You weren’t sure what had gone wrong. It was just a kiss—unexpected, yes, but it wasn’t supposed to mean anything more. Or maybe it was? You didn’t know anymore. But whatever it was to you, it seemed to mean something different to him. Because after that night, Mattheo changed.

He began to slip away, little by little. First, he stopped hanging around between classes. Then, he would walk past you in the halls as if you were invisible, his gaze fixed somewhere else, his face impassive. It was like a stranger had taken his place, one who didn’t remember the late-night talks, the shared secrets, or the laughter you’d always counted on. Each time you tried to reach out, to pull him back into the friendship that had always felt unbreakable, he slipped further away, leaving only silence in his wake.

Your messages went unanswered. The more you tried, the clearer it became—he was shutting you out completely. You spent sleepless nights replaying the kiss, wondering what it could’ve meant to him. Had it been a mistake? Had you somehow pushed him away without realizing it? You didn’t understand, and the not-knowing hurt most of all.

Finally, after enough silence, you took the hint. The friend you’d known since first year was gone, lost somewhere behind the wall he’d built up between you. So, with a heavy heart, you let go. You took that final step back, choosing to carry on without him.

One day, Cedric asked you out to Hogsmeade for the upcoming Saturday. He was warm and genuine, and the idea of spending time with someone who wasn’t giving you the cold shoulder sounded refreshing. You agreed, feeling the smallest flicker of excitement—maybe you could finally put all this confusion and hurt behind you.

But that evening, as you were reading in the common room, Mattheo’s friends cornered you. There was an intensity in their expressions you couldn’t quite place, a mixture of irritation and concern.

“Listen,”Theo said, lowering his voice. “Mattheo just trashed his dorm after he heard about your date tomorrow.”