𝑎 𝑣 𝑖 𝑠 | 24

𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟑, 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟔 
𝐟𝐚𝐲𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 

FOR THE LIFE of her, why couldn't she perform this spell? 

faye was on the astronomy tower again, barely used wand clutched in her hand. flitwick had given them an assignment to practice avis, a spell that allowed birds to shoot out of one's wand. typically, faye got by just fine in school with her unique wandless magic, but she couldn't exactly have birds shoot out of her hands, could she? however, for all her power without a wand, she was finding it a struggle so far to produce the results of avis silently, and with a wand. 

she tried again, and not even a feather so much as appeared. the girl was close to throwing her wand on the ground when suddenly she felt a hand on her arm, guiding it into a different position. she heard a soft chuckle from behind her, then, "careful there, love. you look close to throwing yourself off the astronomy tower again."

faye knew even before he'd spoken that it was mattheo riddle. only one person would search for her up here, in the darkest hours of night.

"perhaps it's only the two of us that refuse sleep so often," mattheo whispered, resting his chin on her shoulders as he adjusted her stance again. the girl shivered, and try as she might to believe it, she knew it was not because of the cold.

get out of my head, riddle.

lovely to know that you're still feisty as ever in that brilliant head of yours, anderson.

faye bristled and tried to shove herself out of his arms, but mattheo held her tight. try the spell, moon girl.

when she didn't make an attempt, he raised a brow. 

i could just flick a knife at your nose and render you just like your father, faye grumbled. laughter drifted down their mental bond. 

you wouldn't ruin my pretty face like that, he replied. try the spell.

reluctantly, faye tightened her grip on the wand and internally focused on the incantation: avis. to her surprise, a flock of sleek white birds erupted from her wand, pale against the moonlight and quick to fly away.

you fixed my stance to what the spell requires, she noted as the riddle walked away from her, hands wound behind his back.

yes, when you get an o on this assignment, tell flitwick you had the help of mattheo riddle, he answered, smirking. the smirk faded, though, as he continued: although i doubt flitwick would believe you the moment you say 'mattheo riddle'.

just because of your last name? faye came to stand beside him, and as he turned to face the blonde, her breath caught at the sight of the moonlight falling across his face, every line of his perfect features, and the steady gaze that entranced her so much.

yes, riddle answered, fury burning in his eyes, because of who my father is. though i don't deny that i've done things myself that some would curse my name for.

i don't remember much of my father, faye confessed, though that might change the more i remember. he might be an insane madman too, for all we know.

his visits to my father's certainly allude to that, mattheo agreed. he raked a hand through his curls. what do we do now?

faye braced herself, but forced herself to look directly into the eyes of the boy she'd been avoiding. he'd given her a purpose, something to do aside from being a wraith lurking in the halls, silent and hopeless. and she was the one person he'd stop being a demon for. the only time he tried to pull himself together, the only one he'd drop his masks for.

now, you tell me all you remember, mattheo riddle. can you do that?

___

𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟑, 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟔
𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐨 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞

I hate being vulnerable.
It makes me feel powerless and useless, something I cannot be, not with my father's expectations still haunting me and with the world's perceptions still surrounding me.
Today I had to lay myself bare to her. 

She asked for my memories.
I gave them to her.

Stolen memories of my parents telling me that loving someone was a sign of weakness, that if I continued to spend time with her they'd hurt her. I didn't know that my mother was already doing so. I didn't realize, or maybe I just denied, that every time I was led into a fancy manor with our fathers that my mother had snatched her up to destroy her, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

My mother made the strongest girl I knew lose her voice. 

And then she was taken from me. 

Why? Seems like a stupid thing to ask.
Who? Might seem that way too, but you never know. The biggest suspects would be my mother or father, and I'm done being a coward. I'm done leaving my fate up to someone else. 

Tomorrow, I'm taking her to base, and we're going to show her what those 'evil Slytherin boys' can really do.

___

𝑏 𝑎 𝑠 𝑒 | 25

𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟒, 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟔
𝐟𝐚𝐲𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧

FAYE WOKE UP to a jacket being thrown at her head.

"you look beautiful when you're sleeping, love, but i'm afraid we have to get going," that familiar voice told her, husky from the cigarette he was smoking.

don't smoke in my dorm, riddle. and get out of it in the first place, i want to keep sleeping.

he laughed, sending her a smirk. "i'll get out, but i'm waiting right outside the door. it's important and memory related," he promised. "i wouldn't drag your infuriating ass out of here on a random tuesday."

look who's calling who an infuriating ass, faye grumbled, getting out of her bed. and on a night i actually was getting some sleep, she lamented.

his gaze returned to her, "i forget that you get as little sleep as i do most nights." then that little smirk returned. "maybe i should send your precious theodore in here every night to hold you in his arms and tell you everything will be alright and that he loves you until you fall asleep."

faye grabbed the jacket he'd thrown on her bed, cheeks pinking. it's not him i love, she murmured internally, keeping the thought from reaching mattheo. though most of the time i wish it could be him.

now get out, she snapped down their bond instead. a roll of parchment hit the door as mattheo closed it just in time, taking his scent of smoke, books, and citrus with him.

___

WHERE ARE WE going?

mattheo rolled his eyes at the blonde girl who'd asked that question for the hundredth time. i told you, you'll know it when you see it, he replied. he wasn't sure why, exactly, he was withholding information other than the fact that he actually enjoyed playing with her. 

he could almost feel her sigh down the bond. 

the two of them were alone, the other boys waiting at the base. they knew mattheo was coming, but not faye. still, he knew bringing her there was the best thing to do. his boys were smart, and as much as he didn't want to lead faye right to theodore, they would be able to extract more information about the stolen memories in record time. 

if, granted, she wasn't scared away first. he didn't think that would be the case, but people were weird and did weird things. he would know. 

still. he had faith in faye. 

woah, she breathed as mattheo took her hand and pulled her through an illusion of sorts that guarded the large metal structure from anyone who happened to stumble through the forbidden forest. blaise emerged, giving faye a high five before enzo raced out and exclaimed, "WELCOME TO THE SLYTHERHERO'S BASE!!" 

theo walked out as well, punching enzo's shoulder. "you're the only one that wants to call it that, cousin. i'm afraid you've been outvoted."

faye raised an eyebrow at mattheo as she transmitted, you guys named it?

mattheo rolled his eyes back at her. it wasn't my idea, that's for certain. 

but the base itself was your creation? 

mattheo looked away from her and didn't reply as theo wrapped faye in his arms, giving her a quick kiss on the forehead. 

oh, faye, i despise myself for wanting you when i know you won't want me back.

___

ami !! 

it's been... a while