a spark
14 april 1997
Mattheo’s POV
“You’re la-”
“Yeah, yeah I know,” I cut Mia off as I rush down the hall to meet her. She is standing against the wall outside the prefects’ office and I can’t help as my eyes rove up and down her body. Her long auburn hair is braided away from her face, the braid pulled to hang over her shoulder, and she’s foregone a uniform sweater in the warming weather. Her white blouse is tight against her figure, her long legs clad in knee high socks instead of her usual tights; the same outfit that had me distracted all through our shared lessons today. Lately, no matter how she wears her uniform I find her distracting.
“You ready?” She asks me, drawing my eyes back up to her eyes rather than her long legs. Her tilted head and cocky smirk on her lips tell me she caught me checking her out and I look down the hall, nodding.
“Yeah, let’s go,” I say, not waiting for Mia before I start walking. She jogs a few steps to catch up with me and falls into step.
“What took you so long?” She asks casually.
“Quidditch,” I say simply. It’s not totally the truth but it's not a lie either. I did have practice. The last month both Gryffindor and Slytherin teams have been practicing nonstop, often having to fight for pitch time, in anticipation of the final match coming this weekend. Tensions are running high between the rival houses and plenty of fights have broken out this week alone (only one of which I was involved in, by the way). Slytherin is ahead by 200 points and Marcus is fairly confident in our position but I’m not so sure. To be honest, I think Gryffindor wants the Cup more than we do.
But while animosity between our houses has been growing, a different kind of tension is growing between Mia and myself, one I’m not so sure is a good thing. We’ve found each other on the Astronomy Tower for a smoke multiple times in the last few months, taking turns bumming cigarettes and staying there far longer than we would if either of us was there alone. I find myself constantly distracted by her, even when she is nowhere to be found. And when she is around I can’t help but be drawn into her magnetic field, my eyes roaming and words flirtatious.
When I got back from practice, Elladora had laid into me about how I am spending too much time with Mia and that I should skip rounds to hang out with them instead. Me saying no was not taken well. I think my friends are starting to suspect there’s more to my relationship with Mia than I’ve told them even though there is nothing… Okay, maybe there is a little something but I’ll be cursed before I tell my friends that. Besides, nothing can happen between Mia and I and nothing will. Euphemia Potter is far too good for me. A better, stronger man would keep his distance but I’ve never claimed to be a good man and when it comes to Mia I’m finding I’m weaker than I’d care to admit.
“So, how was practice?” She asks, pulling me out of my thoughts and I shoot her a dubious look out of the corner of my eye. “What? I’m making conversation not trying to spy,” she says sarcastically, dragging out the last word.
“Was fine. Normal,” I respond vaguely.
“Broom fly, swing bat, hit bludger, scowl, so on?” Mia jokes, making me smile slightly and shake my head.
“You’ve got me down, princess,” I chuckle. “What about you? Feeling ready?”
“I’m always ready, Riddle,” Mia quips back, a mischievous look on her face, winking at me playfully as we keep walking. I laugh and turn away, looking down the hall. We walk in silence for a little while until we pass by the stairs to the Astronomy Tower and I stop.
“You know what? Screw prefect shit, let’s go smoke or something. I’m knackered from practice, I could use a break,” I propose suddenly, pointing up the stairs.
“What? We can’t do that,” Mia protests, searching my face as if she’s not sure if I’m joking or not.
“Why not? If anyone catches us we’ll just say we thought we heard something in the Astronomy Tower and we were just checking it out. Perfect cover,” I shrug, shoving my hands in my pockets as I look down at Mia. She watches me for a long moment before a smile splits her face and she chuckles.
“Alright, fuck it. Let’s go,” she says, climbing the first few stairs. When I don’t immediately follow her, she turns around, the stairs making her tall enough to look down at me. “Well?” She asks, tilting her head. I smile and follow after her, my longer legs catching up to her easily and we climb up the tower side by side.
✦
“No, no, just really focus on where you want the magic to come from. Like instead of the tip of your wand it’s your fingertip,” she explains, snapping her fingers again and producing a small and steady flame, lighting up her face in the moonlight. We’re sitting on the floor of the Astronomy Tower, cigarettes long gone, and facing each other as Mia tries to teach me her wandless magic trick. I grit my teeth and, focusing on my fingertips, snap my fingers over and over until a small spark emerges. “Yes! You almost had it!” Mia cheers, her face excited.
“This is ridiculous, how did you figure this out by yourself?” I ask, growing frustrated.
“Don’t get frustrated, you have no idea how long it took me. You’re getting it faster than I did,” she says, adjusting slightly and causing our knees to brush.
“I couldn’t believe you less,” I deadpan, leaning forward towards Mia with my eyes narrowed. She reels back, feigning offense.
“You don’t trust me? Don’t I look trustworthy?” She asks, looking up at me with wide innocent eyes, our height difference large enough that even sitting she has to look up to meet my eyes. I don’t answer, caught up for a moment in her expression. “C’mon, try again,” she presses, reaching forward to graze my hand, sending shivers up my arm which doesn’t help at all with focusing. I take a deep breath and snap, producing a small burst of a flame that goes out as quickly as it lit but still Mia cheers, clapping her hands at my dismal display.
“Your enthusiasm is wasted on that. You’re a good teacher, though,” I say, leaning back on my hands and stretching my legs out, resting them next to Mia’s.
“Thanks,” she responds, a faint blush coloring her cheeks as she fiddles with her ring.
“You could come back and teach here. Wandless magic 101 or something.” She laughs at that.
