Reflections - Mattheo Riddle

Chapter 6

Theodore and Jasper knocked on the door loudly before letting themselves in

"Molly says get up, our breakfast is in the kitchen and then she needs us in the drawing room, there are loads more doxies than she thought and she's found a nest of dead puffskeins under the sofa."

"Fucking Walburga," Kirra groaned and shifted in her sleep, her eyelids fluttering slightly as she tried to fend off the intrusive brightness of the morning light.

Mattheo, who had been awake for a while, looked down at Kirra, a fond smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he watched her grumble and complain about the early morning summons. He couldn't help but find her disheveled state utterly endearing.

Her words held a hint of irritation, but it was clear that she was in no rush to leave the warmth of their cocoon. Mattheo's fingers brushed her hair away from her face as he leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Come on, love, time to get up. I'm hungry," he whispered softly.

Jasper raised an eyebrow, teasingly looking at Kirra. "Wow, I guess some people are not morning persons."

The room was bathed in soft morning light, and Mattheo felt a sense of serenity wash over him as he looked at the tousled figure next to him. Kirra had an air of vulnerability in the early hours, a side of her that she rarely revealed. It was a sight he cherished and held close to his heart.

Kirra, slowly surrendering to the morning, shifted her position. Her eyes blinked open, and for a moment, she was disoriented. Mattheo's gentle kiss on her forehead grounded her, and she offered him a sleepy smile. "Good morning."

Theodore couldn't help but chuckle. "Good morning, sunshine."

Theodore and Jasper exchanged knowing glances as they continued to tease their still half-asleep friend. "Get out losers," Kirra complained, flipping the two of them off as they laughed at her bed hair. 

"Wow wow, I'm not sure i'm a fan of this new attitude," Theodore grinned, earning a small glare from his best friend who grabbed a pillow and hauled it at him, "Merlin, someone's grumpy," she snorted

Half an hour later, Mattheo, Kirra, Jasper and Theodore, who had dressed and break-fasted quickly, entered the drawing-room, a long, high-ceilinged room on the first floor with olive-green walls covered in dirty tapestries. 

They hadnt really been in that room, Kirra seemed to avoid it after walking in once so the other three also avoided it. Of course, they had gone in there at first, trying to see what was in there that she didnt like but all that was in there was a bunch of tapestrys and a few other things. 

The carpet exhaled little clouds of dust every time someone put their foot on it and the long, moss-green velvet curtains were buzzing as though swarming with invisible bees. It was around these that Mrs. Weasley, Ron, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, and George were grouped, all looking rather peculiar, as they had tied cloths over their noses and mouths. Each of them was also holding a large bottle of black liquid with a nozzle at the end.

"Cover your faces and take a spray," Mrs. Weasley said to the group the moment she saw them, pointing to four more bottles of black liquid standing on a spindle-legged table. "It's Doxycide. I've never seen an infestation this bad — what that house-elf's been doing for the last ten years —"

Hermione's face was half concealed by a tea towel but Kirra distinctly saw her throw a reproachful look at Mrs. Weasley at these words.

"Kreacher's really old, he probably couldn't manage —"

"You'd be surprised what Kreacher can manage when he wants to, Hermione," said Sirius, who had just entered the room carrying a bloodstained bag of what appeared to be dead rats. "I've just been feeding Buckbeak," he added, in reply to Harry's inquiring look. "I keep him upstairs in my mother's bedroom. Anyway . . . this writing desk . . ."