𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭, ᵐᵃᵗᵗʰᵉᵒ ʳⁱᵈᵈˡᵉ

chapter 3

charlotte spent the whole night restlessly rolling around, thinking about potions. why would he get her ring for her? charlotte didn't know, and she would probably never have the audacity to ask. all she knew, was that she hated mattheo riddle, and he hated her right back.

potions was dreadful. he was bossy and judgmental and arrogant and charlotte really really hated him.

potions was going slowly today. it was a quiet day, too quiet for her liking. instead of their normal fighting, charlotte and mattheo sat in silence. it was unsettling, but they weren't friends, so there was nothing she could say to break the silence.

it was unnerving to sit there, in the quiet, with someone like mattheo. it made her skin itch and he toes curl, and nothing could stop it. she slid a vial of gillyweed over to his side of the table, and gasped loudly when it tipped and spilled on his textbook. his eyes snapped up to her face, and charlotte took the time to wonder if the silence was that of hostility instead of tranquility. his face seemed to carry a glare everytime she came into view, and it bewildered charlotte that someone who knew her so little could hate her so much.

"fucking watch it." he snapped.
"make me." charlotte replied, tired of his theatrics.
"pick it up." mattheo demanded, his voice portraying a great level of annoyance.
"christ matty, who pissed in your pumpkin juice." charlotte teased him.
"don't fucking call me that, black."
" don't fucking call me that either, riddle."
he rolled his eyes, which, for some reason, only made charlotte more angry.
"no seriously what's your problem?" she asked again.
"you." mattheo stated, staring at her cooly.
"if you hate me so much, why'd you get my ring for me?" charlotte shouted, not caring who heard.
mattheo laughed at her outburst, before turning back to tend to the cauldron.
"shut the hell up, charlotte!" her cousin, Draco, shouted from across the room.
"fuck off Draco!" she yelled back, not in the mood for his theatrics.
"crazy bitch." draco muttered, much to charlottes annoyance.
"shut the fuck up, Malfoy." Mattheo said threateningly, glaring at the blonde.
"i'm just kidding, riddle."
"i'm not, don't say that shit to her again." mattheo seethed.
"it's fine." charlotte said, rolling her eyes at her cousins dramatic behavior.
"shut up charlotte." mattheo said, reaching over to grab the cutting board, but brushing her fingers in the process. he caught sight of the ring her father got her and grabbed her hand. he held it up, closer to his face, to look at it. it was a beautiful ring, a small, light blue diamond resting on top of a slim, silver band.
"it's a beautiful ring." he said, his eyes flickering towards her face when he said it.
"thank you." charlotte said softly, waiting for him to let go of her hand.
he held her fingers tightly, moving them around, seemingly trying to get a closer look at the ring.
after a few minutes, charlotte pulled her hand away, and went back to doing her part to brew the potion.

"so," she said after a few minutes of silence, "why are you so pissy today?"
mattheo sighed and glanced at her, "if i don't tell you will you keep asking?"
"yes." charlotte admitted with a smirk.
"i want a new potions partner that's why." he stated, staring right at her.
"you're so sweet." charlotte said sarcastically.
"i'm serious." mattheo stated.
"you're such an asshole, matt." she responded.
"black, i swear to god, don't call me that again." he snapped.
"okay matty." she said with a nod.
he turned toward her sharply, "charlotte fucking quit." he gripped her arm tightly, causing her eyes to widen in surprise. he quickly let go of her, flattening the newly made wrinkles in her long sleeve shirt with his palm before turning away again.
"are you going to the party tonight?" he asked her after a moment of silence.
"yeah," she nodded.
he smiled a little, "maybe i'll see you there."
she laughed a little and nodded.
-
after class, she walked up to the astronomy tower, excited for some time alone. what surprise her though, was that there was already another person there. once again, charlotte black had bumped into mattheo riddle.

"oh my fucking god." he groaned, "why can't i ever seem to get away from you?"
"i could say the same." charlotte said.

"well," mattheo said, "since you're here, you might as well sit." he gestured to the spot next to him.
charlotte nodded and made her way towards him, sitting next to him. his body was warm where his shoulder touched hers and she was worried that if she spent too much time in his presence, she would forget about the party and stay with him for as long as possible. he looked down at her, catching her green eyes with his deep brown ones. why was it, if their enemies, that they're drawn to eachother so closely?

"maybe i should go." charlotte said, quietly.
"maybe." mattheo agreed, but she made no move to leave. if anything, she shifted closer to him, awaiting whatever disaster staying here with him would cause.