𝙃𝙀𝘼𝙍𝙏𝙇𝙀𝙎𝙎 | mattheo riddle

56 | breakdown

Suddenly, the whole class is interrupted when Henry enters the room, making a grand entrance.

Mattheo does it better.

Mattheo smirks, knowing what Layla is thinking but he also notices her starting to get anxious as he watches her from the row behind. He notices her bopping her leg up and down, and twisting the ring he gave her in her finger.

"The shield." Mattheo gasps under his breath, having a sudden epiphany.

"Layla? Layla can you hear me?"

No response.

"Ah what a wonderful surprise! Everyone please welcome Henry Peters. He'll be joining our Potions class." The professor says happily, welcoming him in.

Henry stops to take a look around, and Layla just hopes he doesn't sit beside her, but of course, he does.

He makes his way over to her, taking a seat beside her, with Mattheo sitting behind them, clenching his jaw and glaring at him intensely.

As Henry sits down, he glances backwards, taking notice of Mattheo as he sends Riddle a malicious grin, before turning back around and moving his arm around the back of Layla's chair.

Mattheo is just about on the verge of jumping out of his seat and smashing Henry's head into pieces but his boys look back at him, sending him a serious look.

"Don't do it." Liam mouthes from across the classroom.

Mattheo takes a deep breath, trying to compose himself, but it's quite difficult when he sees Henry whispering things into Layla's ear, making her giggle.

"Those fucking giggles better be bloody fake Lopez. I swear on Merlin."

"So, I'm assuming that's Mattheo Martinez behind us then?" Henry asks Layla, and with a gulp she nods.

"Yep. That's him." She sighs.

"He seems angry." Henry scoffs.

"He always is... especially now that he knows I've switched sides. I'm assuming he's not happy about that."

"Clearly." He chuckles, and he turns his body more towards her, his hand resting on her thigh. "Anyway, I'd like to see you at the party in the Gryffindor common room Layla. I want you to be there for me."

Her brows raise as she looks at him, slightly surprised at his request.

"Wow, yes of course I'll be there. I'm sure there'll be some uh... jealous Gryffindor girls there to glare me down but sure." She laughs nervously, and Mattheo watches their interaction, his fists tightening with each passing second.

"Ah yes. I'm like a messiah or something to them." Henry says, looking all proud. "But you can ignore them. It'll just be me and you." He whispers, his hand snaking around her neck.

"Fuck this." Mattheo scoffs, getting up out of seat, catching the attention of everyone in the classroom as he angrily leaves the room.

Henry laughs as he exists and the professor just stands there in shock.

"Layla, if you will." The professor sighs, pointing to the door.

Layla just nods nervously and hesitantly gets up out of her seat, looking back at Henry who's not happy about this.

"I'll be right back." She whispers to Henry, before leaving the classroom and catching up with Mattheo who's pacing back and forth in the hallway. "Riddle? What was that all about?"

"God, why are you here? Just go back to Spector." He spits and Layla looks at him confused.

"Can you keep your voice down, Riddle!? What's gotten you so riled up anyway? Why are you so mad about it?"

"What's gotten me riled up? Aha, it's just the fact that I have to sit behind you and that fucking idiot, watching him put his hands all over you!"

"Mattheo, it's a facade. It's part of the mission." I tell him and he scoffs, rubbing his face.

"Well you seemed to be enjoying it." He says, his face totally serious and Layla just stands there, looking at him in shock.

"Enjoying it? Mattheo this guy nearly fucking choked me to death, and you think I'm enjoying being anywhere near him!?" She asks, raising her voice.

Mattheo grunts in frustration, and grabs Layla by her wrist, dragging her into an empty classroom.

"What are you doing!?"

"Someone's going to hear your loud fucking voice, that's what."

"You're the one who raised your voice first!"

"And for good reason!" He shouts. "I cannot watch you be anywhere near that man Layla. It fucking hurts!"

"Hurts? What do you mean Mattheo, you're confusing me for gods sake."

He lets out a deep breath and then his hands hold onto her neck, pushing her against the wall behind her, making her breathing rate faster by the second.

"What are you doing?" She asks quietly and his eyes are locked on hers, occasionally wandering back and forth to her lips and back to her eyes.

"You're mine Layla. Don't you get that?" He says, their foreheads touching and their faces millimetres apart.

"Mattheo I work for you."

"And now you're working for him."

"It's an act for gods sake please remember that!"

"An act that I do not fucking like to watch. This isn't some sort of show! Just come back to me Layla, forget Spector I'll figure some other plan out." He says, his voice breaking for a second.

"Mattheo... what are you trying to say?" She says softly, titling her head and trying to read his face.

He leans in close, their lips just millimetres away from touching, as he opens his mouth slightly, dying to feel the touch of her soft lips.

"God, fuck this." He grunts, moving away from her and running his hands through his hair.

Layla stands there, completely frozen and speechless, watching him storm out of the classroom.

"Oh my god." She gasps, her eyes watering up and she covers her mouth. "Oh my god."

I- what does he want? I... he can't have fucking feelings for me, can he? I mean- this won't work, it can't work... I- I don't know how to feel!

Layla begins to shake and she slides down the wall, her eyes watering up as she hugs her legs close to her.