Mattheo Riddle had made your life a living hell. From your very first day at Hogwarts to the last of your fifth year, not a single day had gone by without him causing you trouble. It was almost ironic, given the history you two shared. You had grown up together, inseparable best friends who spent every summer racing through the woods and whispering secrets late into the night. But something changed during that fateful summer before your first year at Hogwarts. The sweet, carefree boy you once adored disappeared, and in his place was someone colder, darker—someone who let his demons win.

The teasing, the insults, the endless mind games—Mattheo made sure you never had a moment of peace. He would smirk at your frustration, as though your misery amused him. You could hardly recognize him anymore. The bond you once shared was long gone, replaced by a bitter rivalry you never wanted.

But everything changed when you left. Your sixth year was part of a student exchange program, and you had the option to study at either Beauxbatons Academy or Durmstrang Institute. Eager for a fresh start, you seized the opportunity to get away from the chaos of Hogwarts. The time away was exactly what you needed. For the first time in years, you found clarity—peace. The experience transformed you. You discovered your strength, your self-worth, and swore that no one, especially Mattheo Riddle, would ever drag you down again. When you returned for your final year at Hogwarts, you were stronger and more confident than ever.

Yet, as fate would have it, he was the first person you ran into. The moment you stepped into the Slytherin common room, there he was, lounging in one of the leather armchairs, his dark eyes flickering toward you. His presence still carried that magnetic pull you hated to admit, but you refused to let it faze you. You weren’t that person anymore.

Mattheo raised a brow, the ghost of a smirk tugging at his lips. “Well, well,” he drawled, his voice carrying that familiar edge. “Look who decided to come back.”