Mattheo Riddle - Imagines/OneShot

Tell Me a Story?

Song Name: The Pool - Stephen Sanchez

*Edited

Word Count: 1086

The fire crackled softly in the cozy sitting room as snowflakes drifted lazily outside the window. The smell of fresh pine filled the air, mingling with the scent of warm cocoa that sat steaming in the mug on the side table. Delilah, a hazel-eyed girl of ten, sat cross-legged on the floor, her gaze fixed on her father as he settled into the armchair across from her. She tugged at the sleeves of her pajamas, her excitement barely contained.

"Daddy, tell me the story again!" she urged, her hazel eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Her father, Mattheo, chuckled softly as he leaned back in his chair his gaze softening as he looked at her. "The one about how I met your mother?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.

Delilah nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! The Hogwarts one!"

Mattheo smiled, a fondness creeping into his voice as memories washed over him. "All right, then. Where should I begin?"

"Start with the train! The Hogwarts express!" Delilah said, her voice bubbling with excitement.

Mattheo nodded. "The Hogwarts Express," he began, his voice growing more animated. "It was my sixth year, and I was running late. You see, your grandmother was convinced that I had forgotten something, so we had to go back to the house three times before I finally convinced her that I had everything I needed."

Delilah giggled, imagining her grandmother fussing over his son as he tried to get on the train in time.

"I was practically sprinting down the platform when I spotted the last compartment with an open seat," Mattheo continued, his eyes distant as he recalled the moment. "I flung the door open, out of breath, and there she was–your mother."

Delilah's smile widened as she imagined her mother sitting in the compartment, waiting to be discovered. "Was she reading a book?" she asked, already knowing the answer but eager to hear it again.

Mattheo grinned. "She was. Your mother always had her nose in a book. I remember she looked up at me, and for a second, I just stood there, staring like an idiot. She was beautiful- long (hair color), big (color) eyes, and this quiet, calm energy about her that made the whole world feel like it had slowed down."

Delilah sighed dreamily. "And then what did you do?"

"Well," Mattheo said, chucking at the memory of his younger self. Thinking back at the memory was funny, but now being older–he realizes how stupid and difficult he was, but he couldn't tell his daughter...yet. "I awkwardly asked if I could sit with her. She gave me a small smile and nodded, but she didn't say much at first. I thought she must have found me annoying, barging in like that, so I kept quiet too."

Delilah's brow furrowed. "But you did talk eventually, right?"