Always and forever- Matteo Riddle

The night blurred into morning, the hours slipping away as we sat in my dorm, talking, laughing—just existing together. No one pressured me to talk about what had happened. Instead, they kept the conversation light, filling the space with stories, jokes, and easy distractions.

Theo kept making ridiculous comments that had Pansy rolling her eyes, while Astoria and Blaise bickered over something neither of them really cared about. Enzo told a dramatic retelling of some duel he'd supposedly won, and Mattheo sat back, watching with amusement as everyone argued over whether he was full of shit.

And Draco—Draco stayed close, keeping an eye on me without making it obvious.

For the first time in a long time, I didn't feel completely alone.

By the time the sun started to rise, exhaustion clung to me like a second skin. My throat ached from all the screaming in my sleep, raw and sore, but I didn't mention it. My body felt heavy, the weight of the night settling deep in my bones, but at least the silence wasn't unbearable.

Eventually, the conversations slowed, and Draco stood, stretching. "Alright," he muttered, rubbing a hand down his face. "We need to get ready for class."

I groaned, leaning my head back against the wall. "Do we have to*?"

Theo smirked. "No, but McGonagall might actually kill us if we don't show up."

Pansy sighed dramatically. "If I must suffer through classes, so do all of you."

One by one, they started moving, grabbing their things and shuffling toward the door. Mattheo was the last to stand, his dark eyes flicking toward me as he stretched lazily.

"You alright?" he asked, voice low enough that only I could hear.

I exhaled, tired but grateful. "Yeah."

He studied me for a moment, then nodded. "Come on then, trouble. Let's go."

And with that, we stepped out of my dorm—together.

We made our way through the dimly lit corridors, the castle still quiet as most students were only just beginning to wake. The exhaustion weighed heavy on me, my limbs sluggish, but I forced myself to keep up with the others. The last thing I needed was for them to start hovering over me again.

Draco walked beside me, close enough that our arms nearly brushed. He didn't say anything, but he didn't need to. Just his presence was enough to ground me.

As we reached the common room, Pansy stretched with a dramatic sigh. "I need coffee. Immediately."

"Coffee won't save you," Blaise muttered, rubbing his eyes.

Theo smirked. "Neither will McGonagall when she sees how dead we look."

"Speak for yourself," Mattheo said, running a hand through his messy curls. "I always look good."

I rolled my eyes, but a small smirk tugged at my lips. "Keep telling yourself that, Riddle."

The group chuckled, and for a moment, it almost felt normal. Almost.

As we stepped out into the halls, Draco turned to me. "You sure you're up for this?"

I swallowed, my throat still aching, but nodded. "I'll survive."

His expression remained unreadable for a moment before he sighed. "Alright. Just... let me know if you need an out."

I didn't respond, but the slight nod I gave was enough for him to understand.

The Great Hall was already filling with students by the time we arrived, the usual morning chatter buzzing around us. I hesitated for just a second before following the others to the Slytherin table.