Make me Hate You - Matteo Riddle

Chapter 22 - Boyfriend & Girlfriend

The atmosphere in the common room grew tense as Matteo abruptly left the party, his steps echoing through the empty corridors as he made his way to his room. Anger simmered beneath the surface, threatening to boil over at any moment. Upon entering his chamber, Matteo's frustration reached its breaking point. With a sudden burst of rage, he turned toward the mirror hanging on his wall and unleashed his fury, his clenched fist colliding with the glass surface. The mirror shattered into a thousand glittering fragments, scattering across the floor, along with his wrist, which bore the brunt of the impact.

Aurora had followed Matteo to his room, her heart pounding in her chest as she took in the scene before her. The sight of his bleeding wrist and the shards of glass strewn across the floor sent a shiver down her spine. Matteo just sat down on his bed, not looking up at her. Without a word, Aurora approached Matteo, her expression a mixture of concern and determination. Kneeling before him on the floor, she gently took his injured hand in hers, her touch tender yet steady. With practiced precision, she retrieved her wand and began the delicate process of removing the shards embedded in his skin.

Despite the pain coursing through his body, Matteo remained stoic, his features a mask of icy resolve. He made no sound as Aurora worked, her healing spells weaving their magic to mend the damage inflicted upon his wrist. Slowly but surely, the blood ceased to flow, and the bruises faded away, leaving behind only the faintest traces of his earlier outburst. As Aurora completed her ministrations, a heavy silence enveloped the room, broken only by the soft hum of magic dissipating into the air. Matteo cast his gaze downward, his thoughts a tumultuous whirlwind of emotion, while Aurora remained by his side, a silent pillar of support in his time of need.

In the hushed stillness of the room, Aurora's voice cut through the tension like a knife, her words laden with concern and confusion.

"Why did you do that to yourself?" she asked, her tone gentle yet probing, seeking answers from the enigma that was Matteo. But Matteo remained reticent, his silence a heavy cloak draped over his troubled mind. Aurora waited patiently, her gaze unwavering, her patience a testament to her unwavering loyalty.

"Unlike you, I cannot read your thoughts," she continued, her voice tinged with a hint of frustration, "Just tell me."

Matteo sighed heavily, the weight of his emotions pressing down upon him like a suffocating blanket. "I just got mad," he finally confessed, his words laden with a mix of resignation and remorse. "That's what happens when I get mad. Or when I touch anything in general. It breaks."

Aurora reached out, her touch gentle as she caressed his cheek, a silent gesture of comfort and reassurance. "Everything I touch breaks," Matteo murmured, his voice laced with self-deprecation and bitterness. But Aurora refused to let his despair consume him, leaning into his touch and nuzzling her face against his hand.

"You haven't broken me, Matteo," she whispered, her words a soothing balm to his troubled soul. Matteo withdrew his hand from her, a shadow passing over his features as he uttered his next words with a mixture of anguish and resignation.

"Not yet," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Aurora's heart ached at the weight of his words, but she knew she had to speak her truth, no matter how painful it may be. "Matteo, I know you already know," she began, her voice steady despite the turmoil raging within her. "But I still need to tell you."

Matteo's eyes widened in silent protest, his expression a silent plea for her to refrain from speaking the words that hung heavy in the air between them, he took her head in his hands and brought her face close to his chest as he whispered:

"Aurora, don't. Please, just don't say it," he implored, his hands cradling her face as if trying to shield himself from her confession.

But Aurora pressed on, her resolve unwavering. "Amortentia doesn't lie, Matteo," she declared, her voice trembling with vulnerability, "I'm in love with you."