Borrowed time; Mattheo Riddle

Chapter 21

Mattheo's pov

As I left the classroom I didn't even bother helping Astoria clean up. It was a decent fuck but I found myself unintentionally compering her actions to Bella which frustrated me even more. I walked up to the astronomy tower, as that was my aim before Astoria got in my path, and lit a cigaret looking out on the snow-covered school grounds.

I was about halfway trough my cigaret when I heard footsteps climbing the stairs. I took a quick glance over my shoulder to see who it was, and of course it was fucking her.

"Hi" her voice was soft as she approached me. Her perfume filling my nostrils as she stepped up beside me leaning on the railing. Her cheeks were quickly turning red from the cold air as she just stood there for a while looking at the view.

"What's your day?" confused by her question I looked over at her. She clearly understood that I was unaware of what she wanted as she began elaborating her question "like the day you hate the most, the one you dread each time it comes closer and that you just wish could be erased from the calendar" her emerald green eyes looking in to mine, a hint of sadness in them as she spoke.

"Everyday" I answered jokingly. She squinted her eyes at me "Fine, I'll start then" she said turning back to look at the view.

"3 of July" she paused for a moment "the day my parents died". Her eyes were zoning out as she was reliving the memories.

With a deep breath I too turned to look out over the tree tops, the branches of the trees where struggling to hold under the pressure of the snow and the wind that was lightly catching some of the flakes twirling them in the sunlight and making it look like floating glitter.

"December 29"

From the corner of my eyes I could she her turning to look at me waiting for me to revel my reasoning. The memories of the x shaped scars being cut in to my skin each year on that day flooded my mind. My father took his time carving, making sure to leave permanent scars and probably enjoying the pain it caused. As a child I use to spend hours crying and screaming from the pain but with time I became numb to it.

"My birthday" the words left my lips like a whisper. I could feel her cold hand touching mine "I'm sorry" her voice was soft brining my mind back from it's state of daze. What the hell was I doing? I pulled my hand away quickly clearing my throat "Don't be" was all I said before walking out of the astronomy tower, leaving her in the cold winter air.

Bella's pov

His brown locks disappeared from my view as he descended the 46 steps down the astronomy tower. The pain in his eyes as he had spoken earlier still haunting my mind. I've had a suspicion he hated his birthday sense Pansy told me he refused to ever speak about it to any of them, but the look in his eyes told me it was much deeper than that.

I made my way back down to the common room finding Theo and Enzo by the fire. "Look who graced us with her presence" Theo said as I took a seat in-between the boys. Laying my head back on the couch I enjoyed the feeling of the warm fire heating up my body. "How was your break?" Enzo asked pushing a strand of her away from my face.

"It was actually better than expected" it was hard hiding my smile as I thought back on the days spent with Mattheo. "How was yours?" I asked the two of them.

"Nothing special" they both answered. "Now care to explain that sneaky little smile you hade when answering our question?" Theo said clearly suspecting something juicy had happened. They both looked at me with eager eyes waiting for me to spill the tea, although I wasn't really sure there were any tea to spill. I mean we have fucked and hung out, there is not much more to it yet and even if I would want it to be something more I wouldn't really know what to say.

As if saved by the bell Pansy came jumping in to the room dragging along a blonde Greengrass. "Look who I found" she said eagerly pushing her toward were we where sitting.

"What are you doing back so early? Not that I'm not happy that you're here just you know I wasn't expecting it and all.." I cut Theo of "I think what Theo is so graciously trying to say is that were are very happy your back and we have all missed you greatly but weren't you suppose to come back on the 2nd like the rest of the students?"

"Thank you and I have missed you too, all of you" she said giving an extra look at Theo. "My parents decided to go to Paris for New Years so me and Astoria got sent back early. Although I'm not to mad about it, would much rather spend my New Years with you guys".

We sat around talking for a while before coming on the topic of Christmas gifts. Pansy brought up that the group hade never given Mattheo any gifts like ever sense they never new his birthday either. "So Bella is gonna figure out Mattheo's birthday so that we can throw him a surprise party or something to make up for the lack of gifts over the years"

"Phfff, yeah sure. Good luck with that" Theo looked at me like that was the most bizarre thing he had ever heard.

"What do you mean? Can't you just ask him or something?" Daphne was understandably confused.

"You can always try but trust me it would be a waste of time. Riddle refuses to talk about his birthday to anyone, trust me, we have tried" Enzo said answering Daphnes question.

"Besides if he wanted to celebrate his birthday he would probably have told us about it" Theo added.

"Well I don't care if he doesn't like his birthday, we can change that experience for him and make it better, show him that we care and all that" Pansy defended.

I keep quite, suddenly unsure about if I should tell them about his birthday or not. I mean Pansy is right we could help in making it a better experience for him but at the same time he seemed so hurt talking about it that maybe he just wants to ignore the day. Although it would be really fun to see the look on the boys faces as they realized I figured it out in the matter of hours when they have all tried for years. Although I still don't know why he told me so easily, I defiantly though I would have to try and ease it out of him over the curse of a few weeks or so. Which would have been a waste of time anyway seeing as his birthday is in 3 days.

"So have you figured anything out yet then spy girl?" Enzo asked bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Oh, uhh, No. Not yet"

A while later the common room door opened and the clicking of heels could be heard approaching. Astoria eventually came in to view having a smug smirk on her lips as she walked past heading for her dorm.

"Ugh, I mean we're really glad to have you here Daphne but was it really necessary to have her here to" Pansy whined, loathing the presence of the brown haired Greengrass.

"Trust me I wish my parents would have brought her with them" Daphne was just as tired of her sister as the rest of us.

"How come you two are so different?" Enzo asked genuinely looking curious.

"Well mom has always spoiled he living shit out of Astoria and have her on this pedestal of perfectness. I mean she could kill someone and my mom would still see her as her perfect little angel. Meanwhile I had to grow up hearing that I needed to be more like my sister and I guess that made me want to be the further thing from anything like her that I could." Daphne tried to keep her calm and act unbothered but it was obvious that she had always lived in her sisters shadow at home and it clearly has had a bigger impact on her then she would like to admit.

Noticing the tension Pansy changed the subject, "Where's the rest of the boys?".

"Don't know, probably still unpacking or something" Theo said.

"Well I better start unpacking too then" Daphne looked at the time that was closing in on dinner, "I'll see you guys at dinner".

She walked off to the girls dorms, Theo sneaking a look at her when she walked away.

"Like what you see there huh?" I had a joking voice as I acknowledged Theo's obvious crush on Daphne.

"What if I do?" he challenged back. Me and Pansy giving each other a look already knowing what the other one was thinking. It was defiantly only a matter of time before the two of them got together.

~~~

Mattheo actually slept with Astoria!!! Just as Bella is starting to catch feeling for him. Things are about to get messy here people...