Sunflower

Dinner carried on as usual, the boys talking shit about the teams they would be facing in quidditch, the girls and occasionally Enzo gossiping about the first years and which families they were from. The only expectation to the norm was Olivia ignoring Mattheo, much to his dismay, in favor of talking to Pansy. She made it clear to him she was upset with his behavior. Olivia was instead talking about Ginny's idea for a girls sleepover, when it suddenly turned into the Slytherin's hosting said sleepover in their dorms. Tracey and Daphne were quick to agree with the idea of hosting and had set off to let the other girls know the plans, while Pansy had raced off to inform the professors of their plans. It was so fast that Olivia was the one left at the table warning the pack of boys, who were quick to make plans to impose themselves on the sleepover, they would sorely regret it if they tried.

"Listen to me you lot, I'm only saying this once. If any of you, " Olivia turned to glare at each of the boys, the longest stare landing on Mattheo.

He held his hands up and shrugged while asking, "What did I do??"

"You were the first to say you would crash their party." Blaise stated. Mattheo flipped him off in response.

"Any of you try to join us, I will personally kick your asses." Olivia finished as she pointed her glare at them all once more. Blaise simply nodded and carried on eating. He had seen first hand what Olivia was like when she was pissed.

Theo chortled. "You're gonna kick our asses?"

Olivia turned her glare on him, silencing his laughter.

Theo instead leaned over to Enzo, who sat on his right across from Olivia and whispered. "Is she serious? She's so tiny I can't tell..."

Enzo whispered back, "She's serious and she'll do it..." He shuddered dramatically for emphasis.

In response Theo asked in an even lower voice so only Enzo could hear him. "Is it weird if I think that'd be pretty hot?"

Enzo leaned away from him, giving him a concerned look. In his normal voice he asked, "What is wrong with you?"

"Obviously a lot." Theo muttered sarcastically as he turned his attention back to his food.

Satisfied with Theo's lack of response to her threat, Olivia had returned her attention to her dinner which happened to have been replenished with different foods. Olivia turned to look at Mattheo, very unamused. He had spent the last few minutes piling food onto her plate. She glared at him, and he smiled innocently back at her.

"You have your own plate." She told him.

Mattheo shrugged, batting puppy dog eyes at her. "Yours is better to eat off." He said sweetly.

"I would happily eat off your plate." Theo said, in turn Mattheo winked at him as Olivia rolled her eyes.

"It's the same plate." Olivia told Mattheo.

"Exactly" He grinned at her triumphantly. Olivia couldn't help but laugh as she gently nudged his arm with her elbow. Together, the two of them cleared her plate.

The cutesy act made Theo fake a gag, while Enzo had to suppress an 'Awe'.

By the time Pansy approached the table, Theo had gotten up and left muttering something about needing air and a cigarette. Tracey and Daphne returned soon after. Olivia greeted them with a smile as they each took their seats.

"So?" She asked.

"Luna said she's in." Tracey announced.

"Ginny and Hermione loved the idea of having us host. They're just finishing their dinner and they'll be over to discuss the plan for tonight." Daphne said with an excited grin.

"We asked Lily if she wanted to join but she mentioned staying with her boyfriend for the night so..." Tracey added with a shrug.

"The professors say as long as all the roommates are fine with it we can have our sleep over in the Slytherin dorm." Pansy said as she took her seat next on the other side of Olivia again. The pair looked over at Tracey and Daphne who shrugged.

"Of course we agree." Daphne said with a grin, as Tracey nodded.

The girls carried on talking about their plans for the night, they each reiterated to the boys what would be the consequences of them crashing the sleepover. At some point Pansy had gotten up and called for the other girls to join them. Once they were all together the conversation carried on, they had to remind Luna what they were discussing a few times as she had gotten swept into her own conversation with Blaise. He had perked right up when she had joined the table, moving over so she had a spot to sit.

