Dancing With Our Hands Tied
Mattheo Riddle x Slytherin reader
Prompt 4 of @thatdammchickennugget âs hogmarch challengeđŤśđ˝ and dedicated to this psychic anon request đ
Summary: Iâd kiss you as the lights went out, Swaying as the room burned down, Iâd hold you as the water rushes in, If I could dance with you again.
word count: 4k
You watch silently from across the Slytherin common room as yet another girl places her hand flirtatiously on Mattheoâs chest, batting her lashes with that seductive grin you knew all too well from watching all the other girls do it too.
âGo to the dance with me?â Her lips read as she leaned closer to your friend.
You canât help but smile as Mattheo just rolls his eyes, moving away from the girl, not giving her more than a shake of his head.
The girlâs mouth hangs open in shock of the rejection. Really she should be flattered you thought dryly to yourself. Sheâd made it significantly further than others youâd witnessed.
Truth was, youâd had a massive crush on Mattheo since you were kids, and watching as he rejected girl after girl was much more entertaining than you cared to admit.
Growing up, youâd always admired his bold brashness, and willingness to say whatever came to mind. The two of you had always gotten into trouble together, bouncing mischievous ideas back and forth. The summer before coming to Hogwarts, your mother had given you a heart shaped locket, and Mattheo had insisted that a photo of the two of you go inside it.
"In case we don't go to the same house." The boy had reasoned.
But of course, heâd never seen you as anything more than a friend, and unfortunately, the cringey, cliche nature of the situation was not lost on you. Even now, as you mindlessly fingered the carefully disillusioned pendant while Mattheo stalked towards your group with an air of agitation.
âBloody hell I canât wait for this fucking Yule ball rubbish to be over and done with,â Mattheo states flatly as he sits down lazily on the sofa next to you.
âJust pick a girl to go with then. Theyâll leave you alone if they think you have a date. Why do you think I asked Daph so early on?â Theo replies, not bothering to look up from his book.
Daphne whacks him with her textbook.
You watch as Mattheo tilts his head in consideration before his eyes shift over to you, a sly grin forming on his face.
âDonât even think about,â you say, holding up your hand as if to block out whatever idiocy the boy was about to spew.
Now itâs Mattheoâs turn to open his mouth in shock.
âWha- you donât even know what I was gonna say!â
âYou were going to ask me if Iâd go to the dance with you,â you reply dryly. âHonestly Matt, Iâm not stupid.â
âWell will you?â He asks, giving you his most charming smile.
âIâm already going with Blaise.â You respond.
Looking back, had it been a bit of a rash decision? Yes. But you had made peace with the fact that Mattheo likely wouldnât ask you to be his date, and Blaise was one of your best friends. You knew youâd have a good time with him, and all your other friends had been pairing up.
âTell Blaise to go with Astoria,â Mattheo reasons.
âToria is already going with Enzo.â Daphne intervenes.
âWhat about Pansy?â
âShe and Millicent got accosted by Crabbe and Goyle last I heard,â Theo replies.
âHe can go with Draco then! People already mistake them for gay lovers anyway.â
âMatt, you know Draco is trying to muster up the courage to ask Harry. Donât be dense.â You reply.
âOh come on! How do you all have this sorted out already? The ball was only announced yesterday!â
âWe organized it at dinner,â Daphne responds, as if the answer was obvious.
âYou mean while I was in detention?â Mattheo asks incredulously, only to be met with a chorus of âyesâ and âmhmsâ.
You look over as your friend slumps into the sofa in defeat, a wave of slight guilt washing over you.
âLighten up Matt, youâve already been asked by a handful of girls today, youâll be able to find someone to go with easy,â you say.
âNot with anyone who matters,â he grumbles, so low that you almost miss it.
A week had gone by and you were about to lose your mind. You thought that after the initial conversation in the common room, Mattheo would relent and just pick one of his many admirers to take to the ball. You really shouldâve known better. Youâd known the boy long enough to know that once he had his mind set on something, there was really nothing in the world that could stop him. You just never thought that you would be what he set his mind to.
