Hogwarts Adventures

Chapter 18: The Edge

Monday mornings were always hard, but today felt especially heavy. Jenna was exhausted, the late-night thoughts about the forest and the lingering unease from finding Nora still clouding her mind. As she walked towards the Great Hall for breakfast, she felt two hands gently on her hips from behind. Startled, she gasped but quickly realized who it was.

"Mattheo," she laughed, turning around to playfully hit his chest. "You scared me."

He smirked, leaning in to press a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth. "Couldn't resist," he said, his voice low.

They walked together into the Great Hall, the morning light filtering through the tall windows, casting a warm glow on the rows of students already sitting and chatting. The aroma of freshly baked bread and warm tea filled the air, making Jenna's stomach rumble. She was still tired, but having Mattheo by her side seemed to make things feel a little lighter.

They joined the line for breakfast, both grabbing what they wanted. Jenna poured herself a cup of tea, then turned around to fetch some cutlery. As she did, someone bumped into her, and she felt the hot liquid spill all over them.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" Jenna exclaimed, immediately reaching for napkins to clean up the mess.

The person who had been hit by her tea was Blaise. He stood there, clearly annoyed but trying to keep his cool.

"Don't worry about it," he muttered, though his eyes showed frustration.

"I'll grab some towels," Jenna said quickly, running over to the side table. But when she turned back, she saw something she hadn't expected—Mattheo standing tall, his expression dark, his body inches from Blaise.

"Can't you watch where you're going?" Mattheo growled, shoving Blaise backward.

Blaise, caught off guard, narrowed his eyes. "What's your problem, man?" he shot back, shoving Mattheo in return.

Before Jenna could react, the situation spiraled. Mattheo's eyes flared with anger, and without hesitation, he charged at Blaise, knocking him to the ground with a force that sent plates and cups clattering to the floor. Jenna froze for a second, her heart racing as she saw the rage in Mattheo's eyes, that same uncontrollable anger she'd seen before.

"Mattheo, stop!" Jenna shouted, rushing toward them. But he didn't seem to hear her. He was in a tunnel, completely focused on Blaise, his fists ready to strike.

Before things could escalate further, Nick appeared out of nowhere, grabbing Mattheo by the arms and hauling him off Blaise. Mattheo struggled against him, still fuming, his chest rising and falling with rapid breaths.

"Mate, calm down," Nick said firmly, keeping a strong grip on him.

Draco quickly rushed over to Blaise, checking if he was alright while the rest of the Great Hall had gone eerily silent, all eyes now on the scene unfolding before them.

Jenna ran after Mattheo and Nick as they exited the hall. "Mattheo, stop!" she called, her voice shaking. "What the hell was that?"

Nick let go of Mattheo once they were out of sight of the other students, though Mattheo still bristled with anger, pacing back and forth like a caged animal. His hands clenched and unclenched, his jaw set tight.

"You need to get a grip," Nick said, stepping in front of him. "You can't just attack anyone who bumps into her. What's going on with you?"

Mattheo pulled away from Nick's grip, breathing heavily. "He pushed her, he—"

"He didn't mean it," Nick interrupted, exasperated. "It was an accident, Mattheo. You're going to get yourself in serious trouble."

Jenna stepped closer, her heart pounding. "Mattheo, what's going on?" She wasn't angry, just confused. Worried.

Mattheo stopped pacing, but his back remained tense. He didn't look at her, couldn't look at her. How could he explain the rage that lived inside him? How could he tell her that every time he felt even the smallest threat, that darkness came back? That after everything that had happened with Nora, he couldn't afford to lose control again—but somehow, it kept slipping through his fingers.

"I don't know," he muttered, his voice low, barely audible.

"Mattheo," Jenna stepped closer, trying to catch his eye.

But he just shook his head, running a hand through his hair, frustration etched across his face. "I... I just don't want anyone hurting you."

Nick exchanged a glance with Jenna, his expression softening. "Look, man, we're all on edge after what happened. But you can't lose it like this. Not in front of everyone."

Mattheo sighed, finally looking at Jenna, the anger replaced by something more vulnerable, more fragile. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice rough.

Jenna just nodded, feeling the tension slowly ease out of her body. She reached for his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "We'll figure this out," she whispered. But deep down, she couldn't shake the feeling that something deeper was eating away at him—something more than just protective instincts. Something darker.