ɪ ᴊᴜsᴛ sᴇᴇ ʏᴏᴜ - 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐨 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞

𝐂𝐇𝐏 𝟑𝟏 - By the Fire

Y/N's POV

Every time I try to think back to that detention, a migraine rocks my temples until I have forced the memories out of my head. And yet, now, I'm not able to just stop thinking about it. My room is mostly empty, except for the pestering boy sat upon my bed with Toby in his lap. I still haven't the slightest clue why that tubby cat likes Mattheo, out of all people he could have chosen.

"You should have kept your head down Y/n, look at your face, all those injuries. It could have been avoided."

Mattheo runs his hand over Toby as he continues to lecture me about sticking up for that kid. I would rather endure that shit myself than let a boy suffer it by himself. Whatever planet Mattheo is on right now is clearly out of touch, or at least his self preservation is talking.

Sometimes I don't understand how someone could be so empathetic to a select few and yet completely disregard others like they aren't even human. Point in case, Mattheo Marvello Riddle. A puzzle I'll never figure out.

"I wasn't going to let that child be tortured like some rat, Mattheo." I shook my head, a frown on my lips. That twitch in his eyebrow always told me when he was annoyed by something, or in this case, someone; me.

"There are other ways to counter curses, you could have helped him without putting your neck on the line." He replies with an irritable expression, like he's mad at me for putting someone else's safety over my own.

"My neck is fine thank you. Besides, I don't recall this being your concern." I turn my body around from rummaging through my wardrobe for something to distract me because clearly he isn't letting this go. I cross my arms over my fuzzed jumper that has been worn down from last year's usage and frown.

Mattheo scoffing at my reply and moving Toby from his lap to his shoulder, running his hand down the orange fur which makes Toby mew at him. Come on Toby, your supposed to be on my side.

"Don't start that bullshit with me. Would you rather I be a dick to you instead of caring? Would that make you feel better now?" His sarcasm is infuriating.

"Maybe then I'd be able to understand your mood swings."

Our spat is stupid. There is nothing to be arguing about with this situation, I did what I thought was right, why can't he understand that? I would have done it for Pansy, done it for Luna, Neville, hell even Theodore or even him because no matter how much I threaten curses; they should never be used on a person. Torture of that kind is barbaric. Inhumane.

"For as long as I've known you Y/n, you've never given a shit about yourself."

"But I've-"

"Giving a shit without isolating yourself. We're not doing that again." He sounds like Pansy, but if she lectured me more often about my habits. If I can even call that a habit. I can see the expression she has on his face, that furrow of his eyebrows and pointed look in his eye. Even the positions we were in, Mattheo on the bed where Pansy would've been and me standing in front of her.

Maybe that's why Toby's so attached to him. I wouldn't know. I haven't talked to Pansy like that in a while, ever since we came back. Actually, I haven't seen her for long at all.

"Hey," I hesitantly started, looking away from the bed and toward the wall. "Do you think Pansy is okay? I haven't been able to talk with her for a while," I pause, my fingers picking at my nails, "It's like she's avoiding me."