Forbidden Love

Through The Dark Corridors

The dimly lit corridors of Hogwarts were eerily quiet as Mattheo and I made our way toward Snape's storage. The only sounds were our footsteps echoing against the cold stone floors and the distant creaks of the ancient castle settling into the night. Every shadow seemed to stretch and twist, playing tricks on my mind.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" I whispered, glancing around nervously. "I mean, getting caught by Snape is basically a death sentence."

Mattheo rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed with my hesitation. "Oh, please, Abby. It's not like it's the first time someone's done this. You're acting like a scared first-year."

"I'm not scared," I shot back, my voice a little sharper than I intended. "I'm just... cautious. There's a difference, you know."

"Yeah, sure," he muttered, a smirk playing on his lips. "You've got to learn to relax. We'll be in and out before anyone notices."

"That's easy for you to say," I retorted, my frustration growing. "You've probably done this a hundred times. But for me, it's not exactly something I do on a regular basis."

"Black, you're dragging your feet," Mattheo hissed, glancing back at me with an annoyed expression. The way he said my last name, with that sharp edge, only fueled my irritation.

"Stop calling me that," I whispered back, my voice barely masking my frustration. "It's Abby, remember?"

He just smirked, clearly amused by how easily he could get under my skin. "Whatever you say... Abby."

We finally reached Snape's storage room, the large, ominous door looming before us. Mattheo pulled out his wand, his movements confident and sure. With a few muttered words, the lock clicked open, and he slowly pushed the door ajar.

Just as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, a deafening alarm pierced the silence, making me jump. Before either of us could react, the door slammed shut behind us, trapping us inside. The alarm cut off abruptly, leaving us in an oppressive silence.

"What the—" I started, my heart racing.

"Shit," Mattheo muttered, his face pale as he scanned the room. "This wasn't supposed to happen."

"No kidding," I snapped, my voice trembling with a mix of fear and anger. "Now what?"

Mattheo moved quickly to the door, trying to unlock it again, but it wouldn't budge. "The alarm must have triggered some kind of locking mechanism. We're stuck."

Panic surged through me. "Stuck? What do you mean, stuck? You're the one who said you knew what you were doing!"

"I do know what I'm doing!" he retorted, though his confidence seemed to waver. "This is just... unexpected."

"Unexpected? We're trapped in Snape's storage, Mattheo!" I exclaimed, my voice rising. "This is beyond unexpected—it's a disaster!"

He turned to face me, his eyes dark and serious. "I'll get us out of this, Abby. Just stay calm."

"Stay calm?" I echoed, incredulous. "We're going to get caught! What do you think Snape will do when he finds us in here?"

"Stop panicking!" Mattheo snapped, his voice cutting through my fear. "I'm working on it, okay? Just give me a minute to think."

I bit my lip, forcing myself to take deep breaths. There had to be a way out of this, but all I could think about was the inevitable punishment if we were caught. The silence stretched out between us, thick with tension.

Mattheo began pacing the small space, his mind clearly racing. I watched him, feeling utterly useless. My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears.

After what felt like an eternity, I stopped pacing and looked at Mattheo with a newfound determination. "Okay, I think I've got an idea. But it's risky."

"What is it?" he asked, desperation creeping into his voice.

"We'll need to create a distraction, something that will draw attention away from this room," I explained. "And then, when the coast is clear, I'll try to unlock the door again. If we're lucky, the distraction will be enough to reset the alarm system."

"And how exactly are we supposed to create a distraction from in here?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow.

I hesitated for a moment, then pulled out my wand. "I have a few spells in mind. They're not exactly school-approved, but they should do the trick."

I felt a chill run down my spine. "And what if it doesn't work?" Mattheo asked, his gaze meeting mine, serious and unwavering.

"It will. We don't have another choice," I replied, trying to sound more confident than I felt.

"Fine," he relented, clearly not seeing any other option. "Let's do it."

I nodded, and without another word, I began casting the spells. Mattheo watched as the air around us started to shimmer, strange sounds echoing through the room. It was eerie, and I couldn't help but feel a knot of dread tighten in my stomach.

As the spells took effect, the tension in the air seemed to heighten. We waited, each passing second feeling like an hour. My thoughts raced, a whirlwind of fear and uncertainty.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, there was a soft click, and the door creaked open. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding, my body sagging with relief.