if one of them is dead.

chapter forty-one.

Lilith.

"Ms. Snape! Mr. Riddle! Mr. Zabini!"

The three of us turn to Professor Slughorn, and start walking towards him.

"Hello, Professor," I say, smiling as I adjust the bag on my shoulder. Mattheo goes to grab it from me, but I move away from him. "I'm fine. Quit it," I whisper, and he nods but still rolls his eyes, earning a small slap on the arm.

"Professor," Blaise and Mattheo say at the same time.

"You three are quite the trio," Slughorn says, laughing. "It's nearing the end of the year, as you know."

I chuckle. "We still have like two months left, Professor."

"Why of course," he says, nodding. "But, we are closer to the end of the year than we were a month ago. Isn't that right?"

"That's right," I say. Funny how I'm supposed to be the talkative one out of the three of us. Maybe because they're both just as rude as me, but I'm better at putting on my nice face.

"Is there something going on, Professor?" Blaise asks, clearing his throat quietly. "We have to get to Transfiguration."

"Oh, yes, of course," Slughorn says, nodding. "Well, I just wanted to invite the three of you to my end of year party. For the Slug Club only, except for your plus ones, of course." He smiles, chuckles, and looks at Mattheo and I. "By the looks of it, I'm guessing that you two don't need the plus one, correct?"

Mattheo smirks and nods. I wish I could punch him right now.

"We'll definitely be coming to it, Professor," I say, ignoring Mattheo. "When did you say it was?"

"Two weeks from now. In the same room as the Christmas party— Well, you'll have to have these two show you to it."

☯︎︎

I reach over the table during our study hour, trying to grab a paper from Mattheo. He grabs it and moves it out of my reach.

"Asshole, give it to me," I say, trying to grab it form him. He shakes his head and smirks. "I need that, you fuckface."

"Your insults are not going to make me give it back to you," he says, shaking his head.

"Well, I'm not going to do anything else. So give it to me before I punch you."

"Mhm."

"At least they're not fighting anymore," Pansy whispers to Draco.

"I think I liked it better when they were fighting," Draco mutters. "They're too lovey dovey now. I don't like it."

Blaise rolls his eyes, putting his arm around Luna. "I think you should be happy for them. Just because the two of you can't hold a relationship with anyone doesn't mean that you have to gag every time they smile at each other."

"We saw them almost naked," Draco defends quietly.

"Okay, they were half way dressed," Blaise retorts. "And that was your guys' idea to just waltz in there when they could have been having sex."

Luna smiles to herself. "You all are a very odd bunch, aren't you?"

"Quite," I grunt, trying harder to grab the paper. A second later, the paper is grabbed from Mattheo's hands. We both stop, and all of us look at my father standing behind Mattheo with the paper in his hands. He looks it over before looking at me and raising a brow.

Then he looks at Mattheo. "You shouldn't keep things that my daughter needs from her," he says slowly.

Mattheo clears his throat. "Yeah, sorry about that, Professor."

"Are you?"

"Dad, leave it," I say, making him look at me. "It's not a big deal. We were just joking around."

"Were we?"

I huff out a sigh. "Yes, Dad, we were. Can I have my paper now?"

He looks at me for a moment longer before handing it to me. I grab it from him, glancing at him, then start writing on the paper. Mattheo turns back around to face me. I can tell that my dad is still there because Mattheo is tense. Draco clears his throat, trying to start talking to Pansy about a Potions essay.

Mattheo lets out a sigh of relief as soon as my father's footsteps start, and he leaves us.

"Merlin," he mutters.

"I think he still hates you," I say quietly. Dad isn't that far away from us, so we still have to be quiet about it.

"Did you just ask me if Professor McGonagall used to be a stripper?"

I glance at Dad and have to try not to laugh as he looks at a kid, horrified and disgusted.

"Probably still thinks you got Lil pregnant," Pansy whispers.

I shake my head. "Why do people think that? I mean, seriously."

"Well," Mattheo says, glancing at me, "I believe your father said something about us not sleeping together."

Blaise snickers. "Yeah, well, you don't have to worry about that anymore."

I slap his arm and glare at him, and he snickers some more. Mattheo smirks.

Assholes.