"I'm going to fucking kill you!" a voice screeched from behind the wooden door.
Mattheo groaned and leaned against it. After hearing the threats for at least a half hour, he was well used to them.
"I know, princess," he said, trying to keep the exasperation out of his tone. "You've said it about a million times tonight. How could I not know?"
A thud hit the door, causing it to bang against the back of Mattheo's head. "OW!" he cried out as he rubbed his curls. "Was throwing a shoe really necessary?"
"You're about to get it shoved up your ass if you try to sass me again!"
"Yes, princess," he muttered as he turned around to face the door now. Normally, Mattheo might have argued back with her but he stayed silent. Picking his battles on a night like tonight was key, especially if he wanted Nora's empty threats to stay empty. "You know, I don't think it'll be that bad…"
And then the other shoe was thrown at the door. This time, Mattheo stayed silent as he rubbed his forehead.
"Not. That. Bad?"
Oh, no. Here it goes.
"YOU TRY PUTTING ON A TIGHT BRA AND SPANX AND HIGH HEELS WITH YOUR HAIR PULLED IN A MILLION DIRECTIONS BY PINS STABBING INTO YOUR HEAD AND THEN YOU TELL ME IF IT'S NOT THAT BAD?"
Mattheo sighed. They'd been dealing with this upcoming outburst for the better part of an hour. He'd retied his tie at least a dozen times while he waiting for his girlfriend—who insisted he be early "in case he was late", whatever that meant. "Nora, baby, are you sure you're not just angry at Aditi?"
Aditi, who was apparently supposed to be getting ready with Nora but had decided to last-minute cancel on the ball in general, staying at home. Mattheo got the feeling it was because Aditi had broken up with… well, whoever Aditi was dating. Mattheo could never keep track of them. They changed far too often.
"I am angry at Aditi! How could she just ditch me for some stupid boy? I hate boys! Ruin everything with their pinhead brains and stupid penises…"
Mattheo was also pretty sure Nora started her period this morning but he wasn't going to point that out to her. He wanted the shoe to stay out of his ass.
"Nor, I'm pretty sure all of your hard work will be worth it. You're already the prettiest woman at Hogwarts so, really, it's unfair that you go to all this work to be so above and beyond. They might have to erect temples to honor you—" Okay, maybe he was overdoing it but he wanted to get laid and not killed tonight so as far as Mattheo was concerned, there wasn't such thing as too much groveling. "—I can't wait to see how you look. I'm sure it's beautiful."
Suddenly, the door swung open. Mattheo had to catch himself from stumbling as Nora stood there, wearing the sexiest fucking thing he'd ever seen.
She was wearing a long, tight, red dress with a tall slit and a deep V-neck that almost went to her stomach. Her cleavage was perky—looking delicious as always—and her hair was straight and tucked behind her ears, flowing down her back while Mattheo struggled to figure out the easiest way to fuck her before the ball. Maybe the slit could hike up enough so he could take her from behind…
"Woah," Mattheo finally said when he realized he hadn't said anything else. Could you blame him? His girlfriend was standing in front of him looking like the most fuckable thing he'd ever seen. Your jaw would be on the floor too if you had her standing in front of you.
Nora's painted-red lips quirked up into a smirk. "Is that all you have to say? Did your remaining brain cells finally leave you?"
"Yeah. They've gone straight to my 'stupid penis.'"
He was surprised her heel wasn't taken off and thrown at him for that comment, but Nora's amused expression let him off the hook. With his brain unfogging, Mattheo took a step back and finally appreciated her full look. Nora's eyes were dark yet sparkling with glitter that brought out the color of her eyes. Her hair behind her back and her dress having a low neck both meant that his marks were fully on display for the world to see. And Merlin, there were a lot. Some faded, some bright, all staking his claim. Nora didn't seem to shy away from them either. No, she wore them with her head held high and proud, like the queen she was.
Mattheo held out his arm to her and Nora took it. He was pretty sure his chest was puffed more now that this beautiful girl was with him, strutting like she owned the damn place. Honestly, she probably would one day. Nora was one of those people who could take over the world with her sharp tongue and sharper glare. And Mattheo? Well, he'd step back and let her.
They strolled into the Hogmanay Ball looking as hot as the fires from hell. Between his violent streak and her temper from her PMS, they fit the description pretty damn well. Mattheo even had the all-black suit and red tie to match.