“Yeah, that’s the dream. Graduate school just to come back and do it for the rest of my life,” she says sarcastically.
“Alright then, if not teaching then what do you want to do after Hogwarts?” I ask, trying to picture her in some stuffy suit or uniform, taking notes in a boardroom of some kind.
“I don’t know. Honestly passing O.W.L.s and finding an apartment is about as far into the future as I can think right now,” she says, adjusting so her back is against one of the stone pillars and her legs extend out next to mind; the bare skin of her legs pale in the early moonlight.
“An apartment? Getting out of the muggles’ place then?”
“Yeah, I’m 18 now and the Ministry granted me custody of Harry a few months back so I’ve got to find somewhere for us to live,” she says, a smile on her face at the idea of being on her own. I can’t help but be surprised and a little impressed, I can barely take care of myself most of the time yet here is this girl the same age as me who is willingly taking on the burden of caring for her brother and is happy about it.
“That’s great, Mia. I’m happy for you,” I say genuinely and Mia looks at me with a bewildered expression. “What?”
“Nothing,” she chuckles, “Just never expected Mattheo bloody Riddle would ever be happy for me is all.”
“Yeah well, to be fair, I never expected to be happy for Euphemia fucking Potter either,” I respond with a deep chuckle.
“It has been a weird year, hasn’t it?” Mia says with a laugh, watching me for a moment. “So, what about you? What are your plans after school?”
“My mum wants me to work at the Ministry,” I respond with a shrug.
“Okay, but what do you want?” I watch her for a moment before answering, surprised that she cares enough to ask and listen.
“To not just be known by my last name. To be free of my father’s legacy and be my own person for once,” I admit after a moment. Something I’ve never told anyone else before, something I’ve barely even admitted to myself. “Beyond that, I’m not sure.”
“I get that,” Mia says after a moment, nodding. “Sometimes I think about just dropping everything and running off somewhere far away. Work in some Muggle pub or shop or something and just… be free of it all.” Her face turns wistful as she speaks, dreaming of a life she won’t allow herself to have, caring too much for the people in her life to commit to it.
“Got any room for one more?” I ask, half kidding, half not.
“We’d kill each other two days in,” Mia laughs.
“I don’t know, you’re kind of growing on me, princess,” I chuckle, sitting up and leaning towards her. I watch as her face splits into a smile, her mouth opening to respond but she’s interrupted by a voice from below the stairs.
“Filch,” she whispers, and we both look down at our watches. It's nearly midnight, an hour past when our rounds are supposed to end meaning we no longer have an excuse for being out. “Shit, I didn’t even realize how late it is.” I look around the tower quickly and see a broom cupboard on the other side of the room. I stand and motion for Mia to follow me; it's not ideal but it will have to work.
“Quick, in here!” I whisper, pulling the broom closet door open. Mia’s eyes widen and she shakes her head.
“Matt-”
“Mia, I know but we have to hide.” She weighs her options for a moment before reluctantly, stepping inside the closet, her fists clenched tightly as I step in with her and close the door, the closet so small it's near impossible for us to not be pressed against each other. I reach out to take one of her hands in mine, her eyes flying open to look at me. “Just breathe, you’re okay,” I whisper to her, her breath unsteady, her eyes never leaving mine. I squeeze her hand gently, my thumb caressing the back of her hand, the raised skin of her lightning bolt scar under the pad of my thumb.
I can hear Filch and Mrs. Norris, his creepy cat, just outside the door. Suddenly, the door rattles behind my back and Mia squeezes her eyes shut, her breath increasing. “Hey, hey stay with me,” I whisper, my free hand to hook a finger under her chin, her eyes open again, fear more present in them than before, and I tilt her face up to look at me. “You’re safe, I’m not gonna let anything hurt you,” I whisper, and the scariest thing is I mean it and I can tell she believes me. I look down at her and all the world slips away; all I’m aware of is her and the beat of my heart, so loud in my ears I’m certain she can hear it as well. Time slows and I don’t know how long we stand there, staring at each other, frozen in fear of being caught or breaking the moment.
But then Filch grumbles something to Mrs. Norris and their footsteps recede down the stairs and my hands drop to my sides. Heat creeps into my face as I turn and open the door, stepping aside for Mia. She steps out quickly, taking a deep breath with her eyes focused on the dark expanse beyond the tower, moving to the edge and gripping the railing so hard her knuckles turn white.“You okay?” I ask softly.
“Yeah,” she says after a moment, turning back to me with flushed cheeks. “I hope we don’t make a habit of being in broom cupboards together,” she jokes, a little breathless.
“Most girls don’t mind,” I brag out of habit and immediately regret it. I have a reputation for sleeping around and normally I don’t mind, but Mia is different. She’s so different to me that I’m never entirely sure how to act. But she laughs and rolls her eyes.
“Oh I’m sure,” she laughs, the air between us turning awkward. “We should probably head back.”
“Yeah, yeah probably.” We slowly climb down the stairs, careful to be quiet so as not to draw Filch back. When we finally reach the bottom of the stairs, my dorm one direction and Mia’s in another, I turn to look at her, wishing I could rewind time by about 5 minutes.
“Goodnight, see you on the pitch on Saturday. I’ll be the one scoring all the goals,” Mia says with a soft smile, her voice playful as she turns in the direction of Gryffindor Tower.
“Goodnight,” I whisper and watch as she smiles and turns around, walking down the hall and out of my sight, knowing I won’t stop thinking about her pressed against me in that closet all night.