Dusk and Desire - A Mattheo Riddle Story

Reminders of Her

Why was it that when we are heartbroken, everything seems to remind us of the one we are missing? At least, that's what it felt like for Mattheo. Everything reminded him of Nora. Everything.

His heart had clenched when he stared at the Easter dinner she was missing—which was thankfully not cooked by Evelyn because she was the worst bloody cook Mattheo had ever met but his brother's protectiveness over his wife meant that if she did ever cook, Mattheo had to pretend it was the most delicious thing ever all while trying not to barf it all up. He could still remember the time she accidentally put eggs in the gravy one of the very first times she cooked for them. Merlin, that was up there as one of the worst things his mouth had ever touched, and he'd eaten a lot of things for bets.

He sighed as he stared at the window at the grand estate surrounding Riddle Manor, wishing that she was there to kick his ass at Quidditch and then gloat about it. He tried not to cry as he went to bed each night, wishing she was in his arms with her hair all in his face, kicking him in her sleep even though she always insisted she stayed perfectly still at night. Merlin, even the gravy—cooked by a chef and, thankfully, eggless—reminded him of her eyes. It was pathetic, really, how much Mattheo longed for a girl who probably wanted him dead.

"Mattheo, if you don't stop fucking sighing, I will take this paper and shove it up your ass," Tom growled without even looking up from The Daily Prophet.

Evelyn set down her embroidery and gave her husband a look. "Tom, Mattheo is heartbroken. Can you not empathize with your brother? Or at least not threaten him?"

"Oh, Tom can emphasize. You should have seen him in the Dark Days. Such a whiny little baby. Killed a few people, too. That was a bloody mess."

Tom glared at him and whipped out his wand. "You little—"

"My love," Evelyn said softly, placing her arm on Tom's and slowly lowering the wand. She entangled the death stick from her husband's fingers before gently kissing the back of his knuckles. "Please don't kill my cousin."

"But—" Tom groaned when he saw her pouting face. It was a face he could never resist. Evelyn had mastered the ability to control the darkest wizard of all time. Meanwhile, Nora always controlled Mattheo by just straight-up punching him. "Fine. But he better behave."

She smiled before kissing him. "You can use your anger for much better things."

Before his brother could respond with something far too horny for childish—aka his—ears, Mattheo butted in, "Can you please not mentally fuck while I'm in the room. I'm only here for a few more days."

"Thank Merlin," Tom muttered under his breath while Evelyn giggled. She kissed her husband's cheek before standing up and moving to where Mattheo sat sullenly on the couch. 

"Walk with me?" she asked. "I can sense there's a lot on your mind."

"There's a lot on my mind," Tom grumbled angrily.

She turned back to him with a wink. "And I'm more than happy to make all of it come true after your brother and I talk."

"All of it? Even..."

"Especially that," she purred. Mattheo cringed. He didn't want to know what the bloody hell they were talking about. He was much better not knowing. Otherwise, he'd risk having to bleach his brain and his few brain cells had been through enough already. 

Evelyn turned to Mattheo with a smile. "Come on, Matt. Let's go before your brother changes his mind and—"

"I'm begging you not to finish that sentence."