Forbidden Love

A Trick and a Treat

Abby and Mattheo bolted from Snape's storage room, adrenaline pumping through their veins. The thrill of narrowly avoiding capture was electrifying, and it wasn't long before they both broke into laughter.

"I can't believe we actually pulled that off!" Abby said between breaths, her voice tinged with excitement.

"Not bad for a Gryffindor," Mattheo teased, a smirk playing on his lips.

Abby rolled her eyes but couldn't help grinning back. "You keep assuming I'm in Gryffindor, but you don't know anything yet."

"Touché," Mattheo replied with a chuckle. "You've got some tricks up your sleeve, I'll give you that."

Abby shook her head, still laughing. "I thought we were done for! You should've seen your face when that alarm went off."

Mattheo smirked, nudging her playfully. "I wasn't scared. You, on the other hand, looked like you were about to faint."

"Did not!" Abby protested, nudging him back, but there was no malice in it. They were just two kids who had just pulled off something wildly reckless and utterly exhilarating.

As they rounded a corner, Abby suddenly stopped, her laughter dying down as she reached into her robe. "Hold up, I almost forgot."

Mattheo turned to see her pulling out a worn piece of parchment. He raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. "What's that?"

Abby grinned mischievously. "Something Fred and George lent me. Watch this." She unfolded the map and tapped it with her wand, whispering, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Mattheo's eyes widened as inked lines began to spread across the parchment, forming a detailed map of Hogwarts. "Is that... the Marauder's Map?" he asked, awe slipping into his voice.

"Yep," Abby replied, scanning the map quickly. "And it's telling me that Snape is way too close for comfort." Without another word, she grabbed Mattheo's hand, their fingers naturally interlocking as she concentrated.

Without a word, she grabbed Mattheo's hand, their fingers interlocking naturally. The warmth of his touch sent a strange shiver through her, but there was no time to think about that. "We need to move. Now."

"Lead the way," Mattheo said, a mix of curiosity and admiration in his tone.

Abby focused on the map, using it to navigate through hidden shortcuts. Just as they were about to take the final turn, she concentrated and, with a quick flick of her wand, Apparated them back to the Slytherin common room. They landed softly, and Mattheo blinked in surprise.

"Apparition? On Hogwarts grounds?" Mattheo whispered, his voice filled with disbelief. "That's... impossible."

"Guess I'm full of surprises," Abby replied with a mischievous smile.

Before they could exchange another word, they were caught by the rest of the gang, who had clearly been waiting for them.

"You two took your sweet time," Blaise remarked, eyeing their still-interlocked hands with a raised eyebrow.

Abby quickly let go, feeling her cheeks heat up. Mattheo, on the other hand, just shrugged nonchalantly, though there was a glint of something unreadable in his eyes.

"Are we just going to ignore the fact that they're holding hands?" Blaise continued a smirk on his face.

"Oh, definitely not," Mellony chimed in, a teasing grin spreading across her face. "I mean, it's cute and all."

Pansy nudged Charlotte and added with a wink, "I think we might be witnessing the start of something here."

Mattheo rolled his eyes, trying to hide his embarrassment. "You lot need to get your heads checked."

Aiden's eyes lit up when he saw Abby. "Abs! You made it back!"

"Abs?" Pansy echoed, raising an eyebrow. "Since when did she become 'Abs'?"

Mattheo's expression tightened, a flicker of jealousy crossing his face. "Yeah, that's new."

Aiden shrugged nonchalantly, grinning. "Just a little nickname."

Blaise smirked, catching the tension. "Is that right, Abs?"

Before Abby could respond, Mattheo cut in, "Whatever. Let's just not make a big deal out of it."

Mellony grinned, nudging Charlotte. "Looks like someone's jealous."

Mattheo rolled his eyes and flipped her off, while Charlotte whispered to Abby, Pansy, and Mellony, "God, if he does that again, I'm going to stick that finger right up his ass, and oh and this time im not fucking kidding"

Abby couldn't help but notice the way Mattheo's hand lingered near hers, their fingers almost brushing as if he was still feeling the spark from earlier. The tension in the room was thick, but underneath it all, there was something else—an undeniable connection that had everyone, even the Slytherins, silently shipping them.