𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐘 𝐓𝐄𝐗𝐓𝐒, mattheo riddle

𝒙𝒙𝒊𝒙. we used to be ( best ) buddies...

chapter twenty-nine,
xxix. we used to be
( best ) buddies...! 

ALL IN MATTHEO'S POINT OF VIEW! 

FOUR DAYS AGO, IN REAL LIFE! 

          "SO," ZACHARY'S VOICE was dangerous, low. He continued, to Madam Pomfrey, "so Cherry got us all worked up because she ate too much of her namesake?" 

         "W—well," Pomfrey stuttered, looking bewildered — not that Mattheo blamed her. He'd seen many sides of both Zachary and Cherry, but Zach...well, to say the least, Mattheo had never known Zach to be so violent. "Sort of, I suppose." She glanced at Mattheo as if he had all the solutions to the problems in the universe. "It's a bit more complicated. It seems that the diet that Hogwarts provides — too much sweets, little to no vegetables, though being seated at the Slytherin table does help ..." she paused for a moment, and Mattheo got the feeling she'd given up on trying to change to food that they ate after too many failed attempts. "But she had a build-up in her gut and liver anyways. The insane — I mean, incredible amount of cherries she's consumed as simply help showcase it." 

          Zach's face relaxed a fraction of an inch. "Is she ... going to be okay?" 

          The matron glanced at Cherry. "Yes," she informed the brother matter-of-factly, "soon. Five minutes. Would you like a private moment?" When Zach nodded his yes, she left for her office. 

          Mattheo made and held eye contact with Zach. "What was that?" he finally asked after a minute of staring. "All the ... dark magic?" 

         "Dark magic," Zach replied emotionlessly. 

          "No, really," insisted Mattheo. "I deserve to know." 

          "You don't deserve anything!" Zach snapped, stopping his foot, slightly rattling Cherry's bed frame. 

          Mattheo flinched but didn't back down. "Really?" he asked rhetorically, "really, Smith? Who brought your sister here? Who continued to try and contact you, even though you didn't respond the first time? Who panicked and decided, 'Better safe than sorry' when she whispered 'hate Zach' to herself?" he stopped to take a breath, "Goddamn bloody me, Zacharias Archer Smith! Me! M-E! FUCKIN' ME! So yes, I do deserve to be here. Yes, I do deserve to hear what's wrong with Cherry. And yes, I do deserve to know how you guys suddenly got back to amazing terms and what's with your fucking magic spreading over a room!" 

           Zach blinked, startled, as if he didn't expect the speech to erupt from Mattheo's lips. "Fine!" he muttered. "Fine. Do you want to know?"