Always and forever- Matteo Riddle

Seeker

I lifted my head slightly, looking over at Theo. "Wait... is my first Quidditch match tomorrow?"

Theo smirked. "Yep. You nervous?"

I groaned, running a hand through my hair. "I completely forgot. Bloody hell."

Mattheo chuckled beside me. "You'll be fine. You're a Malfoy—flying's in your blood."

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered, but my stomach was already twisting. I knew I was good, but this was my first official match. And with my parents watching? The pressure was unreal.

Pansy nudged me. "Don't stress too much. Just go out there and win."

I scoffed. "Oh, is that all? Great advice, Pans."

She rolled her eyes. "I try my best."

Theo leaned back on his elbows. "If you're really that nervous, we could sneak into the pitch tonight, get some practice in under the moonlight."

I raised an eyebrow. "Are you just looking for an excuse to break the rules?"

"Absolutely," he grinned.

I laughed, shaking my head at Theo before glancing around at the others. "Alright, but seriously—who are we playing against?"

Blaise smirked. "Ravenclaw."

I groaned, leaning back against Mattheo. "Great. So I get to deal with a bunch of strategy-obsessed nerds who actually think before they play."

Theo chuckled. "Pretty much. But that just means you have to outfly them. They might have brains, but we have you."

Pansy rolled her eyes. "Honestly, with how fast you are, I doubt their Seeker will even see the Snitch before you've already caught it."

I huffed. "I hope you're right. Last thing I need is my dad breathing down my neck if we lose."

Mattheo nudged me. "Don't worry about Lucius. Just go out there and do what you do best—kick ass."

I smirked, feeling a little better. "Fine. But if we lose, I'm blaming all of you."

As the evening stretched on, the warmth of the sun and the steady hum of my friends' voices made my eyelids grow heavy. I didn't fight it—I just let myself relax against Mattheo's shoulder, his presence grounding me.

I barely registered the way his arm shifted, adjusting to my weight as I got more comfortable. His scent—smoke, cinnamon, and something uniquely him—was oddly comforting.

"She's out," I heard Theo mutter, his voice distant.

"Can you blame her?" Pansy whispered. "It's been a long day."

I felt Mattheo shift slightly but didn't move away. If anything, he let me settle even more into him, his fingers absentmindedly tracing small circles against my arm.

I wasn't sure how long I had been asleep, but I woke with a jolt, my chest tightening as the remnants of my nightmare clung to me. My breathing was uneven, and I could still feel the phantom sensation of water filling my lungs, even though I was safe, dry, and surrounded by my friends.

I forced myself to take a slow breath, trying to steady my shaking hands without drawing attention to myself. The last thing I needed was for them to notice.

"You awake?" Mattheo's voice was low, close to my ear.

I nodded quickly, keeping my expression neutral as I rubbed my face, pretending I was just groggy. "Yeah... how long was I out?" My voice was hoarse, but I masked it with a yawn.

"A while," Theo chuckled. "We were starting to think we'd have to carry you back."

I gave a small, forced laugh. "That would've been embarrassing."