Troubled Nott || Mattheo Riddle (ON HOLD)

24.

"You ready for another year of this shit?" Leila asked Scarlet as she opened her car door, the two of them back at Hogwarts School of Misery.

"No," Scarlet mumbled in annoyance, getting out and opening the back car door. "How did you go riding your new bike here?"

Leila snorted. "It's not as good as my old one but it gets me from place to place. Give me a month and she will be like my old one, hopefully."

"I still can't believe Lucius bought it for you," Theo said as he walked over to the pair with his bags.

"I still can't believe he let me come back to the Malfoy Manor," Leila cringed.

Anger flashed in Theo's eyes but then it quickly disappeared as he took out Leila's bags from the back of his sister's car since Leila still couldn't apply pressure on her wrist.

After Scarlet's fight with Mattheo, she hadn't heard from him again and neither had Theo which she guessed was good news for them, but she had a feeling he was back this year and that it would be awkward as hell in their group for a while.

Two days after the fight, the twin's father returned home which meant everyone else also had to leave, sadly.

Lucius Malfoy showed up at the Nott manor with Narcissa Malfoy, the both of them welcoming Leila back into the family with open arms. Leila didn't give in so easily though. She made them make a shit ton of agreements like no arranged marriages with family members, thank fucking god.

Blade went back to his home and Enz went with him like every holiday since his mother got sent away.

And the twins went who knows where. None of them know much about them, except Leila, but she wouldn't tell others anything.

"Lucius has been really nice. Like, weirdly nice," Leila explained to them as Scarlet grabbed her own bags and they walked toward the common room. "He made Drae take me shopping for new clothes and shit which he never did when I was living there. I have a feeling he's up to something but I'm not sure what."

"I think everyone's changing since You-Know-Who has returned," Theo said, pushing the painting open. "Our father came home in a shit mood but with gifts."

"He got me a black diamond bracelet," Scarlet told Leila, showing her the shiny bracelet on her wrist.

Leila whistled, looking closer at it. "I know what I'm asking Lucius for next."

Scarlet chuckled, stopping at Theo's door with Leila as he threw his bags on his bed before he came back out and they walked toward Scarlet's room.

"How do you think this year will go between you and Mattheo?" Leila asked Scarlet, making Theo look at his sister with concern.

Scarlet simply shrugged. "I couldn't care how it goes."

But she did care how it goes. She cared because her heart was pathetic when it came to that brown-eyed, heartbreaking boy.

'✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹

Scarlet walked with Leila and Theo into the Great Hall, looking around at all the familiar faces and smiles spread down each table as students ate and chattered with their friends.

"He actually showed up," Leila mumbled as Mattheo came into view, sitting with Drae, Blade, and Enz.

"I wish his jaw was still bruised," Theo gritted out in anger. Scarlet may have been pissed with her brother for half an hour after he hit Mattheo, but she was also filled with a small amount of pride that Mattheo was in pain like she was.

They pushed through a small group of students and Theo told two Slytherins to piss off from their seats before sitting down across from the boys.

"You left early this morning," Drae said to Leila as she started to fill her plate.

"I wanted to get here with Scar," Leila answered him, passing Scarlet a cup full of water that she thanked her for.

Scarlet avoided looking at Mattheo as she filled her own plate, taking a few bites of the roasted vegetables. With every bite, she could feel his eyes trained on her.

"The whole gang is back together," Kylo cheered, bringing Scarlet's attention to him and Declan as they strolled toward the Slytherins. "Is it weird that I missed you losers?"

Enz chuckled, throwing a piece of bread at him. "Shouldn't you two sit with your houses?"

"Kylo doesn't get along with the Hufflepuffs and I don't get along with the Gryffindors," Declan answered, sitting down next to Kylo who took the seat next to Leila.

"Plus," Kylo drawled before pressing a kiss to Leila's cheek, "I was missing Lei."

Scarlet's jaw dropped as Leila fucking blushed, but she quickly closed her mouth when she noticed Theo take in a deep breath, a muscle in his jaw tense.

"You look like you're going to kill someone," Scarlet whispered to her brother.

Blade looked up, hearing her, and noticing the look on Theo's face as he continued to stare at Kylo and Leila, the both of them now in conversation with Drae and Declan.

Scarlet hated seeing her brother like that. Looking as if he was trying to suppress his anger while also looking as if he might break down. She knew he had it bad for Leila, but if she wanted to be with Kylo then there was nothing they can do to stop that. He needed to make more of an effort. He needed to try and show her how he felt, at least.

"Good evening, children," Dumbledore announced from the dais, and they all stopped talking, giving their attention to him. "Now, we have two changes in staffing this year. We're pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking care of Magical Creatures, while Professor Hagrid is on temporary leave. We also wish to welcome our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Umbridge. I'm sure you'll all join me in wishing the professor's good luck. As usual, our caretaker, Mr. Filch, has asked me to remind you—" Dumbledore stopped talking as a lady dressed in all pink cleared her throat loudly, standing up.

"I've never seen so much pink," Enz whispered.

"It makes me sick," Leila said, not bothering to whisper and they all nodded their heads agreeing.

"Thank you, Headmaster, for those kind words of welcome. How lovely to see all your bright, happy faces smiling up at me. I'm sure we're all going to be very good friends," Umbridge said with the fakest smile Scarlet had ever seen.

"Maybe we should've gotten ourselves expelled," Blade groaned.

"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. Although each headmaster has brought something new to this historic school, progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged. Let us preserve what must be preserved, perfect what can be perfected, and prune practices that ought the be prohibited," she finished and sat back down as the hall filled with quiet chatter.

Dumbledore effortlessly clapped his hands. "Thank you, Professor Umbridge. That was really most illuminating. Now, finish up dinner and head back to your common rooms."

"Well, that was fun," Scarlet sarcastically commented, standing up. "I'm gonna go unpack the rest of my things."

"I'll walk with you," Mattheo said, taking her by absolute surprise as he started to rise from his seat.

"Sit the fuck down," Theo snapped, making all the boys tense up and Kylo protectively wrapped an arm around Leila. "You stay the hell away from my sister, Riddle."

Theo stood up, not taking his eyes off Mattheo as he threw an arm over Scarlet's shoulder and started leading them out of the Great Hall.

"This is going to be a great year," Scarlet sighed, leaning her head against his shoulder.