Magic and Mistrust ~ Mattheo Riddle

11

I rushed to my first lesson not because I was late but because there was sniffling everywhere. It was sniffle season, as my mom used to call it.

I quickly slipped and sat down before anyone could sneeze and pass down their germs.

I wasn't a germaphobe; I just hated being sick. I would be spending a lot more time in my dorm; who knows if the library is safe?

It was just me and Jameson at the table; he had his eyes closed.

"You alright?" I ask.

"Just the sniffles," he says, and then sneezes, burying his face in his sleeve.

I nodded. I was sure that I couldn't get sick from him. He coughed in his elbow, sneezed in his sleeve, and carried disinfectant.

Dash and Annie walk in together. Dash's face was red, and he kept sneezing.

"What's up, Sneezy?" James greets Dash.

He rolls his eyes. "Allergies." He says, "We're dealing with daisies in herbology; why couldn't it be sunflowers?" He sniffs and sits down.

Annie sits down, greeting us. She was excited to be back in class. At least she wasn't sick. I was glad she was back, even if I didn't visit her or show it.

Professor Reid explains our work and we get started on it.

"Give me a minute to blow my nose," Dash tells us as we brainstorm ideas.

He does as he says, blowing his nose loudly.

"Quit playing the trumpet," James says.

"Watch your tone with me," Dash snaps back.

"Watch your tone with me," James mocks. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to steal all your books," he threatens.

"You won't get the chance," James retorts confidently. "Because I'll fill your room with daisies."

"You wouldn't dare," Dash says in disbelief.

"You don't know how far I'd go for my books."

I laugh at this whole situation, and Annie does too.

Professor Reid starts talking and our group stops laughing.

My gaze drops to my lap where I was playing with the ring. I wasn't sure if it did anything but like James said, there should be a trigger with something important inside. I just needed to figure out how to get in.

~

After class, I went straight to my dorm. I wasn't getting sick.

I opened the door to an empty room and started doing my homework. The work before the winter break was no joke.

When I finally finished, I tried everything to get the ring to do something but it just wouldn't.

Maybe there was a key or something, that's why Mattheo didn't care that he lost it or it just didn't have anything in it.

Cho storms in, all bundled up. It was cold but not that cold. She was definitely sick. She looked like it.

The girl stumbled to her bed and wrapped herself in the blanket, closing her eyes.

I put the ring back in my pocket and stare at the girl cautiously. She opens her eyes, stares right back and wipes her snot on her blanket.

As I get up from my bed and put my books away, she coughs uncontrollably and doesn't cover her mouth.

I had to get out of here.

I think about my options, Annie just recovered so that's not a good idea, Dash is sick and James probably was too with all the time they spend together.

I accept my defeat and go to the one place I could think of.

He opens the door right after I knock. Why isn't he asleep?

"Hey, what are you doing here?" He was surprisingly calm to see me.

"My roommate is sick."

"And?"

"I have nowhere else to go," I plead "Please, I don't wanna get sick"

"Fine you can come in," He ushers me in and goes back to his desk, he had been sketching. He closed the book before I could see the sketch.

"So are you just going to stand there?" He asked me.

I meet his gaze, wondering why he let me in. "Uh no,"

"Come on," He says, "You can sleep on the couch,"

I close my eyes in relief, "Thanks," I mumble.

I see his lips curve into a little smile before he turns around, hiding his face. I look away, sitting on the couch, cross legged.

He tosses me a blanket, "Here."

"You're not gonna sleep?" I asked, looking around for any hidden compartments.

"Why? You want my bed?"

"Can't sleep?" I ask, knowing the feeling all too well.

"Maybe," He replies, sitting at his desk so I couldn't see his face.

I lay on the couch, watching him. I could tell something was bothering him.

"Am I that handsome?" He asks, not looking up from his sketch.

"What?"

"You gonna stop staring?"

"I wasn't staring," I defended, averting my gaze from the back of his head.

"Whatever you say," He says and it becomes silent again.

"Is something bothering you?"

I didn't want to admit it but I was concerned for him after last night. He fell asleep for a while and then left without a word when he woke up.

Mattheo was acting really weird and distant. I guess it was the tasks he had to do but it was unsettling. It was like an invisible wall, pushing us away from each other.

"Don't worry about it," He hums.

The rain poured outside, filling the silence.

Despite the warmth of his room, I wrap myself in the blanket, and drift off to sleep, forgetting about The Order, the ring and Death Eater business.

~

I wake up to the soft opening of drawers.

Mattheo was creeping around the dorm, looking for something. He finds whatever he was looking for and puts it on. A quidditch jersey?

I rub my eyes, "Mattheo?"

He walks over to me, "Shh go to sleep."

"Thanks," I mumble and grab his hand so he listens but he lets go a second after.

I yawn as he leaves the room, wondering what that was about.

I remember that he was allowed to play quidditch again and that everything was weird after he gained his privilege again. Was he using me for quidditch?

I get up and turn the light on. I walk over to the couch and fold my blanket.

I check that the ring is still in my pocket and start looking around for anything that could fit inside or give me info on how to access whatever was inside. It couldn't be so complicated—but when it came to Mattheo, everything was complicated.

I feel the walls, the drawers and the floor but don't find anything. Maybe it only worked for Mattheo and the Death Eaters?