She was a misfit, he was a git.
Matilda Diggory enters her fifth year of school, ready to remain as under the radar as possible, only there's a catch. She's somehow managed to catch the eye of a particularly annoying redhead, who seems hell-bent on...
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The day of the dinner, Matilda wanted to rip out her hair, strand by strand.
To bring her some peace of mind and to give Remus and Lyall a break from her snappy attitude, she decided to go for a walk around the farm after completing the last of her assigned homework. With dinner creeping closer minute by minute, Matilda desperately needed some fresh air to cool senses, to ease the anxiety bubbling in her stomach. She pulled on the pair of dark brown boots Lyall had bought for her, completely contrasting with the apple green sundress she'd found at a local charity shop and decided to wear for tonight.
It had rained the day before, so the grass was looking particularly green and sunk beneath her feet as she landed in the inside of one of the paddocks. This was one of the three that had sheep — she had learned on her second day as Lyall's assistant that they also had a small number of cattle, chickens, 3 goats and two horses.
Three lambs wandered over, pressing their noses against her. Matilda scratched their heads, bending down to be level with them. Who cared if her dress was a little muddy, anyway?
"So, this is what you've been doing on your little hiatus, huh?"
Matilda froze, even as a lamb took to chewing on her braid. She pushed the lamb away gently and stood slowly, keeping her back to Fred. "I didn't realise you'd be here yet."
"I had nothing else to do and figured you'd have some time to spare as well. The others were still getting organised when Dad and I used the network to Floo in. I met Lyall. Seems like a good lad."
She heard him climb over the wooden fence and the thump on the ground as he landed. Matilda instantly regretted braiding back her hair, thinking herself stupid for believing she'd actually cope with not being able to hide behind it. She felt exposed as Fred's steps got nearer and nearer, mere moments away from seeing what she wished to conceal.
"What are you looking at— oh shit."
Matilda cast her gaze downward at the lamb as Fred stopped in front of her. He'd spotted them. The scars. He didn't say anything for a few moments, and Matilda took that time to find the courage to meet his eyes. Two deep lines of worry appeared between them as they roved over the scarring on her neck, the pink skin a mere mock of the brutal wounds that had been there a mere fortnight ago. She felt his hands reach for it but she flinched away.
"Matilda..." he said softly, and she nodded, allowing him to touch it lightly. It was strange, due to the scarring, she knew she wouldn't be able to feel over that part of her skin, but actually experiencing it was an odd feeling. A strangely intimate one as Fred studied her face. "How did this happen?"
"Greyback."
For an instant his eyes flashed with something akin to anger. "Why would he do this?"
"I don't know why he was there, but he was...I think he was stalking me. That would explain the nightmares, but...I don't know." Matilda cleared her throat, "I broke out of the shed — probably because I could smell him — and we fought."
