After several, very satisfying hours, Mattheo finally rolled off of Nora, his cheek red from where she'd slapped him after he called her "his whore". Needless to say, Mattheo liked that slap very much so he'd received plenty during their time together—something Nora was probably a little too happy to do.

And then there it was. The moment.

Nora's hazel eyes turned onto him with a softness she so rarely possessed. Her mussed hair floated around her head like a golden halo and her lips were soft, an expression on her face something like that could be described as that slight second before someone smiled.

Mattheo reached out his finger and ran it down her cheek, caressing the soft, flushed skin. Instead of pulling away like she might have before, Nora turned on her side, facing him as he stroked her.

"Stay," he whispered after a few moments of silence. "Please. Stay."

He expected her to refuse. He expected her to put up a fight, for him to beg her and for her to leave as she always did, hair put together and robes straightened out. He expected for her to do anything other than softly say, "Okay."

"Okay?" he asked in disbelief. "Really?"

A soft smile graced her face for a fleeting moment. "Yeah. Okay."

Mattheo couldn't help it. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her so their bodies were flush as they faced each other before kissing her long and slow. Finally, he pulled back and rested his forehead against hers. "Thank you."

Nora smirked. "Don't thank me just yet."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. You might kick me out when you find out how much I steal the blankets."

He laughed and nuzzled her neck with his nose. "You can steal them all you want as long as you stay."

The little notch appeared back on her forehead as she stared at him, those hazel eyes muddied with confusion. "Why do you want me to stay with you so badly?"

"Well, this might come as a shock but I actually like you, Nora Rosier," he teased.

Tonight must have been a night of surprises because a faint pink blush spread all along her cheeks and nose. Instead of haughty words, her eyes darted down as she mumbled, "I didn't know that."

His eyebrow quirked. "You thought I invited every girl to stay the night in my bedroom?"

Her eyes narrowed. There's the Nora I know and lo– He stopped himself before he allowed himself to think that word. Because if he did, there was no going back. When Mattheo Riddle loved, he loved hard. He'd steal the damn sun for the people he cared about. Mattheo had already allowed himself to love Nora Rosier once. If he did it again… there was no going back. He had to be sure she truly wanted this before he allowed himself to think the four-letter word that had the power to destroy him.

"I prefer not to think about you and your other girls," Nora said with a glare that was as cold as her tone.

But he just smiled and pulled her even closer, kissing her cheek while her hands instinctively moved to his hair, playing with one of the curls on the base of his neck. "Princess, the only girl I have is you."

"Your future wives beg to differ," she muttered sullenly under her breath.

He grinned. "Would you like to be my future wife, Nora?"

"W-what?" she exclaimed. The blush was back. "What are you talking about?"

Mattheo's grin spread even more. "I am more than happy to put a ring on your finger the moment you ask me too. Just think—you won't even have to change your initials."

"Are you insane? Marry you?"

He held a hand up to his chest in mock hurt. "Princess, are you saying you don't want to marry me?"

"Of course I'm saying that! You're crazy."

"Crazy about you," he teased before biting the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling so much.

"I can't believe you thought we could get married."

"I actually thought it was a pretty good idea…" One that was getting more appealing the more he thought about it. A wedding with Nora, a home with Nora, children with Nora…

"You're mental!" she scoffed. "Forgetting the fact that you cannot even commit to a woman—"

"First of all," he growled. "You're the only woman I've been with this year and you're the only woman I want to be with. I told you I don't share and you haven't shared me either. Don't pretend like I've been manwhoring around when I've been nothing but faithful to you and only you."

Her face turned scarlet. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"Did you feel that?"

"What?"

"I think the Earth just stopped for a second. It must have been in shock."

"Oh shove off!" Nora said as sat up and smacked his chest but even she couldn't stop the smile from spreading on her face. "You're ridiculous."

Mattheo reached forward and grabbed a strand of her long hair, twirling it around his finger. "Ridiculous only for you, princess."

