Emerson Wilmore was an exemplary Ravenclaw student, known for her unwavering dedication to academics and an unyielding moral compass. However, things took a twisted and deviated turn in her life after her boyfriend, Cedric Diggory, was murdered by L...
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Ever since the confrontation in the Transfiguration courtyard between Emerson and Mattheo, she couldn't help but feel a hollow ache in her chest that never seemed to disappear. Their conversation never left her, his words ringing in her ears as he referred to her not being 'worth anything' and spoke to her like she was a bitter taste on his tongue.
The more she replayed the encounter in her mind, the more certain Emerson became that every moment with Mattheo over the Christmas holidays was nothing but a deliberate lie. She slowly began to realise that it was all a carefully crafted ruse to make her lull into a false sense of trust, where she would be honest and vulnerable because she was so trusting, only so he could rip it all away in the most humiliating way possible. She could only imagine the laughter that he must've shared with Draco when she walked away from the pair, laughing at her naiveness of trusting the one person where she should've known better.
Every memory from Christmas, New Year's Eve and the days inbetween that once brought a hesitant smile to her face now felt tainted and ruined, like they were shrouded in a dark cloud of deceit. The late-night talks, the vulnerable confessions and the way he looked at her during the beautiful firework display felt completely meaningless now. She was even stupid enough to tell him about one of the most awful times in her life after Cedric died, falsely believing that Mattheo would never use that information against her.
She couldn't help but feel like she was played. He was so manipulative, all the way to using her first name for a few days so she thought they were actually something more than enemies. She now felt as if Mattheo saw her as nothing more than a pawn in whatever cruel game he was playing.
Emerson's mind swirled with doubts about all of their interactions. Every single word he said to her, the laughter and the smiles over those few days was now all tinged with suspicion. It made him wonder whether he had been laughing at her the whole time? Had every smile, every lingering glance, been just another way to toy with her emotions and pull her in closer before pushing her away with twice the force? It was smart because it caused the maximum impact on her. There was nothing more painful than having your heart feel slightly touched and cared for, before it was wrenched out of your chest with a tight fist and smashed to the ground in front of you.
The idea of it made Emerson's stomach churn, a sick feeling settling in the pit of her stomach. She was embarrassed with herself, ashamed for trusting so easily. If she told any of her friends about her mistake, they'd tell her the same. That she was too trusting and naïve. She let her guard down and let him see sides of her that no one else saw before since Cedric.
She started to believe that maybe, just maybe, there was something real between the two of them. She was hopeful that there was something more than the animosity that had defined their relationship for so long, and that they might have the opportunity to be something other than enemies. But now, it felt like all of that had been nothing more than an illusion, intended to break her heart.
