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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By the time the weekend haze lifted and lessons resumed, the atmosphere at Hogwarts had shifted, especially around Emerson and Mattheo. The Slytherin party was over, but its echoes lingered.
Everyone had seen it. Or at least, heard about it. Their kiss after the Slytherin vs. Hufflepuff match was the kind of thing that spread like fire; whispered in corridors and retold with exaggeration in common rooms. But Mattheo didn't care about being the subject of idle gossip. For the first time, he didn't threaten anyone who mentioned his name. He didn't hide behind snide comments or bored expressions.
Instead, he did the opposite.
In their first class back together, Defence Against the Dark Arts, he didn't take his usual seat in the middle row with Blaise. No. He dropped into the desk beside Emerson's with quiet certainty, the scrape of the chair legs loud in the silence of the room. A few heads turned. Whispers rose. Mattheo didn't even glance up. Olivia rolled her eyes and sat next to Enzo, who was holding his head from a two-day hangover.
Mattheo instantly leaned his arm along the back of her chair, thumb brushing gently over her shoulder blade, as if claiming her without ever having to say a word.
"How was Ancient Runes this morning?" He asked softly, low enough that only she could hear.
Emerson's lips twitched. "Quiet. I didn't have some overbearing Slytherin sit next to me."
His answering grin was slow, dangerous, and entirely satisfied. "Good."
Throughout the lesson, he didn't stop touching her. His hand settled at her knee beneath the desk, his thumb drawing soft, lazy circles over her skin through her tights.
In Potions, he took his usual seat at their desk. When she sat down after arriving with Olivia, he pulled out the stool for her and then moved it just slightly closer to his, muttering, "Don't like you too far from me."
At one point, when she absentmindedly smudged ash across her cheek, he reached up with his thumb and wiped it away, then leaned in and murmured. "Still beautiful."
By Wednesday, the entire school completely knew. There was no more hiding, because Mattheo made it impossible to ignore.
During a shared Herbology lesson, he took notes for her when she was distracted. His handwriting was unmistakable on the margin: Focus, darling.
Emerson had seen this side of Mattheo before, but not so publicly. He was so open. And she could tell he wasn't doing it to prove a point. It was just who he was, now that he let go of hiding.
In the corridor outside Charms, as they waited for Flitwick to open the classroom, a younger Ravenclaw boy accidentally bumped into Emerson's shoulder. He barely had time to apologise before Mattheo's hand was on her back, steadying her as he turned sharply to the boy.
