Two Worlds Apart - Fancast Slytherin Boys

Chapter 11: Acting

Theo stilled. Even from where Mattheo was standing, he could tell that what Lorenzo said had hurt him deeply. "D-don't say that," Theo stuttered, his eyes falling onto the ground. He fiddled anxiously with his hands, hiding them behind his back. Mattheo spotted a hint of silver beneath the sleeve of Theo's robe.

"Oh yeah? Why? You know I'm right," Enzo responded, crossing his arms, "or are you too busy snooping around other people's stuff to even notice?"

"Enzo please," Theo pleaded, his voice breaking evidently. Mattheo watched in anticipation.

Lorenzo drew his lips into a thin line. For a moment it seemed like he was about to say something but right before the words left his mouth, he closed it again. He looked down at his hands. They were shaking.

Theo had seen it now too. He collected himself. "Do you see what I mean?" He asked quietly, nodding towards Lorenzo's hands.

Enzo kept staring at them. His expression changed from angry to one full of worry. He paused for a moment and then snapped his head up.

Mattheo pulled himself back behind the wall with one swift move before taking off down the hall.

"So," Mattheo started, his voice trailing off, "do you know what happened between Theo and Draco that night? Have you spoken to either of them?"

It was a few days later. Mattheo and Lorenzo hadn't spoken since the last time they met at The Astronomy Tower.

Mattheo looked up at Lorenzo who's standing up, his elbows on the railing of the Astronomy Tower. Mattheo sat down on the ground, his legs dangling off the side of the building. He leant forward to look down, the lower part of the railing stopping him by his stomach from falling down. Lorenzo turned around, now leaning his back against the railing. He stared ahead for a few moments. "Draco despises him for lying to us," Enzo explained, "but unfortunately he's more pissed at you."

Mattheo snorted out a laugh, the heat from his breath mixing with the cold winter air. It was dark outside but the tower was dimly lit. "Of course he is."

Enzo sighed and sank to the floor. "Besides, his loyalty to Theo is way beyond some ruthless fight."

Mattheo took a sharp breath. "And yours?" Mattheo thought back to what he had overheard in the hall between Lorenzo and Theodore.

Lorenzo paused for a few moments, then turned his head to look at Mattheo. "He's my best friend," he explained slowly, "but he's also hot-headed, unpredictable, annoying and absolutely infuriating."

Mattheo didn't say anything, although he definitely agreed. "What he did to you was unbelievable. He knows that too. But he's been through so much."

"—not that that's an excuse for what he did to you."

Mattheo almost wanted to laugh, and it took him a lot of self-restraint not to. "And what about me? You think he has even considered how I might've felt?"

Lorenzo was stunned by Mattheo's response, but before he managed to utter another word, Mattheo was already speaking again. "That man is my father. I've lived with him for sixteen years. There is absolutely nothing that could've happened to Theo that comes even remotely close to what I've been through."

Lorenzo sniffled, still trying to piece words together in his mind. "I know that," he replied, "I'm just saying that he has his reasons."

"Like?"

"Well," Lorenzo paused, "he had a sister."

Mattheo narrowed his eyes, clearly not following Lorenzo's explanation. "She died at birth."

Mattheo's heart sank as Enzo took a deep breath. "Both of his parents turned to alcohol after that," his voice lowered, "and Theo thinks we know but I've seen his bruises before. They're awful."

Mattheo swallowed the caught up salvia in his throat. "I didn't know that," he whispered in a shaky breath. It turns out there was more to Theo than what meets the eye.

Lorenzo shrugged. "Well you weren't supposed to."

Mattheo ran a hand through his dark curls, taking Enzo's words in. Maybe Theo did have somewhat of an explanation behind his behavior, but it still didn't excuse why acted that way and told everyone.

"Can I ask you something?" Enzo questioned suddenly.

Mattheo raised his eyebrows and watched Lorenzo as he finished his internal puzzle of putting the right words together. "What happened the other day?" Enzo paused, sucking in a breath, "in class, I mean."

Mattheo closed his eyes. A few moments passed before he responded. "My father is a bad man," Mattheo whispered, eyes darting down to look at his hands. "I know what he's done and I do not wish to be like him," he added, picking at some of the flaky skin by his nails.

Mattheo had no idea why he was even telling Enzo about this, but for some reason, talking to Lorenzo was just so easy.

Mattheo finally looked up into the night sky. He felt Enzo's eyes drilling into the side of his face. "I don't know, I think hearing those things from someone I've never even spoken to before," he shook his head, unable to hide the emotions in his voice, "it just- it took me right back to that place and I-," he couldn't continue his sentence, not even if he wanted to. Lorenzo's gaze softened and he sat down next to him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's okay," he whispered as Mattheo rubbed his eyes to hide the tears which threatened to fall.

"It's okay."

A/N

Okay wow. I don't know how I feel about this chapter at all but here it is. 

Shoutout to Elly for helping me out and to that one person who said it would take me a year to write this. (I suppose you were kind of right but I did try to be quick)

I have decided to stop uploading to ao3 but I will of course be continuing here on wattpad, and as I said in the beginning I am switching to past tense since I always despised writing in present time. 

Other than that, I hope you enjoyed my boys being sad yet again and I'd love some thoughts. Love you guys and I hope you enjoyed it so far. I am genuinely blown away by the support and it blows my mind that so many of you care so much for my silly little story.