Mind Over Matter || Mattheo Riddle

F A I N T E D

Riddle follows me through the hallways I practically run through, calling my name every few seconds. He stops calling for me once we're near the library.

I finally feel his hand on my arm and he pulls me toward him. He turns me to look at him, his hand tightening around my arm to prevent me from leaving. I watch as his eyes travel across my face-his expression barely softening.

"You can't run from me like that, Julia." He sounds upset, or mad maybe.

"Why the fuck do you care, Riddle?" I spit at him. I'm not sure why I'm mad, but I am. And I need someone to take it out on. "It's not like you give a shit about me, right? You just need someone to get your mom off your back."

He raises one eyebrow, his tongue grazing the inside of his cheek. He looks away from me, but his grip on my arm stays the same. "You know, Julia, I've always thought you were smarter than you seemed." What the fuck does that mean?

"It appears I was wrong."

Riddle let's go of my arm and walks off in the other direction.

I suddenly feel like I'm about to be sick. My head feels as if I was just stabbed by a thousand needles, and my hands feel clammy. My stomach squeezes and my eyes blur.

After that-nothing. Everything goes black.

•••

I smell the disgusting scent of the hospital wing before I feel the cloth on my head, before I hear Madam Pomfrey speaking to someone near me.

My eyelids feel heavy as I open them, the lights on the ceiling immediately blinding me. I bring my hand up to shade my eyes as I sit up, the cloth from my head falling into my lap, which is when I notice my hands shaking more than usual. I can't remember what happened, I just know it had something to do with me being a dick to someone.

"Jules!" I hear from ahead of me, before watching as Lorenzo rushes over to me.

Madam Pomfrey and two other people walk toward me, too. Lorenzo sits in a chair beside me, moving some hair behind my shoulder and watching me with a worried expression. I can make out who else is standing near the bed I'm on-Draco and Theodore.

Of course they're here, they always are.

"What happened, dear?" Madam Pomfrey asks, pushing past the two standing boys to stand beside me. "Do you remember?"

I shake my head, looking up at her and starting to pick at one of my nails on my right hand. I kind of wish Mattheo were here right now, but I'm not sure why. It's probably just because his friends are here.

"Did I faint?" I ask stupidly, my voice smaller than I meant for it to be.

I watch as the three Slytherins share a look, before all three of them look at me. Draco is the first to speak. "Well... yeah." I think there's more he wants to say, but Theodore starts saying it first.

"Jules, have you been eating?" I nod, furrowing my eyebrows in confusion. "Sleeping?" He tries again, and I nod once more. I don't understand what he's getting at, I haven't been neglecting my body and that is certainly not why I would have fainted.

It takes a second before Lorenzo speaks next. "Jules, Madam Pomfrey says you passed out because you were weak. As if you didn't have any energy."

I look down at my hands, trying to remember what happened before everything went black. I'm 80% sure it had something to do with Mattheo, but I can't remember exactly what it was. If he was here this would be much easier.

"Would someone be able to get Mattheo?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. Theodore quickly leaves the hospital wing.

Madam Pomfrey sits on the edge of the bed I'm laying on, softly laying her hand on my knee. "I'm going to ask you a few questions, okay?" I nod.

•••

*MATTHEO*

Watching myself in the mirror of my bathroom, I can only picture how I looked to J when I told her I was wrong about thinking she was smart.

I'm not even sure what came over me in that moment, and I'm fucking pissed I said anything. It's been nearly an hour since I said it, and I haven't been able to breathe for a second without the words playing in my mind again.

I hear my name being called from outside the door to the bathroom, and I quickly open it. It's Theo. "Mattheo! It's Jules-she's in the hospital wing. Asking for you."

I'm quick to follow him out of the dorm, through the common room then through the halls of the castle to the hospital wing. Is she sick? Hurt? Did I hurt her?

My mind continues running too quick to keep up with as we finish the walk to the hospital wing. Once we get there, I see only one bed occupied with three people surrounding it, and one gorgeous girl sitting on it.

The beautiful brunette looks up at me as Theo and I walk to her bed, she bites her lip. "Hi." Enzo, Theo and Draco all look at her worried. She doesn't sound that bad, they're being dramatic.

"Hey," I respond, walking around to stand beside her. The bed is unnecessarily short, so I crouch to see her better. She has to look down to see me, but I don't mind. "Are you okay?"

Julia nods, smiling softly at me. "Yeah, just fainted." She hesitates for a second, looking at Theo for reassurance or something. "But, uh... I don't exactly remember what happened."

I furrow my eyebrows in confusing, bringing a hand up to tuck a stray piece of hair out of her face. "I need more information than that, pretty girl. I wasn't there."

"That's the thing," she starts, barely turning her body to face me. "I think you actually were. At least, before it happened."

I shake my head, still not understanding.

"I remember you walking away. Before everything went black, you walked away from me. What did I do to make you walk away?" The way her voice sounds makes my heart break into a million pieces.

I take a second before responding. "You didn't do anything, actually. I was being a bitch." Madam Pomfrey-who's still standing there-clears her throat, subtly telling me to watch my language. "I was being a jerk. I said something unfair to you, then got mad at you for your response.

"It was stupid, really. I'm sorry for walking away."

Julia doesn't look convinced, but she nods anyway. "Does what you said matter?" She asks, sounding like a parent.

"Did you say something that would make her faint, Mr. Riddle?" Madam Pomfrey asks from behind me. I stand to see the guys and the nurse looking at me.

"Mattheo." I correct her, hating how she used my dads name. "And no, I do not believe so. However I will be sure not to say anything of the same nature ever again."