[CHAPTER 33]

───🦋･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.🦋───

───🦋･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.🦋───

TITLE   : LITTLE MORE PROGRESS

THE THING ABOUT CHANGE was that it never happened all at once. It was slow, creeping up on you when you least expected it.

That's how it was with Mattheo and Ellie.

There were no grand declarations, no dramatic realizations—just small moments. Moments that seemed insignificant but carried weight neither of them wanted to acknowledge just yet.

Ellie was not a morning person.

So when she trudged into the Great Hall for breakfast, her hair a mess, her eyes half-lidded with exhaustion, the last thing she expected was to find Mattheo Riddle  sitting in her usual seat beside Daphne  and Pansy.

And worse—he was saving her a spot.

"Move," she muttered, standing over him.

Mattheo smirked, taking a slow sip of his pumpkin juice. "Nah, I'm quite comfortable."

Ellie glared at him. "Riddle."

He grinned and finally scooted over, allowing her to slide into the seat. As she reached for some toast, she caught Daphne  and Pansy exchanging looks, barely hiding their smirks.

"What?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Oh, nothing," Daphne  said, far too innocently.

"Absolutely nothing," Pansy added, grinning as she took a bite of her eggs.

Ellie ignored them. She was too tired to deal with whatever this was.

But then Mattheo leaned in, dropping his voice. "You snore, by the way."

Ellie froze mid-bite. "Excuse me?"

He smirked. "You fell asleep in the common room last night. Right on the couch. Very unladylike."

Ellie groaned, shoving his arm. "And you just let me sleep there?"

"I tried to wake you," he defended, still grinning. "You mumbled something about hitting me with a broomstick, so I figured it was safer to let you be."

Daphne  and Pansy burst into laughter.

Ellie sighed, hiding her face in her hands. "I hate you."

"No, you don't," Mattheo said, nudging her playfully.

She peeked at him through her fingers. His brown eyes were full of mischief, but there was something else there, too. Something softer.

She quickly looked away.

Maybe things were changing.

Later that evening, Ellie found herself in the library, attempting to study.

She had barely gotten through two paragraphs of her Potions textbook when a shadow fell over her table.

She sighed without looking up. "Go away, Riddle."

Mattheo pulled out the chair across from her and sat down. "Now, is that any way to greet your favorite Quidditch Captain?"

Ellie finally looked at him, unimpressed. "You're the only Quidditch Captain I know."

He smirked. "Exactly."

She rolled her eyes, turning back to her book. "What do you want?"

"Nothing." He leaned back in his chair, watching her. "Just thought I'd keep you company."

Ellie gave him a pointed look. "Since when do you study?"

"I don't," he admitted shamelessly. "I just figured you'd get bored and need a distraction."

Ellie huffed, shaking her head. "Unbelievable."

But despite her exasperation, she didn't tell him to leave.

And that was new.

The next morning, Slytherin dungeon was filled with excited chatter—snow had finally fallen over Hogwarts.

Ellie, bundled up in her warmest cloak, found herself walking toward the Black Lake after lunch, enjoying the crisp air and the way the snow crunched beneath her boots.

She hadn't expected Mattheo to follow her.

But of course, he did.

"Mind if I join?" he asked, falling into step beside her.

Ellie considered telling him to get lost.

Instead, she said, "Do I have a choice?"

He grinned. "Not really."

They walked in comfortable silence, the only sound being the wind rustling through the trees. At one point, Mattheo bent down, scooped up a handful of snow, and casually tossed it at her.

It hit her square in the shoulder.

Ellie turned slowly, glaring. "You did not just—"

Another snowball hit her. This time, on the arm.

Mattheo was already smirking, another snowball in hand.

"You're dead, Riddle."

Ellie grabbed her own handful of snow, launching it at him. It hit his chest, and he staggered back dramatically. "Oh no, I've been wounded," he gasped, clutching his heart.

Ellie laughed, unable to stop herself.

She couldn't remember the last time she had felt this... light.

And maybe, just maybe, that meant something.

As they made their way back toward the castle, Ellie stuffed her hands into her pockets, glancing at Mattheo out of the corner of her eye.

"Why are you trying so hard?" she asked suddenly.

Mattheo blinked, caught off guard. "What do you mean?"

"You don't have to do all of this," she said, tilting her head. "The small things. The breakfast seat, the study sessions, the snowball fights... You don't have to."

Mattheo was quiet for a moment.

Then, he looked at her, and there was no teasing in his expression this time.

"I want to."

Ellie's heart did something strange in her chest.

She quickly looked away, pretending she hadn't heard him.

But she had.

And she wasn't sure what to do with that.

───🦋･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.🦋───

The thing about trust was that once it was broken, piecing it back together took time. It took effort, patience, and a willingness to prove, over and over again, that the mistake wouldn't be repeated.

Mattheo had done everything in his power to show Ellie he was serious.

And finally, after weeks of slow progress, of stolen moments and hesitant interactions, she let him.

It happened on an ordinary evening.

Ellie had been sitting by the fire in the Slytherin common room , curled up in an armchair with a book. She wasn't really reading—her mind was too distracted—but she held onto it anyway, letting the pages act as a shield against her thoughts.

She didn't hear Mattheo approach until he was standing right in front of her.

"Hey," he said softly.

Ellie glanced up, hesitating for a second before nodding. "Hey."

"Can we talk?"

She studied him. The Mattheo she knew—the Mattheo from months ago—would've just sat down and started talking, never asking for permission. This Mattheo was different. He was cautious, careful.

That alone made her set her book down.

"Yeah," she said, moving to sit properly.

Mattheo took a deep breath and lowered himself into the chair across from her. He looked nervous, which was a rare sight.

"I need to say this," he began. "And I need you to really hear me."

Ellie nodded slowly, her stomach twisting.

"I was an idiot," Mattheo admitted. "A complete and utter idiot. I let my own pride get in the way, and I hurt you. And that's something I'll regret for the rest of my life."

Ellie swallowed, her fingers curling slightly.

"I ignored you when I should've been there. I made you feel like you weren't important when, truthfully, you're one of the most important people in my life." His voice was steady, sincere. "I don't expect things to go back to the way they were overnight. But I need you to know that I won't make that mistake again. Not ever."

Ellie exhaled slowly, her mind spinning.

She had spent weeks—months—trying to figure out what she wanted. Trying to decide whether she could trust him again.

And now, as she looked at him, she realized...

She already did.

Not completely. Not entirely. But enough. Enough to start over.

Ellie let out a small laugh, shaking her head. "It took you long enough to figure that out."

Mattheo grinned, some of the tension easing from his shoulders. "Yeah. It did."

Ellie tilted her head, watching him. "You promise?"

His eyes softened. "I swear."

She searched his face, looking for any sign of hesitation. Any sign that he wasn't being truthful.

But there was nothing. Just honesty.

Slowly, hesitantly, Ellie smiled. A real smile. The first one she had given him in a long, long time.

Mattheo blinked in surprise, then let out a breathless chuckle. "Finally. I was starting to think I'd never see that again."

Ellie rolled her eyes, but before she could say anything, she did something unexpected.

She leaned forward and hugged him.

Mattheo stiffened for half a second before wrapping his arms around her, holding her tightly.

She didn't say anything. Didn't need to.

For the first time in forever, everything felt right.

───🦋･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.🦋───