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 didn't slow as he slipped through the hidden passage, every trace of what almost happened between them completely gone. The dim, enclosed space swallowed them, their footsteps echoing faintly against stone.
Emerson stayed close behind him, her mind racing with worry. Their footsteps echoed in a hurried rhythm, but Mattheo's pace was sharper, almost aggressive, like he was trying to outrun something clawing at the inside of his chest.
He didn't last long in silence.
"Bloody useless," He snapped, the words slipping out under his breath before snapping louder against the stone. His hand raked through his hair, pacing a few steps ahead before turning back like he couldn't keep his thoughts contained in a straight line. "She's a First-Year, Emie. A First-Year. Ariel can barely cast a proper Shield Charm and they—," His voice cut off, jaw tightening so hard it looked painful. "They didn't even hesitate."
Emerson kept up with him, her own worry sitting heavy, but she watched him more than the path ahead. His hands flexed at his sides like he was resisting the urge to hex something or someone. She could feel it building in him. His anger was no longer contained now that there was no one else around to see it. It rolled off him in waves, thick and volatile.
"And, where the hell was everyone?"
His voice cracked through the narrow corridor.
"Theo should've been there," Mattheo growled. "He would've stopped it. He always does, he doesn't just stand there and let things happen."
"He wasn't just 'not there' for no reason," Emerson defended. "He and Liv were in the library when I left them. They were probably studying."
Mattheo scoffed, though it lacked any real bite, his frustration spilling over into something less precise. "Studying," He repeated, like the word itself was offensive. "Brilliant timing for them."
"You know that's not fair," Emerson replied quietly. "You're not actually angry at Theo."
He didn't answer straight away. Instead, he turned sharply again, running a hand over his mouth as if trying to physically push the thoughts back. But it was too late, she'd already put shape to the truth he was trying to avoid.
His voice dropped when he spoke again. "I could've stopped it." There was no arrogance in his words. "If I had been there, I would've stopped it."
Emerson didn't argue, because she knew he believed that. And part of her, whether she wanted to admit it or not, knew he probably could have. She reached for him instinctively, her fingers brushing his arm.
"You don't know that," She whispered. "And even if you were, you can't be everywhere at once."
"I know I would've done something. I wouldn't have just stood there and watched."