âMatt, Iâve told you a million times, Iâm already going to the ball with Blaise,â you groan, collapsing on your bed as the raven haired boy follows you into your dorm.
âWell lucky for you, I have the perfect plan to steal you away from ole Blaisey boy,â Mattheo says, his signature smirk in place.
You roll your eyes, leaning back on your bed as you wait for him to continue.
âItâs easy. You just have to date me,â Mattheo replies, as if his idea was particularly clever.
You let out a rather unattractive snort as your heart clenches. It felt as though it might pound out of your chest.
âMatt, that has to be the worst idea youâve ever had. And youâve had a lot of really bad ideas.â
Though asking the girl thatâs fancied him for years to pretend to date him, only for him to snatch it all away again a few weeks later probably had to be one of the cruelest, you thought to yourself.
âOh câmon. Thereâs no way Blaise would be offended if you ditched him if we said we were together. Heâs a perfectly reasonable bloke. Heâd understand!â
You shake your head once more. There was no way you were pretending to date the boy you had been pining after for this long. It was only going to end in one way. Heart break. And not on his end.
âBloody hell. What if I can get Luna to go in your place. Will you do it then? We both know heâs been eyeing that loon up for months.â
âDonât call her a loon Matty.â You tilt your head in consideration however.
If he was willing to actually encourage Blaiseâs love life, and be willing to get intermixed within the logistics of it all, he must be desperate. And you had been dying to set the two of them up, you supposed.
But you just couldnât shake the bad feeling this whole situation gave you. It couldnât be all that bad though, right? You reasoned. Youâd gotten this far without Matt realizing your feelings, a few weeks of bliss surely couldnât hurt.
âAlright. Fine. Iâll tell Blaise we got together and that I want to go to the ball with you, only if Luna agrees to go with him instead.â
Mattheo immediately brightens at your words, a self satisfied grin spreading across his face.
âGood. Because I already told Blaise that we were together and that I was taking you to the ball,â he says quickly. âAlso- considering Blaise is more of a yapper than people give him credit for, the rest of the group definitely already knows.â
Your mouth drops open as you glare at the boy in front of you.
âMatt. What on earth. Did you tell him?â You grit out, praying to Salazar that Blaise hadnât embarrassed you too much.
Mattheo shrugs. âJust told him that we had been out by the lake on one of our walks and I kissed you. One thing led to another and I asked you out. He seemed to believe it pretty easily actually.â
The boy looked all too calm about making up a whole scenario in which he made out with his best friend for your liking.
You purse your lips, taking a deep sigh. What did you see in this boy?
âMattheo.â
âYes love?â
âIâm going to kill you.â
âCanât do that love, you wouldnât kill your boyfriend.â
You continue to glare at the boy, fingers gripping tightly around your wand.
âEasy there, pretty,â Mattheo laughs nervously, slowly edging closer to you with a bashful grin.
âYou better have thought this through Riddle. Because Iâm telling you right now, that this is a bad idea.â
It was too easy. You know that much clearly. The two of you, you and Mattheo that is, walk silently along the streets of Hogsmeade, your friends surrounding you, shielding you from the brisk winter air. Mattheo's arm is wrapped securely around you, hand tucked into your jacket pocket, your fingers intertwined. It was so warm. So comfortable. So effortless, as if you had spent forever with his hands in your pockets.
Blaise and Daphne had been the only ones to know of your secret feelings towards your best friend, yet not a single one of the others looked particularly shocked when the both of you showed up in the common room wrapped in each others arms one night.
âBout bloody time,â youâd heard Theo grunt to Draco from across the fireplace.
Daphne of course had been utterly elated for you, and Blaise had made sure you knew that there were no hard feelings about switching dates for the ball. Especially after he had secured one Miss Luna Lovegood as his date with the surprising help of Mattheo.
A warm squeeze of your hand shakes you from your thoughts as your group comes to stop outside of The Three Broomsticks.