After some back and forth- mostly from Hermione to Pansy about the proper aspects of a sleepover, the girls had decided to meet outside the Slytherin common room at eight thirty pm right after dinner, to give them plenty of time to collect their necessities and be ready to be let into the Slytherin commons. It was around the time that everyone had begun to filter out of the great hall that Olivia realized she had not heard a single complaint from Draco about them keeping the noise down so it didn't carry over to the boys dorm. A common complaint she had to hear about every time the girls had sleepovers in the past. It was very unlike him

. She looked around and noticed he was nowhere to be seen. Though it was unusual for him, she tried to think nothing of it telling herself he perhaps needed some time alone.

If she had, she would have noticed long ago he had left the table almost immediately after the sorting ended. She also may have noticed a certain quidditch player had also not been at the table while she conversed with her cousins. But none of that was on her radar.

***

"So, are you gonna listen to us and tell her?" Ezno asked from his bed on one side of the room. They had been discussing Olivia, at Mattheo's behest. He had gone through all the usual topics surrounding her: what she did during their week together at her grandfather's hamlet, how pretty she was when she was reading, he even had to mention the cute way she argued and threatened them.

Mattheo, who was in the middle of pulling a hoodie over his head, turned to look at the other boys in the dorm. He glared in response. This was a conversation the boys had frequently. When Olivia had first been introduced in their third year, Theo had pulled Mattheo aside to ask if Olivia was available. Ezno and Blaise had both needed to hold Mattheo back from beating Theo up. Since the outburst, the subject would be broached with his friends telling Mattheo he had to snatch her up, or someone else would.

"How many times do I have to say it's not that fucking simple for you all to get it?" Mattheo asked roughly. It could never be that simple. He thought. Even before he had learned about Olivia's magic it wasn't simple. Mattheo had asked her weeks into talking if she wanted to 'hang out', she had taken that to mean he wanted to be her friend. He did whatever and anything he could think of apart from outright telling her how he felt. It was as though he expected her to read his mind. It was unfair of him. Then after learning about her magic, about Anita and the dreams she saw, the voice she heard... After connecting the dots that the same Ancient magic his father wanted to control for his war, and Olivia's inheritance- it was anything but simple.

"You've been saying that for the last three years, mate! You either make you're move or back the fuck off so someone else can." Theo said in annoyance as he placed a cigarette between his lips.

"You think I don't want to? You think I haven't tried letting her go or telling her?" Mattheo asked, his anger steadily rising. "Do you all think I like this bullshit?" He started pacing around the room. "I tried to let her go, I-I tried but for fucks sake, its like shes the oxygen in my lungs. Like... like she's in my veins; like she's the only thing that's keeping me here at this point. I need her."

"Then be a fucking man and. Tell. Her." Theo said in an irritated voice as he headed out of the dorm, lighting his cigarette as he went. As he left Mattheo held both his middle fingers up to his back and shouted after him calling him a dick.

Enzo sat upright, swinging his legs over the edge of his bed so he was facing Mattheo. He sounded upset as he told Mattheo, "All we're saying is she's had to watch you parade girl after girl around for the past year. I mean, do you even know how many girls you've "substituted" for her? She does. Olivia could probably tell you all their names, Matt."

"We're the ones who had to comfort her each time you go out with someone else, y'know?" Blaise added in an even voice.

This seemed to let the air out of Mattheo's anger. His face contorted into a look of guilt. He knew. It drove him mad whenever he would catch one of them with her, reassuring her. Because of him. Because he wanted her and told himself he couldn't have her so it was better to have a distraction from her.

"I know..." Mattheo sighed in frustration as he ran a hand through his hair. "But she's so fucking good... and"

"And your father." Blaise and Ezno said in unison.

"You have a crazy home life, with a slightly off mother." Enzo said as delicately as he could manage.

"Your father is a mad man, bent on finding some insane power." Blaise retorted boredly. They had heard the excuses often enough to recite them back in order.

