The Dare - Mattheo Riddle

11. chasing pavements

Pansy's voice filled with fear as she looked around the dimly lit common room. "Guys, this seems scary," she whined, her eyes wide with unease.

I couldn't help but chuckle at her fear. It was well-known among our group that Pansy had an irrational aversion to anything remotely frightening—bugs, ghosts, even shadows could make her squeal.

It was almost comical that she was part of Slytherin when she seemed more suited for Ravenclaw, where her peculiarities might be appreciated.

Yet, there was something endearing about her, even if her kindness was reserved for our close-knit circle.

To anyone else, she could be as sharp as a serpent's tooth.

Tonight was our chance for a bit of mischief before the holidays.

Enzo and Draco had come up with the idea to play hide and seek in the Forbidden Forest, and I was thrilled at the prospect of doing something adventurous.

However, Pansy was clearly less enthusiastic about the idea.

Jules had left for Greece with her family the day before, leaving a noticeable gap in our usual dynamic.

I loved Jules, but she had a knack for being both endearing and infuriatingly persistent.

"Oh, come on. It's going to be fun! It's our last night before the holidays," I pleaded, giving her my best puppy-dog eyes.

Pansy hesitated for a moment before relenting.

"Okay, fine, but if we get attacked by a werewolf, I'm killing you all myself," she said with a shaky laugh, trying to mask her fear with bravado.

"We're not going to get attacked by a werewolf, you baby," Draco teased, but Pansy's glare was sharp enough to make him wince when she punched him in the arm.

"OW!" Draco shouted, rubbing his arm dramatically. "Come on, that didn't even hurt!"

Enzo, who had been going over the rules with exaggerated seriousness, interrupted.

"Alright, so the rules are simple: no magic except for the Luminous Charm, and only the seeker can use it."

As he spoke, I couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that had been gnawing at me all day.

Enzo had seemed off, distant. Earlier, I had seen him with a random Ravenclaw, which struck me as odd since I thought he was getting closer to Astoria.

To top it off, I had seen Ginny Weasley leaving his dorm just an hour ago.

I was hesitant to bring it up; Enzo could be sensitive about his personal life.

Press him too hard, and he could become quite unpleasant.

Theo, ever the joker, saluted Enzo. "Got it, officer," he said, making me roll my eyes and chuckle at his antics.

I was startled when Mattheo's arms wrapped around me from behind. I turned around to find him smiling.

"Hey," I said, my smile growing as I leaned into him.

"Hey," he replied, his gaze soft. "I figured I'd spend our last night here with you."

"I figured you would," I grinned, lying back down on the couch with a pillow propped up. Mattheo settled beside me, his presence warm and comforting.

As we ventured outside the castle later, the crisp night air was invigorating.

We were dressed in black, as Draco had insisted, for stealth.

We moved quietly through the shadows, but our mission was nearly compromised when Blaise tripped over something in the dark, letting out a stifled exclamation of "Sorry!"