Behind the Curtain of Your Heart

Short story

Megan Potter had always been known as the sweet little sister of Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived. She was small, cute, and radiated kindness, treating everyone with warmth regardless of their status. She would often help those who do not know where they stand in their own world as with others. But beneath her bubbly exterior, Megan harbored a secret—an undeniable crush on Mattheo Riddle, the Slytherin King. He was everything she wasn't: cold, distant, and surrounded by admirers.

For months, she wrestled with her feelings, torn between admiration and fear. Then one night, with courage bolstered by the stars outside, she decided to take a chance. She penned a love letter to Mattheo, pouring her heart into the words. It was anonymous, of course—she couldn't bear the thought of facing rejection directly. She wanted to write down her feelings and she wrote her very best only for it to get shut down is not what she wanted. It broke and tore her in two pieces shattering her dreams of love was not what anyone would want for her.

As the days passed, she saw the anticipation build in her heart, hoping he might feel the same way. But her dreams shattered in an instant. Hiding in a corner of the Slytherin common room, she witnessed the moment he opened her letter. Instead of the hopeful expression she imagined, his face twisted into a smirk. He laughed, mocking the letter with his friends, tearing it apart as if it were nothing more than scrap paper. She will never appear in front of her ever again as it really made her few love in a different direction which was fear.

Megan felt the heat of humiliation flood her cheeks. The laughter echoed in her ears, and tears pricked at her eyes as she slipped away, heartbroken. How could she trust her feelings after this? The sting of rejection was too sharp, and she resolved to avoid him at all costs. She would never dare let anyone walk all over her ever again not even him. She learned her lesson that some people don't deserve something far worse than the broken heart.

The annual Slytherin party arrived, filled with laughter and music that drowned out her sorrow. Megan put on a brave face, but she kept her distance from the crowd, especially Mattheo. She hid behind a curtain in a quieter part of the castle, watching the festivities unfold. The dazzling decorations and the joyful atmosphere felt worlds away from her heartache.

Suddenly, the curtain was pushed aside, and Mattheo stepped into her secluded space. His icy demeanor softened as he noticed her, the surprise evident in his eyes. "Megan? What are you doing here all alone?"

Her heart raced. "Just... enjoying the view," she replied, attempting to sound casual, but her voice trembled. She wanted to spend time alone with her thoughts and not wanting someone to disturb them even though he did come in.

He studied her, and for a moment, the laughter of the party faded. "You shouldn't hide. It's not like you," he said, his tone softer than she'd ever heard it. "Why didn't you come to the party? I thought you might have a bit of fun."

"Fun?" she echoed, bitterness creeping into her voice with loathing for someone who broken her heart. "You mean the kind of fun where you tear up love letters in front of your friends?"

His expression shifted, the playful smirk replaced by something more serious. "That was... childish. I didn't mean to hurt you, Megan."

"You didn't just hurt me. You embarrassed me," she shot back, her heart racing with anger and unresolved feelings. She wasn't going to believe him that easily not after everything he had done to her heart.

He stepped closer, his gaze intense. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made a joke out of it. I didn't realize it was from you."

She glanced away, unable to hold his gaze with doubt but there was no fear in them just conflict. "Does it even matter now? You made your choice clear."

"Maybe I didn't take you seriously because I didn't see you the way I should have," he admitted, his voice low. "But I want to change that."

Megan looked back at him, searching his eyes for sincerity. "What are you saying?" She looks at him and wonders why he looked at her like that. Something that no one would dare cherish in any lifetime even the now.

First and true love.

"I'm saying... I've noticed you for a long time, Megan. I've just been too stubborn to admit it. You're not just Harry Potter's little sister; you're amazing. And I want to know you, all of you," he confessed, stepping closer.

Her heart fluttered, uncertainty mingling with hope. "And what about your friends? The Slytherin reputation?" She knows he has a reputation that he wouldn't want to risk or jeopardize in any way.

"Let them talk," he said, a hint of defiance in his tone. "I don't care what they think. I care about you."

In that moment, the barriers began to crumble between them, the hostility of their past giving way to the flickering promise of something new. Megan felt her heart thaw as she took a breath, vulnerability weaving through her.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

He reached out, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, the warmth of his touch igniting a spark within her. "I've never been more sure of anything."

With the music of the party fading into the background, Megan stepped forward, feeling the pull between them grow stronger. In that hidden space, surrounded by secrets and stolen moments, they found themselves caught between the weight of their past and the thrill of a forbidden future.

"Okay," she breathed, the word hanging in the air like a promise, and in her heart, this was the beginning of something more for the both of them.

As they stood together, the curtain swaying gently behind them, they knew they were on the brink of something extraordinary—an enemies-to-lovers story born from the ashes of misunderstanding, blooming into a love that defied the odds.