"She would be in danger." Enzo finished, he raised his hands and shook them mockingly. "You get she's also dangerous, right? Didn't she send that Ravenclaw you were seeing for that week to the hospital wing, remember?"

The memory brought a proud grin to Mattheos face. Seeing Olivia using his advice to wail on his ex had been an incredible proud moment for him. Mattheo wished it had not been at the expense of her having a rumor spread about being his side chick, he was proud nonetheless. "Yeah, that was amazing... But that's not the same thing."

Enzo shrugged. "You only have two options Mattheo, tell her how you feel or let her go."

"Fuck!" Mattheo shouted. He turned around and stormed out of the dorm, when the door was closed the sound of Mattheos fist slamming into it reverberated in the dorm. Both boys simply shook their heads as they looked at one another.

"Five galleons says that he doesn't say anything before Halloween." Blaise said with a smirk, holding his hand out. Mattheo had spent the entirety of the sorting ceremony gushing to them about taking Olivia to the dance.

"Ten says that he does." Enzo countered, reaching out to shake Blaise's hand. Once they were each settled back on their beds, Enzo turned on his side to look at Blaise and asked. "So... what's the deal with you and Luna?"

"Goodnight." 

***

The girls' dorm had been transformed into a cozy paradise. There was a big pile of soft, plush blankets in the middle of the room. Surrounding the blankets were a scattered variety of pillows of all shapes and sizes. They had conjured colorful fabrics, strung together to form a giant blanket fort within the room. In one corner was a small table with snacks and drinks for their little party. The whole room was comfy and inviting, perfect for the sleepover.

At precisely ten-thirty Hermione announced to the group of girls she was going to enjoy the sleeping portion of the night's activities. "And you should all go to sleep soon as well, we have our first day of classes in the morning." With that said Hermione promptly took up occupancy of Pansy's bed, placed a set of muggle earplugs in, and pulled a sleep mask over her eyes before saying goodnight. Pansy made no arguments about having the Granger girl in her bed, she simply grinned, shook her head and made a comment about having a cuddle partner for the night.

"Has anyone heard of Professor Slughorn?" Ginny asked as the conversation of the night moved on.

"Oh yeah, I have." Olivia said. "My father was in his classes when he was here before his retirement." As soon as the words were out of her mouth Olivia regretted saying anything. There were a few murmurs between Tracey and Daphne before either spoke up.

"What's he like?" Daphne asked with an excited glint in her eyes.

"The Professor?" Olivia asked, trying to play it off. "I have no id-"

"No no, you're father. He's one of the top Curse-Breakers at Gringotts right?" Tracey asked, interrupting her.

Olivia's smile tightened. She hated talking about her father, not because she resented him or even the fact many of her friends unfortunately found her father incredibly attractive. Rory Sallow was indeed one of the top Curse-Breakers of his generation. He had inherited his grandfather's affinity to magic- 'cockiness' according to his father, and due to his rapport with both the magic and potions making, Rory had found himself becoming one of the best Curse-Breakers Gringotts had seen in some time. He had followed his cousin Arthur Weasley into becoming a Curse Breaker after their graduation from Hogwarts. Unlike Arthur who had moved on to work for the Ministry of Magic, Rory had spent his time rising through the ranks at Gringotts, resulting in him taking longer and more dangerous assignments.

"Yeah, he's... worked there since before I was born. He's been called irreplaceable a few times." Olivia tried to keep her voice light, giving the illusion that she was in no way uncomfortable. Both Ginny and Pansy shot each other knowing looks as they recognized the slight change in Olivia's demeanor.

"Ok let's talk about something else yea? Pansy, who are you going to dance with?" Ginny said in a rushed voice.

"Well but wasn't he the one to get the Ministry to clear Sirius Black's name?" Daphne asked, ignoring the attempted subject change.

