Blackened Heart |Mattheo Riddle|

A Falling Out

"Do you think your dad really did it?" Mattheo was sprawled across the leather sofa in the Slytherin common room, pushing Amelie's foot back and forth as it swung in the air. The girl was laying on her stomach, her hand tucked under her chin as she made notes in her transfiguration book. Her legs were bent at the knees with her feet in the air,

"Why do you keep asking about this?" Amelie sighed, jotting notes on her page,
"Tell me what the Aqua Eructo charm does," she looked over her shoulder at the older boy, he'd turned thirteen last month and for the first time in his life he had someone who was willing to celebrate the day with him.
"It produces a jet of water from the tip of your wand, I'm asking because Malfoy keeps asking me if I think he really did it," Mattheo groaned, a slither of hate crossing his features that made Amelie raise her eyebrows.

"Mattheo he's been our friend for 3 months now, we'll be breaking up for Christmas in a week, everyone is feeling joyful and happy and here you are still hating him, he's done nothing wrong," Amelie groaned as Mattheo smacked the bottom of her foot, she sat herself up and glared at him, he was scowling back at her.
"Amelie are you dense? Firstly he's your friend and he's constantly questioning your father, it's not his business to question if your father has done it or not, he should keep his nose out of your business," Mattheo was sneering and Amelie sighed. Over the last few months Mattheo had been nothing short of a guard dog, constantly defending her honour, never backing down from anyone who so much as dared to look at her wrong.

"Mattheo you can't be like this, I am your friend and I appreciate that you are always willing to stick up for me but if I have a problem I will say so myself, I don't have an issue with Draco asking questions, he's not being nasty, he's just curious, you were curious for months, secretly researching my dad behind my back, or have you forgotten that?" She was speaking calmly but there was an ice in her tone that had the boy on edge, he scoffed and stood up quickly, grabbing his class books off the floor where she sat,
"Right. I see how it is, you can defend yourself from now on then, goodnight." His tone was curt and nothing short of rude and had Amelie speechless, she sat there with her mouth open watching him leave in the direction of his dorms.

Amelie had gotten to know so much about Mattheo in the last few months and yet he was still guarded about so many things. He had been open and honest with her, about how he had lived with his father until he was just over two years old and then his father had died, after he had killed Harry's parents and the unforgivable curse had rebounded off of the baby and killed him instead. The ministry had tracked the child down and locked him away, at first when he was a toddler he was raised by a group of wizards who were quite lovely to him. They cared for him, taught him about the wizarding world, loved him like their own. When he turned 6 and he began to show signs that he had a poor temper and started to show animosity towards the women he was moved into a room on his own. Four walls, a bed, a desk and a wardrobe with a bathroom attached. He was allowed to leave the room for three meals a day, always escorted by a member of the department of magical law enforcement and then returned to his room once he had finished eating.

He had told her that on occasion one of his escorts would take it upon themself to 'go above and beyond' and give him a beating on behalf of the department. He had only attempted to tell one of the higher ups what had happened once, when he was 8, he realised that they weren't on his side when they had given him a bigger beating for 'telling lies'. He was forced to eat his meals in his room for a month straight, never leaving the confines of the four walls within that time. He was only allowed children's books and the daily prophet for entertainment, he was taught basic magic once a week and had daily meetings with an officer every day to discuss his attitude and be 'counselled for his defective genes'.

He had been treated like an animal, like a complete criminal, all because of his fathers actions. All because his father was a crazed wizard who dreamt of nothing but malice. Everything that had happened to Mattheo was what Amelie feared could happen to her if everyone was to find out she was Sirius Blacks daughter. She should feel the need to apologise to Mattheo, to understand that he lacks in understanding of how normal friendships work. Mattheo is protective because he's afraid to lose the first friendship he's ever had. She can't bring herself to feel sorry or guilty, her own stubbornness stopping her. It would be him to apologise first or there would be no apology at all.

Her thoughts are cut short by footsteps echoing through the common room, the black haired girl looks up and smiles half heartedly at Draco walking in, Crabbe and Goyle trailing closely behind as usual. Amelie despised those two, Draco's little lap dogs.

"Crabbe, Goyle, you can leave now, go on," he announced and they both scurried off,

"Draco, why on earth do you make those two little dogs follow your every single move? Can't you make actual friend instead of having little slave boys?" Amelie sneered, closing her transfiguration book and stacking it on top of her other class books, she heard a scoff come from the younger boy and her eyes shot up at him in a glare.
"What's your problem all of a sudden?" He asked, crossing the room to sit on the sofa Mattheo had previously been occupying.
"Funnily enough it's you Blondie, you're well aware Mattheo is still not a fan of you despite my offer to be your friend and you've been pestering him with questions about my father, which the answer, by the way, is what I already told you, none of us was there when he actually did it so we don't know, but I know damn well the ministry is twisted so who's to say he didn't do it and they're just framing him?" Amelie grumbled, kicking at Draco's feet that were on the wooden table in between the two leather sofas.

"I didn't want to ask you! I thought you would be upset how is it my fault that he's like a wild animal and can't control his anger," Draco's voice was loud and whiny as Amelie shook her head, pointing her finger at the boy,

"Draco, I know you like causing problems, I've seen how you treat Ron and his friends, that's none of my business but Mattheo is my business, leave him alone because I'm telling you now you don't want to be on his bad side," she was talking calmly but the underlying threat had calmed Draco significantly.

"Okay fine, anyway I have to tell you something, the other day I heard the Weasley twins talking about how they've been sending letters to Remus, who I then found out is who you live with isn't is? Maybe you should ask them what they're planning?" Draco's own curiosity is the reason he asks and Amelie knows this and yet she can't help the annoyance at the thought of her uncle and her two friends conspiring behind her back.

"Draco, stay out of my business, I'm trying so hard here to be your friend but your 'I am a true slytherin' attitude is starting to get old," Amelie exited the common room and made her way towards her room, shoving her books into her chest and sitting herself on her bed, her roommate was already fast asleep. She turned to the side to check the time on the clock, 11pm. Way past curfew time, and yet Amelie knew the Weasley boys would still be awake. Then she remembers something her and Mattheo had learnt a couple months ago whilst scouring a charms book in the library. The disillusionment charm. Not only that but Amelie had heard todays password for the Gryffindor common room.

She quickly hops out of her bed and puts her robes on, silently leaving her dorm room and making her way out of the slytherin common room. The second she leaves the door she casts the disillusionment charm and begins making her way through the corridors leading to the fat lady's portrait. About 10 minutes into her walk she notices a presence behind her, she turns around and bumps into something soft yet firm, a grunt leaves the object and she stares wildly at the open air around her, nobody in sight. She almost jumps out of her skin when a familiar face appears suddenly in front of her. It seems Mattheo has had the same idea as she has.

"What are you doing?" She hisses, half whispering, half shouting, he simply puts his finger over his lips and smirks,

"Fred and George aren't in their common room, they're in the forbidden forest, if you're not scared to come and find out what they know," Mattheo smirked, once again charming himself invisible, Amelie rolled her eyes and followed before quickly questioning him how he knows what he knows to which he responds with a shrug and a muttered 'I almost always know everything to do with you' which puts Amelie in a sour mood before he chuckles and tells her that he heard Draco telling Crabbe and Goyle before they entered the common room.