In the dimly lit alley outside of Diagon Alley stands Mattheo, the boy who left you all those years ago, now a breathtakingly handsome man.

When his eyes drop to the engagement ring on your finger, his smirk fades.

"So, you're engaged?" he asks, his voice is low.

You instinctively clasp your hand around the ring. "Yeah... I am," you confirm softly.

He takes a step closer, his eyes never leaving yours. "Funny. After all this time, I thought you'd be smarter than that," he says, cockiness laced in every word.

You scoff. "You left. You didn’t give me a choice."

His lips curl into a humorless, bitter smile. He steps even closer, the space between you vanishing. "I left to protect you, and now you’re wearing that?" he takes your hand and fiddles with your ring.

You both know the reason he left—his life as a Death Eater, the darkness that surrounded him. But the pain of him walking away still lingers, unresolved.

You swallow hard. "You had no right to decide what was best for me."

You watch as he nods slowly, taking in what you’ve said. His audacity gets the better of him. He leans in, his lips brushing against your ear as he whispers, “Did you teach him what I taught you? Do you call him ‘daddy’, too?”

His words send a jolt through you, reigniting feelings you’ve fought to suppress for years.

Mattheo pulls back and looks at the effect he still has on you. "You can pretend you’ve moved on. You can wear his ring... but we both know that doesn’t mean shït."

"It’s too late." Your voice lacks any conviction.

His eyes lock onto yours, a dark fire burning behind them. “Is it?”

Mattheo steps back, but the weight of his presence lingers. He smirks, knowing that this conversation isn’t over. "I’ll see you around, love."

He turns and walks away, leaving you standing there, heart racing, mind reeling. You glance down at the engagement ring on your finger, but all you can think about is the man who just walked away, taking a piece of you with him—like he always has.