𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕾𝖜𝖊𝖊𝖙 𝕬𝖓𝖉 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕲𝖔𝖑𝖉𝖊𝖓
* * *
October 1994
Romy's sweaters for the Gryffindor Quidditch time were ready right in time, as the weather got colder with the beginning of November.
Rose knew her best friend had her hands full with the command, she wanted to help, but really, no one knew crochet like Romy.
Hence, she agreed to go drop the sweaters at the pitch with her while Gryffindors were practicing. But she was starting to regret because she could no longer see in front of her.
"I know you did a great job and all, because they're all so smooth and nice to the touch, but... why are they so big?" Rose exclaimed, trying to lower her arms so she could see.
"Stop complaining, you're only holding three." Romy rolled her eyes before stopping dead in her tracks. "Three!? You're holding three!"
"Yes, I can count Romy, thanks." Rose raised an eyebrow.
"Where's Oliver's sweatshirt?!" Romy exclaimed, panicking as she started to recount the sweaters, unfolding them hurriedly.
"How would I know?" Her best friend nonchalantly stood by, now only holding an unfolded sweatshirt in hand.
"I have to go get it, I can't just go there without his! He's the captain, he'll think I hate him!" Romy rambled.
Rose shrugged. "It's okay, you can just give him it at lunch."
"No, I have a better idea!" She passed all the pile of sweatshirts to her best friend who started to lose sight and balance. "I'll go get it, just start walking without me, I'll be as fast as I can!"
And she ran off.
"But, Romy, the common room is on the whole other side of the castle!" Rose shouted after her, not receiving any response.
She groaned, finding herself stuck with the delivery. She regretted getting out of bed. Not like Professor Potter wasn't going to drag her out of it again in an hour.
She started to stumble forwards, praying to Merlin no one was standing on her path or they would be rained on with clothes.
That is exactly what happened.
Mattheo Riddle, was taking advantage of the empty corridors to take a stroll and read his book in peace. There was always someone to bother him in the common room so he hated it there.
And there he found himself, bumping into something incredibly soft as he made a turn, losing his balance and falling, along with whoever was holding a mountain of sweatshirts at seven in the morning.
"Bollocks." He heard her mumble under her breath, as she took off the sweatshirt dangling on her head.
He looked up, seeing Primrose Valentine, the best friend of Romy Lupin. Things have somewhat always been tense between the Lupin girl and Mattheo. Neither could explain it, but both felt immediately uneasy when they were around each other.
It didn't help that they shared most of their classes. They both suspected it to be related to their family history. But at least, Professor Potter was never unfair to him. She acknowledged his great capacities and rewarded him accordingly.
He thought she'd hate him because he was his mother's son. But she didn't.
Anyhow, weirdly, for once, he found himself alone with Rose, and did not feel the unease. Perhaps because Andromeda wasn't around. He thought he'd associate the two girls and his feelings towards them, but it didn't seem to be the case.
"Sorry about that." Rose muttered, after she recovered from the initial shock that amongst everyone and anyone in the whole castle, she had to bump into Riddle.
Rose knew about the tense situation between the boy and her best friend. Really, everyone did. No one really bothered to call it out, they both just lived peacefully their own lives without meddling with the other. Romy wished Cedric was a bit more like Mattheo from that point of view.
She felt awkward around him. Didn't really know how to react, especially because Romy wasn't there. Romy wouldn't care, but what if she wasn't supposed to talk to him?
"What in the world are you doing, Valentine? Are you doing laundry for the whole Hufflepuff house?" Mattheo looked down, standing up after picking up his book.
"No. Romy needed help getting all these to the Quidditch pitch." She replied, not looking at him, instead deciding to stay on the floor and start folding the sweatshirts, in an attempt to make it easier to carry.
"Right, and where is Andromeda?" Mattheo looked around for the blonde.
"She forgot one of these." She held up the next sweatshirt, stealing a quick glance at him.
