Make me Hate You - Matteo Riddle

Chapter 4 - the Bruises

As the days at Hogwarts melted into weeks, Aurora found herself slowly settling into her new life within the castle's stone walls. She sat in the library alongside Halo, the two of them immersed in their respective tasks. While Halo diligently studied, Aurora penned a letter to her brother, seeking solace in the familiar act of reaching out to family.

Dear Lorenzo,

How are you? I think of you often. I'm doing well, making more friends. As you know, I've been sorted into Slytherin - it was a surprise, but it makes sense now. I feel like I belong here. My roommates are good people, they are witty and kind, also very pretty. I'm sure you'd like Ashley very much.

Please take care of mom. I miss her dearly.

Lots of love,

Your big sis

However, amidst the tranquil surroundings of the library, Aurora couldn't shake the growing weight of unease that had settled upon her shoulders. Matteo Riddle's relentless harassment had escalated in recent days, his vindictive actions leaving Aurora weary and disheartened. He put a frog in her food, pranked her with a magic glitter bomb that ruined her robes, he dyed her hair green and yellow with magic, he had stolen her shoes and replaced them with male shoes, he once even dropped extra ingredients into a potion she was making during Potions class and it had exploded all over everyone. Matteo and his group laughed for days as Aurora sat in detention.

She of course got him back many times as well, but it only fuelled the fire. She magically cut a hole in the back of his trousers, he almost killed her for that one. When he went to sit down in the Great Hall, she magically placed a bowl of soup on the seat, making him sit right in it. But any other time she tried to get back at him, it seemed like he already knew what she was about to do. She had no idea how he knew. Once she wanted to trip him by using magic rope, but he avoided it like he had known it was already there.

After time passed, she was tired. She regretted her earlier comment about his father, knowing now the extent of the wound it had inflicted upon him. Matteo's relentless bullying and mischief-making had taken its toll on Aurora, leaving her yearning for nothing more than peace and solitude. Yet, she knew that the rift and hate between them was unlikely to heal anytime soon.

'Due to these stupid pranks - other students are avoiding me like the plague...' she sat and pondered.

As Halo and Aurora conversed quietly in the library, their bond of friendship drawing curious glances from their fellow students, Halo was currently one of the few people who didn't avoid Aurora. Most people thought she was a fool for making an enemy of Riddle.
As they sat together, Aurora's attention was suddenly drawn to a large bruise marring Halo's wrist. She noticed it when he reached over the table to grab a book. Concerned, she reached out and gently pulled up his sleeve before he could protest, revealing a network of dark bruises that marred his skin.

Gasping in shock, Aurora turned to Halo, her eyes wide with concern. "Halo, be honest with me right now. Who did this to you?" she demanded, her voice tinged with anger.

Halo averted his gaze, his expression clouded with shame, "I'm okay, Aurora. I promise - I can handle this myself," he replied quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.

But Aurora refused to let him brush off the severity of the situation. "It's Riddle, isn't it? Had he always done stuff like this?" she pressed, her frustration mounting with each passing moment. Halo shook his head, his eyes still fixed on the floor. "No. It started recently. But it's fine, I'm fine, it was a one-time thing anyway, it was mostly my fault... I set him off," he muttered, his words tinged with resignation.