RIDDLE ME THIS

18

⚠️this chapter contains injury detail and death⚠️

i was grateful to be out of the cold dining room with Matteo close at my heels, Tom sulking further away.

i got to my bedroom and made to close the door but both of my brothers shouldered their way into the room.

"you need to tell Father what's going on." Tom said sternly.

"with what?!" i kicked my shoes off.

"you know exactly what! you didn't even try to eat your dinner!"

"Tom." Matteo warned, noticing the way my face dropped.

"get out." my voice was dangerously low.

"no! you need to start-"

"get the fuck away from me!" i yelled, so blinded by my anger that i drew my wand, pointing it at Tom's chest.

"woah," Matteo put a hand on my shoulder.

i ignored him, pushing him back against my wardrobe.

i stalked towards Tom. "don't ever fucking tell me what i should start doing!"

"i'm trying to do what's best for you!" his voice rose rapidly.

"you don't know what's best for me!"

"of course i do! i'm your brother!"

"no, Matteo is my brother." a wave of calm washed over me as i lowered my wand.

neither of the boys said anything, watching me in states of mild shock as i closed my curtains.

i felt one of them come up behind me, but i didn't move.

"Tom don't!" Matteo yelled.

i whirled round as Tom pushed me hard in the chest, knocking the air—but not the sense—out of me.

i grabbed his collar before i could fall, pulling myself close to him and using the force to switch out positions.

his eyes went wide as i kicked his legs out from under him, sending him backwards and... through the window.

i stood stock still as the cold night air breezed through the smashed glass.

Matteo gently pushed past me, poking his head through the fractured glass.

"shit," he whispered.

he didn't stop me climbing onto the windowsill next to him and peering out into the darkness.

Tom lay on the stone steps below, a pool of blood around his head.

his body lay at an awkward, unnatural angle and his eyes stared up at the starry sky, unseeing.

i pressed a shaking hand over my mouth.

"get away from there," Matteo pulled me
away, sitting me down on my bed. "stay here, don't go near the window."

he disappeared through the door and i listened to his footsteps recede.

Tom was dead?

even though Matteo told me not to look i still wanted to—i would've if i could will my legs to move.

a tear slipped down my cheek.

i'd go to Azkaban for this... even if it was an accident.

it was an accident?

it was an accident.

i didn't mean to push him... i didn't mean to push him, but he tried to push me.

so i was acting in self defence!

but i... killed him... my big brother.

i gasped, suddenly forgetting how to breathe.

i needed water.

i kept my hand against the wall as i made my way to the stairs, fumbling to find the bannister.

i looked through the window which overlooked the stairs where Tom lay in time to see a flash of green light.

it was enough to cause me to trip and fall down the stone staircase, almost tipping over the bannisters.

i hit my head on one of the steps and the spinning stopped as i stared up at the ceiling high above my head.

"Lola?" Matteo appeared from somewhere. "oh shit... To- Father!"

Father materialised next to us and i stared up at him, unable to move.

he waved his hand and i felt my body rise until i was hovering vertically at least a foot in the air, staring at my Father eye to eye.

"look at you..." he put a hand to the back of my head, causing me to flinch.

his fingers came away bloody, and he touched my face, squeezing my cheeks and smearing the blood on me.

"so angry..." he waved his hand again time and i began to rotate. "so beautiful..." i was beginning to feel sick. "and yet so weak."

i drifted to the left, hovering above the banister.

i looked down at the drop, which had to be at least thirty feet.

"you could've been strong. you could've pushed Tom from your window and not looked back... that's what a true Riddle would've done."

with that he clenched his fist, allowing gravity to take hold of me.

i didn't even get the chance to scream before i felt a jolt in my spine.

i stopped a foot from the ground—Father at least had some mercy in him.

Matteo rushed down the stairs and caught
me before i fell, taking my full weight and carrying me back to my room, passing Father who's anger was cold and icy.

"the Malfoys will be here tomorrow at seven." he told us. "be ready for six forty-five. i don't wish to see you during the day."

Matteo passed my bedroom, taking me to his.

"the window..." he said by way of explanation.

i didn't protest as he laid me on his large bed and removed my shoes.

"is Tom okay?" i croaked out as he went to his bathroom.

"he will be." he called over the sound of running water.

that didn't make me feel much better.

i said nothing as Matteo walked back towards me with a glass of water and a flannel.

i took the water from him and drained half the glass.

"alright," he frowned, taking the glass back and dipping the flannel in it. "turn around."

i did as he said and winced as he gently dabbed the back of my head.

"where were you trying to go?" Matteo asked.

"i... i needed..." fuck, what did i need? "i can't remember." i admitted with a sigh.

"that can't be good." he checked my head one more time then went back to the bathroom.

but not before i saw the once white flannel stained dark red, and the water which looked as if someone poured red food dye into it.

this was why we didn't snitch on each other.

it always ended in conflict.