The Snake Pit || Mattheo Riddle

Chapter 21: Lying

Octavia stumbled down the spiral staircase and made her way back to the Common Room in a haze. The mixture of embarrassment, dread and shame were overwhelming. Had she just looked into Mattheo's eyes and told him they were pretty? That they were her favourite colour? The thought made her nauseous. The heat in her face intensified. The humiliation prickled her skin. Octavia needed to be as far away from the Headmistress's office as possible.

But the anticipation of speaking to her friends crushed her heart into her chest. How could she look her best friend in the eye and tell her they wouldn't be friends anymore? She couldn't just ignore her. Octavia's stomach bubbled threatening to empty. Her pace slowed.

And to top it all off, she might be a suspect in the attack on the Ravenclaw, Berny. Just because she had nightmares. The Auror's were so reluctant to let her leave, she knew that now that her mind was her own again. The world was swimming.

Merlin, she just needed a break, her mind whined. It was one bad thing after the other. Could she just disappear? Run away somewhere quiet. No. She would never get away. And more importantly, she wouldn't let herself. Octavia was better than that.

Octavia quietly made her way through the corridors. Her feet leading the way glumly. She tried to prepare herself for what she had to say to Daphne, to her new friends.

Before she knew it she was letting herself into the Seventh Year Girls Dormitory. It was quiet, empty. Class wasn't over yet. She had time.

Kicking off her perfectly polished shoes, by her bed. Octavia pulled the pins from her hair, washed the makeup from her face and peeled her uniform off and leaving it all in a mess at her feet. Sweatpants and her mother's Smith's shirt went on with ease. She was glad for the free period. Ripping the covers back on her bed, she got under them and pulled the soft velvet up to her chin. Didn't she deserve to wallow? At least for a little while.

Octavia watched the Black Lake churn above her. The bubbles swirling. It's creatures going about their day like hers hadn't been the worse one yet. And it wasn't even lunch time.

The bell rang in the distance and Octavia tensed. The minutes were long as she waited. Maybe they would go straight to lunch? No. The anticipation of gossip would be too much for Daphne. She would seek Octavia out. Otavia scolded herself at the thought. It was a mean thing to think. It wasn't the drama that was important, it would be the need to console her friend, the gossip was just a bonus.

The door swung open with a great bang. Pansy entered the dorm room first, then Daphne. Their conversation cut short as they zeroed in on Octavia bundled in her bed. She watched them descend on her, like she was outside of her body again. Octavia could feel herself pulling away but she wrenched back, now was not the time to disconnect. She sat up in her bed. The girls were talking to her, perching on the bed alongside her. It took her a long moment to finally hear them.

'How did it go?' Daphne asked, voice soft, eyes racking over Octavia's face. She knew her eyes were rimmed in red from the tears. Daphne reached for Octavia's hands, holding them in her own and squeezing.

'What happened?' Pansy said, matching the blonde's tone. Her darks eyes creased with a worry that made Octavia's heart ache. Octavia sighed, prolonging the inevitable.

'My Grandmother doesn't want me near any of you guys anymore,' Octavia ripped the band aid off. She couldn't bare to look at them. To see the confusion, or the hurt.

'What?' Daphne spluttered. 'That's ridiculous, we've been friends forever, why would she be against that now?' Daphne leaned into Octavia, forcing her to look her in the eye.

'It's my fault,' Octavia confessed, and it all came tumbling out of her mouth like she'd taken another shot of veritaserum. 'She was mad about me being with Riddle last night, that I was hanging around someone on probation and that I'd got detention. I tried to turn her around, remind her that she likes you and that you're friends with him too. But that just made her angrier.' Guilt grew like a fungus planted in her lungs. That familiar pain behind her eyes demanded tears. But Octavia didn't let herself cry, she'd done enough crying for a lifetime. She braved a look at her blonde headed friend.