𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐒 | mattheo riddle

fiveteen 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐘𝐄𝐃

・・・❦・・・

THE MORNING SUN streamed through the high windows of hogwarts, casting long shadows across the stone floors. vanessa walked alongside pansy, their footsteps echoing lightly in the corridor as they moved between classes.

as the two girls rounded a corner, vanessa caught sight of mattheo walking towards them, his expression as unreadable as always. her heart skipped a beat, the memory of their kiss and the connection they had shared last night still fresh in her mind. she raised a hand in greeting and called out to him, "hi, mattheo."

but he didn't stop. he didn't even look at her.

he walked right past her, as though she were invisible, his eyes focused straight ahead. vanessa paused mid-step, her hand still half-raised, an uneasy feeling settling in her stomach.

pansy glanced at her, a frown creasing her forehead. "that was weird," she said.

vanessa nodded slowly, lowering her hand. "yeah, maybe he didn't see me," she murmured, though doubt lingered in her mind. it was strange, but she forced herself to brush it off. mattheo was a complex person, and it wasn't unlike him to be lost in thought or distracted. he probably just didn't notice her.

she tried to shake off the strange feeling she had as they continued down the corridor, but a seed of worry had already been planted.

the rest of vanessa's day passed in a blur of classes, notes, and half-hearted attempts at paying attention to lectures. but the nagging feeling that something was off with mattheo gnawed at the back of her mind, even as she tried to convince herself that she was overthinking things.

by the time the afternoon rolled around, she was more than ready to retreat to her bedroom, where she could finally relax. the first snow of the year had begun to fall, and as vanessa settled into her bed, wrapped in a thick blanket with a book in hand, she found herself appreciating the quiet beauty of winter. snowflakes drifted down outside her window, covering the grounds in a white blanket.

for the first time in what felt like forever, vanessa felt a deep sense of contentment. the drama with izzy was behind her, and she had finally realized that her feelings for mattheo were more than just a passing infatuation. she was ready to let herself feel something real again, to take a chance on someone who might actually be worth it. and after last night, she was sure mattheo felt the same. all she had to do now was wait for the right moment to tell him.

she spent the next few hours lost in her book, the warmth of the blanket and the soft glow of the candle on her nightstand lulling her into a peaceful state. but as evening approached and the other girls began to filter into the dormitory, vanessa found herself craving solitude once more.

the library was nearly empty when she arrived, the large wooden doors creaking slightly as she pushed them open. the room was bathed in a warm, golden light from the many lamps scattered around, and the quiet hum of distant whispers was the only sound. she loved the library at this time of day — it was peaceful, almost sacred, a place where she could lose herself in her thoughts and escape the world outside.

she chose a table near the back, away from the few other students who were busy with their own studies, and began to unpack her things. but as she settled in and opened her textbook, her eyes wandered around the room, almost instinctively searching for someone. and then she saw him.

mattheo was sitting at a table on the other side of the library, alone, his head bent over a book. a small smile tugged at vanessa's lips as she watched him for a moment. he really was everywhere she went, like fate kept pushing them together.