Dusk and Desire - A Mattheo Riddle Story

Epilogue

The crowded stands of the Holyhead Harpies were flooded with a sea of green and gold. It was the first match of the season and the energy was high as the Harpies prepared to take on the Ballycastle Bats. Matteo was completely decked out in Harpies gear, from the Riddle jersey on his back to the backward Harpies hat on his head. And, of course, the baby strapped to his chest was in the cutest damn Harpies cheerleader outfit he'd ever seen—courtesy of her Auntie Evelyn. The baby also wore a pair of thick earmuffs so she would stay perfectly happy amongst all the noise, though Mattheo also placed a muffling charm over her head to be safe.

"There you are!" Lorenzo Berkshire's voice boomed happily as Mattheo walked to his usual seat. The lad sat there with his wife and two daughters, all of them wearing Holyhead sweatshirts. "We were beginning to think you got lost."

"Sorry," Mattheo said sheepishly. "Izzy didn't want to cooperate with Daddy this morning. It was a nightmare trying to get her dressed without Nor there to distract her."

Cass gave him a sympathetic smile. "Is she still a mummy's girl?"

"Completely." As if the baby knew she was being talked about, she looked up at Mattheo with a big grin and giggled in a way that melted his heart. "But we're going to change that, aren't we?" he cooed at his daughter. She reached out and he knew without question that she wanted to hold onto his finger. It was something that they did quite often—this game of Isabella holding onto Mattheo's index finger. She'd been doing it ever since she'd turned five months a few days ago. Secretly, it was Mattheo's favorite game because it was one that she only played with him. Yeah, in no time, she'd be a Daddy's Girl.

"Awww, look at the little thing!" the oldest Berkshire girl, Andromeda, cooed. "Can I hold her?"

Normally, Mattheo would say yes because Andromeda was quite good with babies but right now, in the crazed environment of the stadium, he was reluctant to take Izzy out of her little bjorn, especially when she seemed so content to stay there.

Cass must have read the look on Mattheo's face because she turned to her daughter and said, "Not at the game, sweets. Maybe later."

The eight-year-old pouted but one look from her little sister, Astrid, was enough to distract her. A few minutes later, Theodore and Ariana Nott were dragging a mischievous Elio behind them. They sat in the row behind Mattheo, who turned around and said, "There's my little nephew!"

The toddler grinned. "Uncy!"

Mattheo winced but didn't correct the lad's speech. He wasn't even two yet so Mattheo decided that he had at least a few months before "Uncy" had to go. Theo turned to Mattheo with an exhausted look that he knew all too well. "Your 'little nephew' is a little heathen!"

"Hey!" Aria said, hitting Theo's arm. "He's a darling angel."

"Yeah, right. So was Lucifer at one point," Theo grumbled under his breath. 

The Notts were shortly followed by the Malfoys. Astoria shrieked and sat next to Aria, the two of them talking constantly as if they hadn't seen each other yesterday. In Draco's arms was a white-haired bundle. Scorpius Malfoy was much calmer than his little friend, a pacifier still in his mouth as he clung to his dad. The look on Elio's face was enough to tell Mattheo that the lad would be an awful influence on the young Malfoy. 

It was near the start of the match when the last of the group finally sat next to Mattheo. Tom glared at the crowd surrounding them, who immediately gave them a wide berth. Holding onto his hand was little two-year old James, Mattheo's actual nephew. He smiled at the young boy. "Hi, Jamesy."

The toddler glared at him. Yep. He was definitely Tom's little twin. "That's not my name," he huffed in a small voice.

"Sorry. Hello, James."