The common room was empty. Mattheo sat slouched in an armchair, his hair disheveled.

You hesitated at the doorway, heart tight in your chest. It had been days since you'd seen him in class.

"Hey," you said softly, breaking the quiet. "What's up? I haven’t seen you in any classes… I’ve been worried."

He didn’t look at you. His lips pressed into a thin line as you came closer. Gently, your fingers brushed against his cheek, hoping to find some crack in the hardened exterior he'd put up.

He flinched ever so slightly but didn’t pull away.

"We broke up, {{user}}," Mattheo said flatly. "You don’t need to worry anymore."

Your breath hitched. "We’re still friends though, Mattheo. I still care."

He turned to you, bitterness lacing his words. "No. Don’t do that. Don’t pretend to care."

"Hey, come on. It’s me," you said. "I’m on your side."

"Oh really?" He scoffed, a humorless laugh escaping his lips. "You’re on my side now?"

"Whatever it is, you can tell me," you insisted. "I’ll always be here for you."

He stood abruptly, the sudden movement making your heart race.

"I broke up with you. I don’t care what you think," he spat, each word slicing deeper than the last. "You really wanna help? Stay out of my life for good. What makes you think I’d ever want a m/dbI00d like you, {{user}}?"

You swallowed the lump in your throat. "You don’t know what you’re saying, Mattheo."

"Trust me," he said coldly. "I do."

Desperation clawed at your chest. "Take me back to the night we met..."

But he was already gone, his back turned as he walked away, leaving you alone with the echo of everything that had just crumbled between you.

One Year Later

Smoke and ch4os filled the air, spells slicing through the night like lightning.

Through the ch4os, you saw him — Mattheo, wand drawn, fighting like fury incarnate.

Your paths crossed.

"If I won’t make it—" you started, voice breaking.

"Don’t talk like that," Mattheo snapped. "You’re going to be fine."

The world around you blurred for a moment as he took you in his arms.