Rose stems

Part I

Only a few hours till I'm back. Back at Hogwarts. The butterflies in my stomach flutter around. It's hard to keep them calm. But it'll be fine. I hope.

I sit in the back of my dads old Toyota. He's taking sudden turns, making the pet cage next to me slide from one side to another.
"Don't worry Tiger, it's fine," I try to calm down my cat. She growls and swings her paw at me. "Hey!"

"What's going on back there?" I meet my dads eyes in the rear view mirror. His bright blue stare with the way he dresses in light coloured collared shirts make him seem like the kindest man in the world that he is.

"Nothing, just... take it easy with the turns."

"Yeah, yeah of course. I just don't want you to be late from the train."

He pulls up on the parking lot and gets out of the car. I carry Tiger as he totes the suitcase inside King's Cross Station. We pass many other families. Normal, muggle families. One which we used to be. Or perhaps we never were one. All the abnormalities just were hidden under the surface.

We come to platform 9¾ where the train is waiting. I see a couple familiar faces, but no one that I've actually talked to.

"You'll be alright, right?" My father says. I turn to look at him.

"Yeah, right." He leans down and I give him a hug. I breathe in his leafy cinnamon smell. Once he pulls away I realize how cold it is here.

"You know, I'll always be fine." I say and step up in the train.

Behind my back I hear a sigh. "I know."

I navigate through the train, looking for a place to sit. Preferably with good company. Over the summer I lost touch with everyone. I always do. But I guess it's fine. Besides, I spend almost all of summer in Norway with relatives.

I could make friends. And I should. I know it would make coming back easier. Having someone to rely on. Someone who doesn't scratch you when you feed them the wrong food.

I find an empty seating compartment and sit down, closing the door. I place Tiger on the seat next to me. She looks at me with hatred in her eyes.

"Oh come on, you're such a drama queen."

The speaking from the corridor grows louder and I look up to see the door open, with no other than Pansy Parkinson standing behind it. Her mouth is sealed on a tight line and she stands with her arms crossed.

"Hello?" I say.

Her eyebrows pucker and she turns to someone who I can't see. "Can't we sit somewhere else?"

I recognize the other voice belonging to Draco Malfoy, but I can't quite hear what he says.

"But there's someone in here." Pansy takes another quick look at me. Then I hear a lower voice, right next to the door.

"Who is it?" A dark haired figure with a Slytherin robe peeks from the door. Mattheo Riddle. He nods as a greeting, and as confused as I am, I can only raise my brows.

Pansy Pushes him away and scoffs. "Move! We're gonna go somewhere else."

And so they leave. The doorway stays open and empty. Until another student, this time shorter and more frizzy haired one, appears. Hermione Granger smiles at me and comes in, accompanied by Ron Weasley and Harry Potter.

"Is it fine if we sit here? Everywhere else is full." She asks.

"Yeah, sure."

Rons wide eyes stare at Tiger beside me. I move the cage onto the floor between my feet.
I give him a quick smile and tap the seat. Hesitantly he sits down.

The three friends look at each other and make expressions, as if they were having a conversation inside their heads. I just sit awkwardly and look outside the window as the train leaves the station.

"Y/n, right?" Harry finally speaks. I turn and nod.

"Yeah, that's me. We actually have transfiguration together. Hermione sits next to me."

"Mhmm," she nods. We fall back into silence. I try to open my mouth and say something, but I  just can't help to think that if they wanted to talk to me they would. Thoughts like that will forever keep me from making friends.

"I'm gonna go use the loo," I almost sprint out of the room. I take a deep breath outside. This isn't going well. I guess I should find the loo then. I have nothing else to do.

I make my way down the corridor, passing other students. My eyes lock on the ground, seeing a path forming from dark red drops. Blood. I bump into someone and I lift my head back up.

"I'm sorry."

The student in front of me turns around and looks down at me. But what astonishes me is the blood dripping down his face. He's holding his nose with his left hand, which is also covered in blood.

"Are you okay?"

"What?" Mattheos brows rise. "Oh no, my nose is just bleeding." He points to his nose.

"Doesn't look like a nose bleed to me." There's a dark mark forming beside his eye. Has he been in a fight?

"Malfoy just got a little mad. It's nothing to worry about." He turns back to a door that opens, and reveals the loo behind it. A student comes out and walks past us.

I find Mattheo staring at me. "What?"

"Do you need to go?" He nods behind him.

I shake my head. "No, go ahead."

He steps in and grabs a handful of paper towels and holds them under on his nose. After a while he checks his nose, and it's still bleeding. "Bloody hell! Does it ever stop?"

I sigh. "Here, let me help you." I step in the small space next to him.

Using the Glacius spell I freeze some water from the faucet, wrap a paper towel around it, and place it on his blackening eye. I advise him to pinch his nose and lean his head forward and he does as I say.

We stand there for what feels like forever. Me holding ice next to his eye, and looking everywhere but at him, to avoid eye contact. And him leaning down closer to me, eyeing me intensely.

I take a deep breath and throw the soaked paper towel in the trash as he checks his nose. It's stopped bleeding. He cleans the blood from his face and I leave him in the loo. He says thanks, but I just keep going, without answering.

My legs shake on my way back to the seating compartment. Why am I like this? Nervous after one bit of social interaction. I should've stayed and tried to strike up a conversation. Now it's too late.

The trio is having a deep conversation when I sit back down with them. This time the awkward silence doesn't fall, but they also don't talk to me.

I look out the window at the passing trees and think.

I'm afraid I might have a crush on Mattheo Riddle.

—
I forgot I was writing this, but honestly this isn't so bad.

And the tips on a nosebleed and a black eye should work according to google :D
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2.7.23
No idea when I started this, but I'm back in my Mattheo Riddle obsession so... might as well continue this or something.