𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒗

𝒍𝒊𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚

january 7, 2025

6:15 pm

i had been waiting for him for fifteen minutes already, and i wasn't planning to wait much longer. five more minutes—if he didn't show up by then, what was the point of staying? i had already sent him five messages asking where he was, and he hadn't bothered to reply to a single one.

three more minutes passed, and i seriously considered leaving. but instead, i decided to make better use of my time and started researching ideas for our potion. just as i was getting into it, a shadow fell across my table. i looked up to see mattheo standing there, his hair a complete mess—he looked like he had just rolled out of bed. but knowing him, sleep had nothing to do with it.

"finally," i said, irritation clear in my voice.

"sorry, my phone died," he muttered, looking a little sheepish.

i rolled my eyes. "yeah, well, don't just stand there. go grab some books and start researching."

he nodded and walked off without another word. not that it mattered—i already had a few backup ideas lined up in case he came back empty-handed.

i sighed, tapping my fingers impatiently against the worn surface of the library table as mattheo disappeared into the aisles. the quiet hum of whispered conversations and the occasional rustling of parchment filled the space around me, but my mind was focused on our project—or rather, the fact that i seemed to be the only one actually caring about it.

flipping through an old, musty potions book, i scribbled down a few notes on potential ingredients. moonstone, powdered bicorn horn, a dash of peppermint for stability—i could work with this. but before i could get too lost in my thoughts, mattheo plopped down across from me, a heavy tome in his hands. he looked at me expectantly, like he wanted some kind of praise for actually doing what he was supposed to.

"that took you long enough," i muttered, eyeing the book skeptically. "did you even read the title?"

he smirked, flipping it open with a dramatic flair. "of course. 'advanced experimental potions and their consequences.' sounds promising, doesn't it?"

i raised an eyebrow. "consequences? sounds like a disaster waiting to happen."

he shrugged. "all the best potions come with risks."

i couldn't argue with that, but i still had my doubts. as we flipped through the pages, mattheo leaned in closer, pointing out a particular potion that caught his eye.

"what about this one?" he asked, his voice laced with curiosity. "a truth-enhancing elixir... but instead of forcing someone to speak the truth, it just makes them more honest with themselves."

i blinked, surprised. "that's... actually not the worst idea you've ever had."

he grinned. "i have my moments."

rolling my eyes, i jotted it down in our notes, feeling a small spark of excitement. maybe this project wouldn't be a total disaster after all.

"so, what do we need for it?" he asked, leaning back in his chair and stretching like he hadn't just shown up ridiculously late.

i scanned the ingredients list, chewing the end of my quill in thought. "we'll need moonstone, jobberknoll feathers, a bit of essence of hellebore... and phoenix tears, diluted."

mattheo whistled. "phoenix tears? good luck getting those without snape breathing down our necks."

i shot him a look. "well, if you'd actually help instead of making sarcastic comments, maybe we'd have a plan."

he held up his hands in surrender, a smirk tugging at his lips. "alright, alright. i'll see what i can find. you know, you're a little scary when you're in work mode."

"good. now go ask madam pince if there's a restricted section book on rare potion ingredients. and try not to flirt with her to get it."

mattheo snorted. "as if. she's immune to my charm."

"everyone is," i shot back, watching him walk away with a laugh under his breath. shaking my head, i turned back to my notes, already formulating how we'd pull this off without getting into too much trouble.

this was going to be interesting. 

just as i was about to dive back into my notes, my phone buzzed, pulling me out of my thoughts. it was a notification from my friend group chat. i hesitated for a second before unlocking my screen, a small wave of relief washing over me at the distraction.

part of me felt guilty for even checking, but after sitting here alone for so long, i needed a break—something, anything—to remind me that there was life outside of dusty books and unreliable partners.

zachy 😛

im bored

annabanana 🍌

hey bored, im hannah

zachy 😛

funny gall

sue 🌷

sooo

how's it going with riddle?

elo 💫

he came in 17 mins late

annabanana 🍌

thats what she said

not justin bieber

gtfo

elo 💫

he's here

gotta go

ernieee 🐤

let's go to the kitchens 

zachy 😛

🙏🙏

hayls 💐

let's wait for elo

zachy 😛

but she's still in the library

not justin bieber

so?? lets just wait a little 

zachy 😛

okay...

 i glanced at the screen, seeing the familiar flurry of messages popping up. inside jokes, last-minute plans, and someone—probably hannah—sending a ridiculous meme that made me stifle a laugh.

mattheo, of course, chose that exact moment to come back and drop a stack of books onto the table with a loud thud. i jumped, nearly dropping my phone, and shot him an annoyed glare.

