Surviving Fate // Mattheo Riddle ♣️

Chapter Twenty-Nine - The First Strike

Word Count: 3,277 words. 

Warnings: None. 

I opened the door of the Hog's Head Inn before Abe could protest. "Potter!" I whisper shouted. He didn't pay me any mind, gaze faced away from me. 

Turning my gaze left and right, I spotted approaching figures in the distance. Their wands were raised. "Fuck," I cursed, picking up a rock from the ground and throwing it at the Gryffindor. If I tried to run to him, the Death Eaters would only see me and then my cover would be blown. Not that it already wasn't.

The rock hit him in the side of the head and a sudden defensive look was thrown my way. I waved him towards the Inn and with a small, hesitant sigh and a look to Hermione and Ron, they scurried across the street, rushing in the door. I shut it firmly behind them.

"Abe, the lights," I whispered, noticing that there were several lamps on in the room.

With a quick flourish of his hand, darkness surrounded us. I kept my back to the door and eyes on the window beside it. Footsteps hurried past the glass, alarms still blaring.

"Where'd he go?" one of them asked.

"I don't know," the other replied.

I pressed my back tightly against the wooden door as the Death Eater pressed his face to the glass. "What's this place?" he asked.

"Pub, I think."

The alarm stopped, and the wizard stepped away from the window. "Come on, he couldn't have gone far."

I let out a sigh of relief as I heard their footsteps retreat. The lights returned to the room, dimmer than they had been before but enough to see each person in the Inn clearly. 

"That was close," Ron muttered, turning to look at me. "Thanks, I suppose."

I nodded shortly in response, turning my eyes to Harry. He wasn't looking at me. Rather, his green eyes were fixed on Aberforth.

"Do I know you?" he asked.

Abe let out a sigh. "You knew my brother. Albus."

Potter's eyes widened. "You're the man in the mirror. You sent Dobby."

"Mirror?" I questioned, looking to the older Dumbledore brother. "What mirror?"

"It's not important," Abe told me, facing Harry. "Where did you put that House Elf I sent?"

"He's dead," Harry informed him.

"Fuck," I cursed, shaking my head. I hadn't known Dobby well, but he was a kind soul. One who didn't deserve to me a victim of this war.

Harry's eyes met mine in that moment and a simple understanding passed between the two of us. He spoke first. "I'm sorry."

I shook my head. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I lied to you."

He didn't let me say another word before closing the distance between us and taking me into a tight hug. I returned it quickly, my hands holding each other around the back of his neck.

"It doesn't matter anymore. You didn't have a choice," he muttered.

I pulled away sniffling. "But I did. I did have choice. I just chose the wrong one."

Potter just shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Family don't give up on each other."

I smiled. "You're damn right they don't."