Rory Sallow had been the key, if not annoying, factor in proving the innocence of Sirius Black following the first war led by the Dark Lord. He had been friends and roommates with Sirius' younger brother, Regulus during their time at Hogwarts. Through Regulus- on accident while walking into his dorm, Rory met James Potter and Lily Evans. Sallow felt he owed it to his old friend and the departed Potters, to help however he could. As such, when Rory got word and ultimately pushed his way into the investigation, he spent days arguing with the Ministry to prove Sirius Black had nothing to do with the Dark Lords war. From what Olivia had been told her father had gone so far as to demand the Legilimens be called in, a request that had been ignored by Sirius himself. The minister had to relent after three days and three nights of the near nonstop shouting that came from Sallow. In the end, the Legilimens were called in, it was proven Sirius had only been the one to find the Potters after their untimely demise. Black was freed and later named guardian of the late Potter's son.

It could never be said that Olivia had not inherited her fathers stubbornness.

As Daphne and Tracey gushed in awe over her fathers accomplishments, Olivia internally screamed. She had always been so careful about not bringing her family up around any of her friends. It was embarrassing that she would compare herself to their accomplishments whenever they were brought up. She shamelessly blamed her sleep deprivation for making her weak against the sudden interrogation.

"Oh look! The snacks are gone. Olivia, why don't you go on a run to the kitchens?" Pansy asked in a loud yet controlled voice.

Olivia was more than happy to agree to go. She slipped her robes and slippers on as she made her way out of the dorm.

"We'll wait like twenty minutes and come let you in ok?" Pansy asked after Olivia, figuring that would give her plenty of time to head to the kitchens and return so long as she didn't get caught.

"You got it!" Olivia called back as the door closed behind her. She walked a few steps away from the dorm, then let out an exasperated sigh. The bit of hope she had at having a good night was thrown out the window. After several deep breaths, Olivia continued down the dark corridor that led out to the common area, as she turned to head towards the exit, she spotted Mattheo sitting at the base of the winding stairs. "Matty?"

He looked up and smiled, in one hand was a lit joint already halfway gone, in his other hand was a decent sized bag he held up to her. "I figured they might send you out for snacks."

Olivia smiled in return as she made her way over to him. When she was close enough Mattheo dropped the bag and reached out to take hold of one of her hands. He pulled her close, so she stood between his legs causing her to giggle, then moved to wrap his arm around her waist. In turn, Olivia rested her arms around his shoulders.

"You ok?" He asked, looking up at her, his smile had turned into a concerned frown.

She sighed as her smile dropped to a grimace. He knew her far too well. "Not really... Daphne and Tracey kept asking about my dad."

Mattheo sighed as well. He knew never to bring up her parents. He had been told by Grandpa Ominis enough times not to mention them unless she brought them up, not that he had needed to be told that. Mattheo had done his homework when it came to Olivia. "I'm sorry Liv. Wanna get high? Take your mind off them?" He asked as he held the hand with the burning joint up.

Olivia let out a laugh, smiling again as she took the joint from him. "To be honest yea. But let's go sit on a couch, ok?" Olivia asked as she took a pull off the joint. Mattheos free hand immediately joined his other arm around her waist, picking her up as he stood. "Matty!"

Olivia coughed violently as Mattheo carried her over to the nearest couch. "Sorry" He said through a sea of laughter. He sat down and placed her next to him, swinging her legs over his lap so she could relax against the couch's arm. Olivia coughed a few more times before taking another pull off the joint and passing it back to him.

"Honestly, are you trying to kill me?" She hissed at him as she exhaled the smoke properly.

"You wouldn't have died. Passed out maybe." Mattheo said with a grin, He took a long pull off the joint, then made circles with the smoke as he exhaled. "I gotta say this isn't near as good as the shit you Hufflepuffs grow."
Olivia laughed, nodding in agreement. "Where'd you get it? Gryffindor?"

Mattheo shook his head. "Ravenclaw fourthy. Scared him good too. Little punk"

"Matty!" Olivia exclaimed in feigned outrage before she laughed again. She reached to take the joint back from him. "At least you save a fourth year from such shitty weed."