âYou sure you donât want to come down to the shops, y/n?â Daphne asks looking back at you as she forges on with Astoria and Millicent.
âBloody hell, yes! Sheâll be fine with me. You canât have her to yourself all the time!â Pansy says with exasperation, shooing the other girls away and linking her arm through yours on your free side.
The bell above the door rings lightly as the rest of your group enters the warm tavern, Theo and Enzo racing to secure your usual table.
âHey Matty!â A voice shouts, stopping your trio in your tracks.
You turn to see another booth filled with familiar looking Hogwarts students and recognize one of the girls youâd watch Mattheo reject just a few days ago.
âCome sit with us,â she continues, attempting to wave him over.
Pansy gives the girl a sneer as you walk past, Mattheo not even sparing a glance in their direction.
âDonât even know the bloody girlâs name,â he mumbles under his breath, causing you to let out a soft chuckle.
âEy, whatâs the hold up?â Theo shouts as you all hurry over to the table.
âBloody hell. I thought y/n being my girlfriend would finally get those birds to back off,â Mattheo complains as he takes his seat in the booth.
His arm remains wrapped securely around you the entire time, sending warm tingles through you. Itâs all an act, you have to remind yourself, pulling yourself out of your head.
Draco snorts at Mattheoâs grumbling.
âHalf the school already thought you two were dating. Didnât stop em then, so I donât see why itâd stop them now.â He says matter of factly as the rest of the group nods in agreement.
âYou lot are so dramatic. No one thought we were dating,â you sigh, rolling your eyes at your friends.
Their eyes flicker awkwardly back and forth between the lot of them. âRight.â Pansy says finally, bringing an end to the silence.
You glare pointedly at the girl.
âIâm going to the loo. Order me a butter beer Matty?â You say, standing up abruptly.
âIâll come,â Pansy says quickly, going to rise as well.
âItâs fine Pans. Iâm a big girl. Promise not to get attacked by a troll or nothin,â you say with a smile.
Mattheo opens his mouth to protest before closing it again and giving your hand a tight squeeze.
You make your way through the maze of tables, finally making it to the ladies room. Making a beeline to the sink, you take a breath, letting cool water splash against your face.
Salazar, you needed to get a grip. But everything about being with Mattheo felt so real. So natural. Which just meant it would feel all the more real when things ended. You take another moment to gather yourself, dabbing any remaining bits of water from your face. As your hand falls on the door handle to make your way back however, loud voices fill the hall.
âI donât know what he sees in her,â a voice practically snarls. You can practically feel the malice, dripping from their lips.
âSo itâs true then? Mattheo is taking that girl to the ball?â Another voice asks.
âI heard theyâre dating.â
âThey werenât already?â
âI wonder if heâs taking her out of pity.â
A chorus of voices all say at once.
You immediately bristle, realizing they were talking about you.
âI hear she was the only one in their group who didnât have a date and she practically forced him to take her.â
âI thought she was going with Blaise.â
Bloody hell. Where did they get all of this information?
âWhatever. Itâs not like it matters either way. Thereâs no way they last. Sheâs a mess, and Mattheo has never been able to settle has he? Itâs only a matter of time.â
You feel a deep frown form at the harsh words, but before youâre able to react, the bathroom door is pushed open and youâre face to face with the group of girls from before. The girl you had recognized as Mattheoâs reject smirks as she eyes you up and down before simply pushing past you. The rest of the girls follow, leaving you to wander back to your friends.
When you sit down again, Mattheo has a warm drink already waiting, and you let out a small smile as you cozy up next to the boy. No matter how hard you try to distract yourself however, the words of the girlâs echo through your mind.
Later that evening, you lay comfortably in bed with your head resting gently on Mattheoâs chest, hypnotized by the slow rise and fall. You hadnât seen your roommates all day, and doubted they would be back if they werenât there by now.
