dissent and assent
10 october 1996
Eupehmia’s POV
The Great Hall was decorated overnight. Silk banners, one for each of the Hogwarts Houses, hang from the walls as well as one with the full Hogwarts crest hung behind the teachers’ table. I walk in for breakfast with Ron, Harry and Hermione and I lead us to sit with the Twins, who are sitting apart from others and whispering intensely. Soon, at the end of the month, the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang arrive and the Triwizard Tournament will be kicked off.
“Yeah, it sucks but if he won’t talk to us in person, we’ll send him an owl. He can’t avoid us forever,” George says as I sit down next to him.
“Who's avoiding you?” Ron asks, sitting next to Fred.
“Wish you would,” Fred grumbles to his little brother.
“Have you guys thought anymore about the Triwizard Tournament yet? Still wanting to enter?” Harry asks, thankfully avoiding a Weasley brother argument at 8 in the morning.
“Asked Minny how the champions are chosen but she wouldn’t say,” George answers, irritation still lacing his tone. “Just told me to shut up and transfigure my racoon.”
“No, that was Mia,” Fred remarks sarcastically.
“Oi!” My head snaps up from my breakfast at the accusation. “It was not!” I’m not sure if I imagine the bite in his tone or not but the closer Mattheo and I get, the more distant Fred gets from me and I hate it.
“What do you think the tasks will be?” Ron asks to which the rest of us shrug. “I bet the three of us could do it! We’ve done loads of dangerous stuff,” Ron exclaims looking at Harry and Hermione.
“You will not! Honestly, I don’t know why anyone would volunteer to put themselves in danger. I mean the fact that it was stopped originally due to too many deaths, I’m surprised they’re allowing it again,” I say, sounding very much like a mother to my own displeasure. I’ve found it happening more and more since Harry was placed under my care last spring. Harry has started just staring at me and waiting until I ‘mother myself out’ (his words, not mine).
“Yeah well, not all of us can turn our noses up at a thousand Galleon prize, Mia,” Fred snaps, surprising me, and stands up leaving his breakfast mostly uneaten.
“Freddie!” I try to stand and follow him, to apologize, but George grabs my arm and pulls me back down.
“Don’t worry about it, Mia. You didn’t do anything wrong,” George says gently, finishing his toast. “He’ll come ‘round,” he adds, patting my shoulder, as he stands and follows his twin. I sigh and take a long sip of my coffee, the fourth years next to me talking amongst themselves as I wonder how my life got so complicated.
“Hey, Princess,” Mattheo says, sitting down where George was and smiling at me. Harry, Ron and Hermione stop talking for a moment and Harry and Mattheo share a tense nod of acknowledgement- better than Fred’s attempts at least.
“Hey, Matt,” I say with a soft smile. He reaches forward and pulls my coffee cup from me and takes a sip. “Oi!” I whine playfully.
“Hey, you’re not the only one around here with a caffeine addiction,” Matt chuckles, leaning away from me as he takes another sip before handing the cup back to me.
“Little tip, don’t get between my sister and her caffeine. She’ll kill you,” Harry chimes in and I can’t help but smile. Over the last month or so, Mattheo has been trying really hard to get my friends to trust him. Harry and Ang and Alicia have been the easy ones. Harry is a little wary but he’s stayed true to what he said at the end of last term, that as long as I’m happy he doesn’t care.
“Oh, I have no doubt,” Matt chuckles and places a hand on my knee under the table. “You okay?” he asks, leaning a little closer.
“Yeah, just tired and Fred and I had a tiff,” I sigh, setting my now empty coffee down on the table as Hermione turns to the boys and begins talking about S.P.E.W., her club working for the freedom of house elves.
“Bout?”
“Nothing,” I say with a shrug and smile at Mattheo.
“Hm,” he grunts, pouring himself a cup of coffee, refilling my own, and grabbing some scrambled eggs. “Speaking of friends, my friends and I have plans tonight. Would you come?”
“If you want me to, of course,” I nod and take a bite of my toast. “By friends you mean…?”
“Theo, Enzo, Astoria, Evan… and Ella,” Mattheo says, grimacing slightly at Elladora’s name.
“Does she know you’re inviting me?” I ask, turning to straddle the bench to look at Mattheo. Elladora Lestrange’s attitude towards mine and Mattheo’s closeness makes Fred’s opinion of it look like total acceptance. Matt and I haven’t been hiding by any means, but we aren’t officially together nor are we snogging in the halls announcing anything to the entire student body. We haven’t even really been on an actual date. Even so, people have started noticing the “Gryffindor Princess” and “Slytherin Casanova” are together more and more. Out of Matt’s friends, Theo, Enzo and Astoria have been the most welcoming. I was already friends with Tori which helps, but Elladora has been another matter altogether.
“She will.”
“Before I show up?” Mattheo hesitates for a moment, glancing at me out of the corner of his eyes. “Matt, you’re going to just blindside her?”
“I don’t think she’ll come if she knows,” he says with a grimace. “Will you still come? I promise I won’t let her attack you.”
