𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭, ᵐᵃᵗᵗʰᵉᵒ ʳⁱᵈᵈˡᵉ

part 19

tw: trouble in paradise??
day 1:
the first day mattheo was gone, charlotte didn't let it bother her. he left a note, said he was going to visit Blaise. charlotte wasn't his keeper, she didn't let herself worry, though she did anyway. she paced around his room until she went crazy, wandered through the gardens, met a kind lady named Esmeralda, who had been taking care of mattheo since he was a baby. she told charlotte stories of baby mattheo, pulling peoples hair and running around naked, and she showed charlotte old pictures of him. charlotte loved esmeralda. she missed mattheo dearly, but she felt better knowing he would be back the next day. god, it was crazy. mattheo was her boyfriend now. she had had boyfriends before, sure, but none of them were like mattheo. no one was like mattheo. she went to bed in the room they shared, curled up in the sheets, cold like she always was when he was gone.

day 2:
charlotte wakes up alone. she knew she would, but when she actually did, she couldn't stop the dull pang of disappointment that grew in her heart. she dragged herself out of his bed, pulling his soft white sheets behind her. she went into her room and picked out her clothes for the day, a dark green slytherin quidditch sweatshirt she had stolen from mattheo, and jean shorts. today, she decided to go out to lunch with her friend, Luna.

she met her at the Leaky Cauldron, and they ordered. she got a chicken sandwich and luna got a cheeseburger.
"how're things with Mattheo?" luna asked as they ate.
"oh there great," charlotte said brightly, "i've actually been visiting him for the past few days,"
Luna smiled at her excitement, and they carried on eating.
she returned to riddle manor as the sun was going down and the crickets were starting to chirp. she carried her uncomfortable shoes in her hand as she walked up the stairs, not wanting to wake Esmeralda. she tiptoed to mattheos room, excited to see him. she opened the door, and walked inside, shutting it quietly behind her. she flicked on the light, expecting to see mattheos body laying in the bed that they shared, but all she saw were his pristine white sheets, layed neatly over the mattress. okay, she thought, he'll come back tomorrow, instead. she went to sleep cold, she was starting to get used to it.

day 3:
charlotte wanted to go home. she was quickly growing tired of the loneliness that Riddle Manor carried when you were the only person there. she knew that mattheo valued alone time, so he probably loved it here, but charlotte couldn't handle being isolated from everyone for so long. she wanted him to come back so she could talk to him, hug him, kiss him. she wanted her boyfriend back, yeah, but more than that, she wanted her best friend back. she cooked with Esmeralda, reorganized her closet, went to visit the horses in the stables that Esmeralda told her about. she was excited for mattheo to get back. as she pet the horses and brushed their shiny coats, she couldn't help herself from thinking about mattheo, once again. she was very excited to see him. it was ridiculous, to miss him this much after just a few days, but she didn't care. she needed to see him. she practically skipped back from the stables, eager to see him. she raced up the stairs to the first floor,practically throwing the door to their room open. mattheo was nowhere to be seen. charlotte sighed loudly and dropped onto the bed. she sat, with her head in her hands. she really wanted him to be there. a small part of her probably knew that he wouldn't be, but she loved him, she couldn't give up on him, but it was getting harder and harder to be there for him when he wasn't there at all. one more day, and if he wasn't there, she'd go home.

day 4:
charlotte missed mattheo. she missed him more than she imagined she possibly could, and she had no idea why he wouldn't just come back. she worried that something happened to him, that he was hurt or dead or drunk, but she knew deep down that he was probably fine. that he just didn't want to come back. charlotte walked down to the kitchen, where she knew esmeralda would be, and gave her a long hug.
"i'll be back soon," she said, holding on to the older lady tightly.
"okay dear," esmeralda said, patting charlottes head lovingly. a lone tear trailed its way down charlottes face, dripping onto esmeralda's shoulder. the lady smiled warmly and wiped it way, patting charlottes cheek affectionately as she did. with a sigh and a sniffle, charlotte stepped outside riddle manor, to have one last walk through the gardens.

she walked past the place they fell in the rain, and the place they had their first date. the hydrangea bushes where he asked her to be his girlfriend looked as beautiful as they did on that day, and something about it felt like a knife twisting in her heart. she knew she was being dramatic, that she would be back and soon, but the thought didn't offer even the slightest bit of consolation to her aching heart. it felt like she would never be back, and it hurt like this was a final goodbye, so she felt valid in her dramatics.
it took mere seconds to apparate from the manor to Wales. the cozy, two story house looked frail and small compared to the vast estate of Riddle Manor, but it was a comforting sight. she walked inside, and reveled in the familiar creak in the door. there, sat alone at the dining room table, was her Uncle Remus. she ran over to him,
not caring that she was acting like a child, and hugged him tightly. letting his familiar scent of chocolate and tea wash over her. it reminded her of when she was little, crying into his shoulder for her mom and dad. he held onto her tightly, not bothering to ask any questions about where she was and what had happened. that was one thing she loved about him, he always knew when it was a good time to talk or not. she was glad he knew that now was not. she was glad to be home.