Always and Forever | Mattheo Riddle

6) Apologies

I woke up to see Angelina pacing around the room.

I sat up and she saw I had woken up. She immediately came to me and apologised. I frown in confusion because I couldn't figure out why she was apologising. My head was practically bursting apart from all the brightness. When it felt better, I asked, "What are you apologising for?"

She said, "Don't you remember last night?"
Last night? What happened last night? I couldn't remember. I just told her I'd go take a bath and then try to remember.

After taking the bath, my hangover was much better when the memories of yesterday came back. "Oh shit, oh shit,"I mutter remembering the guy I had liked trying to drug me, "Oh fuck, shit!" Mattheo saved me, but why? Maybe he saw me at the moment. Whatever it was, I need to thank him.

Angelina came and I told her that it wasn't her fault, I was the one being irresponsible. I asked her where Mattheo was and she replied that he's at the Hospital wing. I thank her and run out. Reaching the hospital wing, I run inside to be cursed by Madam Pomfrey for disturbing the patients. I apologise to her and go to see Mattheo. He was at the corner of the room with the curtains of his bed drawn. I try to see if he is up or sleeping.

"Hey Mattheo, you up? Hey." A grunt comes from within the curtains and I take it as a yes. I open a bit of the curtain and peak inside. His condition was pretty bad. A bruise had formed around his eye, his nose badly smashed like mine was a few days ago. I wince remembering the punch Marcus threw. His lips were healing but it did feel like as if it was punched badly.

I open the rest of the curtains and sit down at the chair near his bed. He looks at me, annoyed. He says, "Why'd you open my curtains, Katherine?"

I start saying what I had prepared to say to him when I was on my way here.
"I really want to thank you for saving me from .. you know, and I want to apologise for the injuries.. I'm sorry."

"No problem and not a good timing. I won't be coming to the tutoring sessions till Wednesday. I won't even be attending the lessons till Wednesday," said Mattheo, smiling probably because he won't have to attend the lessons.

I get up, apologise for waking him up and go out. I did see Marcus from the corner of my eye, and boy did he look mad. I let myself laugh seeing his face. It does hurt that the guy I liked turned out to be someone I didn't think of him to be, but at least nothing happened to me. I'm glad that Riddle can be trusted.

——

The week passed by and Mattheo did not come to the classes. Worried as I was, I had no business of disturbing him. But he was in there because of me. So I do the most courageous task of giving him the chocolates I bought from honeydukes. It hurt taking them with me to give them to someone else. I enter the hospital wing and see Mattheo talking with someone else. I was going to leave but he saw me and told me to come to him. I clutched the chocolate hard and walked towards them.

Mattheo's bruise seemed to be healing, and his nose wound had now closed up, leaving only a bit of blood there. I stood there waiting for someone to say something. His friend took a look at me and told him that he was leaving. Mattheo bid him goodbye and then turned to me. He smirks and asks, "What brings you here? Finally thought of visiting me?"

"Oh, uh- I wanted to thank you for that day. It's all-" I start saying but Mattheo cuts me off by saying, "Stop apologising whenever you meet me. It's not your fault. I did what any person with feelings would do."

Seems like he's a good guy. I wonder why he hangs out with those dimwit Slytherins. I hold out my chocolates to him, offering him to take it. He smiles and says, "Feed me, will you? Can't eat by myself. That stupid bastard broke my arm."

A blush finds its way on my face. I stutter out a 'sure', take the chocolate and hold my hand in front of his face, holding a chocolate frog. He moves his face upwards, taking a bite from the frog. His lips brush against my thumb, making my heartbeat go faster. I immediately bring my hand back and he raises an eyebrow.

"C'mon Katherine, let me have the chocolate frog at least," he says, pouting. I smile and feed him the rest of the chocolates. At an attempt to make small talk, I say, "So were you that injured that you couldn't even attend the classes this week?"

"You have eyes Katherine, use 'em," he says, a bit too much concentrated on savouring the taste of the chocolate wand that I had bought (for myself).

"Rude, but haven't you only joined the school this year and you don't even know the basics?"

"I have. The Professors were coming here to teach me the basics. I think Snape's the most displeased to have to come here for my own sake. Snape wanted to send you instead of coming himself but I suppose that old geezer didn't allow him."

"Who's the old geezer? Don't tell me you're talking about Dumbledore."

"So that's what his name his? Well whatever it is, he wanted me to tell you that you are basically in charge of teaching me all the things that you people know of," Mattheo says nonchalantly.

"WHAT?" I basically scream, making Madam Pomfrey mad. She comes and pulls me away from Mattheo and mutters, "God, these kids," and throws me out of the hospital wing.

"Stop making a ruckus in there. Patients want to sleep, not hear some girl scream. Now shoo, I have patients to tend to." Madam Pomfrey says. I apologise to her and turn around. As I turn around, I see Dumbledore, with his silver beard, smiling down on me. I greet him and start to walk away when he stops me.

"Miss Pearl, can you spare me a moment?"

"Of course Professor."

Why did Professor Dumbledore want to talk to me? Maybe he wanted to inform me that I was incharge of Mattheo's tutoring. That was surely it.

He then asks me to follow him as he walks inside the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey comes and greets Professor in a hurry and throwing in a annoyed look towards me. He walks over to Mattheo's bed, and sits down on the stool near it. I stand next to him and wait for him to say something.

"Well, Mr. Riddle and Ms. Pearl, it's something I wish to discuss with you, just a second," he turns to Madam Pomfrey and says, "Would you be so kind as to take the patients and yourself out of the hospital wing for a little while. There is something important that I need to talk about with these children."

Madam Pomfrey looks like she wants to complain but she walks out the room with Marcus, the only other patient in the room. They close the door and then, Dumbledore positions his gaze on Mattheo."

"Mr. Riddle, I apologise for asking Miss Pearl to be here when I have to tell you something personal."

"I really don't care. I mean what could be so bad about me that I don't know of?"

"I wouldn't be so sure of myself, if I were you. Well, it's about your parents."

"My parents?"

"Your parents well let's just say they weren't good wizards."

Weren't good wizards? What does Professor Dumbledore mean?

——

Gosh this took longer than expected. Well, that's kind of it.

So how do you think Katherine reacted?

Enjoy!