“I’ll come, I don’t think it will go well though,” I say sympathetically.
“You’re the best, princess,” Mattheo says with a smile and squeezes my hand.
“Yeah, just make sure to remember that,” I tease, and stand, grabbing my bag. “C’mon, we should get to class.”
“Ugh, I don’t want to go to Alchemy, Higgbotem has it out for me,” the boy whines.
“Because you never show up to his class,” I say, smiling down at Matt, brushing a stray curl out of his eyes. “C’mon, pretty boy,” I say, grabbing his hand and pulling him up. He stands but just looks down at me with a goofy smile. “What?”
“Call me that again,” he says lowly.
“What? Pretty boy?” He nods. “You’re ridiculous,” I laugh, “If I say it again will you come to class?”
“I’ll do anything you want,” he promises.
“Oh, this is gonna be fun,” I tease.
“You guys are gross,” Harry moans, standing and quickly walking away with his friends to avoid our display.
“Think we’ve scarred your brother,” Matt chuckles, grabbing his bag and some bacon for the road.
“Come on, pretty boy. Higgbotem awaits!”
✦
Astoria and I sit with our backs against a tree as the boys, Theo, Enzo and Matt, are piling up sticks for a fire. We are out on the bank of the Black Lake where the water cuts into the Forbidden Forest, and therefore we are hidden from view of the castle. Tori and I are bundled up with a blanket and my frame is swallowed by Mattheo’s hoodie, enveloping me in his scent. He practically forced it over my head as we made our way down here.
“Soo, you and Matt, huh?” Tori asks me with a smirk, wiggling her eyebrows at me and pinching at the fabric around my arm.
“What about it?” I chuckle as Theo chucks a stick at the back of Matt’s head playfully.
“Girl, fucking spill. I spend way too much of my time around boys and I need some gossip,” she exclaims and I bust out laughing.
“I don’t know, it’s fun, new,” I shrug and pull the long sleeves on the hoodie over my hands, still not sure how to explain the way I feel around Mattheo Riddle.
“He really likes you, you know,” she smiles, watching the boys playfully bickering. “I’ve known Mattheo since we were little and I have never once seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you. He’s different with you, happier. I think I’ve seen him smile more in the last month than I did all last year.” I listen closely to Astoria while watching Matt, Theo and Enzo start the small fire and smile.
“I don’t know, I feel like I’m messing things up for him sometimes,” I confess, “Elladora is going to be pissed and I haven’t even thought about what him mum might think, let alone anyone el-”
“Mia, I wouldn’t worry too much about that,” Tori interrupts, “Mattheo Riddle has never been one to care what anyone else thinks about him, and Medusa Riddle is a kinder woman than life has allowed her to be. At least that’s what it seems like to me,” she shrugs, pushing her dark hair away from her face. Suddenly, the boys start cheering as the fire roars to life.
“Haha! We make fire!” Matt cheers in a goofy, caveman-like voice, his fists raised in the air.
“Very impressive mastery of a first year spell, boys!” I laugh as Mattheo turns to smile at me and moves to sit next to me, the fire light dancing on his face and highlighting the sharpness of his features.
“You look good in my hoodie, Princess,” Mattheo says quietly to me, and I smile, heat rushing into my cheeks. “Thanks for coming.”
“Anytime-”
“Ah! Bout fucking time!” Theo says, looking over our shoulders as Evan and Elladora emerge through the trees.
“The fuck?” Elladora says as her eyes land on me and she stops dead in her tracks. Evan keeps walking into the circle, his eyes wide like he’s thinking ‘here we go,’ moving to the cooler the boys brought and pulling out a beer.“No, what the hell is she doing here?”
“Ella, c’mon can we just have a fun night?” Mattheo asks from my side.
“No, not if she’s here. I can’t believe you would bring her here without even telling anyone!” Elladora exclaims, but as she looks around at everyone else it's clear from their faces they did know. “Seriously?!”
“We didn’t think you’d come if I told you,” Mattheo says, his fists clenched at his side and I can tell he’s trying hard to keep his cool.
“Salazar, Mattheo! It’s bad enough you’re spending time with the princess but now you expect us to as well?” Elladdora’s pale face is flushed with anger as she stands with her arms crossed just outside of the treeline, glaring at me and Mattheo with more hatred than I’ve seen from her.
“Can you not talk about me like I’m not here? I’m the one you have a problem with,” I snap at her, feeling defensive of Mattheo and myself.
“If you don’t like it then leave, bitch,” she snaps viciously.
“Huh, I could say the same to you!” I retort, standing up.
“I told you to stay the hell away from him and us and that you would regret what happens if you didn’t,” she says darkly, taking a few threatening steps towards me. I see Theo and Enzo whispering and exchanging Sickles out of the corner of my eyes, whispering about betting on us.
“You don’t get a say in my life, Lestrange,” I snap, standing my ground.
“Told you, mate,” Evan says quietly to Mattheo.
