Sunflower

Waking Olivia was never an easy task. Shaking her, shouting her name, and even pushing her off whatever she was sleeping on, only ever resulted in her waking up swinging. Something Mattheo had learned the hard way after a study session that had dragged on too long; when he tried to stir her from a nap she had ended up taking, it resulted in her almost hitting him with a left hook when he tried rousing her from her nap. She had apologized profusely, however Mattheo had only asked her to show him what her fighting posture looked like. He had gone so far as to give her pointers on how to keep her guard up, impressed she had gotten as close to decking him as she had.

Mattheo placed one hand on the table, and one on the back cushion of Olivia's seat so he was hovering over her sleeping form. He carefully lowered himself so he could whisper in her ear in a soft singsong voice. “Oliiiiivvviiiiaaaaa”

“No…” She whined in response. Mattheo chuckled before trying again in a slightly louder whisper.

“C'mon Lllliiiiivvvviiiiieeee” As he half whisper half sang before gently blowing air into her ear causing her to giggle.

“Matty nooooo” Olivia said through her giggles, her hands reaching up to cover her ears. Reluctantly she opened her eyes and gave him a half hearted glare. “Are we there?”

He nodded, back crawling off the seats they'd shared. Once he was on his feet, he held a hand out to her. “Pansy has your things so come on you.”

Grumbling quiet profanities, Olivia gave him her hand and allowed him to pull her from her seat. “Can you carry me at least?”

Mattheo laughed as he shook his head at her. “What a needy thing you can be. Alright c'mon.” He turned around and knelt for her to climb onto his back. With a grin Olivia hopped onto him, her arms hanging around his neck. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he stood, his hands found themselves gripping under her thighs, to keep her up. “Try not to choke me?”

She immediately tightened her arms around his neck, giving him a quick squeeze which he responded to by pretending he couldn’t breath. He reached a hand up and tapped on her arms to indicate she had won. When she loosened her hold again he gasped dramatically, the two shared a laugh before Mattheo turned to leave the compartment. His hand returned to its place under her thigh as they headed out. 

Olivia reached a hand out to open the compartment door for them and noticed someone in its reflection. Still sitting in his spot back at the tables was Draco, glaring up at the ceiling of the train. “Are you coming, Draco?” She asked as she turned around to look back at him.

Draco glanced over at the pair, and nodded. “In a bit.” His voice matched his cold expression. Still Olivia nodded in return, sliding open the compartment door for Mattheo.

As the pair headed out Olivia called back to Draco. “Don’t miss the carriage!” The door had already started to shut, but she hoped he heard her. She settled back against Mattheo, resting her chin on top of his head as he carried her off. “He concerns me, Matty.”

In response Mattheo squeezed her thighs. He made no effort to say anything. He couldn’t. That would mean opening the door of danger to her more than it already was. When Olivia had confided her dreams, her family heritage- specifically who her great grandmother was, it had taken everything in him not to stop being friends with her for her own sake. But Mattheo was far too selfish to let her go even for her own good. He told himself as long as the magic she accordingly was supposed to inherit never manifested she was safe being in his world. And then her magic appeared last year.

She had hidden it from everyone including him as well as she could. Olivia rarely used her wand as it was, being considered a weak witch all her life she had found ways to compensate. However, they had been forced to serve a round of detention in the forbidden forest after Mattheo had slipped something into Olivia’s potion during Snape's class. They had accidentally stumbled upon a dugbog, a foul fish-like creature often mistaken for driftwood that dwelled in the swamps they were searching for flobberworms. The creature had tried to attack them the moment they came into its sights.

Olivia had moved without hesitation, stepping between Mattheo and the dugbog. Before he could say anything or move her back Oliva had brought her wand up and wordlessly flicked her wrist at the creature. A strike of vibrant, ominous blue lightning like magic streamed forth from her extended wand, striking the creature head on. Instantly, the creature imploded into a blue mist, all that remained was a bit of smoke. When Olivia turned to face Mattheo, her emerald eyes had held the same ominous blue color the magic had. Mattheo’s eyebrows had furrowed in worry as he looked at Olivia, the realization she was the person he’d been sent to Hogwarts to try and find. To recruit under any circumstances for his fathers war. She had stared up at him in fear as her wand fell from her hand. Mattheo simply pulled her into a hug at the time and let her cry. Only when she was comfortable did he ask her what happened, and while she revealed everything to him, down to the strange voice in her dreams, and the fact she’d been keeping it a secret from everyone. Even her grandfather. Mattheo agreed silently with her as he tightened his hold on her: no one could ever know.