You lived for nights like these when Mattheo would bow out of whatever mischief Theo and Enzo had cooked up, and instead spend the evening holed up with you cuddling, talking, or getting into your own trouble. Your room had become a safe haven. A sacred oasis of sorts for the both of you to unwind, safe from the outside world.
âYou were awfully quiet today at The Broomsticks.â Mattheo says, breaking the silence.
You only hum in response.
âWhatâs going on in that pretty head of yours?â
âHow are we going to break up?â You ask, rather abruptly, as you look up at your best friend.
Mattheo looks surprised at the question.
âI donât know. Didnât really think Iâd get this far in my scheming to be quite honest. I suppose I figured we���d just say that we figured weâd be better off as friends, or something of the sort. You can blame the split on me though if youâd like.â He replies.
You move your head to look down once more, picking at the blankets.
âNo, no. The friends thing is fine. When should we do it?â
âTrying to get rid of me already, love?â Mattheo asks with a laugh.
âI just want to know what to expect.â You say quietly, causing Mattheo to grow quiet as well.
âAlright. Then how about a few days after the ball? We say that the dance made us realize we were better off as friends, and everything goes back to the way it was.â He says finally.
You feel your heart crack at his words.
âYeah. Exactly like how it was.â You repeat.
Smoothing your dress out one final time, you turn around to hear Daphne gasp.
âOh thatâs stunning,â she gushes, her own deep blue gown cascading elegantly around her in waves of silk.
Youâd spent the last several hours or so in her and Pansyâs shared dorm getting ready for the ball with the other girls, though where Pansy had wandered off to you had no idea.
All you knew, was that you were bloody nervous. You didnât think you would be. It was just like any other night you reasoned. You and Mattheo were with each other constantly. What difference did a pretty dress make?
âI think the boys are ready for us whenever we are. Toria, come get these shoes,â Daphne shouts.
Astoria really did look like a princess you think to yourself, her soft yellow gown billowing gently with every movement.
âReady to go down?â She asks, seeming to float over.
âAs Iâll ever be,â you respond with a nervous smile.
Giving your shoulder a reassuring squeeze, Astoria slips on her shoes before making her way down to the common room, you and Daphne following close behind.
The boys are already congregated by the fireplace; their loud chattering could be heard across the room, but as soon as Theoâs eyes meet Daphneâs he freezes and the rest of the boys quiet down, noticing the shift.
Your eyes lock onto Mattheoâs and you slowly make your way over, nervously picking at your skirt with trembling fingers.
âBeautiful as always, y/n,â he says, smiling down at you when you finally reach him. Gently, he raises your hand to his lips, barely grazing over your shaking fingertips before looking back at you with his signature smirk.
âWhereâs Draco?â You ask, not quite able to stomachs the intensity of his gaze.
âHad to be there early. Something about the champions and their dates having the first dance or something,â he replies easily, his hand finding its ever familiar place on your waist.
âOh we are not missing that,â you say, your nerves quickly being replaced with excitement.
Mattheo grins back. âI knew weâd be on the same page,â he responds, tugging you towards the doors.
Together, the both of you rush to the main hall just in time to see Harry and Draco getting herded into a lineup of the champions to be paraded into the Great Hall.
âI certainly hope he took Snapeâs dance lessons to heart,â you giggle.
It doesnât take much longer for the rest of your group to join the both of you and soon enough you find yourselves following the flood of students into the newly decorated Great Hall.
It really was spectacular. The house elves clearly had spared no expense with thick, green trees covered in tinsel and ornaments lining the walls. Floating candles cast a warm glow about the room and the floor had the appearance of being covered in freshly fallen snow.
You watch, hiding a laugh, as Draco and Harry move awkwardly around the dance floor, almost colliding with Cedric and Cho on more than one occasion. Salazar help them.
Slowly, other couples begin to join the champions on the dance floor, swirling together in a sea of shimmering color.
âMay I have this dance mâlady?â Mattheo asks with a lopsided grin.
Before you even have the chance to respond however, Mattheo is pulling you onto the dance floor, a look of pure delight across his face. There were very few times you remembered him looking this happy, and it melted your heart.