Damn. Mattheo Riddle was quite handsome.
"I see. Best of luck being a delivery girl." He said, turning on his feet, ready to go back to where he came from.
Rose rolled her eyes, continuing on her task mindlessly, wondering if Romy had arrived already. She made a mental note to tell her to find a way to make the clothes lighter when she added her magic to them.
Clothes had no business being this heavy, they're just clothes.
Romy was skinnier and smaller than Rose was too, so she didn't know where she got that strength from. Maybe crochet is a good exercise for the arms.
Lost in thoughts, she didn't immediately realize Mattheo was standing in front of her again. Upon noticing, she tilted her head curiously.
"Yes?"
"Do you require some assistance?" He mumbled, barely loud enough for her to hear.
She raised her eyebrows, surprised. "Mr. Riddle, are you offering me a helping hand?" She teased.
She didn't know where her amusement came from, but he didn't seem offended so she didn't bother hiding her smirk.
"It is my duty as a Prefect to aid others." He excused his actions, kneeling down in front of her and helping her folding the rest of the sweaters.
Once done, he picked up five of the seven, and stood back up. "You said we were headed to the Quidditch pitch?"
"We? Uh. Yes." She responded hesitantly, standing up with the two sweaters in hand.
He nodded, starting to walk away in the direction of the pitch, the girl quickly rushing to fall into step with him.
"Thanks." She said, stealing a glance at him.
"No worries."
It was silent for a moment between them, but now neither of them felt awkward. It all felt almost natural.
"Can I ask why you helped me?" She tried to strike a conversation.
"You don't imagine me that heartless, do you?" He raised an eyebrow at her, his tone almost a teasing one, but she wasn't able to tell, she didn't know him well enough to know.
"Are you admitting you have a heart?" She chuckled.
Mattheo felt weird when he heard her chuckle. It was a pleasant sound.
"Far from it, Valentine. Do not let this get to your head, you just looked like a lost kitten."
"I was folding sweatshirts." Rose shook her head.
The Slytherin boy shrugged in response. When they made it there, they stood for a second, unsure what to do. Rose looked back, and when she didn't see Romy, she decided to just walk into the pitch. Romy would catch up eventually, and she wasn't going to make Mattheo wait around like that.
"Hey! This is a Gryffindor practice, you can't be here!" Oliver ascended from the goalposts, getting off his broomstick and stomping towards the Slytherin and Hufflepuff.
"That's one way to thank us." Mattheo coldly stated.
His tone seemed to have completely changed between a moment ago, when he casually talked with Rose, and now.
"We come bearing gifts?" Rose hesitantly replied, unsure of what else to say, as both her and Mattheo laid the sweatshirts on the benches.
Oliver looked down at the items they brought, still a bit suspicious. "Andromeda sent you?"
"Yeah, she's got yours, she's coming." Rose nodded, before noticing the running figure at the entrance. "And here she comes."
"I... Have it. I have it!" She blurted out, panting and leaning forward, her hands on her knees. "Give me a second."
Mattheo looked at Rose who shrugged.
"Okay. I'm fine. Here you go, Oliver." Romy handed the goalkeeper his sweater when she finally recovered.
"Thank you Andromeda, don't hesitate to ask me for anything you need." He smiled at the blonde.
Romy nodded, blushing slightly. Mattheo seemed to take notice of it, raising an eyebrow, and receiving a little nudge from the Hufflepuff standing next to him. She had noticed it too, and she winked. The Slytherin look away without a word.
"Come on Rosie, let's-" Romy stopped dead in her tracks when she finally noticed Mattheo.
The Riddle boy and Lupin girl just stared at each other for a few seconds without a word.
"Uh... He helped me carry the sweaters here." Rose attempted to explain his presence.
"Oh. Okay. Thank you." She nodded gratefully at him.
He nodded in response.
* * *
To remind u, mattheo is gonna be nothing like u know him as