"seriously?" i muttered, locking my phone and pushing it aside.

he raised an eyebrow. "what? important business?"

"not that it's any of your business," i said, flipping a page in my book a little too aggressively. but the truth was, i couldn't stop thinking about the messages—the way they made me feel like i was missing out while i was stuck here, dealing with this stupid project.

mattheo smirked, clearly enjoying himself. "come on, don't look so miserable. let's get this over with, and you can go back to... whatever it is you'd rather be doing."

i sighed, running a hand through my hair. "fine. but if we're doing this, we're doing it right."

"yes, ma'am," he said with a salute, and for once, i couldn't help but smile—just a little.

we fell into a quiet rhythm after that, flipping through pages and jotting down notes. the library was eerily silent, save for the occasional creak of the floorboards and the distant whisper of students murmuring behind the towering shelves. every so often, i'd catch mattheo staring off into space, twirling his quill between his fingers instead of actually writing anything down.

"are you even paying attention?" i asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

he blinked, snapping out of his daze. "yeah, yeah. potions, ingredients, big words... i got it."

i rolled my eyes. "you're impossible."

"and yet, here we are." he grinned, resting his chin on his hand. "you know, you take this way too seriously."

"someone has to," i shot back, underlining an ingredient with more force than necessary. "besides, unlike some people, i actually want to pass this class."

he leaned back in his chair, looking annoyingly relaxed. "you worry too much. snape's not going to fail you, you're like his new favorite student, right?"

i frowned, feeling the familiar pang of unease. "i just transferred here three days ago. i'm still trying to figure out where the classrooms are."

he raised an eyebrow, clearly unfazed. "yeah, well, you're doing fine. snape's not dumb—he's got an eye for talent."

"i don't know about that," i muttered, feeling a wave of insecurity creeping in. "i'm just trying not to mess up."

mattheo smirked, tapping a finger against the book in front of him. "fine. so, this potion—do you think it actually works? making people face their inner truths?"

i hesitated, my eyes scanning the list of ingredients again. "i don't know. i mean, theoretically, yes. but magic like this... it's unpredictable. what if it brings up something people aren't ready to face?"

he shrugged. "maybe they should. sometimes the truth's the only thing that can set you free."

i glanced at him, surprised by the sudden seriousness in his voice. for a brief moment, there was something almost vulnerable in his expression, but it was gone before i could fully process it.

"deep," i muttered, trying to ignore the way my heart skipped a beat.

"i have my moments," he said, flashing me that cocky grin again.

i shook my head, hiding a small smile behind my book. maybe, just maybe, working with him wouldn't be the absolute worst thing in the world.

@𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒈𝒈𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒅...

liked by mriddle, logan_solace and others

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𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒗

𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒔

january 7, 2025

9:30 pm

"so how did it go with riddle today?" hannah asks, grabbing the brownie batter.

"well, ignoring the fact that he was late, it went fine," i reply.

"and you did everything?" justin asks, raising an eyebrow.

"nononono, actually, he was the one who came up with the idea for the potion we're making," i say, my voice a little lighter.

"him?? we're talking about mattheo riddle, right?" draco says, clearly shocked.

"yeah, i know. it surprised me too. but it's a really good potion idea. the only tricky part is getting phoenix tears, but i'll figure something out. most likely, i'll ask snape where i can get them," i say casually, as though it's no big deal.

"you know where you can get phoenix tears? you can get them from dumbledore's office," hayls says, as if it's common knowledge.

"how do you know that?" zach asks, looking curious.

"my sister once sent me a picture from dumbledore's office, and in the background, there was a phoenix. i think it's his pet," hayls explains with a shrug.

i blink, absorbing the information. phoenix tears... from dumbledore's office. part of me is a little taken aback by how easily hayls seems to know all this. i guess i shouldn't be surprised—i've learned quickly that people here have all sorts of connections and knowledge hidden away. it's a little overwhelming, honestly. but for now, i just nod, trying to focus on the task ahead, and keep my mind from wandering back to mattheo and his unexpected idea.

i feel a strange mix of excitement and confusion as the conversation shifts from the potion to all the little connections people seem to have. hayls' sister knew about the phoenix, and i can't help but wonder how much i still have to learn about this place.

as i carelessly stir the brownie batter, i glance over at draco, who looks like he's trying to wrap his head around the idea of mattheo actually coming up with something useful.

