The Serpent & Hawke | Mattheo Riddle | Enemies to lovers

Part 67 - Salvation

8 YEARS LATER (warning: smut)

Mattheo's POV

"Jakob! Put the rat tails down and step away from Morganna's cauldron!"

I yelled, my voice echoing off the stone walls of the potions classroom.

My patience with this particular troublemaker was wearing dangerously thin.

"But sir, I wasn't doing anything!"

The defiant second-year snapped back, his brows furrowed in feigned innocence as he hastily hid the offending rat tails behind his back.

I clenched my fists, taking a deep, calming breath through my nose.

Don't smack a child, I chanted silently.

Don't smack a child.

Don't fucking smack a child.

"Don't worry, Professor. I'll handle it."

Morganna smirked, her golden hair glinting in the flickering candlelight.

Before I could intervene, the mischievous Slytherin grabbed a fistful of slimy leeches and shoved them down Jakob's shirt.

The boy's piercing scream filled the room as he flailed his arms wildly, knocking over his bubbling cauldron in the process.

The foul-smelling potion splashed over William and Sophie, who yelped in surprise and disgust.

The spillage on the floor caused Morganna to slip, her head banging against the heavy iron stove with a sickening thud.

Chaos erupted as Sophie tried to pull herself up, inadvertently grabbing William's trousers and yanking them down to his ankles.

The room exploded with raucous laughter, but William's retaliation was swiftly aimed at Samuel, who had apparently stolen his secret stash of chocolate frogs.

The boys began to brawl in the middle of the classroom, fists flying and robes tangling, while Jakob stripped down to his underwear, desperately trying to rid himself of the wriggling leeches.

I watched the pandemonium unfold.

A throbbing headache building behind my eyes.

With a weary sigh, I dragged a hand down my face before raising my wand.

A shrill, ear-splitting noise burst from the tip, instantly silencing the room and freezing the students in their tracks.

"Are we done?"

I asked, my gaze sweeping over their guilty, wide-eyed faces.

Silence greeted me, and I allowed a small, triumphant smile to curve my lips.

"Good."

With a few deft flicks of my wand, I set the classroom to rights.

William's trousers were yanked back up and secured with a conjured belt.

A vial of Wiggenweld potion soared from the cupboard, landing gently in Morganna's outstretched hand to ease her throbbing head.

As for Jakob, who was already scrambling back into his clothes, I sped up the process with a wordless spell, having no desire to subjected to the sight of his pasty, chubby belly any longer than necessary.

"Now." 

I said, my voice low and dangerous. 

"You'll continue your assignment in complete silence until the end of class, or you'll all be in detention for an entire week. Understand?"