Two Worlds Apart - Fancast Slytherin Boys (on pause)

Chapter 17: Empty

A/N

Read trigger warnings below if needed (contains spoilers)

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It was the first thunder of the late spring. It had been hot outside for a few days now, and the students were doing their last preparations for the O.W.L exams. Mattheo was sat at the library, a book opened in front of him on the table. Draco was chatting to Lorenzo a few seats over and Blaise was nowhere in sight.

Theo had gone home to his family a few days prior, to host a funeral for his mother. None of them had heard from him since.

A loud rumble echoed through the long hollow hallways, and Mattheo's concentration had gone out the window. He sighed, crumbling up a piece of parchment and tossing it on the ground. He rested his chin atop of his knuckle, staring straight ahead as the water splashed onto the window. A lightning flashed, followed by another loud rumble. As Mattheo narrowed his eyes he could've sworn a black shadow sweeping past.

"Riddle?"

Mattheo's head snapped up. Both Draco and Enzo were sat, staring at him. "We're gonna head out now," Draco spoke slowly, "are you coming?"

Mattheo shook his head. "I need to finish this chapter," he lied, "I'll come later."

His friends left the library, leaving Mattheo on his own. He looked down at the large book on the table. Its edges were rough and a large cut ran down the leather on its front. Mattheo remembered picking it up from a pile of glass shards on the floor of his dorm. It had been the day after he'd found Theo crying, and the same day Theo left.

Mattheo grabbed his bag from beneath the table, tossing his belongings into it before heading out of the library. He exited the castle, running through the rain until he made it to the astronomy tower. By the time he reached the door, he was already drenched. His dark curls clung to his forehead and his robes stuck to his muscles. He sighed as he made the familiar way up the stairs and onto the top. He threw his bag on the floor, heading towards the railing. He didn't even care that the rain could hit him. He enjoyed the way the cold droplets hit his burning skin. He closed his eyes momentarily, a feeling of emptiness consuming his body. 

The only thing on Mattheo's mind these past few days was Theo and the loss of his mother. The moment kept replaying in his mind. The image of Theo curled up on the floor, loud echoing sobs escaping his chapped lips. Mattheo shut his eyes firmer. He could almost see himself in Theo's exact position, laying heartbroken on the floor. He should've done something differently, he thought. Said something else.

I know how you feel.

It gets better, with time.

You'll be okay.

Mattheo flinched as a lightning strike struck through the air. Then came the rumble. It had scared him so much that he hadn't even noticed the two tall figures stretching out behind him. An unfamiliar noise made him spin around, his eyes flashing with such horror that he could've sworn his heart almost stopped beating.

One of the tall creatures' hands reached out for him, its long lanky fingers stretching out in front of him. He reached for his wand, tucked into the pocket of his robe. One movement and the creature had cast it to the side. Mattheo flinched as the sound of his wand hitting the ground a few feet away from him reached his ears. He remembered reading about them once. They came from Azkaban. Dementors.

Mattheo backed up towards the railing, feeling completely helpless. He couldn't scream, no one would hear him anyway. He looked towards the staircase, his mind telling him to make a run for it. So he did. He used his hands on the railing behind him to push himself forwards, almost stumbling onto the ground as he desperately tried to escape. One of the dementors swung their hand to the side, a sudden force sending Mattheo flying through the air. His back collided with one of the beams of the tower, a loud thud sounding as he hit the ground.

He groaned loudly, blinking a few times as his vision went blurry. He could still sense the tall shadowy figures floating above him. He tried to stand up, his legs wobbling beneath him. The other dementor swung its hand, sending him flying to the right. His head collided with the ground a few feet over and he bit his lip by accident. The metal taste filled his mouth as he gagged to not choke on the blood. He laid on his side, his breath coming out as loud heaves.

He couldn't feel anything, only a sharp pain in his back. He felt blood running down his forehead and he could barely move. He coughed, spitting out the blood that flooded his mouth. Tears stung in his eyes and he could barely make out their tall figures anymore. One of the shadows moved closer towards him. He reached his hand up to cover his face. "No! No! Please!" he pleaded, his voice cracking. He shut his eyes, terror taking over his entire body.

"No." He could barely make out the sound of his own voice. "No no! Father please."

His fingers dug into his scalp, and his eyes remained shut in anticipation, but nothing came. His whole entire body shook as he carefully blinked his eyes open. They were gone. He coughed again, rolling over to lay on his back. He stared helplessly at the ceiling above him, the sound of the heavy rain hitting the roof the only thing keeping him from going unconscious.

He had no concept of time, his mind not even registering Lorenzo's voice as he yelled his name. He collapsed down in front of him, his hands cupping Mattheo's face in an attempt to keep his eyes open. Blaise kneeled down next to him. Mattheo watched them in slow motion. He could barely make out the words they were saying, and the few that he could, he had no energy to reply to. "We have to take him to the hospital wing," Lorenzo said, looking at Blaise in worry.

Mattheo's eyes widened, his hand reaching out and grasping onto Lorenzo's collar. "No." He had no idea whether the words actually left his mouth or not. "No hospital."

Enzo's eyes glanced down at Mattheo's hand and then at his face. "No we have to," Blaise said, his voice stern. His hand grabbed Enzo's shoulder. "We need to take him."

Lorenzo shook his head no. "No," he replied, his eyes staying locked with his bleeding friend's, "we're taking him back to our dorm."

"But-"

"Come on," Lorenzo grabbed a hold of Mattheo's shoulders, signaling for Blaise to help him. Blaise stilled for a moment, watching his two friends in shock. At last, he joined Enzo, helping him bring Mattheo back to their dorm.

The next time Mattheo opened his eyes, he was laying in his bed. The dorm was silent, but he could tell he wasn't alone. The shadows of a few candles danced on the walls. He turned his head slowly, his eyes adjusting to the dim light. Theo sat at the edge of the bed next to him, his head hanging low. "Nott?" Mattheo whispered, his voice cracking. Theo's head shot up and their eyes met. It felt like someone had punched Mattheo in the gut. He knew something was wrong. He could see it in his eyes.

Mattheo used his elbows to sit up slightly, ignoring the sharp stinging pain that shot up his spine. He winced, his teeth digging into the swollen flesh of his lower lip. Draco stood on the opposite side of the room. His face was buried in his hands. "What's going on?" Mattheo chirped, his eyes catching a glimpse of Blaise who sat on a chair by his desk. He couldn't even look at him.

Enzo headed towards his friend in the bed. "You've been out cold for two days," he spoke quietly, taking a halt next to Mattheo's bed.

Mattheo narrowed his eyes at him, clearly not understanding what was going on. "And?"

Theo stood up abruptly from his spot by the foot of his bed. "It's my father," he spoke, his voice colder than Mattheo had ever heard it before. Chills went down Mattheo's spine. "I saw it," he added, his eyes landing on Mattheo. The pit in his stomach grew. He felt like he was going to be sick.

"—he's got the mark."

A/N

Trigger warning: mention of blood

I put our dear Mattheo through a lot this chapter... I'm sorry.

My hope is that once I'm on summer break, I'll have more time for this story, but I honestly have no idea whether that's true or not. Bear with me.

I would love to hear some thoughts and theories, if you have any. If not, then I hope you enjoyed reading!