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...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Later that evening, Emerson sat by the window of her Ravenclaw dormitory, her eyes tracing the moonlit patterns the stars made across the sky. The moonlight cast soft shadows across the room, but her thoughts were far from the peaceful night outside.
No matter how hard she tried to focus on the stillness of the night, her thoughts kept drifting back to Mattheo. The intensity of his warning earlier replayed in her mind on a loop. His dark eyes were filled with desperation and worry, his usual sarcasm replaced by something far more intense. He was pleading with her almost to not go to the D.A. meeting tonight, as if he cared about her. As if he really cared about her.
Even more so puzzling for her, was the determination in his eyes when he told her that he would rather set himself on fire than betray her. Even the words being repeated in her mind sent an unfamiliar flutter through her chest,
She sighed, shifting her gaze to the half-written essay in front of her. She tried to focus on her schoolwork all night, but Mattheo's words wouldn't leave her alone. The look in his eyes, the way he had spoken to her... He had seemed genuinely concerned but not for anyone else. Only for her. The thought made her chest tighten.
Mattheo was always so difficult to read. He was often hiding his emotions behind a sarcastic smirk or a scowl, but today... Today he was different. She saw the worry in his eyes and heard the protectiveness in his tone.
The sound of the dormitory door opening pulled her from her thoughts, and she glanced up to see Olivia walk in, her usual bright energy filling the room. "Hey, Em," Olivia said, flopping onto her bed with a grin. "You coming to the D.A. meeting tonight? It's in ten minutes."
Emerson hesitated, biting her lip as the thought of Mattheo's warning crept back into her mind. "I don't think I'm going tonight," She answered quietly. "I don't really feel like it. Besides, Harry isn't exactly happy with me lately."
Olivia sat up, frowning. "What do you mean? Why not? You've been going to every meeting. Don't let Harry's ridiculous anger issues stop you. He's also teaching us patronuses. You've been dying to learn how to cast one."
"It's not just that," Emerson admitted. She paused, debating whether or not to tell Olivia, but the worry gnawed at her, and she couldn't keep it to herself any longer. Her fingers twisted the edge of her blanket absentmindedly. "It's Mattheo. He came to find me earlier when we were in the courtyard with the twins... He said Umbridge knows about the D.A. That she's planning to ambush us tonight."
Olivia blinked, surprise flickering across her face. "Riddle said that? And, he warned you? That's not what I expected. Why would he do that?"
"Yeah," Emerson nodded, still hearing his voice in her head. "He seemed... Worried. Really worried, actually. Apparently, Marietta Edgecomb told her everything, and they're planning to ambush us tonight."