"you're telling me mattheo, the guy who spends more time with girls than his homework, suggested something useful?" draco raises an eyebrow, clearly skeptical.

"yeah, believe it or not, he actually has some decent ideas," i say, trying to defend mattheo, though a part of me isn't sure why i feel so compelled to do so. i barely know him, but something about how he just casually threw out that potion idea makes me think there's more to him than meets the eye.

justin chuckles, "you really are turning into the little defender of riddle, aren't you?"

"shut up," i mutter, rolling my eyes. "it's just... the potion is solid. trust me, once we get the phoenix tears, it'll be great. and if anyone knows where to get them, it's snape or dumbledore."

hayls, still mixing the batter, glances over at me with a small smile. "you really like potions, huh?"

i nod, feeling a rush of pride. "yeah, i've always been into them. they're like... a puzzle. and i love puzzles."

"you'd get along with snape, then," she says with a wink.

i snort. "i'm pretty sure he already thinks i'm an overachiever. but hey, if it means he'll give me the answer to where to find phoenix tears, i'll take it."

just then, susan bursts in, her eyes wide with excitement. "guys, you won't believe what i overheard earlier," she says, practically vibrating with energy.

"what now?" draco asks, clearly intrigued.

susan lowers her voice, as though sharing a secret. "okay, so you know how mattheo's always... well, mattheo?" she starts, looking around to make sure no one else is listening. "well, i heard from a couple of fifth-years that he was seen with this girl yesterday. apparently, they were walking around the grounds, laughing and talking like they were... really close."

my heart skips a beat, and i try to keep my expression neutral, though my stomach does that annoying little flip. "so? what's the big deal?" i ask, though i already know where this is going.

susan smirks, clearly enjoying my reaction. "oh, just that the girl in question is one of the gryffindor girls, ella. you know, the one with the bright red hair and the perfect grades? yeah, apparently they were seen together by the lake."

my chest tightens, and i try not to let the jealousy show. "sounds like nothing serious," i say quickly, hoping i sound convincing.

"well, if you call walking around with someone and laughing like that nothing serious," susan shrugs, clearly relishing in the drama. "i mean, i don't know, but it's definitely something to think about."

i force a smile, trying to ignore the tight feeling in my chest. ella? i've seen her around—perfect grades, always so put-together. of course, mattheo would be with someone like her. they probably have more in common than he and i do. it's ridiculous, but i can't help but feel this odd, uncomfortable knot in my chest.

"yeah, well," i clear my throat, trying to sound casual, "i'm sure it's nothing."

susan raises an eyebrow but doesn't press. "sure, if you say so."

i try to push away the strange, gnawing sensation, but it lingers. why does it bother me so much? i don't like mattheo—he's annoying, arrogant, and impossible to deal with. i've been telling myself that for weeks. so why do i feel this... tug when i think about him with someone else? it doesn't make sense. it shouldn't make sense.

i take a deep breath, trying to focus on the conversation, trying to shove this weird feeling aside. but it doesn't go away. i shouldn't care. i really shouldn't. so why does it feel like a weight in my chest every time i hear her name?

"are you even listening?" hayls' voice cuts through my thoughts.

"yeah, yeah," i say quickly, trying to brush it off. but even i can hear the unconvincing edge to my voice.

justin looks at me, his brow furrowed. "you sure you're okay? you've been... off."

"i'm fine," i say, my words slipping out too easily. "just... tired."

but i know it's not just tiredness. it's something else—something that makes me feel uneasy every time i think about mattheo. and that's what i don't get. why is this bothering me? i don't even like him like that.

susan gives me a knowing look. "sure. tired."

i swallow hard, trying to keep my voice steady. "really. it's nothing."

but it doesn't feel like nothing. every time i think about him with ella, something twists in my stomach. i hate how confusing this all is. i'm not sure what this feeling even is, but i don't want to deal with it. i don't even want to acknowledge it, but the longer i try to ignore it, the stronger it gets.

and that's what's driving me crazy. because i don't even know what this is, and i definitely don't know why it's making me feel the way it does.

🎶

𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒔! ayeee more matloise content!! so what do u think?? 

if you have any ideas, suggestions, or just things you'd love to see, drop them in the comments, bbgs!

also, i made a playlist that gives elo vibes <33.

here it is!!

sub, like, and comment!!

-𝒓𝒆𝒏!!