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THE FAMILIAR WALLS of hogwarts seemed to loom closer as you walked beside pansy, the two of you weaving through the crowd of students filing into the great hall. the chatter filled the space, laughter and excited voices mingling in the air as everyone caught up, sharing stories from the summer. but for the first time in years, you felt a hollow ache settle in your chest rather than the usual thrill of starting a new term.
because mattheo was no longer by your side.
after a year and a half of a relationship that felt as consuming as fire, you and mattheo had broken up. it was sudden, messy, and neither of you had spoken since that late-night argument right before sixth year ended. no one had expected it, not even your friends, who had watched the two of you go from rivals to... well, what felt like soulmates.
pansy squeezed your arm gently, her usually playful face softened with understanding. "you alright?" she asked in a low voice, giving you that knowing look you'd seen from her countless times.
"i'm fine." you lied, forcing a small smile as you tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. you were trying to avoid glancing around the hall for him, but your eyes had a mind of their own.
and then you saw him.
mattheo riddle was standing near the entrance, his dark hair falling across his brow, arms crossed over his chest in that casual yet intense way he had. the crowd seemed to part around him, everyone as wary of his dark aura as always. his usual confident smirk was gone; in its place was a tense, almost brooding expression, his gaze scanning the hall as though he, too, was looking for someone.
you felt your heart twist. he looked... different. he was still the same bad boy that people either admired from afar or avoided entirely, but now there was a strange heaviness about him, a look in his eyes you hadn't seen before. almost like he was lost.
"he's not been himself since... well, since you two..." pansy whispered, her eyes trailing from you to mattheo. "draco told me he barely spoke over the break."
you swallowed, feeling the sting of the breakup all over again. memories surged unbidden: the way he'd laugh with you in the common room, the way he'd pull you close during late-night strolls, murmuring promises that had once made you believe nothing could ever pull you apart.
but here you were. you didn't know how to navigate a world where he wasn't yours anymore.
"let's sit." you said, tugging pansy towards a nearby table and sinking into a seat, trying not to look in his direction again. you could feel the weight of his gaze on you anyway, a familiar, intense pressure that made your cheeks flush. he had that effect on you even now, as if he were still woven into every fiber of your being.
pansy gave you a soft smile. "you know, it's okay if it still hurts," she said, offering you a comforting nudge. "you two were... well, it was intense. i don't think any of us really thought it would end."
