Valentina never prepared herself for so much loss in one lifetime.
Let alone in a lifetime she has barely grown old in.
But with loss comes love.
Now the question is: how far will that love go?
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•┈••✦ ❤ ✦••┈•
Mattheo sits alone in his room, writing another letter for Valentina just days after finding the single rose she left behind, telling him that she received the first letter and that she was alive. The moment he saw that rose; he felt a rush of an emotion he has rarely ever felt—love. And it was then he realized he loves Valentina Black.
The bedroom door bursts open, and Mattheo turns around confused as his brothers rush into the room, nearly tripping over each other and sharing the same grim look on their faces.
"What is it?" Mattheo demands as he shoots up from his seat, an uneasy feeling settling in his stomach as his eyes land on the tears stained on Enzo's face. "What happened to her?"
Enzo shakes his head, trying his hardest not to cry as Mattheo's face drops. "My mother," he stutters as his hands go clammy. "Bellatrix gave Tina the Dark Mark."
The howling in Mattheo's head turns into a cold, distant, silence as he stares at Enzo, words not forming in his mouth as he stares at the boys speechless.
"There was nothing we could do," Theo said and takes a step closer to Mattheo. "Tina stabbed Bellatrix. She stabbed her." He said quieter, still not being able to believe what he witnessed.
Fear and anger and betrayal smash against Mattheo as he sprints toward the door, wand in hand and determined to kill his father for what he ordered against Tina.
Blaise rushes after him, tacking Mattheo to the floor before he can leave the room. "Don't even think about it, Mattheo. He will kill you before you get the chance to!" Blaise yells as Mattheo shoves him off. "If you die then Tina won't forgive herself."
Theo and Draco both run for the door, blocking Mattheo as he gets to his feet, wand aimed at them.
"Move!" Mattheo bellowed as his hands start shaking from rage. "Move or I will move you!" He warns his brothers that don't flinch or dare to move. "He will die for this!"
"We know," Enzo spat as he grabs Mattheo's arm, seeing the tears in his eyes. "He will get payback for this," he promises. "But not here, not now. We need a plan and fast because—"
"Because your father can control Tina," Draco cuts off his cousin. "That's why she was given the Dark Mark. Your father can control her through it."
"I don't think she can be controlled," Blaise cuts in as he stands up and Mattheo lowers his arm, looking at him confused. "Tina never had a necklace when we knew her, right?" All the boys look at Mattheo who thinks for a moment but nods his head. "Well, she has a necklace now and it-it did something when that power shot out of her—"
"What power?" Mattheo questions as he tugs at his hair, not knowing how to control his raging anger.
"Just after she got the Dark Mark," Enzo said carefully. "Darkness shot out of her. Actual pitch-black darkness that made us all see nothing but black. And then it sucked back into her."
"It's true," Blaise confirms. "But did any of you notice how the necklace around her neck absorbed that darkness, like a cage? A way for her to contain it perhaps."
Mattheo shakes his head, pacing around his room as Theo said, "If that necklace stops her from being controlled then the Lord will kill her."
The boys freeze as Mattheo's hand goes through the wall next to his bed and none of them dare to say a word as another hole forms right next to the last one. He drawls his hand back, sending it through the wall again as pain shoots his arm but he ignores it as silent tears fall down his face.
How could I be so stupid? How could I bring her into this mess? How could I fall in love with her when our love and future are doomed? You pathetic idiot! How could You do this? How could you let her be in danger?
"I'll kill him before he kills her," Mattheo declared as he faces his brothers, not caring that his face is wet from tears. "I'll kill him while he goes against Harry."
"What do we do until then?" Theo asked as he sits on Mattheo's bed.
Mattheo looks around the room, looking each of them in the eyes. "Until then, we slowly start killing off Death Eaters to make my father's army smaller. But no one and I mean fucking no one touches Draco's mother or Greyback. Greyback is mine."
Draco sends a thankful look at Mattheo while giving him a nod and the boys all nod to Mattheo. Their leader and Lord.