She shook her head and ran her fingers through her hair. Nora leaned over the bed and started rummaging around in the clothes on the floor. Now Mattheo was the one to sit up. "What are you doing? I thought you were staying."

"I am but I'm not sleeping naked… Merlin, where did you throw your shirt?"

Mattheo stood and handed her a Slytherin Quidditch t-shirt that was lying on top of his dresser. "Why don't you want to sleep naked?" he asked with a smirk.

"Because what if there's a fire or a sudden downpour and I need to quickly evacuate? Or a rogue wizard breaks into the dungeons and I have to flee? Not to mention my roommate, who could bring in someone that I don't want to see me naked. Not that she needs to see me naked either. Plus, pajamas help regulate your body temperature and the dungeons regularly fluctuate due to the weather of the Black Lake. Clothes protect your skin from dirt and oil and—"

"Do you always think this much?" Mattheo asked from his position back on the bed. While she was talking, he'd dressed in some boxers and handed her her underwear before getting back under the blankets.

Nora froze. "What?"

He smirked. "Do you always think so much? Merlin, you had like fifty thoughts about sleeping in pajamas versus naked when you could have just said that you preferred it."

Her face flushed. "Well, that wouldn't have been the entire picture, now would it?" Then, she looked down, playing with the green hem of his t-shirt. "But yes," Nora whispered. "I do always think this much. My brain is never quiet."

Mattheo smiled and grabbed the fabric, using it to pull her body close to his. He deposited her on his lap before kissing both of her cheeks. "I didn't mean it as a bad thing. I like your loud brain—like it a lot, actually."

She smiled softly. "It's overwhelming sometimes. It feels like I think so much and so little all at once."

"I don't think anyone has ever accused me of thinking too much," he snorted. Nora giggled. The sweet sound caused his grip around her waist to tighten as Mattheo fought not to wrap his arms around her and beg her to be his forever. Instead, he just caressed her cheek and said, "Would you like to think quieter?"

"'Think quieter?' What the bloody hell does that mean?"

"Just… Merlin, I'm not good at explaining things. Just try to focus on me, okay? Don't let yourself go in your head. Focus on me. On right now. On us."

Nora smiled and leaned into his hand. "Okay."

That was how thirty minutes later, the two of them were giggling as Mattheo recounted a very funny story of how Draco had managed to get turned into a ferret by one of their former Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers. Nora was practically crying as she laughed so hard. "A ferret? You mean he was running around the courtyard as a little white weasel-looking thing?"

"Oh yeah." Mattheo grinned as the memory came back to him. Draco was one of his best friends… but it was still bloody brilliant. The bets for the rest of that month revolved around who could turn Draco back into a ferret for the longest. "He was all greasy looking too, even for a few days after. Draco swears that was from being a ferret but I'm not so sure…"

The two of them lost it in another fit of laughter. This was how they'd been ever since Mattheo had first brought Nora down to his lap. Laughing together while they each played with the other's hair, unable to move from how blissful this position was. To be honest, it was more than Mattheo could have ever dreamt of. Smiling with Nora Rosier into the wee hours of the morning while one arm was around her waist and the other was buried in his dirty blonde locks.

Mattheo wasn't sure he would ever make it into heaven—not with all that he'd done in his lifetime. But if there was a heaven… this was it.

"So you're fairly close with your family?" Nora asked. "Draco and the others?"

"Those boys are my family. Draco, Enzo, Blaise… especially Theo. He's like a brother to me. They all are, really."

"And your actual brother?"

Mattheo locked eyes with her, his face suddenly serious. "There isn't a word on this Earth that could describe what he means to me."

Nora pursed her lips in a way that he knew meant that she was thinking before her fingers lightly tugged on another chocolate curl. "So try," she finally said. "I'm curious now."

Mattheo sighed. "Tom… he's my brother, yes. But he's so much more than that, y'know? For most of my life, he's been my everything. My Father died when I was so young and even before, he hardly cared about me. My Mother thought she'd be a good mother before she had me… but she was pretty selfish and that isn't the best trait for someone in charge of another person's life. Even before they were both gone, Tom was always there for me. Merlin, he's only a few years older than me and yet he was five years old taking care of an infant."

