Spirals || Mattheo Riddle

Chapter 45 ~ Ticking Clock

Mattheo's POV~

Classes would become the bane of my existence as Monday rolled around, determined to leave me in permanent frustration. 

Every moment I was away from Raven felt like torture. My warm bed sheets were the only evidence she had slept beside me, trapped in my arms where she belonged. 

Nothing would be safe in a weeks time. There was nothing to ensure she wouldn't be caught in the crossfire of a war I had so much control over. 

It was maddening. 

My mind fought over solutions, most including hiding her in a tower where no one could get to her until it was over. But she would never let me, stubborn pain in my arse. 

We didn't speak about it, just enjoyed each others company before everything went to shit. 

She came and found me in between classes and eating with her friends, seeming determined to make the most of her apology for my birthday with every kiss and moan. 

Sunday would bring about dangers she had no idea of, and she was right smack in the middle of it.

I knew her involvement, Malfoys debt to her. 

She was the reason he wasn't currently being digested by Nagini, the reason the school would be attacked and people may be hurt.

It played on her mind, keeping her up at night. I would notice the way her breathing changed as she lay awake, no doubt her guilt chasing away needed sleep. 

Tuesday was worse. 

She left for her classes, my barricade for all my worries, gone. It was as close to panic as I had ever been. It was selfish of me, but I wanted her to myself, to keep her with me at all times and not let another person touch her.

Each day felt like a ticking clock of impending doom. 

We sat together in Astronomy, keeping our hands beneath the table as Raven drew stars on the skin of my wrist. 

She didn't sleep in my bed that night, choosing to have a sleepover with her friends instead. I wondered briefly if any of them knew about us. Probably not, but that was fine with me. I was always wary of people having knowledge they could use against me. 

The week was busy. I didn't go to many of my classes, too busy jumping between Hogwarts and the dark manor. But I always made time for astronomy, just to sit next to her and breathe in the smell of ink and parchment as she copied down notes, one hand on her quill and the other tangled with mine. 

This task was important to my father. Not only would it begin the war, but it would make up for my last failure. 

I had talked to Snape, gotten the information I needed from him. Malfoy would let the other Death Eaters in through the cabinet, from there we needed to track down Dumbledore. Malfoy needed to kill him in order to prove himself.

Thursday brought out something rather desperate in me. 

"Malfoy!" 

The blonde turned quickly, flinching at his own name. 

I moved towards him quickly, checking around us to make sure no one was looking as I dragged him into a archway. 

"I need to know what your plan for your friends is," I asked frantically. 

"Wh- what?" He didn't bother standing straight or pushing me away from him. He looked exhausted and his wrists were thin. Sympathy and guilt flashed in my stomach for a moment before I shoved them down. If I wasn't so focused on the task at hand they would have startled me.