Mattheo Riddle - Imagines/OneShot

If Only

Word Count: 1061

The corridors of Hogwarts were quieter than usual. The autumn chill had settled into the stone walls, making everything feel a little colder, a little more distant. Mattheo walked these familiar halls, his hands shoved deep into his pockets, his mind racing. Everywhere he turned, memories of her haunted him—her laughter echoing in the common room, her bright eyes lighting up when she caught sight of him after class, the warmth of her hand in his as they walked by the Black Lake.

But that warmth had faded. It had been weeks since they broke up, and every day since had been a reminder of how much he had lost.

He had been the one to drive her away. He knew that. His temper, his inability to control his anger—it had finally caught up to him. Mattheo had always been hot-headed, quick to snap at the smallest provocation. It wasn't something he was proud of, but it was who he was. And for a while, she had put up with it, weathered the storm that was his temper. But everyone had their limits.

The last fight had been the worst. They had been arguing over something stupid—he couldn't even remember what it was now—but he had let his anger get the better of him. He had yelled, said things he didn't mean, things that had hurt her. And then, she had looked at him with tears in her eyes, that look of hurt and exhaustion, and said the words that had shattered his world: "I can't do this anymore, Mattheo."

And just like that, she was gone.

Her name was Y/N, and she had been his everything. He had loved her more than anything, but he hadn't been able to keep his own demons at bay long enough to make it work.

Now, weeks later, he was paying the price. He saw her every day in the halls, surrounded by friends, laughing and smiling as if nothing had changed. But something had changed—she wasn't his anymore.

And what made it worse—what made his blood boil with a fury he could barely contain—was seeing her with someone else. It had only been a few weeks, but Y/N had already started dating someone new. A Ravenclaw boy named Thomas. Calm, quiet, the kind of guy who never raised his voice, never lost his temper. The complete opposite of him.

Every time Mattheo saw them together, it felt like a punch to the gut. He watched from the sidelines as they sat together in the library, her head resting on Thomas's shoulder, or walked hand in hand through the castle grounds. The jealousy burned inside him like a wildfire, threatening to consume him.

He couldn't stand it. He couldn't stand the thought of her with someone else. She was supposed to be his, and even though he had messed things up, he wasn't ready to let her go.

One evening, after seeing them together in the Great Hall, Mattheo's resolve finally snapped. He couldn't just sit by and watch her slip further away from him. He had to do something. He had to win her back.

He waited for her after dinner, standing near the entrance to the Potions classroom. When she finally appeared, walking with Thomas, his heart twisted painfully in his chest. But he pushed the jealousy down, forced himself to stay calm.