Cutting Corners | T N ✔︎

FOURTEEN ⁂ NOTT

The moment the scream echoes through the castle, eerie silence follows. My heart drops into my stomach and nausea washes over me like a wave.

It's a scream I recognize from our dorms. From one of the boys I consider brothers. From the nightmares that rip and tear at his dreams and haunt his waking hours.

"Mattheo." I whisper.

Gryphon's lips part in fear and she nods reluctantly. "Go."

I press a kiss to her lips and sprint around her, Coraline staying back with Gryphon. The halls seem to stretch on forever.

And as I turn the corner, a heartbreaking sight is before me. Mattheo is cradling a limp Novaline to his chest, sobbing into her neck. Her brothers and cousin stand nearby, Spencer holding back hiccups and Nathan stone-faced. Regulus is on his knees beside them, his head hanging with defeat as Gracie allows silent tears to pour down her cheeks.

"Please come back to me, little rebel, please." Mattheo begs into her, clinging onto her like she's his last shred of sanity.

I've never seen my best friend break, and yet here we are. Mattheo's shattered across the floor and the pieces of him will never be put together the way Novaline made them fit.

They were the closest resemblance of love that I'd ever witnessed, even if it was for a fraction of time. And now, I'll never get to witness their love again.

I snap myself out of it and make my way towards Mattheo's side, placing my hand on his shoulder.

Where the hell is Tom? Or even Enzo? They'd know what to do.

Mattheo looks up at me, eyes bloodshot and glossy. He's a fucking disaster. "Please help her... please, Theo... I'll do anything."

"Matty," I start, fighting the way my throat feels as though it's beginning to constrict, "she's gone."

He shakes his head, pressing his lips to her forehead once more.

"I know." He finally says, my heart shattering at the words. "Help me with her."

I'm careful when I lift her arm, slinging it over my shoulder. Mattheo's got the other draped across his own, gentle as though he might break her. He's struggling against the tears as Nathan, Spencer, Regulus, and Gracie follow behind us.

Our trek to the great hall is shorter than before. My brain spaces things out, steps turn into jumps and we're suddenly there.

The doors open magically and all eyes are on us.

Novaline's legs drag and her head hangs, blood dripping from her nose and her ears. I've never seen someone look so fucked up and at peace at the same time.

Gryphon presses a hand over her mouth and chokes on a sob, Coraline turning to hug her and block the view.

Hayden's heart is the biggest. It's also the most broken.

"No!" She screams, lunging forward but caught by Draco's arm around her waist. "No, please, no!"

Mona, Kaeda, and Annabella are all standing in silence, dropping their heads with respect. Sirius Black stands beside Harry Potter and the other two, his hand covering his mouth at the sight of his cousin.

Mattheo and I slow down near an empty cot and lower Novaline onto the blue fabric. Her skin is paling, lips tinting blue. Mattheo sits beside her and takes her hand into his own, pressing his lips to it.

It's now that I realize that the silence never finished.

With Novaline's death, and the death of the final horcrux she destroyed, Voldemort is dead. The war is over. The rest is up to the aurors now.