"I'm surprised you want to be here," Nora asked as she eyed the room. Her chin was upturned as if she smelled something terrible. The Hufflepuff stoners weren't far away so, honestly, she probably was.
"Why?"
"Isn't this ball celebrating the death of your dad?"
"Ah," he said with a small smirk. "Yeah."
The Hogmanay Ball was held every five years on New Year's Eve to celebrate the downfall of Lord Voldemort. Ringing in a new age of prosperity and happiness and yadda yadda. All boring stuff that was really just an excuse to dress up and party.
Mattheo began to walk her around the room—really just to show her off, to be honest—while he talked. "The way I see it, he's not my dad. His sperm created me so, yeah, he's my father—"
"Do you have to be so vulgar about it?"
He grinned. "What? You have a problem with the word 'sperm' now? Because the way I see it, you didn't have a problem swallowing mine last ni— oomph. I deserved that."
"You damn well did!"
"Anyway," Mattheo breathed, rubbing the spot where her elbow just pressed into him, "I don't really think of him as my family. So I don't care when people celebrate that he died or make comments about how horrible he is. And anyway, Tom is worse, so I don't really see the point."
Nora's eyebrows furrowed. "But muggles and muggle-borns haven't gone missing. Everything seems normal."
"That's because he's smart. The best way to win a game is to play before the world realizes you're playing. Tom cares little for killing senselessly. Honestly, all he cares about is keeping his family safe and remaining in control. He'll see no reason to change the world as long as he's getting what he wants. And he gets what he wants pretty easily." Then, he turned and smiled at her slyly. "Just like me."
"Are you saying I was easy?"
"No, no, I—" But it was too late. Another elbow to the stomach.
"Let's just go find our friends before you actually do kill me," he wheezed.
Mattheo led Nora to the other side of the room where Enzo stood with Cass. He could see Draco and Astoria making their way over—seemed odd when Draco was engaged to Daphne but, hey, who was Mattheo to judge? He knew that Theo was coming late with his date, Aria, who was Enzo's little sister. Tonight was the night everyone was figuring out who Theo's secret girlfriend was, including Enzo. Of course, Mattheo already knew. He'd never forget the day he found out. How could he when it meant seeing his best friend's ass?
After a few minutes of conversation, Theo finally showed up with his date, and—as expected—Enzo didn't take it well.
"But he- my- I mean- Aria- best friend," Enzo stammered as Theo and Aria slowly danced together.
"Come on, princess. You look too sexy to stand on the side," Mattheo whispered into Nora's ear. She shivered from the close contact.
"Don't lie," Nora said with a soft smirk as Mattheo led her out to the dance floor. "You're just no longer interested now that the drama is over."
"Well, that too."
They grinned at each other while Mattheo's arm snaked around her waist, pulling her closely. Between the suit that was constricting his muscles and the dress that left little to the imagination, he could feel every bit of her body nestled against his. And it was safe to say that he liked the feeling.
But before Mattheo could properly waltz with her, the song changed. And instead of a soft, slow waltz, the strings began to take charge into a very different rhythm, one that had Mattheo dropping Nora's waist in shock. A tango slowly filled the room but while most couples abandoned the dance floor, Nora and Mattheo stayed put, circling each other like both of them were predator and prey. Circling to see who would make the first move.
Nora quirked an eyebrow as she stayed just far enough to tempt him, surprisingly light on her fight for the heels she was wearing. "Don't tell me you know how to dance, Riddle."
"Back to last names, are we?" he teased, flexing his hands as he itched to be nearer to her. But he wouldn't let himself. The tango was all about the passion, the desire, the chase.
The music shifted and he found himself grabbing her waist and pulling her closely. A gasp escaped Nora's lips but she couldn't help but follow his next moves. After all, as much as she wanted to fight him, he was the leader. Their bedroom proved that night after night.
As the strings plucked note after note, Mattheo led Nora across the dance floor, guiding her with both her hips and her hands. She shifted, turning and adding a little flair to each movement while his sturdy form held her aloft. As the violin came into play, he quickly turned her before placing her in a low dip.
"You dance well. Lessons?" Nora murmured under her breath.
"Too much time on my hands growing up. You?"
"Eight years of ballroom in hopes that I would like it more than Quidditch." Nora smirked. "I didn't."
Mattheo quickly pulled her up and resumed their dance. "I'm glad you didn't. I might not have learned you weren't a total bitch."
