Boundless

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐲 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐆𝐨𝐭 𝐈𝐭 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 (𝟑𝟔)

Mattheo

I was starting to feel the weight of what this night was supposed to be. I'd resisted at first—hell, I was getting married, not going on some wild adventure. But somehow, Enzo and Blaise had managed to twist my arm, and now here I was, sitting in the back of a private room at the Three Broomsticks with Draco, Theo, Enzo, and Blaise, all of them acting like they were part of some rebellious team of misfits out for one last hurrah.

I had to admit, the whole thing was a little fun. Not that I'd ever tell them that.

Enzo was leaning back in his chair, a fire-whisky in one hand and a grin that made him look like a Cheshire cat. "You know, Riddle, I can't believe you're actually getting married. It feels like we were just in first year, you sneaking around with Olivia like it was some big secret."

Blaise snorted. "You were always the dramatic one with her. Honestly, I never thought you'd pull it off. I figured it'd be one of those 'will-they-won't-they' things forever."

Theo chuckled, his eyes scanning the table. "You mean like it was before? Mattheo, you were in love with her since day one. Everyone could see it."

Draco raised an eyebrow, his gaze softening. "Except you two, apparently. I was convinced you two would get married before graduation, even if we didn't know you were already practically a couple by third year."

"Yeah, I remember you two were inseparable," Enzo added, taking a swig of his drink. "But you kept that thing about 'not being in love' going for years. It was like watching a bloody slow-motion train wreck, Mattheo. You guys were already together before you even knew it."

I laughed, rubbing the back of my neck. "I guess we were always that obvious. I never really thought about it, though. But in hindsight, yeah, she was my first everything. I just didn't know what to do with it."

"You weren't the only one trying to figure it out," Draco said, his tone softening as he leaned forward. "You should've seen how she reacted when you left. She was destroyed, Mattheo. I've never seen my sister that broken."

I winced. "I know," I murmured, feeling the familiar weight in my chest. "It was the hardest thing I ever did. Walking away from her... it felt like losing a piece of me. I couldn't explain it then, but everything changed when I left."

"Yeah," Enzo said, pausing to stare into his glass, "but you came back. And that, my friend, is the part of the story I can't believe. You came back and took her from Sebastian. Hell, I thought you were crazy, but I couldn't blame you. Olivia's the one person you're always going to choose over everything else."

The memory of that moment, walking into the room at the beginning of this year and seeing her again after all that time, made me feel something in my chest tighten. "She deserved someone who would fight for her," I said quietly. "Sebastian—he wasn't it. I wasn't going to let her settle for that."

Blaise raised his glass. "And you didn't. I'll give you credit for that, mate. You didn't give up on her, even when it would've been easier to walk away and let her marry that idiot."

I smiled, feeling a deep sense of gratitude toward my friends. "I couldn't. I didn't care what it cost me. I had to make her see that I was never going anywhere again."

Theo leaned back in his chair, shaking his head. "I think that's what gets me about you two. Everyone else was too busy playing their part in this stupid little game we were all caught in. But you? You both never wavered. Even when she was with someone else, and you had every reason to just walk away. You still fought for her."

Draco, always the quieter one, broke in then. "When you showed up, it was like you'd never left. She knew. You came back for her, and she knew." He paused, his voice lower, thoughtful. "I knew it too. I knew you'd never stop loving her."

"Yeah, well," I muttered, taking a long sip of my drink, "it wasn't as easy as it sounds. Coming back, I mean. It felt like trying to fit a broken puzzle back together. But when I saw her—when I held her again—everything just made sense."

Enzo raised his glass again. "Well, Riddle, looks like you've finally got your happy ending. A year ago, we would've never believed it. You—getting your true love? Who would've thought?"

Blaise smirked. "Look at you now. Engaged to Olivia Malfoy. Who would've thought we'd see the day?"

I smiled, shaking my head. "Never thought I'd be here either. But I guess sometimes, the best things are worth fighting for."

"We can drink to that," Theo said, grinning, raising his own glass to me.

And so, we did.

The rest of the night was filled with laughter and the kind of banter that only friends who had seen each other through thick and thin could share. We talked about everything from our first year at Hogwarts to what the future might hold, each of us grateful for the time we had and the friendship that had kept us sane through it all.

But the real moments, the ones that meant the most, were when they all—every one of them—told me how proud they were. Not just of me for finding my place with Olivia, but of how we'd managed to keep our love alive, despite everything we'd been through. Even though the war was still on the horizon, and the world was a mess, in this moment, everything felt right.

"To you and Olivia, mate," Enzo said, raising his glass again. "To love that stands the test of time."

I met his gaze, feeling the weight of his words sink deep inside me. "To us," I said, clinking my glass against his. "To us, always."