As the night progressed, Mattheo refused to leave your side, his hand rarely leaving your waist. Really, you hardly left the dance floor either. The few times you were able to escape with Daphne or Pansy to the punch bowl, Mattheo tracked you down shortly after, pulling you right back into his arms.
To say that you were in heaven was an understatement. You had spent hours daydreaming about what it might be like to have Mattheoâs hard-won affection to yourself. And now that you had it, you were practically floating. Which just made it all the more heart wrenching as you anticipated the inevitable. It was as if every move you made, every dance the two of you shared, was done with your hands tied.
People really werenât going to believe your break up if he continued on like this, youâd thought at some point. But you couldnât quite bring yourself to tell him to back off, especially as it grew later. Your time with him was fleeting after all.
âBloody hell, Matt. Give the girl some breathing room,â Pansy exclaims after Mattheo had sought you out for the third time.
Mattheo just gives her a guilty grin before spinning you out onto the dance floor once more.
âI didnât realize you liked dancing this much Matty,â you tease as the two of you away slowly on the floor.
âOh I donât. Just making sure I take full advantage of the night,â he replies, looking intently down at you.
You cock you head to the side.
âWith you as my girl, I mean,â he adds. And before youâre able to put together another cohesive thought, his lips are on yours. In the middle of the dance floor.
Immediately it feels as though the lights had gone out, leaving the two of you alone in the room as you let your eyes flutter shut, focusing on the softness of Mattheoâs lips on yours. They move slowly at first. Carefully. Before quickly growing hungrier, more determined.
You barely register Mattheoâs fingers digging into you as he pulls you closer, and find yourself lost in the gentle sway as everything around you burns to the ground, leaving behind a fire growing steadily in your chest.
And just like that, youâre back in Mattheoâs arms as the water comes rushing in, jerking you back to reality. You stand frozen staring up at Mattheo as couples continue to move around you.
Had that really just happened?
âUm- fresh air. I think.â You stutter out, all but dragging the boy from the dance floor, praying no one had seen or noticed.
Mattheo wordlessly allows you to lead him out to the courtyard entrance before you all but collapse on one of the stone benches, still in shock.
âPlease donât avada me! I didnât think that through entirely.â
âI donât want to break up.â You say in unison.
âWhat was that?â Mattheo asks in surprise.
âNo- hold on. Why in Salazarâs green bed sheets would I want to avada you?â You ask incredulously.
âMore importantly, you donât want to fake breakup?â Mattheo asks with a grin.
âOf course I donât want to break up! Iâve fancied you for years!â You blurt out, slapping a hand over your mouth as soon as the words escape.
Mattheo looks at you with shock.
âNo. Iâve fancied you for years. Why else do you think I refused to take anyone else to the ball?â
âBecause youâre a stubborn arse,â you retort, barely processing the boyâs words.
He liked you?
The two of you stare at each other for another moment, still not fully believing the other as your minds race to put the pieces together.
Itâs Mattheo who acts first, surging to connect your lips once more in a heated frenzy. Itâs addicting really, the feeling of his soft lips against yours. The pull as he brings your bodies closer together. The warmth you can feel radiating off of him.
When you finally pull away this time, Mattheoâs eyes are shining down at you with that familiar intense gaze.
âWeâre a pair of oblivious idiots, arenât we?â You mumble, leaning into the boy.
âWell, you are. I havenât exactly been subtle.â Mattheo replies with a snort, hugging you to his chest.
âDonât be a twat. Youâve had girls fawning over you for years. What was I supposed to make of that?â
âI never looked payed them any mind, love. Think of it this way. Iâll just have years to make up for tonight,â he says with a cheeky smile.
You feel a familiar heat begin to rise in you once more as Mattheo takes hold of your arm, leading the way back to the dungeons.
âOh Iâll hold you to that,â you reply, a mischievous smile making its way to your face.
âWouldnât expect anything less of you, love.â
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