RIDDLE ME THIS

22

MATTEO

only when i could no longer hear Draco's footsteps did i let my tears fall.

i held Lola's cold hand and rested my head on her stomach, allowing my warm tears to seep into the white linen.

"i'm sorry," i whispered. "i'm sorry i couldn't protect you."

she sighed and my head shot up, expecting to see her green-brown eyes staring confusedly at me.

but her eyes were closed and she hadn't moved.

i quickly wiped my face and dabbed at the wet area on the sheets as footsteps echoed closer.

Draco entered the room, a glass of water in his hand.

"supper is being made now," he told me.

"alright, thanks." i took the glass from him.

we quickly lapsed into silence as Draco sat on an armchair next to the fire.

his eyelashes were wet and stuck together, almost as is he'd been... crying.

i stayed by Lola's side, staring down at her pale face.

"what are you going to do if you see Tom?" Draco broke the silence.

i grinned a little. "hold him down while Lola kills him."

"i feel like you're not joking."

"no."

silence fell again.

"does that scare you?" i asked.

"it should," he sighed. "but it doesn't."

Draco and i ate our dinner in the bedroom, neither of us wanting to leave Lola's side.

we didn't talk, but we didn't need to.

the only sounds in the room were the pops of the fire, our cutlery clicking on our plates and—if you listened hard enough—Lola's breathing.

i finished my food and leaned back in the chair, taking time to study Draco's face.

he looked up from his book and raised his eyebrows. "what?"

"you care about her," i stated.

"of course i do."

i looked over at my sister.

"you'll be good for her," i decided. "and she'll be good to you."

he closed his book quietly. "what's that meant to mean?"

"you're a good person deep down," i told him. "when you want to be."

"thanks?" he frowned.

"you're welcome," i leaned forward. "but if you hurt her-"

"i wouldn't," he interrupted. "i've seen how you fight."

i grinned. "it's not me you should be worried about."

"Tom?" he asked doubtfully.

i shook my head. "she almost killed her last boyfriend, Viktor Krum."

"what?" his head snapped towards me at the name. "when?"

"fourth year," i nodded. "he was at Hogwarts, actually, competing in triwizard tournament and got involved with someone else."

"merlin's beard," Draco laughed a little. "that was Potter's friend, Granger."

"you shouldn't have told me that," i grinned. "i'll never let her live it down."

i leaned back, reminiscing on our Durmstrang days.

"she caught him reading a letter from Granger," i laughed. "so she chased him into the boys toilets—somewhere Viktor thought she wouldn't follow him..."

"what happened?"

"she stupefied him, then carved her name into his forehead so that anyone who kissed him would think of Lola." i shook my head. "lucky he has a good team of healers around him."

"i told her she should've carved her name into Potter's head instead of his neck." he grinned.

"funnily enough that's not even what got us expelled."

"what did?"

"after the incident, we lost a Quidditch match against Krum's team, so she hit a bludger at the Founder's memorial statues... she said it was an accident, but the statues were at least half a mile away from the pitch."

"she was a beater?"

"she's everything." we both knew i wasn't only talking about Quidditch. "she'd form a one-woman team if she could—and win every damn match."

"i can really see her doing that." he laughed.

"she's pretty cool." i gazed at my little sister.

"she's going to be fine, Matteo."

"i know," i said. "but i'm still afraid."