A Badger With All The Snakes

Chapter Twenty Seven

Tom had appeared where Voldemort had left with Mattheo, soaking wet.
"Tom!"
"I'm okay. Tell me that he didn't go with him. Please tell me that he didn't do it."
Seeing everyone's tear stained faces, and emotionless faces, the oldest Riddle brother dropped to his knees. Madalie went up to him and engulfed Tom in a hug that he reciprocated in an instant. This was the first time that anyone had seen the eldest Riddle seem so broken. Tom cried possibly for the first time in his life. Not for himself, but for Maddie. Pansy. Draco. Blaise. Theo. Enzo. Mattheo. Emily. Everyone was crying again. They didn't know if they could ever stop.

~ Mattheo POV ~

This was hell. Literal actual hell. As soon as his feet hit the ground, his father had already punched him. Not even five minutes and his nose was already broken. Perfect. He had already managed to get his nose broken, Draco was going to be pissed, so was Maddie. It broke him all over again knowing that he left her. He was praying to Merlin that she would understand why he did it.
"Pull yourself together. No son of mine will be seen as weak. You will do as you are told, and only that. If you so much as speak without being spoken to, your little girlfriend will be the first to die. Her blood will be on your hands." He wanted to tell his father to fuck off, but if he did that, he knew the consequences were not going to be good.
"If you have any questions, now will be the time to ask them. This is your only chance."
"How long is things going to last?"
"However long I see fit." Without another word, Voldemort walked to the Riddle Manor. Mattheo not too far behind him.
Knowing that all he had to do was wait until his father got tired of seeing him around, he would surely let him go.
How wrong was he?

~ Hogwarts ~

One week. One week of no Mattheo for any of them. Tom had apologized to Theo, though after hearing what happened, he felt extremely guilty and pissed at himself. He apologized profusely to everyone, they all kept saying that they didn't blame him. Maddie was not doing well. She cried into Pansy's shoulder for hours after he left. The next morning, walking into the living room of their room, she cried again into Draco's shoulder. Both of them not knowing what to do with themselves. Hannah Abbott and Zachariah Smith had taken it upon themselves to make their lives a living hell now that Mattheo wasn't there.
"See your boyfriend got tired of you after all huh Crossett?"
"Fuck off Abbot."
"What are you going to Malfoy? Make me? Let's face it, the only reason you all were so feared was because of Mattheo, now that he's not here to defend you all, you're nothing."  Before any of them could retaliate, MJ had punched Hannah right in the jaw. Shocking not only herself but the others. Smith had tried lunging for her, Draco, Blaise, Tom, Theo and Enzo stepping in front of her and Pansy.
"Touch her we kill you."
"You won't."
"What makes you think that Smith?"
"You won't risk anything for her. If you kill me you all go to Azkaban. You'll never see either of them again. After that, they're fair game." Smith smirked, before they could blink, Tom had lunged at Zachariah. Draco and Blaise just barely catching him before he did something he would regret.
"Tom, I hate to admit it, but he's right. No matter what we do, we get thrown in Azkaban. We promised him, we would take care of her. How are we supposed to do that inside a cell?"
"He's right Tom. We just have to walk away. Even if we don't want to." Tom continued to glare at the two. Though Abbott had a bruised jaw and busted lip, she was smirking at them.
"Yeah that's what you all do best isn't? Running away when someone tells you the truth?"
"Just because we're walking away, doesn't mean we're running. I'd watch your back if I were you." Abbott and Smith rolled their eyes, scoffing as they walked away.
Once back into their room, hell broke loose.
"What the hell were you two thinking? Huh?"
"I was defending my boyfriend Draco. Abbott had it coming."
"That doesn't give you a reason to punch the hell out of her."
"What would you'd have done? Let it slide? Let them walk all over us just because Mattheo isn't here? They were both right. We were only feared because of Mattheo and Tom." Draco sighed. He looked towards Tom who had his head in his hands.
"And you? What's your excuse for trying to beat the hell out of him?" Tom glared at Draco, he got up without a word to anyone and went straight to his room, slamming the door. MJ walked toward the door.
"Where are you going?"
"I need some air. I'll be back in a little bit."
"You're not going alone."
"I'll be fine. I have my wand, I can defend myself." Before any one of them could protest any longer, she was out the door.