Riddle Me This

24

Cae's POV

"You ready?" Mattheo asked, squeezing my hand. "I guess so," I said. I guess I shouldn't have been nervous about our first breakfast as an official fake couple. It was also my first breakfast as a Hogwarts champion. Well, if you don't count yesterday morning.

We walked into the Great Hall hand-in-hand. People gawked at us, and I sighed in relief as we sat down. "I'm scared," I said, feeling eyes boring into the back of my head. "You're overreacting. You're doing fine," Mattheo whispered into my ear, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "But they're looking at me," I whined. "You'll be fine," he repeated. 

"Hey Cae!" Jenjen said, claiming the spot next to me. "Hey Jenjen," I replied, trying to ignore the stares I was getting. "Did you see the article in the paper?" she asked as Zac sat down in front of me. "What's up with him?" I whispered to her. 

"Read," Didi demanded, shoving a newspaper at me and  sitting down beside Zac, followed by Tom, Nira, Draco, and Theo. The boys all looked pissed, and the girls looked worried. "What's this?" Mattheo asked, leaning into me to get a view of the paper. I unfolded the paper to the front page. I was surprised to see a picture of me. Beside it were the words, 'A Potter and a Riddle?' 

"Already?" I groaned and dropped my head down on the table. Mattheo took the paper from my hands with one hand and rubbed my back with the other. I let out another groan as he began to read.

"'A Potter and a Riddle, by Rita Skeeter. Picture this: Caelia Potter, the sister of the famous Harry Potter, and Mattheo Riddle, son of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Dating. Seems impossible, of course. But yesterday, I interviewed Caelia and Mattheo, and they confirmed that they had started dating the night before,'" he read. "Ohhhhhhhhh, I have a feeling that it's gonna get worse," I groaned. Jenjen patted the back of my head gently while Mattheo read on.

"'They seemed very at peace with each other, very comfortable, considering that they just started their relationship. I assume that they are very serious, physically and they seem to have a lot of chemistry with each other. I noticed that Mattheo looked at Caelia with a sort of pride and admiration, like he was proud of her and what she was doing,'" he trailed off. My head snapped up. 

He 'looked at me'? 'Like he was proud of her'? 

Well shit.

Mattheo's face was like a stone column. Like Edward Cullen when Bella 'attacked' him. I didn't know what to do. "God, I hate that shit-talking maniac," he muttered. "I think it was 'shit-writing maniac'," I said, smiling. 

"Those kinds of things are personal!" Mattheo said. "Well, Skeeter obviously thought that it was note-worthy," I grumbled. I crossed my arms on the table. "What are you going to do about it?" Theo asked. "I have no idea," I said, resting my chin on my arms. "Well, it'll be fine. People usually forget these kinds of things," Mattheo said, rubbing my back in soothing circles. I was grateful for him, pulling himself together for me, even if he didn't actually have feelings for me. 

"Okay. Okay," I repeated, taking deeps breaths, trying to get my shit together and be my normal self. I looked up and flashed a grin at my friends. "There's my Lili," Zac said. I flashed my middle finger at him. "I'm not in hell yet, Zee," I said. "Oh, with all this stuff happening...you'll take those words back," he said, giving me a knowing look, like a parent. 

"Well. Anyways, where's my food Zee?" I asked, stretching out my arms. "I'm getting it right now," Zac said. He already had a plate in his hands and food was being piled onto it. "Hurry up, Zee! I'm starving," I whined. "Yes ma'am," he said. "Mattheo, how do you manage her? I mean, she's..." Draco said. "Beautiful? Shocking? Dazzling?" I suggested, striking a dramatic pose. "I was going to say 'a handful', but yeah sure," Draco said. 

"Hey, what about me?" Jenjen asked, putting her chin on his shoulder. "Yes, you're beautiful, shocking, and dazzling too," Draco said, smiling and kissing the top of her head. Me and Mattheo's eyebrows shot up almost in unison as we looked at each other. When did Draco and Jenjen become a thing? 

The day went by slowly. Eyes everywhere, on me and Mattheo. Mostly on me. 

Finally, we were at the last class of the day. Of course, it had to be Potions, because the world hates my guts.

I was absentmindedly tracing circles on Mattheo's palm while Snape talked on and on about something that nobody seemed to find interesting either. Everyone's eyes seemed to be on me and Mattheo. I scooted as close to him as our chairs would allow and tried to pop his knuckles. 

"Are you really that bored?" Mattheo asked, trying not to laugh as I unsuccessfully tried to pop his knuckles. "Yes," I hissed, bending his pointer finger. He let a laugh escape, and Snape whipped around. 

"Miss Potter, Mr. Riddle, I thought that we agreed not to disrupt class again," he drawled. "I don't remember agreeing, but I remember you telling us not to," I said. "That will earn both of you a night of detention. Tomorrow night, in my office," he said. Mattheo gave me a dirty look, but I could tell he was trying not to lose it and start laughing again.

"At least we have plans for tomorrow night," I whispered. "True," Mattheo replied. 

hey peoples, its claaaaaaaare. I love you guys so fucking much, and this might be the millionth time ive said this, but thank you thank you thank you for reading this book. Love ya'll! <3

-clare