"Right? It was a good deed."

"Well well well!" Pansy's voice sounded off in the common room. Olivia scrambled to sit upright, but Mattheo clamped his arms over her keeping her legs on his lap.

"Come to see if Olivia was back and we find her like this?" Ginny added. The pair walked over and stood behind the couch towering over the two. Pansy and Ginny were both grinning down at them.

Mattheo shook his head, and clicked his tongue as he glared up at the two. "You aren't getting her back right now."

"Stop it." Olivia warned him. "There's a bag of snacks over by the stairs, Mattheo was kind enough to get for us."

"For you." Mattheo corrected in an annoyed tone. Olivia rolled her eyes, wrenching her legs from his hold. She took a final pull from the joint, marveling for a moment that she had caught it before it went out, then handed it back over as she got up.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. If it's for me I can decide who gets to have some of my snacks." Olivia said through a cloud of smoke.

Ginny and Pansy exchanged their own looks of annoyance.

"But i got them for you" Mattheo whined as he pouted up at her.

"Oh my god." Ginny said as she and Pansy snickered to one another.

"We'll just see you in the dorm." Pansy laughed. She half jogged over to the stairs and grabbed up the bag before joining Ginny who was already making her way back to the dorm.

"Okay byyyyye." Mattheo called out to them in a mocking voice. He was met with a dose of middle fingers as the two girls walked out of sight. Snickering, Mattheo reached up and took hold of one of Olivia's hands. He went to say something about her friends but was cut off by Olivia letting out a large yawn. He asked in a serious tone, "Alright. Tell me Livie, what time did you get up this morning?"

Olivia stood in front of him, her smile turned into a straight line as she stared behind him as he stared up at her waiting for an answer he knew she wouldn't give.

"Was the sun at least up." More silence, as she internally cursed herself for not getting more sleep, and him for knowing her too damn well. Even without her answer he knew the truth. "Olivia..."

Her expression darkened when she finally looked down at him. "They've gotten so much worse. It's just so much easier to sleep as little as possible... I'm seeing more Matty. it isn't just glimpses and fragments anymore."

The visions in her dreams...

Mattheo wished he could do something to help her. "Talk to me Liv..."

"It isn't just Anita's happy memories anymore, I've caught glimpses of these dark moments she had but... I... I had to watch a Professor die a few weeks ago. In the dream I was holding him as he took his last breath..." Tears had begun to fill her eyes, her breathing had begun to quicken. "And before that I had to watch someone be eaten by a dragon. I don't understand how Anita went through these things and didn't freak out like I am."

"Hey, hey I'm sure she had her own moments of freaking out. Deep breaths now. Let's not panic, ok?" Mattheo stamped the joint out on an end table before pulling Olivia down to his lap. She settled against him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she buried her face into his shoulder. They took several deep breaths together as she slowly calmed down. "Is it just seeing people dying that's changed Liv?"

She shook her head. "No. No, it's even worse. I've started seeing things. Inappropriate things."

"What?"

Olivia hesitated. "Um... I've been waking up in the middle of seeing Anita and Sebastian... doing things."

Mattheo couldn't help the laughter that erupted from him.

Olivia pulled away, a look of horror on her face. "It's not funny!"

Mattheo nodded through his laughs. "No." Another laugh. "No it's not."

"Stop. laughing." Olivia said, his laughter was causing her to laugh.

It was a while still before Mattheo finally got ahold of himself and managed to get his laughter under control. The two of them spent a while after that talking about anything else to get Olivia's mind off the risqué dreams. In no time, Olivia had fallen asleep against him. That peaceful sensation that Mattheo cast over her just being himself was enough to send her off to sleep. Mattheo watched her for longer than he would ever admit, his heart raced the entire time. He was good about keeping his cool when she was awake, at least in his opinion, but when she was sleeping. It took everything in him to carefully lay her out on the couch and get up. He had to take several steps away from her.

