only you mattheo riddle

### **Chapter 8 - The First Spark**

The common room had emptied out entirely by the time Draco and Blaise disappeared to their dorms, leaving just Mattheo and me. The fire had burned down to embers, throwing jagged shadows along the stone walls.

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees, my mind whirring.

"If we do this," I said slowly, "it can't be some reckless rebellion. We need structure. A purpose."

Mattheo watched me carefully, fingers absentmindedly tracing over his blood quill scar. "You've been thinking about this for a while, haven't you?"

I smirked, flicking my dagger between my fingers. "You act like I don't think *all the time*."

His lips curled at the corners, but he didn't deny it.

I exhaled slowly. "It's not just about us, Mattheo. Magic is being choked out of existence. We can feel it. Others do too, even if they won't admit it. The traditions, the rituals, even the bloodlines-they're fading. And the ones in power are making damn sure of it."

His expression darkened, the weight of my words sinking in. "You're right." He leaned forward, mirroring my posture. "So we give them a reason to stop ignoring it. We give them *something* to believe in."

I studied him for a moment. The sharp angles of his face, the intensity in his gaze. There was something in him-something dangerous, something raw.

I liked it.

A slow grin spread across my lips. "We'll need people we can trust."

Mattheo nodded. "Draco, Blaise, Pansy. They'll follow if they believe in the cause."

"Not just Slytherins," I said. "Anyone who understands what's really happening. Pureblood, half-blood, even Muggle-borns. It's not just about blood. It's about *magic*."

He smirked. "You sure you're a Lestrange?"

I flashed him a wicked grin. "I'm the *best* Lestrange."

Silence stretched between us again, but this time, it wasn't uncomfortable. It was charged-like the moment before a storm.

Mattheo leaned back, a thoughtful expression settling over his face. "We'll need a name."

I already had one. It had been sitting in the back of my mind, waiting for the right moment.

"The Shadow Agents," I said.

His brows lifted slightly. "Not bad."

I grinned. "We're not just rebels. We're not fighting to destroy-we're fighting to *restore*. Magic thrives in the dark, in the old ways they've tried to erase. If they want to call us villains for embracing it, fine. We'll be their villains."

Mattheo chuckled, low and dark. "I think I'm going to enjoy this."

"Oh, you *will*."

For the first time in a long time, something in my chest settled. Like I was finally where I was meant to be. This wasn't just an idea anymore. This was *happening*.

And Hogwarts would never be the same.