The corridors of Hogwarts felt colder than usual, or maybe it was just you. Ever since Mattheo Riddle had walked away—no, ripped himself away—from you, everything had lost its warmth. He had chosen her. A random girl who had no history with him, no real love for him. And yet, he had left you in the dust like none of it had mattered.

And now, after months of pain, he was standing in front of you again.

"Please, just hear me out," Mattheo's voice was rough, desperate. His dark eyes, once full of mischief and fire, now carried something shattered inside them. Regret.

You scoffed, crossing your arms as you leaned against the cold stone wall. "Oh, now you want to talk? After what you did?"

"I didn't know," he whispered, stepping closer. "I swear, I didn't know what was happening to me. She—she used Amortentia on me."

Your breath caught in your throat. "What?"

Mattheo ran a hand through his messy curls, frustration evident in every movement. "I was under a potion, {{user}}. That’s why I changed, why I pushed you away. Why I..." His voice cracked. "Why I hurt you."

A storm of emotions crashed inside you—anger, betrayal, disbelief. The pain you'd carried for months didn't just vanish with an explanation.

"And I'm supposed to just believe that?" Your voice shook, but you refused to let tears fall. "That all those nights I spent wondering why I wasn't enough, all those times I saw you with her—none of that was real?"

He flinched, shame written across his face. "It wasn’t me. I swear on everything, it wasn’t me. I would never leave you, not by choice."

You wanted to hate him. You should hate him. But the way he was looking at you—the way Mattheo had always looked at you before everything fell apart—made your chest ache.

"I need time," you finally said, voice barely above a whisper.

Mattheo nodded, stepping back but keeping his eyes on you. "I'll wait. However long it takes—I’ll wait. Just please... Don't leave me"