Make me Hate You - Matteo Riddle

Chapter 14 - the Games People Play

In the dimly lit common room, Aurora and Matteo each downed a vial of truth potion without hesitation, a sign of the unusual trust that had developed between them. Aurora couldn't help but feel a mix of surprise and resignation at Matteo's possession of the potion, a reminder of his lineage as Voldemort's son.

'If anyone would have vials of truth potion then it would definitely be Voldemorts son,' she thought. Nevertheless, she was intrigued by the prospect of unveiling more about each other through the game they were about to play.

As the game commenced, Aurora took a sip of her drink and dove in with her first question, her curiosity getting the better of her. "How often do you read people's minds?" she inquired, her voice betraying a hint of wariness.

Matteo's smirk in response only heightened Aurora's unease, but she steeled herself for whatever answer he would provide. "Often," he replied simply, his tone carrying a knowing edge that sent a shiver down Aurora's spine. Unsettled by Matteo's cryptic response, Aurora braced herself as he posed his question in return.

"What happened with you and your brother?" Matteo's inquiry cut straight to the heart of Aurora's past, stirring up emotions she had long buried. Aurora hesitated, grappling with the memories that flooded back at Matteo's probing question. She contemplated evading the topic, but ultimately decided to share a glimpse of her past with him. He could read her mind to find out anyway. "It's a long story. I doubt you want to ruin this lovely evening," she deflected, her voice tinged with a hint of melancholy.

Undeterred, Matteo leaned back in his chair, silently urging her to continue. With a heavy sigh, Aurora relented, allowing herself to open up about a painful chapter of her life,

"Something happened at my old school. It was bad. I didn't want to tell my brother, since I knew he'd worry, so I just got my parents to transfer me. My brother was upset, he felt abandoned, so he stopped talking to me for the whole summer. It was just silence. Now he's finally coming back around," she recounted, her words laden with the weight of unresolved familial strife.

Matteo absorbed Aurora's story with a solemn nod, his expression reflecting a newfound understanding of the complexities that shaped her. Before he could offer any response, Aurora swiftly redirected the conversation, eager to shift the focus away from her past and onto Matteo's own experiences.

"So, I'm eager to know. And you knew I'd ask - what happened between you and Mara that day?" she interjected, hoping to steer the dialogue toward lighter, less introspective territory.

The air was thick with a mixture of tension and familiarity as Aurora and Matteo engaged in their game of truth. Matteo's sigh punctuated the silence, drawing Aurora's attention as she prodded him gently, prompting him to share his own personal revelation. With a measured gaze, Matteo disclosed his own intimate truth, causing Aurora's eyes to widen in surprise.

"I told her I regretted sleeping with her," Matteo confessed, his voice tinged with a bit of annoyance as he took a sip from his glass.

Aurora's initial shock quickly gave way to a flood of questions, but Matteo interrupted her with a firm reminder of the rules they had established. "One question each," he insisted, asserting his right to reciprocity.

Resigned, Aurora acquiesced, taking a sip of her drink as Matteo posed his query.

"Are you scared that I can read your thoughts?" he inquired, his tone laced with curiosity. Aurora's lips curved into a knowing smile as she considered his question. "Not really," she replied, her voice tinged with a hint of amusement, "I was a bit uncomfortable at first when I found out. I'm not sure how much you know, but I do have to say—I hope you're not constantly in my brain. But the thought of it being you in my head doesn't really terrify me, so no."