A Dance with Destiny

Chapter 7

As they stood there, the sounds of the party swirling around them, Diana couldn't help but wonder about something that had been nagging at her since their conversation began. The more she thought about it, the more she realized it had been hovering in the back of her mind.

She looked up at Mattheo, her fingers gently grazing the edge of her glass, as a sudden thought crept into her mind.

"What do you know about me?" she asked, her voice quiet, almost hesitant. The question had been forming in her mind since they'd started talking, but now, she couldn't shake the curiosity that bubbled up inside her. "I mean, I know you've heard of my family—my last name is Greengrass, after all."

Mattheo paused, his expression shifting slightly as if he hadn't expected her to ask that. His eyes darkened just a fraction, the weight of her question suddenly taking a different turn. He let out a soft breath, leaning back against the table as his gaze lingered on her for a moment. It wasn't judgment or disdain, but more of a contemplation, as if he were deciding how to answer her.

"Greengrass, huh?" Mattheo said, his tone carefully neutral. "I've heard of you." His eyes flickered briefly as though sorting through memories. "Astoria and Daphne, your older sisters, they're well known—Astoria's always with Draco and some of the more... established families, while Daphne is a bit more reserved, but still a well-known name."

Diana nodded slightly, feeling the weight of her family name press down on her. Of course, Mattheo had heard of her sisters. They were older, more accomplished in the world of Slytherin society, and more typical in their upbringing. They were always part of the scene, the core of what Diana had always tried to distance herself from. But the mention of her name, Greengrass, made her wonder what exactly people had heard about her.

"And what about me?" she asked, trying to mask the slight nervousness that crept into her voice. She didn't want to be reduced to just another name in the long list of prestigious families Mattheo had likely heard about. But she couldn't help but wonder if her reputation—her family's reputation—had shaped how he saw her. She fiddles with her fingers not sure what he thought about her instead of her two older sisters.

Mattheo's eyes softened, his lips curving into a small, almost amused smile. He paused for a moment, as though carefully considering his answer.

"Honestly?" he said, his voice low and thoughtful. "I don't know much about you, Diana. You're not like your sisters. You don't seem as involved in all the Slytherin stuff. I guess I've mostly seen you at the edges of things. I don't know if you wanted to be in the spotlight, or if you just... didn't care to be."

Diana felt her breath catch in her throat at his words. For a moment, she wasn't sure how to react. Part of her had always felt invisible, hidden in the shadow of her sisters, and part of her had also worked hard to stay in the shadows. But hearing Mattheo's take on it, it almost felt like she had been seen in a way she hadn't expected. He didn't see her as a Greengrass; he saw her as Diana—someone who hadn't tried to fit the mold.

"That's kind of how I've always felt," Diana admitted, her voice a little quieter now. "I never wanted to be like them. I've always felt like I was supposed to be someone I wasn't, someone my family wanted me to be. But... I don't know, I guess I never really cared about fitting in. I didn't have time for the whole Slytherin thing like they did."

Mattheo's gaze softened further, and his lips curled into a smile that was warm, yet filled with a hint of admiration. "I get that," he said quietly. "It's not always easy to be your own person when everyone expects you to play a part. But you seem like you've figured that out. You're different. And I think I like that."

Diana blinked, taken aback by his words. For a moment, she wasn't sure how to respond. It was as though Mattheo had understood her in a way she hadn't even understood herself. He wasn't just seeing her as a part of her family legacy, or some innocent bystander in the world of Slytherin. He was seeing her—the real her—in a way she'd longed for but hadn't known how to express.

"You're right," Diana said after a beat, her smile shy but genuine. "I've never really cared about what everyone else thought. I think that's why I've always kept to myself, and why you probably don't know much about me. But I do like the way you see me, Mattheo."

He took a step closer, his voice quieter now, the playfulness fading as something more sincere replaced it. "I like the way you see me too," he said, his eyes meeting hers with that same intensity that made her heart race. "And it's refreshing, honestly, to meet someone who doesn't care about the reputation or the family name, who just wants to know me."

Diana felt her chest tighten as the weight of his words settled in. It wasn't just the fact that he was acknowledging her, or the fact that he wasn't immediately seeing her through the lens of her family name, but it was the sincerity in his eyes that made her feel like, for once, she wasn't invisible. She wasn't just a part of the Greengrass legacy. She was Diana, and that meant something to him.

"Maybe it's time people got to know the real me," she said, her voice quieter now, almost as if to herself. She smiled, the words slipping out before she could stop them. "And maybe... maybe I'd like to get to know the real you too."

Mattheo's gaze softened, and he reached out, gently brushing his hand against hers in a soft, almost unspoken gesture. "I'd like that too," he murmured, his voice low and sincere. "More than you know."

At that moment, Diana felt something shift between them—a quiet understanding, an unspoken promise that maybe, just maybe, they could be exactly who they were around each other, without pretense, without the masks they had worn for so long. And for the first time in her life, Diana felt like she was exactly where she was supposed to be. With him.