Emerson Wilmore was an exemplary Ravenclaw student, known for her unwavering dedication to academics and an unyielding moral compass. However, things took a twisted and deviated turn in her life after her boyfriend, Cedric Diggory, was murdered by L...
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Mattheo was walking alongside Enzo, their conversation light and casual as they strolled through the corridor. They were talking about what they wished they could've done to Umbridge, before she left Hogwarts, with each suggestion more amusing than the last. He wasn't paying much attention to his surroundings. Even though the sound of Enzo's voice drowned out the chatter of students around them, his thoughts were elsewhere.
His thoughts had been consumed by her all day — Emerson. He'd been counting the minutes until he could see her again, the knot of unease in his chest loosening just at the thought of her. He kept picturing her smile just before he stepped onto the carriage from across the courtyard. He would do anything to see that smile again.
His momentary distraction was bliss as he thought of her, his concentration focusing on her lips and the way they felt against his. That was, until something solid collided with his shoulder, jerking him to a halt.
The moment he turned to see who it was, his heart sank.
Emerson.
Her expression was an open book to him: grief, anger, and something even deeper radiated from her flushed face and teary eyes. She looked up at him, and he saw the way her body stiffened, her gaze cutting through him like a dagger. His usual smirk faltered as panic twisted in his chest. This wasn't the Emerson he was used to, this wasn't his Emie.
His hands instinctively reached out to steady her small frame, gripping her arms gently. "Darling?" He asked in concern. The word slipped out. "What—"
He didn't even get to finish. The sentence died on his lips.
The way her face crumpled, the way she wouldn't even look at him, sent alarm bells ringing in his head. She looked shattered. Her pain was written across her face like it was screaming for the world to see. His stomach twisted, guilt and dread bubbling inside him.
"Emie?" He tried. But her reaction was like a dagger to the chest. She froze at the sound of it, her face contorting into something between fury and heartbreak.
He heard Enzo speak in the distance, but he didn't register. His concentration was purely focused on Emerson.
"Emie?" He tried again, but the nickname seemed to have the opposite effect than normal. She flinched, like the word was poison on his tongue. Her reaction pierced him, the sharp edge of it cutting deeper than any insult could.
"Don't you dare call me that," She snapped, her voice trembling but firm.
Mattheo blinked, stunned. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He could feel the tension radiating off her, palpable and sharp, but he didn't understand it yet. Whatever was happening, it was tearing her apart. And by the way her words cut into him, he knew he was at the centre of it.
