STARBOY☆ | mattheo riddle

chapter five: the slug club

The whole plan of trying to get Nott and Daphne together had been pushed to the back of my mind, but resurfaced a week later when Daphne and I received a letter — an invitation to Slughorn's special club, to be exact. I didn't really understand why he would've invited me, but I guessed my parents' fame had something to do with it. Daphne was the same — the Greengrass family was also a part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, a list of the purest wizarding families.

Theodore was sitting a few people away from us, and I couldn't help but notice

the same green envelope that Daphne and I had got, lying opened by his plate.

I was on my way to Potions class when Riddle caught up to me and strode by my side. "I finally have a plan," he said.

"And it's not as stupid as the one you had before?" I said.

"Well, it's similar, but I think it'll be more believable." He opened the classroom door for me and we walked in. I took my usual seat and he sat beside me, eager to share his plan. He was strangely invested in this whole situation. I didn't fully believe he was so concerned about Theodore's possible love life.

"Okay, so, y'know how both he and Daphne got an invitation to the Slug Club?" he said, and I nodded. "Well, I read the invitation over his shoulder and it said that they're going to meet on Friday. But what if we sent them another letter saying that the time of the meeting has changed?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if we were to change the meeting time to, let's say, Thursday, eight pm, and only give the letters to them, then they'd be the only ones to appear."

I furrowed my brows. "But how are you going to keep them together? They could just leave once they realise."

"Don't worry about that, I know a trick," he said, his lips curving into an impish smile.

It sounded better than the other plan, but I still felt like it had a few flaws. I just couldn't point them out. "But-"

"Mr. Riddle, I find it charming that you've become such good friends with Miss Ryder, but you really ought to return to your seat." My eyes shot up to Slughorn, who had already started the lesson without either of our knowledge. I froze in my seat, feeling the wave of embarrassment wash over me.

"Meet me in the library at 7, we'll finish it there. Bring your invitation," Riddle whispered quickly before jumping off the stool and walking over to his own desk.

Great, now the whole class probably thought I was Riddle's next bedmate.

* * *

"Are you going on a date or something?" said Daphne, glancing up from her book at me adjusting my hair in the mirror hanging from our door.

"What? No, I'm just going to the library," I said.

"Then why are you dressed like that?"

"Like what?"

"You're wearing a skirt, Seph. I've never seen you wear a skirt other than with your robes." I glanced down at the short black skirt with a navy blue star covered sweater tucked into the front. "You look fabulous, don't get me wrong, it's just unusual to see you in this."

I shrugged, but now I couldn't stop thinking about it. I couldn't deny the fact I rarely dressed up like this, especially to go to the library. Maybe I just wanted to feel pretty, which I did, so there was no harm in that.

When I arrived in the library, Riddle was already spread out with all his things on a table in the far back. He eyed me up and down as I walked towards him and took a seat opposite him. My heart was hammering in my chest, probably because I was scared Daphne or Theodore would see us and find out about the plan.