“Told him what? That I would be pissed about the Gryffindor Bitch inviting herself into our lives? How introspective of you, Evan.”
“Ella, just calm down-” Astoria says, placatingly but Elladore cuts her off with a glare.
“No! I’m so tired of this shit! Perfect, innocent, little Euphemia Potter always gets her way and the rest of us just get pushed to the side. Can’t have anyone outshining you, can you, princess?” Elladora mocks, the nickname that I’ve grown to love from Mattheo’s lips sounds harsh and cruel on hers. She continues forward until she and I are face to face, her dark eyes boring into me angrily. “You just run around and do whatever you want, break whatever rules or friendships or hearts you want all because you think a little scar gives you the right. And they all buy into it, worship at your feet for a bloody accident. The Children Who Lived lost their dear parents and the world raises them up as saviors while the rest of us struggle along by ourselves.”
“Enough!” Mattheo’s voice cuts through the night air. My eyes don’t leave Elladora’s but I hear Mattheo’s footsteps on the rocky shore step up to me and his hand wraps around mine. “Mia is my girlfriend and if you can’t accept that, well that is on you, Ella. You don’t get a say in my life and unless you can be the supportive friend I had hoped would show up tonight, then feel free to leave.” My head snaps to Mattheo at the word girlfriend, a word we have been skirting around for weeks, one I figured would send him running.
“Girlfriend?” Elladora sneers, her eyes now trained on Mattheo. She takes a step towards him, glaring up at him. “What would your father say if he were here?”
“I don’t give a shit what a dead man thinks,” Mattheo snaps, his eyes darkening and voice dangerous. Elladora watches him for a long moment before flicking her eyes my way for a second.
“I guess we’ll see,” she says darkly before shaking her head and turning on her heel and stalking away from us.
“What did she mean by that: we’ll see?” I ask, looking at Mattheo. He shakes his head wearily and lets out a long breath.
“Nothing, just an empty threat because she had nothing else to say,” he responds, sounding weary. Astoria stands up and takes a step towards the direction Elladora stopped off in.
“Tori, just let her cool off for a while. I’ll talk to her later,” Evan says and takes a swig from his beer.
“I’m sorry, Matt. I don’t want to come between you and your friends,” I say quietly to the boy in front of me who is still clinging to my hand.
“You’re not, Mia. Ella’s problem is not your fault,” he grumbles, his thumb running along the back of my hand. “And don’t you dare offer to leave so she’ll come back,” he adds, knowing me too well and pulling on my hand so I step closer to him.
“You called me your girlfriend,” I say quietly.
“Yeah, sorry I know we haven’t talked-'' I kiss him to stop him talking and his arms wrap around my waist as we get lost in each other, forgetting there are others around us until Enzo speaks up.
“If you guys are going to be like that, then go somewhere we can’t see or hear it!”
“Sorry, Enzo. I know you're too innocent for all that,” I tease as Mattheo steps away from me slightly with a cocky smirk on his lips and pulls me back down to sit against the tree as Theo throws some more wood on the fire.
“I can’t believe Mattheo Riddle has a girlfriend. Never thought I’d live to see the day! Let alone a Potter,” Evan laughs, shaking his head.
“You’re just jealous!” Mattheo retorts back with a playful smirk before looking to me, “He’s always had the hots for you.”
“Aw, Evan, I’m sorry,” I say playfully, as Mattheo pulls out a cigarette and lights it by snapping his fingers and producing a flame, like I taught him last year.
“Hey, no worries, Potter. When you’re tired of this fucker, I’ll be waiting,” Evan winks at me and Mattheo throws a pinecone at his head, making all of us bust out laughing. I take the cigarette from Mattheo and take a drag myself.
“Oi! Thief,” he says playfully.
“Consider it payment for my coffee this morning!” I say, pushing his arm back so he can’t grab it back.
“Okay, as much as I’m enjoying the love bird show I’m changing the topic. Triwizard Tournament. Whose entering?” Theo says from the other side of the fire, now with his own cigarette and beer.
“I’m good. Not big on school wide events,” Mattheo grumbles, pushing himself off the ground. He strides towards the cooler and brings two bottles back, handing one to me and he steals his cigarette back with a wink.
“You play Quidditch,” Enzo points out, leaning back on the ground.
“That’s different!”
“I don’t think I would have the time even if I wanted, my course load is so full this year,” Astoria sighs, wrapping a blanket around her shoulders.
“It's a thousand Galleon prize if you win though!” Evan says, “I’m going for it.”
“I thought Dumbledore said you had to be twenty to enter,” I point out, and take a sip of my beer as Mattheo wraps his arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer to him.
“Maybe we can sneak our names in somehow,” Theo muses, causing Enzo and Evan and Astoria to all chime in at once with varying degrees of thinking it's possible. I look to Mattheo at my side who is already staring at me with a soft smile.
“What?” I ask.
“Nothing,” he says quietly, “You look fucking fit in my hoodie,” he whispers before kissing me on my forehead and pulling me closer, causing my heart to flutter and my stomach to do somersaults.