Mixed Feelings; Mattheo Riddle- Book 3

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 5: 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗼

"I don't know," Mattheo whispered in his room late at night. 

He really didn't know. How could he get his sister and girlfriend out safely? Especially without anyone noticing. 

The number of bruises on his upper body were increasing by the day. The light in his head was slowly dimming. But nothing could be crushing him more than anything crushing Snow and Adalie. Both of them were in their own personal hells. How does he compare? 

Now in the bathroom, he bit his lip as he wiped off the blood with a white cloth, stained red after seconds. With a shaking hand, he brings the wand to his chest, closing the wounds. A hiss goes out his mouth, the burning sensation traveling through him. 

"Fuck," he groaned when the large laceration on his stomach closes up. It left a large, white scar. Mattheo's slender fingers trace alone the scar, a frown settling on his face. 

The purple bruises were now turning yellow. The white scars darkened, no longer aching. But the pain in the back of his mind continued to grow. A dark seedling threatened to grow. 

A muffled knock made it to Mattheo's ear. His arms tensed up, praying it wasn't a death eater informing him he must go to his father. Forcing himself to inhale, he makes his way to his door. His shaking wrist opens the door, revealing Tyler. 

Smug as ever, leaning against his doorway. 

"What are you-" 

Tyler shoved past Mattheo, looking around the room. He chuckled at the blood soaked towel on the floor. The messy bedsheet and dim lights. "You've been taking care of yourself," he commented. 

"Get out." Mattheo's voice was low and threatening. 

A subtle shiver through Tyler's spine didn't go unnoticed by Mattheo. Mattheo felt a slight bit of pride. 

"You sure? It's about Adalie." 

Mattheo froze. Tyler smiled, knowing he got him. 

He leaned against the door way, his gaze never leaving Tyler's. "Speak." 

Tyler sighed, sitting on the edge of Mattheo's bed. "I don't care about Snow. I never have, I never will. I want to see The Dark Lord do awful, unspeakable things to her. But I don't particularly sit well with the idea of a child going through whatever that is."

"Bullshit." Mattheo didn't believe a word Tyler was saying about Adalie. Since when did he care? 

"Yeah?" Tyler stood up, stalking over to Mattheo. Neither of them break eye contact, the anger between them palpable. "Then why do I have someone outside waiting to aid in her escape?"  

A long, quiet pause. 

"What's the catch?" Mattheo finally said. 

Tyler shrugged. "I'm keeping your relationship with Snow a secret, as is Draco. And now I'm saving your sister. I believe I'll need some compensation for that," he said, a smirk on his face. "We can decide that after Adalie is out of here." 

Mattheo scoffed. "Yeah, well you might as well lay out your terms right now, cause I don't believe you can be noble enough to wait." 

"I want protection," Tyler stated. 

Mattheo raised an eyebrow, confused. 

"From Snow." Tyler's shoulders tensed as he said her name. "If, and by if I mean when, she gets out, she'll have it out for me. I need to know that you'll do your best to keep me safe from her arms." 

Mattheo chuckled. "You deserve whatever's coming for you. I shouldn't have stopped her last time, I'm sure as hell not going to do that now." 

Tyler shrugged. "No protection. No freeing Adalie. I can tell the rescuer to leave with a single thought." 

Mattheo pondered over it for a moment. In all fairness, how would Tyler guarantee this? 

"Fine," Mattheo said. "Done. Now where is this per-"

Tyler held up a finger, shaking his head. "I've learned not to trust your word. So we will make the unbreakable vow." 

Of course. 

Emotions ran across Mattheo's face. The need to save Adalie. To let Snow get her revenge. To not punch Tyler across the face right now. 

He relented, his heart pounding as he did so. 

I'm so sorry, Snow. His mind racked with guilt and his forehead beading with sweat, his hands shook as he made the unbreakable bow. He swore to protect Tyler from Snow when need be. 

He swore to betray Snow, once again. 

╚══ ❀•°❀°•❀ ══╝╚══ ❀•°❀°•❀ ══╝

Adalie is led out by Tyler and Mattheo, she kept glancing between the two of them as they sneak her out from her cell. 

"Let me talk to Snow," she requested. 

Mattheo hesitated for a second, before taking her to Snow's cell. She was sitting against the wall. Her legs and arms far more brittle than before. Her cheeks hollow and her eyes sunken in. 

"Snow," Adalie's soft voice carried out. Snow looked up, a small smile on her face appearing.

"Adalie," she said, getting up on her knees. 

Adalie paused for a moment, her eyes with many mixed emotions. Finally, after what felt like minutes of awkward silence, she said: "See you on the other side, Snow." 

None of them knew what she meant. 

Mattheo felt tears at the back of his eyes as his sister was able to breath fresh air again. On a broom was a woman, waiting. Something about the shape of her figure was so... familiar. 

Adalie sensed it too, and reluctantly got on the broom. Her face set in realization when she saw the woman's face. 

"Thank you," Mattheo said, hoping to see the familiar woman's face. 

She turned around, and the wand in Mattheo's hand dropped. His mouth agape. His eyes glossed over with the tears from earlier, threatening to spill out. 

"You're welcome, my darling boy." The familiar smile, the ones that comforted him for many nights. The smile he thought had died when he was seven.

His mother. 

AN:

Thoughts?