As far as he knew she had kept the promise, and he had done everything in his power to keep his fathers attention on anyone else he could think of. Mattheo hadn’t realized how deeply he had been thinking about the past until he felt Olivia flick his forehead. “Ow, the fuck Liv?”

She giggled and pointed out that he had walked further than the pick up for the carriages. “I tried to get your attention. What on earth were you thinking about?”

“Just… Hey Oli?” The seriousness of his tone, matched with the intimate nickname he rarely used, caused Olivia to blush. She was thankful that he couldn’t see her face. 

She swallowed against a lump that had formed in her throat before she could respond. “Yea Teo?”

Mattheo’s grip on her tightened, he was also thankful she couldn’t see his face. “Let me take you to the dance ok? If any other guys ask tell them to fuck off, okay?”

Olivia felt the tension break as she threw her head back and let out a wave of laughter, as it died down she laid her head against his back, a grin still on her face. “I’ll say it just like that shall I?”

Mattheo grinned at her laughter. “Exactly like that.”

Once the pair had made it back to the carriages, Mattheo had to let her down as Pansy and several of the others Olivia was friends with were calling out to her. Olivia waved at them and gave them a gesture to say ‘just a moment’. She turned to look at Mattheo, she was certain her face still had some color to it but neither said anything about it. Instead she simply said. “I’ll see you at the castle and as soon as the sorting is over I'll come join you at the Slytherin table okay?”

He sighed dramatically and pulled her into a tight hug, wrapping his arms firmly around her neck. “Fiiiiine. Leave me, why don't you Livie?”

Olivia’s muffled laughter was all that could be heard as she swatted and yanked at his arms. Reluctantly, Mattheo released his hold and let her slip away from him. As she walked away she waved and reminded him she would be at the table for dinner. He returned her wave, watching her until the carriage had taken off, then let out a frustrated sigh before he turned about and headed off  to find the carriage the other boys were likely waiting on. 

When he settled into his spot amongst his friends Mattheo realized Malfoy was not with them. It didn’t matter to him, Draco could take care of himself. 

Just as the carriage was set to leave, Malfoy hurriedly climbed into the remaining seat, looking particularly disheveled. When questioned about why he was late, why his tie was undone, and why his hair was a mess, Draco snapped telling everyone to shut up. The outburst caused several snickers and comments about a secret tryst with a fellow student while on the train. As the carriage took off for Hogwarts, Mattheo swore he caught a glance of an equal unkempt Potter staggering down from the platform.

Curious.

***

The carriage Olivia rode on was occupied by two of Pansy’s roommates, Tracey Davis, and Daphne Greengrass, a Hufflepuff girl Olivia roomed with, named Elizabeth “Lily'' Moon, Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley. Though not biological cousins, Olivia and the Weasley’s had been brought up inseparable. Much of Olivia's childhood prior to Hogwarts was spent at the burrow, learning from her Aunt Molly. The family connection between the Sallow's and the Weasley’s went back to Olivia's great grandmother and grandfather who had befriended  renowned Curse Breaker and Potions Master, Garreth Weasley. The result was a generational friendship.

“Olivia, you’re blushing, what happened?” Hermione asked in a playful voice as though none of them had been watching her say goodbye to Mattheo.

“It wouldn’t have anything to do with a curtain Syltherin would it?.” Ginny asked with a grin. Ginny had been the one to introduce Olivia to Hermione Granger, with the thought the two would get along famously due to their love of reading. She had been absolutely correct. Hermione and Olivia would spend hours pouring over books they’d read. Anytime either had recommendations exchanges needed to be made, the other was the first to hear about it. The only real downside to being friends with Hermione- besides her strict adherence to the rules, was her obsession at proving she was more intelligent than Theo. If Olivia even breathed the word that she was getting help from Theo, Hermione would prepare an entire presentation on whatever subject to try and help Olivia understand. Unfortunately it often left Olivia more confused than before.

Olivia shrugged, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. “He just offered to accompany me to the Halloween Ball.” 

She was met with a sea of Oohs.

