~Twisted Loyalties~ Matheo Riddle x OC x Theodore Nott

chapter 9

Chapter 9

He led me through a maze of hallways until we stood in front of an imposing wooden door. It creaked open to reveal a massive library—shelves stretching so high they seemed to vanish into the ceiling. The scent of old books and parchment filled the air, grounding me.

"Welcome to the Slytherin library," Enzo said, his voice proud. As we stepped inside, I immediately noticed someone sitting at one of the long tables, quietly engrossed in a thick tome. Lydia Riddle, Matheo’s sister. I’d seen her before, but we hadn’t spoken yet. She was quiet, almost too quiet, even for a Riddle.

Enzo gave her a small smile as we approached, and I saw Lydia’s cheeks flush, her gaze darting shyly to the floor. "This is Lydia," he said, introducing her unnecessarily. I already knew who she was, but he didn’t seem to notice. "She’s going to test how much you know."

Before I could respond, Enzo gave me a playful wink and turned to leave. "Good luck, Eris. You’ll do great." His smile lingered in the air as he left, leaving Lydia and me standing awkwardly together.

Lydia cleared her throat softly and stood up from the table. "Hi," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I’ll be testing you today... if that’s okay?"

I nodded, giving her a small smile in return. "Of course."

She gestured for me to follow her deeper into the library, her movements graceful and quiet, much like herself. "We’ll go over a few subjects—Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Charms—and see where you’re most comfortable."

As we walked, Lydia glanced over at me. "I heard you’re good at Potions," she said, her voice still soft but warmer now.

"Yeah, it’s one of the few subjects I feel confident in," I admitted. "I’ve always liked how potions are more about knowledge and precision than raw magic."

"That’s good," she said, nodding. "Potions require a sharp mind, and it’s clear you have one."

I gave her a grateful nod as we settled into a quieter corner of the library. Lydia was an enigma, quiet and unassuming yet fiercely intelligent. And as I watched her prepare the materials for my evaluation, I couldn’t help but wonder how similar she and Matheo really were—both wrapped in layers, both holding something back.

As Lydia set up the parchment and books for the test, an awkward silence filled the space between us. She was methodical in her movements, the clinking of glass vials and the shuffle of papers the only sounds for a while. I shifted in my seat, not sure how to break the quiet.

“So…” I started, watching her as she carefully laid out the quill and ink, “you like Potions too?”

Lydia glanced up, her pale eyes meeting mine for a brief second before darting back to the table. “Yes,” she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. “It’s... one of the few subjects that makes sense to me.”

I nodded, feeling the same way. “It’s the logic of it, right? The way everything fits together like a puzzle. No guessing, just precision.”

She smiled faintly, the corners of her lips barely lifting, but I noticed. “Exactly,” she replied, more confidently this time. “There’s something comforting about knowing that if you follow the steps, you’ll get the right result. It’s predictable.”

“Unlike... other things,” I muttered, thinking about how unpredictable everything in my life felt lately.

Lydia paused, looking at me more intently now, as if weighing whether or not to respond. “You mean... your situation here?” she asked cautiously.

I shrugged, unsure how much to say. "Everything. Hogwarts, the people, the expectations... it’s all so different. I’m still trying to figure out where I fit."

Lydia’s fingers traced the edge of a book absentmindedly, her voice soft again. “I know how that feels.” She glanced down, her expression unreadable. “Being a Riddle… people expect a lot from us. Sometimes it feels like I’m just waiting for someone to notice if I fail. But… you get used to it.”

Her words caught me off guard. I hadn’t expected her to open up, especially not about something so personal. “You don’t really seem like your brother,” I said carefully.

A small, wry smile flickered across her face. “No. Matheo is… intense. Always has been. He thinks he has to be what people expect of him, or what our father expects.” Her voice grew quieter. “But me? I’ve always been the quiet one. The one who’s easier to ignore.”

I frowned, thinking of Matheo—so dominant, so sure of himself, and how Lydia was almost his opposite. “Doesn’t that bother you?” I asked, genuinely curious.

She hesitated, then shook her head slightly. “No, not really. I like the quiet. People don’t see you coming when you stay in the background.” Her eyes met mine again, this time with a hint of something sharper. “You can learn a lot when no one’s paying attention.”

That last part caught me off guard. There was more to Lydia than I’d realized. “I get that,” I replied, nodding. “Sometimes it’s easier to be invisible. Less pressure.”

Lydia smiled softly again, almost as if she was glad someone finally understood. “Exactly.”

There was a brief pause before I asked, “Do you ever wish things were different? Like, less... complicated?”

She let out a quiet breath, her fingers tapping on the book in front of her. “All the time,” she admitted. “But we don’t really get to choose the lives we’re born into, do we?”

“No,” I agreed, my thoughts wandering to Matheo, Theo, and everything that had happened recently. “I guess we don’t.”

Lydia glanced at me again, her expression softening. “But we do get to choose how we handle it. And I think... you’ll figure it out, Eris. You’re not like most people here. You’re stronger than you realize.”

Her words hit me harder than I expected. Maybe it was because Lydia rarely spoke, or maybe because she was Matheo’s sister, but it felt... sincere. I gave her a small smile. “Thanks. That means a lot coming from you.”

She nodded, then gestured to the books. “We should probably get started. But... if you ever need someone to talk to, you can always come find me.”

“I will,” I promised, feeling a little more at ease with her than I had when I first walked into the library. Lydia Riddle was quiet, but she was anything but simple.