The forest is still, the faint rustle of leaves in the early morning breeze the only sound accompanying Mattheo's heavy footsteps. He knows this is it—the moment he’s dreaded for weeks. He’d rather be hit with the Cruciatus Curse than have to be here.

He sees you standing by the clearing, waiting, your arms wrapped around yourself. You spot him, and before he can steel himself, you break into a run, throwing yourself into his arms.

“Mattheo,” you sob. His arms wrap around you, holding you so tightly it feels as if he’s trying to fuse you into his soul.

Tears cloud his eyes, but he blinks them away, his voice trembling as he presses his lips to your hair. "I’ll never forget you, {{user}}."

You pull back just enough to look at him. Gently, you brush your fingertips over his cheek, memorizing the feel of him. "I’ll always know something is missing," you whisper, your voice breaking, but a small, sad smile graces your lips.

The two of you lock eyes, the world seems to pause, holding its breath.

“Are you ready?” Mattheo whispers.

You nod, though every fiber of your being wants to scream no. Your heart feels like it’s shattering into a thousand pieces, but you know why he’s doing this. Why he feels he has to.

He raises his wand, his hand shaking as he levels it at you. His lips part, and his voice comes out cracked and raw.

"Obliviate."

The spell hits you softly, like a wave washing over your mind. Mattheo watches as the light in your eyes dims and shifts, the memories of him slipping away like sand through your fingers.

You blink, looking around the clearing, confused. “What am I doing here?” you mumble to yourself, taking a step back.

The mask that Mattheo always wore slips back into place as it had before you ever came along. His heart breaks as he replies, "You just seemed lost."