His foot was quickly stomped on by a heel. He had a feeling that wasn't an accident.
"Hey! I said wasn't!"
"But you thought I was?"
"Everyone did," he teased. "It's just a good thing you're the only one that's always right."
She scoffed but Nora was a terrible actress. He could see the amusement in her eyes as they danced together like a true couple. "You are absurd."
"That's a new one." He grinned before dipping her again and kissing her neck. She tasted of desire, of forbidden fruit, of everything good and everything naughty, of temptation, of passion. She tasted like everything he ever wanted and everything he thought he could never have.
"What can I say?" Nora asked breathlessly as he brought her back up, his head hovering between her breasts while she took her time moving to the rhythm of the song. "When I'm with you, there's a whole thesaurus in my mind."
"That might be the closest to a declaration of love you've ever given me."
Nora blushed but she didn't confirm or deny his words. And right now, he'd take it. He'd take anything she'd give him.
His arms ran along her side while his pelvis guided her. The scent of Nora swarmed him, intoxicating him until he thought about nothing but her. Even though the eyes of everyone in the room lay upon them, Mattheo only had eyes for Nora. His girl.
The music rose and their moves intensified but still, Mattheo's eyes never left hers. Not as she dipped, not as she writhed, not as she turned. He locked on her and he never left.
It was soon clear that the two of them were easily the most skilled dancers. After all, they were the only ones left, moving as if it were natural. The world stopped as Nora Rosier and Mattheo Riddle tangoed with one another, their desires clashing in the middle of the floor to create an explosion of passion.
He felt everything. Her fears, her desire, her want. And something else too. Something else she wouldn't quite admit. That was the power of a dance, of becoming so close to someone that your bodies became one. Two halves of a whole breaking apart and coming back together while the violins played on.
Higher and higher, louder and louder, faster and faster. Soon, he didn't know where he ended and she began, only that she was pressed up closer than she'd ever been while he continued to lead them into the end of the song. Finally, Mattheo abruptly turned his and allowed his hands to explore her body, his lips sucking on her neck while Nora arched against him. The music rose while he succumbed to nothing but the pleasure of Nora Rosier, of finally having her where he wanted her…
And then it stopped. And despite it all—despite the applause, despite Nora's heaving chest, despite the way she began to shift back—Mattheo couldn't deny something. Dancing with her had felt right. So right that he wondered if, perhaps, he was madly in love with her. Much more than he thought he ever could be.
"Dance with me again?" he asked breathlessly. Dance with me forever, Nora Rosier.
Hazel irises clashed with his chocolate ones. A million emotions were in them and yet Nora said nothing more than, "Okay."
The night went on. There were no more tangos but Mattheo did lead Nora in several waltzes—even letting her lead one in exchange for a promise of a beautiful morning tomorrow—and they danced to faster-paced songs with their friends. Nora's bad mood from earlier was barely felt. She was nothing but smiles for the rest of the evening, never leaving his side, even as he went to the punch bowl. And to be honest, he fucking loved it so he relished every drop of her attention.
At the end of the night, he brought her close and danced with her cheek to cheek to the slowest song yet. Even though it was nowhere near as intense as the tango, he couldn't help but feel that this song was passionate too. A different type of passion, yes, but passion nonetheless.
"This is nice," Nora whispered.
He nodded. "Very."
"I can't believe you convinced me to come to a ball."
"I can be very persuasive."
"I can't believe I actually liked coming to the ball."
Mattheo smiled. "I liked it too, princess." And I love you.
But words like that were better left unsaid for now. Until the timing was right. Until the pieces fell into place. Until the music began.
But that was the thing about the tango. Like all good things, it had to end. Mattheo just hadn't realized things had crescendoed so soon.
Finally unpacked my laptop and busted out this scene for y'all! I listened to "El Tango de Roxanne" today (banger of a song btw and perfect for them) and was inspired. Plus, it reminded me of the Nesta/Eris dance scene which I'm always for because Nora highkey gives Nesta vibes sometimes.
Hopefully it was worth the wait! 3
Also, I should have said this much earlier but if you want bonus content (like family trees, pictures of characters, playlists, etc.) or want to communicate with me a little more (I try to always answer messages on my board), head over to my Wattpad SerpentsAndSongbirds ! I can't put some of the content on fanfic that I do on there due to different website guidelines but in case you want to find it, that's where it is :)))
