A promise in the dark

𝐓𝐰𝐨: 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞

                     𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐨 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞

I stretched out on the couch in the Slytherin common room, flipping through a textbook I had zero intention of reading. Honestly, homework was the last thing on my mind right now.

There were too many other things swirling around, or maybe I just didn't care enough to focus on anything that wasn't at least somewhat interesting.

Draco slid into the seat next to me, not even bothering with the whole asking permission nonsense. He knew better; we'd been friendss long enough that it wasn't needed.

"What's up with you, Riddle?" Draco's voice was laced with that familiar amused edge that always came before he tried to get under my skin. I could practically hear the smirk in his voice.

I didn't even bother looking up. I just gave a half-hearted shrug. "Nothing," I muttered, flicking the page of the textbook like it mattered.

Draco raised an eyebrow, the smirk widening. "Nothing? Really? That's not what I heard. I heard you and Daisy had quite the night."

I snorted and let his words hang in the air for a beat. "Did you?" I said flatly, not a hint of interest in my voice.

Draco leaned in, eyes sparkling with that usual mischief. "Yeah, I did. You two were practically all over each other."

I gave him a brief glance, then turned back to the book. I wasn't bothered by it—nothing to be bothered by. "It was just a kiss. Nothing special,"
I said, trying to sound casual, like it was nothing more than brushing my teeth or tying my shoes.

"I'm not buying it," Draco chuckled, clearly enjoying himself. "You sure about that? You don't usually just kiss people for no reason. Especially not Daisy."

I rolled my eyes. "Daisy's fine. There's no reason to make it anything bigger than it is."

Draco leaned back in his seat, his grin only getting wider. "So you're telling me you didn't feel a damn thing? That it was all just... casual?"

I paused for a moment, flipping another page, letting the silence settle. The edge of my lips twitched into the faintest, almost imperceptible smile. "What, like I care? It was just a kiss. She's easy to kiss. She wanted it, so I gave it to her. End of story."

Draco eyed me, clearly not convinced. He was always like that—too observant for his own good. I didn't give him the satisfaction of meeting his gaze, though. "I know what you're doing, Draco.

You want me to spill some emotional crap about how I'm conflicted or whatever. Not happening. You want the truth? I wanted it too. Simple as that."

Draco's grin only grew. "Right, right. Playing it cool. But don't forget, Riddle—people talk."

I ran a hand through my hair, letting out an exasperated sigh. "Let them talk. It's not like I care what anyone thinks."

"Uh-huh," Draco said, still grinning like he knew something I didn't. "You're a real mystery, mate."

I wasn't in the mood to entertain it anymore. I had bigger things to think about—like the fact that I could probably skip dinner and just take a nap instead.

"Anyway," I said, standing up and stretching my arms above my head. "I'm over it. You should be too. I'm gonna go take a walk. You wanna talk more about Daisy, be my guest."

Draco laughed, leaning back in his chair, clearly still enjoying his teasing. "Whatever, mate. But you're not fooling anyone. You like her more than you're letting on."

I shot him a sideways glance, unbothered. "I don't. Trust me, I don't. Now, if you'll I'm excuse me, I've got more important things to do than listen to you go on about it."

With that, I walked out of the common room, leaving Draco's laughter fading behind me. I walked through the corridors, hands shoved in my pockets and my mind still wandering back to the stupid conversation with Draco.

I wouldn't have thought he'd be interested in my love life. Then again, maybe I shouldn't have been surprised.  I was walking through the dimly lit corridor, hands shoved into the pockets of my robes, my mind wandering through the events of the day—or lack of events.

It was quiet tonight, far quieter than usual, with the occasional distant murmur of students too lazy to go back to their common rooms. I didn't mind it, really. The silence suited me just fine.

But then, as I turned the corner, I collided with something—or other, someone.

Thud.

I barely had time to react before I felt a sharp jolt and then the soft scent of lavender hit me.

I looked down, meeting a pair of glaring eyes. Clara Ravenswood. Of course it would be her.

She didn't bother looking at me instead she kept walking.

I raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "What? No clever retort today?" I shot back, trying to sound uninterested.

Her eyes narrowed, annoyance flashing across her face. "You want a retort, Riddle?" She said, her voice icy and sharp. "I think you're the last person on earth I'd waste my breath on."

My smirk faltered just a bit, but i quickly masked it, my eyes narrowing.. "You're so dramatic. It's almost charming."

A scoff then escaped her lips. "You're just lucky I don't curse you where you stand. Believe me, it would be too easy."

She chuckled darkly, but i could see the flicker of something beneath her cocky demeanor—annoyance, frustration.

"I'm not afraid of you, Riddle," she said coldly, stepping closer. "Don't make the mistake of thinking I ever will be."

I stepped closer, our faces merely inches apart. "Oh, I think you know damn well you should be wary of me," I retorted, my voice low.

"You know what I'm capable of, Ravenswood. I could have you on your knees begging with a simple flick of my wand, and we both know it." My words were as sharp as a knife. 

I could see the anger and defiance in her eyes. She hated me, that much was clear. But she sure as hell wasn't backing down, either. That piqued my interest.

"You think you're so damn powerful, don't you?" She said, her voice cold and steady. "But I'm not afraid of you, Mattheo."

At the sound of my name slipping from her lips, I felt a jolt in my chest. No one had ever said it like that before—so laced with disdain.

I tried to play it cool, but the way you said my name had thrown me off balance, even if just for a moment. I quickly masked it with a smirk.

"Cocky as ever, huh?" I said, my voice dripping with mockery. "I admire your confidence, but you're in over your head."

I took another step closer, the gap between us nearly closed now.

But she still didn't back down. She surprisedly stood her ground, her eyes filled with a smoldering anger. It was both annoying and enthralling. No one had ever challenged me like this, no one had ever dared.

"Don't underestimate me, Riddle," she said through gritted teeth.

I couldn't help but notice the way her jaw clenched as she spoke. It made the air between us even more charged. My smirk widened into a condescending grin. "Oh, I would never," I replied, taking another step closer.

I was now standing mere inches from her, close enough that I could almost feel the heat radiating from her body.

"But you'd do well to remember who you're dealing with," I said, my voice dropping to a whisper. "I have a lot more power and influence than you could ever dream of."

I turned and walked away from her, silently swearing under my breath. She was infuriating, stubborn to the core, and yet I couldn't get her out of my damn head.

As I walked away, I could feel l her gaze boring into the back of my skull, her anger practically palpable. But I refused to turn around. I refused to give her the satisfaction of knowing she'd gotten under my skin.