Everyone rushes through the corridors, back to the Slytherin common room, for the big victory celebration. Students go crazy, all circling Mattheo and cheering at the top of their voices. In the centre of it all, Mattheo holds the trophy up in the air, the light reflecting off of it.
He looks so happy.
And then his gaze turns to me, and his grin gets bigger. His smile must've been contagious, because my face was tightened up in a smile too, watching as he walks towards me.
The students in his way magically part like the Red Sea, and he stops when he's right in front of me. He looks down at me with a smile, and hands his cup to Theodore in the crowd. He holds my waist and the students continue to make their noise.
One hand holds the side of my face, and I'm immediately lost in his eyes. My heart beats faster and faster, as I wait anticipating what he'd do next. We promised we wouldn't kiss, but part of me... if not all of me, was hoping he'd break that part of our deal.
But I didn't know what he was thinking. I couldn't have guessed what he'd do. But all I knew was I felt so safe, so happy, to be standing with him during his amazing victory. To feel proud of him, and to call him mine.
"I really want to kiss you, Camila."
My brows furrow and I look at Mattheo confused, and he nods.
Mattheo?
"Yes, my love?"
How are you-
"I think you should kiss me."
I can't even process what's going on, everything all happening at once. Hearing his voice in my head, but his lips aren't moving. Students shouting and jumping up and down, downing fire whiskey down their throats. Green robes everywhere. And one... one red one at the entrance of the common room.
I stop and take a breath, and look past Mattheo, and that's when I see him. My brother Josh stands there, looking sad or even disappointed, his brows furrowed as he looks at me but I can't read him properly. But I can guess what he'd want to say.
I don't know what happens to me, but I push Riddle's hands off of my waist, and everyone watches me as I leave the common room and head up to my dorm.
I lock the door behind me, and stand there in the middle of my room, only now just noticing that my breathing is extremely heavy. I can't control it, as my mind overflows with everything that just happened in the past twenty minutes.
It's too much to process.
What is he going to say?
Josh?
Mattheo?
I just left him there, with everyone he knows watching. I can't go back out there.
I begin to shake, and I take a seat on my bed, and take a sip of water from my bottle, trying to calm myself down.
It'll be alright.
I couldn't have kissed him in front of Josh anyway.
Why did I agree to this in the first place?
I really wanted to kiss him too.
But he'll never know that.
Josh is going to kill me.
Breathe.
A knock at the door.
Do I open it? No. Whoever it is invited them self in, and sits beside me. They don't say anything for a good minute, and soon my breathing calms down.
"Josh?"
"Mum sent me a letter." He says, his expression blank. I sit up straighter.
"She has? What did she say?"
"She knows, Camila." Is all he says and my jaw drops.
I don't react, and for once I'm speechless.
"Somehow, word got out about you and Mattheo, and she's pissed Camila. You haven't been responding to her owls either on top of that."
"Wait what?" I look at him confused. "I haven't received any letters from her."
"What do you mean?" He asks.
"I'm being serious Josh. I haven't got an-"
I stop for a second, and an idea suddenly comes to mind. I change the subject.
"So she's angry?" I ask him.
"Severely. She was talking about how she specifically asked you to stay away from him and you went and did the opposite." Josh explains.
"I-"
"I did try and warn you Camila." He says and I look down, partly ashamed of myself, but mostly sad.
Sad that I'll never be able to truly be with him.
"And also..." he starts. "There's something else."
"What is it?"
"She said that... if you don't end things with him and cut all ties with Riddle... she'll get you transferred to a different school."
"WHAT!?" I shout, instantly shooting up from my bed, standing in front of Josh and looking at him in utter disbelief. "She can't!"
"Camila, I'm really sorry." He says. "But you know what you have to do."
"But Josh I-"
He stands up and pulls me in for a hug as I stand there baffled. My eyes start to water up, and tears roll down my cheeks.
"If I could keep the secret for you, I would. I'd let you be with him, but it's not up to me Camila. She'll find out so easily. Everyone talks."
His words aren't going into my head as I still try to process what he's just told me. My breathing begins to grow heavy again, and I can't control it.
"Hey, are you okay?" He asks, and parts from the hug to look at me, but I'm a mess. I stand there, hands on my knees trying to catch my breath. He begins to panic. "Camila-"
I hold up a hand to let him know I'll be fine, and I slowly drop to the floor, and grip the carpet, tears streaming down my face, mascara probably everywhere.
I take deep breaths in and out in a rhythm, and my heart rate begins to slow down. One more breath in and out, and I wipe my eyes, my mascara going everywhere.
"Please, just go Josh." I beg him and he hesitates, but understands I need space, and then leaves me in my dorm.
Tears begin to stream once more, and I know it'll go on all night, because there's no way I'll be able to process all of this. And the problem is, my tears aren't just because of a simple thing.
They're all for him.
Every drop. For how I couldn't kiss him, for how my mother forbids me to be with him, for how all the precious moments we've had together have been fake, and I'll never get the chance to make it real.
Because if I try, I'll never be allowed at Hogwarts again.
But first, I need to go with my gut and confront the person who I think has been sabotaging the letters my mum has been sending me.