Smoker (Mattheo Riddle fic)

14: Stay after

(26th of October) Thursdays are boring. I have potions, again. I'm not the most academic person ever, I'd be better if I put in more effort, but I don't. Enzo is at his stupid prefect meetings on Thursdays, so I have to endure Slughorn's classes alone. At least when he is at those meetings I have less of a chance of getting poisoned. I know he talks an extraordinate amount, but sometimes I do enjoy it, because it keeps me occupied during these lessons. However, whenever Slughorn is talking, my boredom drowns out whatever he has to say, so I sit there doing nothing, deep in my own thoughts.

Suddenly everyone around me stands up, I couldn't tell you why. I snap my head up and Slughorn approaches my desk.

"Mrs Diggory did you hear me?"

"No I didn't."

"If you aren't going to listen I will have to put you in a detention."

"You what?"

He sighs. "Stay behind please."

"You're putting me in a detention?"

"Just, stay behind, please." He walks away, just as Mattheo walks in, 15 minutes late.

"Mr Riddle, what time would you call this?"

Mattheo look at the clock on the wall. "Quarter past two, sir."

"Very funny, you can join Miss Diggory in detention."

He laughs little, then searches the room for me. When he sees I'm already looking him, the smirk reappears.

The lesson goes unbelievably slow, my potion is a nice red colour. I'm not sure if that's what it's supposed to be but we aren't getting marked on this so I don't care. Eventually the bell rings and everyone leaves, bar me and Mattheo. Slughorn walk up t my desk, and murmurs something about me struggling and not listening, which, ironically, I don't really listen to. I think he gets the hint, and heads for the door. "I've got a meeting I must attend, I've put a charm on the door, it will unlock in and hour, then you may leave." And with that, he goes.

As soon as the door shuts, Mattheo stands up. "Haven't seen you in a while Evelyn." My name lingers on his tongue.

"Not since yesterday, a whole day of going out of your mind." I also stand up, and head for the window seat.

"Completely, I don't know how I managed to survive a whole half term."

"Don't tell Draco but perhaps I missed you the most." I joke, although we both know I'm not joking.

He sits on the other side of the window seat and pulls a cigarette out of his bag. He places it between my lips and pulls out a lighter. I light it, blowing smoke out the window before looking back at him. He takes the cigarette from my hand, probably letting his linger there longer than he needed too. I think the half term break made us both realise how much we enjoyed being together, amplifying the need to be in close proximity.

And then we just talked for ages. All our pervious conversations were flirtatious and short, so this made a change. We know things about each other now.

"You never told me why the lesser Diggory hates you so much."

"Slytherin in an inherently Hufflepuff household? What do you expect, they all hate me. Shame I don't care anymore, I just stopped going home."

"I thought Hufflepuff's were supposed to be nice."

"Cedric was nice, probably is to other people. He is only rude to me because he knows he acted like an asshole.

"Should have been put in Gryffindor for his bravery, he's calling get his teeth knocked out."

"I'll give him what he need when the time comes." I say, the falling silent, staring at his cheek, wondering if I should ask or not. He sees me looking so I go for it.

"The scar on your cheek?"

"Getting into the deep stuff now are we?" He replies.

"Be brave, let's have a moment to venture out of the dark and mysterious-ness."

He pauses. "The mark on your neck?"

It surprised me that he knew that was there. It's small, almost too small to notice. However the pattern of it suggests dark magic, perhaps he recognised it.

"I asked you first." I reply.

"Death eater, under my fathers command."

I don't show a reaction, I don't want to make it into a big deal as he was hesitant to tell me.

"Your neck?" He then asks.

I pause. "Cruciatus curse." Before he has a chance to say anything I start a new sentence. "What's the time?" I try to quickly deflect. It happened at the end of fourth year which I tell myself is practically a lifetime ago.

"4:32."

We have been here over half an hour longer that necessary.

"I best be going, I'm starting to lose my mysteriousness." I get up and walk to the door, push it open and leave.