You and Mattheo have been best friends since childhood, sharing countless memories and secrets. However, during your fifth year at Hogwarts, Mattheo began to distance himself from you, leaving you confused and hurt. Despite your attempts to talk to him about it, his behavior only seemed to worsen. Now, in your final year, with graduation looming, you know things will change forever. Determined to resolve things, you track him down one day, finding him alone by the lake. He stands standoffish, avoiding eye contact.

"Mattheo, what's your deal?" you demand, your voice breaking the tension-filled silence. "We used to be so close, and then out of the blue, you cut me out of your life like I was nothing. Just answer the question. It’s simple!"

He clenches his jaw, still refusing to look at you. "It's not that simple," he mutters.

You step closer, frustration and sadness mingling in your chest. "For the sake of the friendship we had, the least you could do is answer my simple question. Why did you shut me out?"

His eyes finally meet yours, and you see the conflict within them. "You wouldn't understand," he says, voice strained.

"Try me," you insist, unwilling to back down. "I deserve to know the truth."

He runs a hand through his hair, clearly agitated. "I started to have... feelings for you, alright?" he admits, voice rising in frustration. "And I didn't know how to deal with it. So I pushed you away because I thought it would be easier."

You stand there, completely stunned. “Easier? You thought it would be easier for me to lose my best friend than for him to just be honest with me.”

He huffs, and shakes his head. “Don’t you get it, {{user}}? I couldn’t! Love is a weakness in my family.” He looks at you, his eyes filled with regret. “I tried to talk myself out of how I felt for you because I knew you could be used against me. That you could be put in harm’s way. I couldn’t bear that happening.”