INEVITABLE // Matteo Riddle

Chapter 1

-Berkley-

A loud clatter of footsteps ran down the hall beside my bedroom door. The footsteps rattle my bed, forcing me to open my eyes. As my eyelids separate, a stampede of light blinds my sensitive view. I blink rapidly, waiting for them to adjust. Moments later, things are clear and my eyes stagger across my room.

They land on the little feet that created shadows outside my door, and I dread what comes next. The door swings open and my little brother Mason is standing there holding his 'pet' tiger.

"Berkley?" he whispers loudly. I pretend to be asleep to achieve a couple more hours of rest, but his feet patter over beside me. He peers over and forces one eye open. His clammy hands let go and I shut it tighter. I feel his finger press into the side of my face over and over while he repeats the question, "are you awake?"

The spot he is pressing is burning up and I can feel it going red. He takes his hand from my face and now shakes my shoulders.

"Aaah! " I screech as I jump towards him. His face scrunches as he stumbles backward, his bottom lip quivers, and I rush towards him, trying to stop his tears. I say sorry over and over, not wanting him to go running, but soon enough he bursts out crying and runs downstairs to my mother.

I loved him but he was a complete menace and snitched for the smallest things. I could say it was more than tempting to throw him out a window.

I follow on behind his crocodile tears and stomp my way down the freshly carpeted stairs. I stop at the bottom of the stairs and look over to my mum, who is standing with her hands attached to her hips and one eyebrow raised in disappointment.

I ignore her sly expression and mock my brother in retaliation. "you are such a wuss you know, you're almost 11 and still running to mommy,"

"Berkley Anna Emmerson, do not speak to your brother like that," my mum says firmly.

Mason sticks his tongue out, and I quickly flip him off.

"Berkley, what did I just tell you?" she says, clearly irritated.

"Sorry mum," I say with a smile.

she smiles back at me and serves me up waffles with raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries.

"now if you stop being mean to your brother, you can have these delicious waffles," she says, circling them in front of me.

"I will be the best sister you have ever seen," I say with sarcasm

she pushes the plate towards me and as I reach out to grab it she pulls it back from my grip "nope say it more convincingly," she says

"I am so sorry," I smile. She rolls her eyes and pushes the waffles in front of me, I take a deep whiff and fill my nose with sweetness and citrus.

"your favorite for your first day of the sixth year," she says as she makes her way around the table. she grabs my head and places multiple kisses all over my face "my babies growing up so fast" she says pinching my cheeks teasingly.

I let out a chuckle as I release myself from her grip, she blabbers on about being responsible and other boring shit she says every year while I tuck into the toasty waffles.

the smell and warmth of the waffles bring me great comfort, reminding me of the days sat in the common room all huddled in front of the fire just chatting and drinking hot cocoa.

that feeling still felt too far away so to solve that problem I told a little white lie, you see I told my mum they changed the first day of school to, today but obviously, they hadn't.

I convinced her to drop me off at the Weasley's and they would take me, I already asked molly if it would be fine if I crashed there for a couple of days and she seemed keen to have me over so it was all planned out.

"Okay come on we best be off. Go get ready and grab your bags," my mum said in a slight rush. she takes my half-eaten plate and pushes me off upstairs.

"mum I told you I would change on the train cause I don't want to be sitting on a train in uncomfy clothes for hours straight," I say trying to find a valid reason to stay in my PJs.

"oh yes okay, just grab your bag then sweetie," she says still motioning me upstairs.

I rush up and grab the bag that looks so full the zipper might break, I packed for every occasion possible, I think I packed for the apocalypse, the desert, and mount Everest but you can never be too prepared.

I haul it all the way downstairs where my mum stops me. "okay now are you sure you have everything, I don't want to be mailing half the stuff up like last year"

"yes I am very sure, look at the bag does it look like I forgot anything?" I say with full confidence

"underwear?"

"what are you talking about? I've been going commando for the past year," I say with obvious sarcasm.

"well I had to mail three pairs last year," she says justifying her comment.

"Okay, okay let's just go," I say as I walk towards the door.

I blow one last kiss towards my house and then jump into the car. We drive down dull British roads lined with hundreds of cramped houses. I was focused on what my mum was saying for a while, but as we drove closer and closer Mum's voice becomes more muffled. I think the boredom of her small talk made me deaf. "Hey sweetie, do you still like that boy axel?" she says out of nowhere.

I stammer in disbelief that she still remembered that "uh- uh no that was ages ago mum"

"oh okay," she says giving me a little side-eye alluding to the fact she didn't believe me.

Okay now that you are probably wondering who axel is, let me clear one thing up I haven't had a crush since my first year obviously that boy was axel, Axel Richmond a perfectly groomed young bloke who was sweet. he was my first friend in Slytherin but don't get it twisted we are just friends and he never ever liked me like that okay.

he's super sweet and all but I guess that was the problem, after the first year I just stopped finding new things about him, instead he was the same old with new laughs. He was never interesting enough, never made me think on my feet he was always just too safe, too boring.

My mum clears her throat. "we're here," she says smiling with her pearly white grin.

"do you want me to take you in sweetie?" she says with puppy dog eyes.

"mum I'm sure I can walk from here to the front door by myself," I say as her face looks down to her lap with saddened eyes. "but you can always say hi to molly," I say achieving her smile back.

"Okay honey, let me grab your bag for you"

"Alright then"

I hop out of the car and make two small steps before the Weasley's door swings open and the boys come running out. Ron's fiery hair was blowing backward while harry was gripping his glasses forcing them to stay put.

Ron basically jumped on top of me and we both fell to the floor and laughed before Harry piled on, wrapping his arms around both of us.

"alright you missed me but get off before you suffocate me," I say sliding my way from beneath them.