War, Love, and Riddle //Mattheo Riddle x OC

Chapter Twenty - Naked Bums

The following morning began with a sound somewhere between a strangled yell and a dying animal.

Harry's eyes snapped open, years of danger and war having trained him to wake at the slightest disturbance, only for the immediate threat to reveal itself in the form of Mattheo Riddle sprawled across the cot opposite him without a single ounce of shame. Blankets had clearly been abandoned sometime during the night, clothing lay scattered carelessly across the floor, and Mattheo's arms were wrapped securely around Emma as though he intended to spend the rest of his life there. For several horrifying seconds Harry simply stared, his exhausted brain attempting to process what he was seeing before immediately deciding it wanted absolutely no part in the situation.

"RIDDLE!"

The yell tore through the tent.

Emma jolted awake instantly.

Mattheo did not.

Harry's face twisted in visible horror as he turned away, one hand covering his eyes while the other pointed accusingly in the general direction of the cot. His stomach rolled violently. He had survived Voldemort. He had survived Death Eaters. He had survived years of life-threatening situations. None of them had prepared him for this. Somewhere in the back of his mind he had convinced himself that the absolute worst outcome of Emma dating Mattheo Riddle would be occasionally witnessing them snogging.

Apparently fate had decided that wasn't enough suffering.

The gagging started shortly afterward.

By the time Ron and Hermione woke to Harry's increasingly dramatic noises, Emma was frantically gathering blankets around herself while trying to disappear into the mattress.

"For Merlin's sake," she groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Could you please keep it down?"

Mattheo finally stirred, looking significantly less concerned about the situation than everyone else in the tent. His eyes remained closed as he tightened his arms around Emma and pulled her back against his chest, clearly determined to continue sleeping despite the chaos unfolding around him.

"It's far too early for your brother to be this loud," he mumbled into her hair.

Hermione took one look at Harry's horrified expression and immediately rolled her eyes.

"Oh, stop being dramatic."

Emma looked up just in time to catch Hermione's raised eyebrow and knowing smile. Heat flooded her cheeks instantly.

Unfortunately, Ron chose that exact moment to glance toward the cot.

His eyes widened.

He immediately looked away.

Then looked away harder.

"Right," he said awkwardly. "Well. I suppose that answers some questions."

Harry made another deeply offended noise.

Emma wanted the ground to swallow her whole.

Mattheo, meanwhile, appeared completely unbothered by any of it.

"All three of you out," Emma ordered, pointing firmly toward the tent entrance.

Harry didn't even argue.

Ron practically sprinted.

Hermione was still laughing when she followed them outside.

The moment the tent flap closed behind them, silence settled over the space once more.

Emma slowly turned her head.

Mattheo was watching her.

That lazy, smug grin was already spreading across his face.