Dusk and Desire - A Mattheo Riddle Story

The Slytherin Party

Nora shifted uncomfortably as she stood in front of the mirror. Was this the right outfit? Should she change? Did she look like a complete idiot?

"Stop spiraling," Aditi groaned. "You look hot. Like you always do."

Nora frowned while she fidgeted with her top. It was a cream long-sleeve with a deep V-neck, the color accentuating the golden tan she'd picked up during Quidditch while the fit was tight enough to show off her curves. Her breasts looked perky, perfectly round cleavage peeking out. She was wearing a pair of high-waisted jeans that made her ass look good even though she'd rather wear a skirt. However, right after she put one on, she quickly learned that she couldn't wear a skirt because someone had given her an ungodly number of hickeys on her thighs and upper body. Nora was pretty sure that everywhere she looked, there was another hickey. This top was the only one that miraculously covered them all so Nora put her hair half-up before slipping on some gold necklaces and hoop earrings, finishing the outfit with some cute black boots.

On the outside, she knew she looked good. There was a part of her that couldn't help but feel attractive and powerful. After all, she was a popular pureblood with loads of girls who wanted to be her friend, a starting spot on the Quidditch team, a boy who fawned over her, and top grades in the class.

But on the inside was a little girl who'd never felt like she belonged in a house with a mother who hated her and a brother who despised her just as much. There was a little girl who continued to wonder, "When will I be enough?" She could be popular. She could be pretty. She could be talented. But she could never be liked, not by them. And, maybe, because she grew up in a home where she was totally disliked, Nora couldn't help but dislike herself too.

Nora fidgeted with the top one more time, staring at herself critically. Was her makeup smudged? Her mascara clumped? Should she pick a new lip color? Was she beautiful enough?

"Stop, Nora," Aditi groaned. "You're thinking too loudly and ruining my vibe."

Nora couldn't help it. Her thoughts went a million miles an hour. Like a bullet railway system, each train shooting off in different directions. She opened her mouth to speak but her tongue felt tied. The words didn't come.

Aditi smiled gently. "I've never seen you look more incredible. Seriously. Mattheo is going to shit himself when he sees you."

And just like that, talk of him had her feeling loose enough to smile and step away from the mirror. "You really think so?"

"Have you seen him in Divination? He's like a lapdog drooling over you. And whenever he's not hitting a bludger in Quidditch matches, he ogles you. You're like the patron saint of Mattheo, apparently."

It was true. The past few weeks ever since Nora'd agreed to give him another chance were nothing but bliss. Mattheo had successfully convinced almost all of her classmates to trade seats with him so he was always by her. He dragged her over to sit with his friends at meals, which meant that their group was almost always loud between the girls that followed her and the people he was already sitting with. Mattheo walked her to almost every class and spent every evening and free period fucking her until she was sure she couldn't walk anymore. Any spare time they had was spent on the Quidditch pitch where they practiced against each other before fucking in the grass. Nora spent many afternoons going from riding a broom to riding him. She had a toothbrush in his bathroom, some lingerie, and even some Quidditch gear. Though she still refused to cuddle him or spend the night, she had to admit there was a definite shift from those small acts.

She wasn't sure when it happened but slowly, her heart opened up to him more and more. She smiled at him when she saw him, talked to him about her day in the evenings, and even ranted about the upcoming Christmas holiday that she was dreading. He told her all about the bodies he had to bury for his brother—she wished he was kidding—and the annoyance he had with his friend, Theo, for keeping a large secret from him. Slowly but surely, her trust in him was building. She didn't love him—she couldn't, not yet—but the foundation of something like it was building. And as much as she wanted to hate it, she couldn't.