Riddles | Y/N x Mattheo Riddle

Awoken

It's difficult to describe how one feels after only hearing the person they love for weeks, and then waking up to their face as if nothing has changed. It's strange being in a coma, trapped between life and death. Sometimes, I wanted to slip away, but then I'd hear the whisper of someone at my bedside, begging me to wake up.

The overwhelming weight of remembering every image, every traumatic image, hit me like a truck. I could recall the painful memories that my subconscious protected me from, and I didn't know what to do. To cry or scream or go numb, it was so much all at once with no time to register it. Why? Because it was always there, I just locked it away.

However, seeing Mattheo's face, his eyebrows furrowed, his eyes welling with tears, his smile crooked and pained, I was simply overflowing with the engulfing feeling of love and yearning. With all his emotion, I could see exhaustion. His eyes were tired, surrounded by bags and tear stains. His hair was unruly and unkept. He had lost weight too, and I could see that, as weak as I got simply lying here, he got weaker with worry and depression.

He crouched down, falling to his knees, his face plastered with relief, shock, and a poignant gaze.

"Mattheo..." I croaked again, and his tears poured out. Hearing me say his name, after so long, he couldn't help it. Mattheo shoved his head into my arms and sobbed, squeezing me so hard as if I was going to slip away again. I weakly stroked his head; it was a nice feeling... his warmth and touch.

"Y/n," he started muffled, "I-I love you, I am helplessly, fervently in love with you, d-devoted to you, please, don't ever leave me again, or I will not survive."

My heart fluttered, causing me to pull his head off my chest and cup his cheeks in my palms. I wiped a tear with my finger,

"Mattheo Riddle, how could I ever fathom leaving the very reason I fought to stay in this world for. I cannot live without you either, and if there were a word more powerful than love, then I would use it, because I love you like it's breathing." I pulled him up into a passionate kiss, his lips, wet with his salty tears, devoured me, and I hungrily took it all. That moment, that precise moment, perfectly symbolized how severely and achingly we missed each other. Mattheo's hand slithered up the hospital gown,

"Matth-oh..." his fingers delicately grazed my ribs, "M-Mattheo, the infirmary is p-public..." He broke the kiss, breathing violently,

"Don't worry, darling, I'm not going to do anything else... not yet." He planted a kiss on my forehead and stood up, adjusting his clothing.

"I'll fetch Madam Pomfrey, hold tight, Puffs." His lips pecked my hand, and he wandered off to summon Madam Pomfrey.

Now alone with my thoughts I looked out the window wondering what it would have been like if things were different. If I had a loving family like the Weasley's or even a sibling to share the burden with. Yet, I alone was stuck with the memories of a truth entirely known only to me, a pain uniquely my own. The truth of it was I felt like an impostor in my own body. For years I had these memories locked and suddenly all it took was an injury to kick me back to Level 1. These other kids, Mattheo even, they've had years to sit with the trauma and seek ways to heal. Mattheo has his meds, Harry has his relationships and new found support, Neville has his hospital trips and grandmother, and though they're painful things they've been numbed with time and maturity. For me, I'm only now facing this unresolved trauma and not slowly but all at once. It made me sick with nausea.

Mattheo returned with an overjoyed Madam Pomfrey and a crowd of ecstatic friends behind them. All bustling with an overlap of voices.
"Y/N!!"
"Y/n you're awake!"
"Oh thank Merlin."
"Move it Fred I can't see her."
"All right, all right."
"Shove over Pottah."
"Oh shut it you two, honestly."
I laughed at their absurdity, now I know how Harry felt whenever we did this to him. Seeing all these faces, even supposed enemies like Draco and Harry, all here to see that I'm awake, almost made me feel like everything's okay. My dear Weasleys who truly are my siblings for all intents and purposes, Harry, Hermione and Enzo, my dearest friends, and of course my friends-in-law Draco and Theodore, Elowyn too.
The surreal part was, they were all smiling. Whether it was the joy of seeing me awake or the joy of seeing Mattheo happy again, I felt an immense sense of comfort from all these wonderful people. For a moment, I remembered a time where Cedric would've been by my side too, however horribly he hurt me aside, he was once kind and loving and I pity that version that he now lost.

Everyone eagerly watched as Madam Pomfrey checked my vitals and responsiveness. Since I was asleep for so long I hadn't moved in quite a long time so my whole body felt stiff, numb and sore. She handed me a purple liquid.
"Drink this potion love, it should help with the numbing and aches, 2 days of rest, potions, and hearty food should have you up on your feet deary," she said, beaming. Everyone erupted with relief and joy. Mattheo came to my side and clasped my hand in his.
"Even two days is torture, but I'd wait a lifetime if it meant you'd come back to me." He gently caressed my throbbing head and kissed my forehead.
"I'll come see you after Charms, we've got a lot to catch up on." After staring at me for a few more minutes he reluctantly left with Draco, Theo, and most of everyone else, only Ginny paused behind.
"Hey Y/n, I'm glad to see you awake..." She softly smiled, "you probably remember now but I never really reminded you of any of it, and if you wanted me to I'm sorry, but I truly believe it did you some good not remembering. Also, please don't be upset with me but... Mattheo was... really really rough and so... the twins and I told him how much we knew. I'm sorry, I know it wasn't our place to tell him."
"Don't apologize Ginny, not telling me saved me in many ways, and telling him, may have saved his sanity but it also makes me telling him easier in a way. So if anything, thank you." She kindly held my hands as her eyes filled with relief, I couldn't be mad at her, she was my little sister. Perhaps a deep part of me is upset with her, but I know that she meant well and that it did some good. With that, Ginny too left for a class and I was alone with my burdensome and overwhelming thoughts.