Spirals || Mattheo Riddle

Chapter 54 ~ What We Hide Underneath

The tang of salt on the tip of my tongue was soothing as I smiled at the scene below me. The crystal ball that rested in my lap swam with the image of Pansy doodling in potions class, completely ignoring the work that she was supposed to be copying from the board. 

Tears had long since started flowing down my cheeks when I watched my friends go about their day. They might not be the most interesting thing to watch but I missed them, and watching their everyday behaviour lessened the ache that had come to settle in my chest. 

The Speculation ball Mattheo had given me was a good way of passing the time. I had tried finding my father on it but with no luck. He was heavily warded, something I was grateful for. 

I glanced up, looking around the room I had become familiar with. 

Mattheo had his own room down the hall but since I had arrived, he had not spent a night there. The bed behind me was clearly well used, with crumpled sheets and bunched up duvets. The house elves sometimes cleaned when I left the door open and wasn't present, but the warding on the door prevented anyone from coming in while it was closed. 

I knew it was probably blood magic, a darker ritual that was technically illegal, so I didn't let my mind rest on it. 

Sighing, I replaced the crystal ball back in the bag under my bed. 

Mattheo had left about an hour ago, a fire note showing up shortly after Draco had been called home. Something was going on, however my guess was as good as anyone's. 

Mattheo treated his business like some forbidden subject, something to be left in the dark. It was like he thought I would leave if I knew what he spent his time doing. 

I wandered down the hallway, stopping in front of the door with the initials M.R engraved in gold on it. 

The metal door handle was cold on my palm but the room that I stepped into was colder. The curtains were open but the sunlight didn't reach the corners of the room. 

A neatly made bed was backed up against the window, black and green sheets making the room seem even darker. A closet and chest of draws were the only other things that filled the room. 

A shudder passed through me and my heart dropped into my stomach. This was a cold place, lacking the love and memories that a boys room should have. 

I rubbed at my arms before walking further in, leaving the door ajar. The closet held no secrets, just a few sets of dark formal robes. A set of books rested on the floor of it. 

The chest of draws was more interesting, with sweatshirts and pants, some papers with doodles on them. 

As I pulled out the bottom one, I paused. 

Reaching under the clothing, I pressed on the bottom of the draw. It was slightly springy under my hand and my inner adventurer grinned as I realised it was a false bottom. 

I made sure not to unfold the clothes as I pulled them out and set them on the floor next to me before using my nails to pull up the plank of wood sealing the false bottom closed. 

A few trinkets filled the small space, though nothing jumped out at me. 

A child's toy, one of those muggle ones that you dragged along on the ground with a string, some wooden chess pieces that looked as though they had been carved by hand. 

My fingers traced over the grooves in the wood, noting the way there seemed to be no magic attached to the wood. Most wizards left traces of their magic in things they created but there was nothing in these beautiful pieces.