PLEASE VOTE AND COMMEMT

Y/N had exactly one goal for today:

Get through the zoo without Mattheo causing a scene.

Unfortunately for her, Mattheo Riddle had exactly one goal as well:

To join the snakes and never return.

—

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚

The moment they stepped into the Reptile House, Y/N knew she had made a grave error.

Mattheo froze, his dark eyes widening as he took in the rows of glass enclosures filled with coiled serpents.

And then—his face lit up with pure, unfiltered joy.

"Oh, love," he breathed, gripping Y/N's hand tightly. "This... this is the greatest day of my life."

Y/N groaned. "Mattheo, no—"

Too late.

Her boyfriend was already marching toward the largest exhibit in the room—a Burmese python, its thick, gleaming coils draped lazily over the branches inside its enclosure.

And before she could stop him, Mattheo pressed his hands against the glass and—

Hissed.

In Parseltongue.

Y/N winced as the eerie, slithering language filled the air. Several nearby kids screamed, a mother clutched her chest, and an old man nearly had a heart attack.

Meanwhile, the snake inside the enclosure blinked at Mattheo, flicking its tongue before slowly uncoiling itself, shifting closer to the glass.

Mattheo grinned. "Hello, mate."

The python tilted its head, eyes gleaming like molten gold.

Mattheo's smirk widened. "Oh, he's a right cheeky one, isn't he?"

Y/N scowled. "Fantastic. Now leave."

But Mattheo wasn't listening.

He was entirely immersed in his conversation with the snake.

—

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙣𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙝𝙚𝙘𝙮

"The humans don't understand us," the snake hissed, flicking its tongue.

Mattheo nodded seriously. "No, mate, they really don't."

Y/N buried her face in her hands.

"They think they own the world," the snake continued. "When really, they are only guests in our domain."

Mattheo smirked. "I like the way you think."

Y/N snapped her head up. "𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙤, 𝙙𝙤 𝙉𝙊𝙏 𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙣𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣."

Mattheo ignored her.

The snake tilted its head. "You are different from the others. You are one of us."

Mattheo's grin turned feral. "See, love? He gets me."

Y/N stared at him. "You are not a snake, Mattheo."

The python flicked its tongue. "You could be, if you stayed."

Mattheo's face lit up.

"That's it. I live here now."

And with that, Mattheo sat down.

On the floor.

Right in front of the snake enclosure.

Y/N's eye twitched. "𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙤, 𝙂𝙚𝙩. 𝙐𝙋."

Mattheo leaned casually against the glass. "No."

Y/N groaned, pulling out her phone.

She needed backup.

—

𝘽𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙪𝙥 𝘼𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨

Twenty minutes later.

Theo and Enzo stormed into the Reptile House, looking equally exhausted.

Theo took one look at Mattheo—who was now practically sprawled out on the floor, still chatting with the snake—and sighed.

"I should've expected this."

Enzo, being the actual animal lover of the group, crouched beside Mattheo, studying the python with fascination.

"Oh, mate," Enzo whispered. "That's a beauty."

Mattheo beamed. "I know, right?"

Y/N glared. "𝙀𝙣𝙯𝙤, 𝙙𝙤 𝙉𝙊𝙏 𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙢."

Enzo shrugged. "I mean, he's not wrong—"

Theo pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Right," he muttered. "Enough of this."

He stomped over and loomed over Mattheo, arms crossed.

"𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙤. 𝙂𝙚𝙩. 𝙐𝙋."

Mattheo grinned up at him. "No."

Theo's eye twitched. "If you don't get up, I'm throwing out every single one of your cigarettes."

Mattheo's smirk vanished. "𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣'𝙩."

Theo smirked back. "Try me."

Mattheo's entire body tensed. He turned to the snake.

"Well, mate," he sighed, "looks like my time has come."

The python flicked its tongue. "You will return."

Mattheo grinned. "You know I will."

And with that, Theo and Y/N grabbed his arms and dragged him out before he could change his mind.

—

𝘼𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙝

As they finally left the zoo, Mattheo slung an arm around Y/N's shoulders, nuzzling into her hair.

"You had fun, didn't you, darling?"

Y/N groaned. "You were recruited by a snake cult."

Mattheo grinned. "Best day ever."

She scowled up at him. "I'm never taking you to the zoo again."

He pouted. "But the python will miss me."

Y/N shoved him, but Mattheo just laughed, kissing her temple.

And deep inside the Reptile House, the python flicked its tongue, watching the exit.

Because Mattheo Riddle would return.