A thought came to him about her being cold. With the utmost speed, Mattheo pulled his hoodie off leaving himself shirtless, walked back to her and gingerly laid the hoodie over her sleeping form. It covered all of her torso and her upper thighs. The rest of her legs were a new concern for him.

Mattheo stared hard down at them. Olivia had been wearing a tanktop and shorts like she always did. But there was something about her legs, he wanted to touch them- needed to have his hands on her skin again. To explore her rather than hold her still.

In a harsh whisper only he heard Mattheo mutter, "Fuck me..." He shoved his hands into his sweats pockets and practically ran to the windows that looked out to the black lake.

Fucking breath you piece of shit.

***

Anita trembled under his gaze, vulnerable as she stood before him, her nightgown slipping to the ground. Sebastian felt his mouth and throat dry up like the desert itself. She was gorgeous. He closed the distance between them, his rough hands gently running along her shoulders, down her arms, up her sides. Anita shuddered under his touch, her breathing slowly growing erratic as his hands moved up and down her back. Sebastian leaned his head down to her neck, carefully placing sweet kisses across her skin. When a moan was drawn from her he began to nip and suckle at her, smirking to himself when more sounds started coming from her. He kissed down her collar bone, across her chest until he reached...

Olivia shot up, nearly falling off the couch quietly panting. She felt sick as she panted heavily as she looked around. Olivia's hair, which she always wore up in a tight bun, had come undone during her sleep. Her hair tie was almost knotted in her ends. Carefully, she untangled the band and tossed it aside. She ran her hands through her hair a few times as she tried to calm her breathing.

"Liv?" Mattheo asked, already making his way over to her. Olivia looked over at him, realizing he had stayed in the common room with her. As he got closer she saw he had no shirt on. She looked down at the hoodie in her lap then back up at him. Her face flushed as her eyes locked onto his body. Olivia had to turn her head away, the sick feeling was replaced with a fluttering in the pity of her stomach.

"Hey, you okay?" Mattheo reached out to turn her head so she was looking back at him. A mistake on his part as he took all of her in. Her hair was down. Her curls hung over her shoulders, tousled by her running her hands through it. Her tank top was hanging off one of her shoulders. She was so beautiful. And he was very biased. He swallowed against a suddenly parched mouth, he had always thought Olivia was beautiful. But this... Seeing her so defenseless, so pure... She was breathtaking. He wanted so desperately to claim her as his own; to have her all to himself. To both lock her up from the world and to also parade her around so everyone knew she was in fact His Olivia.

Olivia looked up at him, making sure she kept her eyes on his face. The light of the fire from the fireplace danced in her eyes just right to make them sparkle like the emerald gems they resembled, he was done for.

Mattheo placed his hands on either side of her on the back of the couch. She stared up at him, eyes widening as he leaned down toward her. Their hearts raced together. Olivia made no move to stop him as Mattheo got closer.

When there was nothing but an eyelash's length between their lips the sound of someone crashing into one of the tables interrupted them, causing the pair to freeze. Mattheos head shot up, as Olivia turned to see what was happening.

Across the common room stumbling towards the boys dorm, hands roaming over each other's bodies, mouths locked onto one another, were Draco and Harry. Olivia's hands immediately shot out and covered both her and Mattheo's mouths.

Draco broke the kiss first as he giggled. He said something that couldn't be heard from their distance. Neither Olivia nor Mattheo could take their eyes off the other two as they watch Harry pick Draco up, sling him over his shoulder and walk off towards the other's dorm.

It took a full minute for Olivia to drop her hands from their mouths. And another for both to look at one another, mouths hanging, eyes wide in shock. Mattheo was the first to break the silence as he laughed hysterically. Olivia was quick to join his laughter.

"Oh Merlin, that was Draco and Harry?!"

"So that was Potter then I wasn't just seeing things?"

"That was definitely Harry." Olivia cackled, holding her sides. "Well now we know how we're gonna fuck with your cousin."

"Agreed." Mattheo grinned at her devilishly.