„Oh, my dear..." (Mattheo Riddle ff)

how half the group got back together...

P.T.

„Thank you, Mr Nott. I think I'll be fine from here on." I said with the sweetest smile I could possibly fake.

„Don't you worry, Phersephone. We always take good care of the new ones in our society..." he grinned. „Especially the women. And especially the young and beautiful ones. We don't get a lot of those, you know..."

An uncomfortable shiver ran down my spine, and I quickly grabbed the doorknob to close the door. „I can assure you, Mattheo is taking care of me just fine. Thank you, Sir."

As soon as the door was closed, I couldn't help but roll my eyes. What an idiot... Luckily, Theodore didn't seem to be too similar to his uncle. 

I dropped my bag onto the massive bed, slumping down right next to it tiredly. The travelling and everything had worn me out fairly. For a moment, I even considered taking a nap, but I didn't want to risk it, not in this building anyway. 

With a deep sigh, I lifted myself up from the bed and opened my bag. One after the other, I pulled out Mattheo's and my clothes, carefully arranging them in the big empty wardrobe on our room. Other than that and the queen-sized bed, there was a vanity with two chairs plus another table and a bookshelf. 

A high but slim window let in some light, the sun already shining golden. On the other side of the room there was another door, which I assumed to be a bathroom. 

The floor was almost completely covered by a black carpet, the wooden walls were almost as dark. I couldn't see any paintings, fotos or portraits on them. Nothing even indicated that this room had been used before. But it still seemed old. 

After putting all the clothes away, I was about to put our stuff in the bathroom, when suddenly there was a knock on the door. 

„Penny?" 

The voice was weak and much quieter than I remembered, but it still was familiar immediately. 

„Matt, Penny, are you in there?" a second voice asked, and my heart dropped once again, as it was even weaker than the first.

In a few quick steps, I was at the door and opened it, finding Theodore and Draco standing outside just as expected. 

Both of them looked horrible. Tired and worn out, like they hadn't slept properly in days. Faces pale, eyes red and with dark circles. Suits and hair was neatly in place, but they looked more like ghosts than the students I knew from Hogwarts. 

„Merlin, boys..." I managed to breathe out. „What happened to you two?"

As I opened the door wider, they quickly came in, both taking a relived breath.

„Come on, sit down." I said, nodding towards the bed. „You look like you're about to faint." 

„It's fine." Draco muttered, falling more onto the bed then sitting down. „Just a little tired." 

„Shut up, Draco." Theodore gave back. „We both know we're exhausted."

„Well, you certainly look like it." I said, standing before them with crossed arms, not able to hide my obvious worry. „Great heavens, you guys look... just... terrible."

„Oh, why thank you." 

Rolling my eyes, I sat on the bed between them. „I'm not kidding. Both of you look like you didn't sleep for a week..." 

„That sums it up pretty well, yeah..." Draco nodded weakly, rubbing his forehead. 

„Where's Mattheo?" Theodore asked.