Shadows of Slytherin Book 1

Mattheo

Pansy gave me a warning as she left the room, her words echoing in my head. "Don't mess this up." I knew what was at stake, and the pressure weighed heavily on me. As soon as the door closed, I turned to look at Dani, and the atmosphere between us was tense. Her eyes were conflicted, and I couldn't tell what she was thinking.

Feeling uneasy, I spoke up. "You still love me?" I didn't know what to expect from her answer. A part of me thought that she had moved on and that our night together had been a mistake. I couldn't shake off the feeling that maybe she thought the same.

As I waited for her response, memories of our past flooded my mind. The love we once shared had been passionate and intense. I couldn't deny that there was still a part of me that longed for her, even after all this time. But I also knew that I had hurt her, and I didn't want to make the same mistake again.

Dani looked at me for a long moment before finally speaking up. "Of course I still love you..." she said, her voice barely above a whisper. 

As the conversation continued, it became clear that there were deeper issues at play. "But there's more... isn't there..?" I asked, sensing that there was something else she wanted to say.

"I don't know what you want from me," she responded with frustration, her tone conveying her exasperation. "You break up with me, then you say you want me back, and then you suggest that I should be with Draco. It's like I can't keep up with your feelings or what you want."

I could see the confusion in her eyes as she searched for answers. "So, what is it, Mattheo?" she asked, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "Do you want me or not? Because I can't do this anymore. I can't keep moving on and then getting pulled back into this cycle of uncertainty."

"I still want you. I've never stopped wanting you." I sit down on the bed behind me and look up at her, giving her the high ground. "I won't let you become a death eater to protect me, Dani. I won't let you deal with the torture.

She kneels down infront of me, looking me in the eyes, "And I won't let you or the others risk your lives for me, Mattheo. I don't want that."

I sigh, frustration rising inside of me, "Jesus... Why do you have to be so difficult?"

Dani lets out a sigh of frustration, and leans back on her heels, "So, I'm the one being difficult here?" 

"You knew from the very first day we met that I was living a dangerous life," she continued, her tone heavy with disappointment. "You knew that being with me would always come with the risk of me being killed."

She paused for a moment, her eyes cast downward. "Maybe... just maybe," she murmured, "you should have chosen someone else to fall in love with. That way, my death wouldn't be such a devastating blow to you."

I felt a wave of pain wash over me. Her pain was clear, and I knew that my actions had contributed to it. I knew that I had hurt her deeply, and that I was still hurting her.

From the moment I met her, I knew that she was special. It was never about her last name... It was about her. Her personality, her smile, her infectious laughter - everything about her had drawn me in, and I couldn't imagine my life without her.

"Dani," I said, my voice soft and gentle, "I don't ever regret falling in love with you. It never mattered that you were a Potter, and it still doesn't. I fell in love with you because of who you are, not because of your name or your family's history. I wouldn't have wanted anyone else to fall in love with."

She looked up at me and I could see the pain and sadness etched on her face. "I just don't want to see you or anyone else get hurt because of me," she said quietly. "I never asked for this..."

"I don't want to see you repeatedly getting hurt because of my father," I say, my voice soft yet firm. "I want to protect you from all of this. We were born to become Death Eaters, but you weren't. We know what we are up against, and we are safer than you may think we are."

As I take her hands in mine, I feel a slight shock of electricity, as if our connection is a small spark of hope in the midst of all this darkness. I can sense the hesitation in Dani, the fear that still grips her tightly. But I know that I must convince her to trust me, to believe that I will do everything in my power to keep her safe.

"Please, Dani," I implore, "Promise me you won't put yourself through more than you already have to. You deserve so much more than this life of fear and uncertainty."

For a moment, Dani is silent, her eyes searching mine for any sign of falsehood or insincerity. But as she slowly nods her head, I can see the flicker of hope and determination in her gaze.

"I promise," she whispers, her voice barely above a whisper.

With those words, I feel a sense of relief wash over me. I know that the road ahead will not be easy, and that danger still lurks around every corner. But with Dani safe, and with the promise that she will not put herself in harm's way, I feel that I can protect her from whatever my father has in store for her and her brother.