Dodged
Once Mattheo was finally accepted into the friend group, things surely but slowly got a lot better. Things were less tense, and they actually got along really well. Mattheo found himself getting closer to Lorenzo and Theo out of them all, despite his and Theo’s fights and differences they came to realize just how much they have in common. Him and Theo are both very competitive. Mattheo realized that one day on the Quidditch field when Theo got really angry after losing to Enzo and Blaise. He’d absolutely lost it and wouldn’t speak to them for the rest of the day until Enzo got the idea that they should bring him his favorite chocolate and suddenly all was well.
Theo was the one who talked Mattheo into trying out for the Quidditch team, and he was probably the reason he got on, considering his status as team captain.
They all went to Hogsmeade together. They drank Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks, and went shopping after they were done. They’d go into different stores, try out funny clothes for a laugh and then walk out again without even buying anything. Mattheo and Enzo did homework together, helping each other with the subjects they each found difficult. Mattheo also learned, in his time of being friends with them, that Draco and Blaise mostly just look intimidating, but they are rarely the ones who start anything serious.
Theo is definitely the most hot headed out of all of them. Blaise is the jokester. Draco is the most loyal, which would be the only reason he gets into fights, because he sticks up for his friends, not because he initiates them. Lorenzo is the glue. He takes care of everyone and makes sure that they’re okay. He cares for them so deeply. That is something Mattheo has never experienced before.
They’re well into November now, inching closer to Halloween and then Christmas. The first big Quidditch match is around the corner. Slytherin against Hufflepuff. It is pretty nerve wrecking, but they help each other, practicing together and studying various plays and tricks.
“Do you think you’ve got it?” Draco asks, looking at Mattheo whose eyes are firmly in the paper beneath Draco’s finger. There are various drawings of possible plays and outcomes for the first game of the year. “I think so?” Mattheo replies slowly, eyes still scanning the pages before him.
“You don’t need to think. You need to know.” Draco slams his hand on the table, removing the paper at once. “Simmer down Malfoy,” Theo laughs, “a few months ago, he barely even knew what Quidditch was.”
“How can you be so calm about this?” Draco asks, voice irritated, “we need to win.”
“And we will,” Theo responds, “because quite frankly, our team has never looked better than it does now, and we’re going up against Hufflepuff. If anything, we only need to worry about Gryffindor and that game won’t be for at least a few months.”
Draco sighs. “Whatever you say, Nott.”
By now, it is the day before the match. The five boys are sprawled out in their common room, bored out of their minds. “Hey can I ask you something?” Theo asks, turning his head to look at Mattheo. Mattheo raises his eyebrows, nodding slowly at Theo, who moves to sit up on the couch instead of laying down.
“We never found out your last name?” Theo looks at his friends across the room. They’re equally as interested in the conversation as he is himself. “I’m not going to force you to say it,” Theo pauses, “but if I’m honest, I’ve been thinking about it a lot.”
Mattheo sighs. He knows that if he told them the truth they would never speak to him again. He can’t afford to lose them now, that would be a disaster.
“Uhm,” he begins, thinking of every possible way to get out of this conversation, “I’m trying to cut the ties to my family, so I prefer not to be referred to as my last name.”
Mattheo glances nervously in Theo’s direction, scared of what he’ll say. What he said wasn’t necessarily a lie, but it was definitely a way of dodging the actual truth. The actual truth would be that his last name is Riddle, unfortunately making him related to Tom Riddle, who sadly enough, is Mattheo’s father.
Theo nods slowly. “That makes sense,” his mouth turns into a smile, “I’m sorry I even asked that. It’s none of my business really.”
Mattheo chokes out a nervous laugh. “It’s alright.”
“What happened?” Draco says, blankly, causing everyone to look at him. “Mate? Seriously?” Blaise elbows his side, causing Draco to look at him with a disgusted expression on his face.
Draco ignores Blaise’s attempt at shutting him up. “Can you really blame me for asking though?” Draco sighs, eyes darting to look at Mattheo, “you never tell us anything.” Draco shrugs, looking between Theo and Mattheo.
Lorenzo stays silent for a moment, watching the conversation play out in front of him. “This is stupid Draco,” he then says with a sigh, “it’s been months and now you start to ask questions?”
Draco rolls his eyes. Mattheo takes a deep breath. “My father is a bad man, alright?” he looks directly into Draco’s eyes, knowing there’s truth in the words he’s speaking. “I’m at this school because I don’t want to be at home.”
And what he said wasn’t a lie. He was at Hogwarts because he didn’t want to stay in the same house as his father. But frankly, there are more reasons than one.
Draco's face falters, his heart sinks. He swallows the saliva that’s caught in his throat.
“For Merlin’s sake, Draco.” Enzo hides his face in his hands.
Draco opens his mouth, but nothing comes out. Theo bites down on his lower lip, looking at Blaise who shakes his head in disappointment. “I- I’m sorry.” Draco looks at Mattheo.
Mattheo looks away. “It’s fine.”
Theo takes a deep breath. “Bloody hell mate,” he says, exhaling slowly, “I’m sorry to hear that.”
Mattheo shrugs, his face blank at the reminder of who his dad is and what he’s done. “Can we just talk about something else?”
Everyone agrees pretty quickly. “So are we throwing a party after the match tomorrow?” Enzo asks, trying desperately to enlighten the mood.
Blaise’s eyes light up. “Oh yeah.”
Theo laughs. “Can’t have Hufflepuff throw the first party of the term now can we?”
Mattheo looks at the others with concern. “A party?”
“Yeah,” Lorenzo begins to explain, “when we win tomorrow.”
Mattheo raises his eyebrows, a faint ‘oh’ escaping his lips. “And if we don’t win?” Mattheo couldn’t help but smirk a little, knowing his competitive friends would dislike his comment. “Oh we will,” Theo replies almost instantly, “but at the very rare chance that we don’t, we’re still going to be partying.” Theo said that last portion of his sentence with a ‘duh’ kind of tone.
“Of course,” Mattheo responds, agreeing with Theo. They share a laugh. “Do you guys want to break into the kitchens?” Lorenzo asks suddenly, looking nervously between his friends.
“Enzo?” Theo laughs loudly, “since when do you initiate rule breaking?”
Lorenzo shrugs, a smile growing on his face. “I thought we might celebrate a little before the first match of the term?”
“Are you taking the piss right now?” Blaise opens his mouth wide, his eyes lighting up. “We are so going to the kitchens.” He gets up in a hurry, waving at his friends to follow him. “Come on then! We have places to be.”
Draco snorts at him, but gets up from the couch too. “What are you waiting for?” Draco looks at Lorenzo, who smiles in return. Then his eyes land on Mattheo, his lips curl into a smile. Mattheo feels like he should be mad at Draco for what he said, but he can’t quite seem to find it within him to actually be angry at him. Instead all he feels is excitement about going to the god damned kitchens with his friends.
“Alright,” Mattheo says with a sigh, “but if we get caught-,”
“We’re not getting caught,” Theo interrupts, standing up too, “and even if we do, no one can resist my irrevocable charm. We’ll be alright.”
“What charm?” Lorenzo says, folding his arms across his chest. Theo pretends to be hurt by his comment. “That might actually the meanest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
“Get over yourself prince charming.” Lorenzo shakes his head, walking past Theo as he beelines for the exit of the common room. “You prick! Take that back!” Theo follows him closely out of the door.
Mattheo, Draco and Blaise share a look of confusion, then head out after the two morons that they call their friends.