anything from the trolley, dears?

✧

chapter song - welcome home (radical face)

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AFTER THAT MORNINGS BREAKFAST OF EGGS, STRAWBERRY JAM TOAST, AND YOGURT PARFAITS, the three of them were off to King's Cross Station before Stephanie's work day was set to begin. With her school uniform stuffed in her backpack to change into later, Adeline was beyond excited to get there. She nearly dropped several of her trunks mid-stacking them onto her trolley. After that was loaded and secured she turned to Stephanie who was already crying. "Steph," Adeline frowned, stepping towards her. "Please don't make this harder."

The eldest sister was the one to initiate the hug- bone-crushing like she never wanted to let her go. "Write to me every week." She said in a way that 'writing' was not up for discussion. After kissing her temple a total of three times she added in. "Especially updates on quidditch, okay?"

Adeline pulled away but Stephanie kept her at arm's length, awaiting an answer. "I'll be fine."

Shaky hands squeezed her sister's upper arms- a sigh escaping her lips. "I know you say that, but do it just for this year. Promise me?"

Remembering their talk, and all Stephanie had gone through amidst Adeline's fall, she knew that writing may just be enough to ease her sister's worries. So she agreed with a nod and a smile. Stephanie read the truth in Adeline's eyes which made her face seem less tense. She then looked to Jane who moved to stand at her best friend's side. "Have a great year, Jane." She wished her after a brief but tight hug.

Freed, Jane took Adeline's hand and laced their fingers together. "I'll take good care of our girl, Steph." She bumped hips with Adeline, making her laugh.

Jane had chosen a low-cut spaghetti strapped shirt and jean skirt- throwing a puffy jacket over it to keep warm due to the morning's chilly temp. It was vastly different from Adeline's more conservative and warm outfit but so Jane and so risky it made her jealous. Plus, she couldn't help but give her a second look after emerging from her bedroom that morning. Jane had dropped a shoe and had to bend over to retrieve it- taking longer than she should have to stand back up. Adeline questioned that in her head but felt ridiculous to ask.

"I know you will." Stephanie smiled fondly at her before lifting her wrist to check her watch. She lowered it with a sigh. "Okay, I need to go or Allegra will have my ear." Allegra, which was her boss, gave the 'wicked witch of the west' a good name. "But wait, Jane?" She looked at the people around them, frowning. "Your parents didn't show?"

Cecilia and Felix Carmichael, Jane's parents, were parents in the loosest way imaginable. Even being their only child, whenever she was home she was as invisible as a thestral is to some people. After their second year, when Jane finally confided in Adeline about them once asked about her plans for the summer, they took turns staying at each other's house each week. Never without each other. Always ending on the thirty-first of August with Jane at the Hawthorne's.

One of the few times they were "decent" was seeing Jane off to school. Jane gave the crowd a good search but came up empty of any familiar faces. "Guess they couldn't even manage four years in a row." Her shoulder lifted in a shrug and a mask showed in the hint of a smile. "Not like I even care." She squeezed Adeline's hand, who could read her like a book. "Let's go!" Releasing her hand she took the handles of her trolley, pushing it a ways away.

Adeline let out a sigh, hoping to get her to vent to her later. She took hold of her own trolley and watched Jane run straight to the column, vanishing. Adeline paused her step and looked over her shoulder at where Stephanie still stood. She mouthed 'I love you,' and blew a kiss- Stephanie mirroring her exactly, ending with a wave.

Happy with how their goodbyes went Adeline faced the column, inhaled a deep breath through her nose, clutched the handle of her cart, and ran full speed at the column.

✧

When the blurriness around her solidified, Adeline's grin stretched to the point of nearly hurting. Students and parents swarmed around them as laughter, chatting and the train's whistle made her ears sing. "Merlin, I missed this."

Jane slowed her walking to match Adeline's, smiling at her face. "And I'm sure it missed you too. Come on, babes." She gestured with her chin at where the house elves were loading in luggage. "Let's hurry and drop these off."

