Troubled Nott || Mattheo Riddle (ON HOLD)

11.

Scarlet pushed her way through the crowd with the boys as they made their way to the Pits. Mattheo hadn't mentioned anything about his father again since he spoke to Scarlet during their first of many dance lessons. She didn't know if that was a blessing or not, since every day after receiving the letter and dress, she had been on edge. To say the dress was elegantly beautiful was an understatement and she hated how much she loved it.

"Alright," Blade drawled as they stopped at the edge of the crowd, "Mattheo, you're up first against Declan Sabort from Gryffindor." He then turned to Scarlet. "And you're up against Lisa Turpin from Ravenclaw."

"This should be easy," Scarlet happily said, taking Mattheo's red hand wraps from Draco's hands. "I'll do it," she informed him as she turned to Mattheo who was already looking down at her with furrowed brows.

"Why are you doing it?" Mattheo asked her.

Scarlet snorted as she looked down, starting to wrap his left hand. "Because I'm trying to be nice. Don't ruin it, Riddle."

"This is weird as hell," Enzo mumbled.

"It's not weird," Scarlet argued, starting on Mattheo's right hand. "You idiots just aren't used to me being nice."

"That's my point," Enz retorted as Mattheo pulled his hands away, clenching and unclenching them into fists, checking she did a good enough job.

"Leave her alone," Mattheo finally added before pulling a lollipop out of his pocket and holding it out to her. "Hold this for me, will you?"

Scarlet smirked and looked up at him as she took the cherry lollipop. "I hope you know I'm eating it."

"That's what I hoped for," he mused with a smirk mirroring her own.

Scarlet hummed in amusement as she unwrapped the lollipop, popping the sucker in her mouth while staring into his eyes, noticing a faint dreamy look on his face.

"Now it's time for The Serpent verse Declan Sabort!" Dean announced, taking their attention to him as he climbed out of the Pit and a boy around their age with floppy brown hair and blue eyes jumped in. The crowd roared as Scarlet's eyes traveled up Sabort's left arm, admiring the patchwork tattoos.

"You've got this bro," Theo said to Mattheo, taking her attention away from the tattoos and back to Mattheo whose eyes had darkened. "Kick his ass."

Mattheo didn't say a word back to her brother as he stripped off his jacket before dropping into the pit. Scarlet watched with the boys as the crowd counted down with Dean and within seconds the first round began. Mattheo managed to land a few jabs to Sabort's ribs but nothing to his face yet and thankfully the same could be said for him.

A person caught Scarlet's attention at the edge of the crowd behind Sabort and her eyes widened in realization that Sabort had a brother. Yet, they looked almost like twins—maybe they were.

"You got this!" Enz shouted and Scarlet looked back to the fight, noticing Declan stagger back a few steps, holding his jaw. Mattheo had finally landed a punch to the boy's face.

"Come on, Riddle!" Scarlet cheered, cupping her hands around her mouth. "Finish him!"

The brother looked over at Scarlet, but she made sure not to make eye contact with him as Mattheo landed another punch, making Declan land on the ground. She cringed as Mattheo stood over him, landing one punch after the other.

"Call it!" Scarlet ordered Dean who was looking at Mattheo with fear and she couldn't even blame him. Mattheo was out of control.

Scarlet ignored her brother's protests as she dropped into the pit and ran over to Mattheo, grabbing his arm that was in the air. Her breath left her lungs as he whirled around on her before she could blink, his other fist up and ready to land a punch on her.