"That had to have been hard on him," Nora said softly.

He nodded. "It was. He never got to be a kid. I think that's affected him a lot more than people think. He never got to just live. My father gave him the dark mark when he was two. Two years old, Nora. A bloody toddler becoming a slave to evil for the rest of his life, nothing but a pawn."

"I'm sorry he had to go through that."

"Don't be. Tom wouldn't want your pity and he's the happiest he's ever been now. He's married and they have a house and their evil little basilisk—"

"Your brother is married? I didn't know that."

"Mm-hm." Mattheo nodded. "Her name is Evelyn. She's my cousin—don't give me that look. It's not as weird as it sounds. Evelyn's my cousin on my mother's side and Tom and I have different mothers so they aren't related. Evelyn's like the mother I never had. She's always taken care of me, been there for me, everything."

"Sounds like you really adore her."

"Oh yeah. Everyone who meets her does. And she makes Tom happy so that's even better." Mattheo tightened his grip on Nora and pulled her closer. "Tom did everything to make sure that I had the most normal childhood I could… considering the circumstances y'know. We had to move around a lot but he always made it clear that the London apartment was my home. And he came home as often as he could to make sure that I was okay. He might not be the most affectionate bloke but he's like my brother and my father and my best friend all in one. What more could I ask for?"

Nora smiled and kissed his cheek. "I'm glad you have that."

"What about you?"

"What?"

"What's your family like? I didn't really get to see them much when I lived with you so all I have to go off of is what Draco's fat mouth says."

Nora chuckled. "My family is horrible. My father died from pure idiocy, my mother is an alcoholic and drug addict who is convinced that I'm the better version of her so she hates me, and my brother is a bloody idiot with a violent streak. Not exactly a family to be proud of."

And just like that, the peace that Mattheo felt before was gone. Alcoholic… violent? He forced himself to take a few deep breaths, to not ruin the moment that they were having. "Please tell me you're not going home for the holidays there. If your brother is like that…" The anger was back and even stronger. "I don't want you going."

"I don't really have a choice, Mattheo. My mother insisted I come."

His hands curled into fists. "You're not going, princess. That isn't a request."

"You can't just act like a git about this, Mattheo. It's not your choice."

Suddenly, he flipped them over so his body was pressing hers into the bed. Nora gasped from the sudden movement, her grip around his neck even tighter than before. Mattheo ground his dick into her pelvis in an attempt to direct his anger into passion.

"You're mine, princess. Mine to pleasure and mine to protect. My hands are the only ones allowed to make marks on you," he growled. Nora moaned as he bit her neck and thrusted again. "So I don't want you going back."

"I have to," Nora gasped. "I don't want to but I have to."

Mattheo growled and stood up, ignoring the raging hard-on that was begging him to go back to Nora and finish what he started. But he didn't trust himself not to be too rough with her, not when clouds of red anger clouded his mind like a smoke bomb had gone off in there. Nora liked rough as much as he did… but this was too much. How could he keep her safe when she was so far, when he had no way of knowing if she needed him?

And then… a lightbulb.

Mattheo began digging through his trunk. "What are you doing?" Nora whined, clearly upset that he had started what would have probably been very good sex only to leave her cold turkey. But right now, his mind was too focused to care.

Finally, he found it. Mattheo walked over to Nora and placed it in her lap. "Here. Take this."

She looked at it, confused. "An old journal?"

"The old journal," Mattheo explained. "This belonged to my father. His memory used to be implanted into it. It took Tom ages to get rid of it but he didn't like Father trying to meddle in his affairs. Got annoyed with it pretty quickly, actually. But it's enchanted. Before I could apparate, Tom gave it to me so I could communicate with him once he and Evelyn left school. What you write in this diary will appear as a message in another one at Riddle Manor. So you can go back home and we can write to each other each night. That way, I know you're safe and you have a way to reach me if you need me."

"M-mattheo, I can't accept this. It's your family's…" Nora stammered, still holding tightly to the black notebook.

