BOOK 3: MARAUDERS. (Mattheo Riddle).

╔∘₊✧═══════╗
MARAUDERS.
Chapter 32.
╚═══════✧₊∘╝

The goodbyes at Platform 9 3/4 is not too overly emotional since the friends know they'll all be back together for New Years at Bellator Manor.

Mattheo, Delphini, Tom and Harry greet Lily, whom is waiting for them on the station. James had to work and report the situation at Hogwarts, and Mattheo suspects that after their heated words that James is avoiding another confrontation.

"Mattheo, James told me what you found out when you went to Hogsmeade" Lily tells Mattheo in a soft voice.

Both Lily and James speak to them like they're the parents, and they basically are at this point, but Mattheo cannot help but flinch away from the tone when he remembers how they've lied to him for so long.

"Is this the good cop routine?" Mattheo jokes. He's already had the bad cop routine from James, which is surprising as James is always the joker.

Lily laughs. "No" she tells Mattheo. "This is me being concerned for your well-being. It can't have been easy to hear who Sirius was to us all, and your parents" Lily offers to Mattheo.

"It's not that...not really..." it does irk Mattheo a little bit, but it's not what is prominent in his mind. "It's that Artemis is that man's daughter. A man so vile and evil, and he patented a daughter that hates the very idea of dark magic" Mattheo offers to Lily.

"Artemis was never raised as a member of the Black family, they were cruel and ruthless to their children, and always tried to pound their pureblood mania into their heads" Lily tells Mattheo. "It's what turned both Sirius and Cinta away from the Black family. Your mother went down the path of helping people with her gifts. Sirius had us all fooled, but turned to Voldemort, and I truly believe that the Black family are to blame" Lily tells Mattheo.

Mattheo comes from the Black family as well, through his mother's bloodline.

"Artemis was raised to be an advocate for peace. Not only does she have Amelia's need to help people, but she was raised to believe all dark magic is evil by her grandfather" Lily tells Mattheo.

Mattheo worries about that even more. That he needs to use his dark magic to help out Delphini and Tom, but he cannot tell Artemis or she'll leave him.

"Yeah, he seems to be getting really intense with her lately" Mattheo tells Lily. "Did you hear about what he did to her in the Duelling exam?" Mattheo wonders.

"Mabel Morgan told James, and then James told me" Lily says back. "Now that you know about Sirius, you should be able to understand why Aralias is pushing for Artemis, Hera and Atlas to be stronger" Lily tells Mattheo.

"He thinks that Sirius is going to be coming after them?" Mattheo wonders. "I wouldn't let Black anywhere near Artemis" he would kill the man with his bare hands before letting him close to Artemis.

"I know, and that's what scares us a little bit" Lily offers to Mattheo. "You're willing to throw your life away just to help a friend" Lily tells Mattheo.

Mattheo can't help but smile a little bit, he and Artemis are a lot more than friends now.

Lily notices that smile. "Or maybe more than a friend?" Lily smiles to the boy.