“Our little Livie has a date. ” Pansy gushed. Olivia hushed them, hands up to signal they stop.

“It’s not like that.” She declared.

“Did he say it wasn’t like that?” Tracey pipped up, a grin on her face.

“Well.” Olivia frowned as she shook her head, eyebrows furrowing together. “I mean not in so many words. He just asked me to be his…”

“His date ?” Daphne finished for her as Olivia’s flush renewed itself cause the other girls snicker and grin between themselves.

“I-its really not like that!” Olivia hissed as she hid her face in her hands.

“Ooh, I think we’ve embarrassed Liv enough.” Lily said with a laugh. The girls each reached out and patted Olivia’s arms offering half hearted apologies as they agreed to drop the subject for the moment. Instead they began to discuss their summers, which turned into teasing Hermione for having spent most of her summer studying the textbooks for the classes she had chosen. Olivia spent the rest of the carriage ride hiding her head in her hands, chastising herself internally for having not taken the request from Mattheo as seriously as it seemed she should have.

***

Mattheos' eyes scanned the Hufflepuff table three times before he let out a string of obscenities loud enough to cause those around him to turn and look at him as he settled back into his seat again. The sorting ceremony had been over for less than five minutes, and in Mattheo’s mind that was plenty of time for Olivia to have made her way over to him.

“Fuck is wrong with you?” Theo asked in an annoyed voice, he was desperate for a cigarette and Mattheo’s constant up and down was setting him on edge.

“He can’t find Olivia.” Enzo answered with a teasing grin.

“Shut the fuck up.” Mattheo snapped as he stood again to start scanning the other tables. “She’s not where she's supposed to be.”

“You sound like a fucking stalker.” Blaise pipped in. Mattheo pulled his gaze away from his search and glared daggers down at him.

“Are you really one to talk, Zabini?” Mattheo retorted angrily, he was moments from jumping on the table to shout for Olivia.

“You do kinda sound like a stalker though Mattheo.” Enzo said hesitantly, though he didn’t want to be the one to say it, but knew it had to be said. “You’ve kept other guys from her for nearly three years now. Isn't it time to make a move?”

“Its not that fucking simple ok?” Mattheo snapped again as his eyes landed on Olivia. She was at the Gryffindor table speaking to the Weasleys. Mattheo sneered. He was civil with Weasleys when he had to be for Olivia’s sake, the exception being Ron Weasley who, at least in Mattheo's mind disregarded the fact Olivia saw him as her blood-born cousin. The way he looked at her, smiled at her, even the lingering hugs the redhead shared with her boiled his blood. In truth it was all in Mattheo's mind, Ronald Weasley simply thought Olivia could do better then the Riddle boy. “There she is.”

There was no time to listen to the others tell him to just wait for her, Mattheo was already moving as quickly as he could towards her, shoving students out of his way as he went. One of the Weasley's, Ginny if he had to guess from the grin she wore; must have told Olivia he was headed over to her as she turned around to smile at him while he approached. His anger was almost instantly put out by her warmth, it would have been sedated had it not been for the glare Ron was shooting at Mattheo.

“Matty, I was just about to head over.” Olivia stated happily as Mattheo draped an arm over her shoulders as if to show that Oliva was his. He forced himself to smile at the Gryffindors surrounding her.

“Well now we can walk back together.” He said in a tightly controlled voice as he gave a nod of acknowledgement to the table before them. Without giving her a chance to say anything Mattheo turned the two of them around and led Olivia off towards the Slytherin's. Olivia looked over her shoulder at a group of bemused Gryffindors, offering a wave before turning her attention up at Mattheo.

“I said I would be at the table for dinner. I just wanted to check in with my cousins first.” Olivia said in an annoyed tone. Mattheo tightened his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to his side in response. “Ugh Matty! I’m serious, Ginny was talking about having a sleepover for our first day back, you completely interrupted that.”

“I don't care, I don't like that cousin of yours.” He grumbled, his expression matching his tone.

“Ginny?” Olivia asked in disbelief.

“No. Weasley .” The way he said their last name made it clear to her who he meant.

“Well at least the feeling is mutual then because Ron isn’t a huge fan of yours either.” Olivia huffed.

“Shame.” Mattheo said with a satisfied smirk as they joined the rest of the Slytherins.