"Shh," he whispered, sitting beside her and pulling her back onto his lap. Like nothing had changed, they both settled into the comfortable positon. Nora's hands reflexively moved back to his neck while his settled at her waist. "I want you to have it. You're more important than keeping some stupid diary in the family."

"I don't know what to say," she whispered.

"Thank you would suffice," he teased. Then, he pushed a piece of stray hair behind her ear before kissing her gently. "I want you to have it, Nor. I want you to write to me often. If not for your sake, then do it for mine so I can spend my holidays not worrying that you aren't okay. Because if you're not, I'll be there in a heartbeat getting you the fuck out of there."

"You'd do that for me?"

"I'd do anything for you, princess," he muttered. "You've ruined me."

"Is there any way I can thank you?"

"Sweetheart, I hardly think I need to be thanked for keeping my girlfriend safe."

She smiled. "Let me anyway."

"Fine." Mattheo smirked. "Go with me to the ball."

"The ball? Are you mad?"

"What's wrong with a ball?" The ball. The Hogmanay Ball was a ball held every five years to celebrate the downfall of his father. Mattheo was probably the last person people expected to want to go to it but who was he to turn down a party? And to be honest, his father dying was probably the best thing to ever happen to him. His world became much safer, much more stable when Voldemort died.

"That's bound to be the most uncomfortable night ever!"

"Nor, you're exaggerating."

"Says the one that doesn't have to wear heels and a restricting dress!"

"You know, you don't have to wear either of those things…" Mattheo felt himself get hit with his father's diary. He scowled and rubbed the spot where Nora smacked him with it.

"Of course I'm wearing those things! Merlin, it's like men don't understand that you have to take steps to be sexy…" she muttered under her breath.

Mattheo grinned and stroked her hair. "I think you're sexy all the time, baby."

The diary smacked him in the head again.

"Ow! Can you at least go five minutes without bloody hurting me?"

Nora grinned triumphantly. "Nope."

"Well, as penance for my pain, I shall accept your word that you'll go to the ball with me."

Nora groaned. "Do we have to?"

Now it was Mattheo's turn to grin triumphantly. "Yup. Unless you don't want me to have the hottest date in Hogwarts…"

That was the thing about Nora's ego. Stroking it worked wonderfully. "Well, when you put it like that…"

"So… yes?"

"Ugh. Yes." She scowled but even she couldn't keep the bitter expression with how much he kissed her. She giggled through the assault of his lips all over her face. "Okay, okay! I need to breathe."

He smiled and kissed her again. "Thank you, princess."

Nora shifted and played with another curl. "So. What do you want to do now? Sleep?"

Mattheo laughed. "Fuck no. I can sleep when you're not here."

She blushed. "Twenty questions then?"

Later, the two of them lay in the dark room while the party slowly wound down. Nora had curled into his chest while they rotated asking each other questions. Things that ranged from their favorite colors to what their biggest fear was to how many pigeons they thought they could hold without magic on a reasonable afternoon.

Finally, they were on question twenty, their voices now hushed whispers as the night crawled on, sleep pulling at both of their eyelids.

"What do you want most in the world?" Mattheo murmured sleepily as his arms tightened. Nora sighed as she nuzzled into his bare chest while he was content to breathe in the sweet smell of her hair.

"A firebolt."

"A firebolt? Out of everything in this world, you'd pick a broom?"

She giggled. "I like Quidditch a lot. I've never felt freer on my broom." Mattheo supposed that made sense. After everything that he'd heard about her family, it was no wonder she enjoyed an escape every now and then.

"What about you?" Nora asked. "What do you want most in the world?"

"This," he whispered. "Every night."

I think it's time to call it guys. I think we can safely say that the enemies have now become lovers, don't you think? But don't worry: we are not home free with happiness from here on. And, of course, it wouldn't be Nora and Mattheo if they didn't still argue.

I'm curious as to what y'all think will happen. I have my plan and I've dropped so many hints but they're pretty subtle so we'll see! Happy reading xx.