Smoker (Mattheo Riddle fic)

26: Provoke them

(17th of November) It's Friday evening, and we are all in the common room. Draco has managed to get us multiple bottles of Firewhiskey. I don't know how he does it, but he always does. It's why we throw such good parties, we always have plenty of alcohol. Sometimes he appears with Muggle drinks, which are always weird but a nice change. It's late, like 'almost-Saturday' late. The rest of the common room is empty and we are all quite tipsy. This happens quite regularly.

Me and Mattheo are sat on the same sofa we usually do. It's quite obvious what's going on now, I've had multiple confession chats with everyone because they wont leave us alone. I think Mattheo told them all anyway. He's got a half-drunken bottle of Firewhiskey in his hand. We have been sharing, although I have to keep taking it because him having a constant supply isn't wonderful.

"Draco." Theo says, sitting forward. "We have a question for you."

Enzo also sits forward, which means they both are in on something. Draco looks slightly frightened.

"Did you, or did you not, hook up with Daphne Greengrass at the party on the last day of term?" Theo asks. Everyone gaps and Enzo looks very pleased.

"No fucking way." I exclaim.

"That's why Astoria left?" Pansy says, shocked.

"We were both drunk." Draco says quickly, trying to defend himself. "Astoria saw it as a personal attack and went insane and then she left."

"Yeah cause you slept with her sister." Mattheo laughs.

Someone walks by the top of the staircase, you can see their shadow on the balcony but we couldn't see who.

"Did you see that?" Mattheo says to me quietly. I nod and then lean over the arm of the sofa to get a better look. Marcus Flint appears at the bottom of the stairs.

"Need a drink?" I say, and everyone else laughs.

"Need to shut your mouth." He replies.

"Excuse you?" Mattheo says, standing up. Everyone around me immediately turns serious and Theo also stands.

"You are pretty fucking loud. Just sit there and slag Astoria off as if we cant even hear you." Marcus snarls.

"Maybe it's good that she heard, knock her from her high horse a little bit." Pansy adds. Astoria appears behind Marcus, along with some more of their friends. We are all stood up now.

"Say that again Parkinson." Marcus challenges, stepping closer to us. Theo steps in front of Pansy.

"Did you want to join in at any point?" I say, looking past Marcus to Astoria. "Or did you want to let buck-teeth do all the talking for you?"

I'll agree that I probably shouldn't have said that. Provoking them even more would just cause a fight. However I thought it was going in that direction anyway. Marcus rushes towards us and everyone begins to move. Enzo goes straight to the back next to Pansy. Pansy would probably like to fight but there is no way Theo would let her get anywhere near. Enzo knows literally everyone else will carry the whole thing anyway and he wouldn't get a chance.

Marcus throws a punch and misses, and is met by a direct hit to the face from Mattheo he staggers back, bewildered. He goes in for another one and Mattheo moves aside and grabs his arm before he can pull it back. He punches Marcus in the stomach. He jolts, smacking Mattheo in the side of the face, and making Mattheo let go. Before he even realises, I grab his arm, and twist it round, making him yelp in pain. I let go and he spins around to face me. My knee collides with his groin and he doubles over. Theo gives him a large push from the back and he falls to the floor.

Marcus is clutching his nose as blood pours out into his hand, the other hand on his lower stomach. We all stand there in silence as Astoria rushes over and helps him up, then pulls him back to the staircase. He walks backwards, still holding his nose.

"Fuck all of you." He shouts, then turns around. Astoria is watching and Pansy blows her a kiss.

We all stand in silence for a second, then Theo sits back down on the sofa. "What a day." He sighs.

The rest of them laugh slightly and begin to sit down. Mattheo is still stood facing the staircase, a cut on his cheek from Adrian's ring. He walks backwards and leans back over the arm of the sofa, falling into my lap. I groan as he hits me, he's not as light as I thought he was.

"Do you like?" He says quietly , gesturing to his cheek.

"Makes you even more attractive." I whisper in his ear.