diggory with a small smile. "I would love to, Cedric, but I'm actually going with someone else."

"Oh," Cedric quietly said, making her feel a little bad. "Well, I hope whoever it is will treat you right."

She smiled at him. "I hope they do."

Cedric gave her a nod with a small smile before walking away and she turned back around in her seat to see all the boys staring at her.

"Who asked you to the ball?" Theo questioned, looking pissed as always.

Scarlet waved him off, grabbing her fork again. "Riddle."

"What?" Mattheo and Theo blurted with raised brows.

The boys all turned to Mattheo who was looking at Scarlet with confusion as she laughed at the looks on their faces.

"I didn't ask you yet," Mattheo said quickly, and then his eyes slightly widened. "I mean—"

"Yet?" Scarlet crooned with a smirk. "So, you were planning on asking me?"

"I—Well, uh, yeah," he stammered as she smiled at him, shaking her head with amusement at his flustered state.

"Parcel for you, Miss Nott," a small voice said from behind her. She turned around, smiling at the younger girl before taking a black box and turning around.

Scarlet placed the box down, taking off the lid and noticing the letter placed on top of a black fabric. She picked up the letter addressed to her and opened it, reading it to herself.

Scarlet Nott,

I haven't met you nor am I sure what color you prefer, but I suppose black goes with anything. This dress comes from our family line, and I hope my son makes the wise choice to take you to the Yule Ball. Enjoy the dress and my son. We'll be meeting soon.

- Tom Riddle.

"What the fuck?" Scarlet breathed, her heart dropping as her hands shook. "What are you playing at, Riddle?"

"What are you going on about?" Mattheo asked, taking the paper out of her hands.

Scarlet kept her eyes locked on Mattheo as he read the letter, his face paling before filling with rage as he shoved the letter into his pocket and got up, storming out of the Great Hall without another word.

"What the hell just happened?" Blaise asked as Theo grabbed his sister's arm, noticing her hands were still shaking.

"The dress is from his father," Scarlet whispered, her heart landing at her feet.

Enzo grabbed the box, pulling out the black dress as he looked for anything else within it.

"Maybe it's not actually from his father," Blaise tried. "It could be some cruel joke. I mean, everyone saw you hug him yesterday and you guys did date for a while."

"Nah, with the way Riddle acted, I don't think this is a joke," Theo stated, a hardness to his tone.

"I don't think it's a joke either," Scarlet admitted, grabbing her bag as she stood up. "I'm going for a walk." She turned away from them, leaving her dress behind as she walked out of the Great Hall, letting her anxiety take over.

'✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹

"The Yule Ball has been a tradition of the Triwizard Tournament since its inception," Professor McGonagall explained to all of the students as Scarlet sat with the girls, across from the boys. "On Christmas Eve night, we and our guests gather in the Great Hall for a night of well-mannered frivolity. As representatives of the host school, I expect each and every one of you to put your best foot forward. And I mean this literally, because the Yule Ball is, first and foremost, a dance."

All the girls started chattering excitedly as the boys groaned and that was when Scarlet noticed Mattheo staring at his hands, still looking angry.

"Silence," Professor said. "The house of Godric Gryffindor has commanded the respect of the wizarding world for nearly ten centuries. I will not have you, in the course of a single evening, besmirching that name by behaving like a babbling, bumbling band of baboons. Now, to dance is to let the body breathe. Inside every girl, a secret swan slumbers longing to burst forth and take flight."

"I already know how to dance. Why am I here?" Scarlet muttered to Granger who snorted.

"Inside every boy, a lordly lion prepared to prance. Mr. Weasley," Professor said to Ron.

"Yes?"

Professor strolled over to him, extending a hand. "Will you join me, please?"

Ron hesitated but stood up and Scarlet watched in amusement. "Now, place your right hand on my waist," Professor instructed him, and he listened, earning a whistle from Scarlet that made a few people laugh. "Mr. Filch, if you please."

Soft ballroom music started to play through the room as Professor McGonagall taught the dancing, using Ron as her dancing partner.

"Everybody come together," Professor said and Granger dragged Scarlet onto her feet, pulling her toward the seated boys with the rest of the girls. "Boys, on your feet."

None of the boys got up as the girls waited patiently. Then Neville stood up and slowly the boys followed. Granger let go of Scarlet's hand as Drae took her away to dance.

Scarlet groaned as four different boys walked straight toward her with too much confidence.

"She's with me," Mattheo stated, stepping in front of her with a warning in his eyes.

Scarlet rolled her eyes at Mattheo as the four boys quickly turned on their heels, finding someone else to dance with.

Mattheo turned around, offering his hand out to the annoyed girl. "Thought you might need some saving."

"I still need saving," Scarlet muttered, taking his hand.

Mattheo chuckled, placing a hand on her waist that made her body heat up as she placed a hand on his shoulder. Together they followed the steps, surprisingly not stepping on each other's feet.

"You'll never meet him," Mattheo suddenly whispered in her ear.

Scarlet pulled her head away from him as they continued to dance. "So, it really was from him?" A grave look cast over his face and she stepped away from him, stopping their dancing. "Why would he send that to me?"

"Because my father is cruel and trying to scare us both," Mattheo stated, pulling her back into him and they started dancing again. "I won't let him get near you, Scar. I mean that."

"And what about you?" She raised a brow with a concerned look. "If he's truly back, then he'll be trying to get to you."

"I'll let him near me if that means he stays away from you," he said softly into her head.

Scarlet pulled her head away again, looking into his chocolate brown eyes. For once she didn't feel any anger or hate toward him. "Promise me you won't betray me when it comes to this."

"I promise," Mattheo didn't hesitate to answer and she felt herself doubt his promise as she remembered the last time he promised her, only to break it and get her sent away.