She pushed her trolley after Jane's to the drop-off area- making sure she smiled at and thanked the house elves for always handling their luggage with care. Keeping her backpack on her back so it wouldn't be loaded by mistake. Turning back to Jane's trolley she happily lets the blonde linked their arms together, walking up to the train. "This is going to be your best year yet, Addie. I know it."

Adeline giggled as they stepped up onto the train, forced to let go of one another due to the narrow corridor- Adeline led. "Where did all this positivity come from?"

"I can just feel it." She couldn't see her but imagined she said that with a lift of her shoulders.

Letting two second years pass, Adeline lowered her voice. "When do we start planning 'you know what'?"

She heard Jane laugh. "Can we get through the start of term feast first? Are you gonna let anyone else in on your little plan?"

Adeline let this thought in her head, wondering if she should. "Hermione and the guys definitely. Others? Not sure yet." She answered honestly. Her walking stopped when she found a train compartment with three familiar faces inside. As she slid open the door she heard Hermione say something along the lines of 'letting Sirius know' before she voiced her entrance. "Hey guys?" She stood in the doorway, cheekily asking right as the train began moving. "Have room for two more?"

The trio simultaneously grinned, with Hermione the first to stand. "Ah, Addie!" She squealed in joy, throwing her arms around Adeline- tight enough for her to question if she'd ever let her go. "It feels so good to see you again." Visitors were scarce to help Adeline in focusing on her recovery. She hadn't seen the three of them in months.

Being released from Hermione's hold she was quickly hugged by the tallest out of the five of them. "Had a bet with George on if you were gonna take another year off," Ron admitted, letting her go.

"Nothing could keep me away this year. How are your brothers and Ginny?"

He sheepishly pulled at the hair on the nape of his neck. "Probably dying to see if I won the bet."

"Wait," Adeline took a pause, reading the room. "Were people questioning if I was going to be here?"

Harry spoke up from his spot furthest from her. "You took a really bad fall."

When she was told Harry was the first to see her after the fall, and it was gory enough to make him get sick all over the Quidditch pitch. She knew he'd be the hardest to come to with her being okay. "You can hug me, Harry." She offered. "I won't disintegrate."

Adeline heard Jane add in. "I gave her enough hugs to last a few years. Trust her."

Harry chuckled at Jane and then circled his arms around Adeline, hugging her tight. Adeline was the unofficial fourth member of Harry, Hermione, and Ron's friendship- always have been closer to the three of them more than Jane was. "Really bad isn't enough to describe it." Ron voiced as Harry let her go, smiling as he lowered his arms. "Dumbledore said it was one of the worst Quidditch accidents he'd seen since starting Hogwarts himself."

"And still nothing was reported?" Hermione scoffed, making a face as she shook her head. As she spoke they all sat on the benches- Harry, Ron, and Hermione on one and the two girls across from them. Jane let Adeline have the window seat. "It couldn't have been just the bludger, I don't believe it."

A deep frown met Ron's face. "Neither of the twins would have let something like that happen to you. The guilt hit them pretty hard."

Adeline had wondered why neither of the twins had gone to visit her at St. Mungos. Ron's confession made sense and also made the hurt of them not seeing her sting a little less. She couldn't blame them. "I have to be sure to see them soon then." She promised, planning on seeking them out during the feast. "Whose Sirius, by the way? I heard you talking about him."

She could see the seriousness in Harry's face and was confused as he shared looks with Ron and Hermione. "Later in the common room. Promise." He said.

"We heard what happened at the Quidditch World Cup." Jane brought up, voicing a disgusted chuckle. "Well, what the ministry wanted the public to know."

"Which is near nothing," Adeline added in.

Hermione gave her a first-hand account of what actually happened at the Quidditch World Cup and what the ministry didn't want anyone else who wasn't there to know. She learned of Voldemort's followers, dubbed 'Death Eaters,' who were there seemingly just to cause complete chaos. Tents burning from the torches they carried to firebolts they've cast. The ministry kept the doers' identity secret. Hermione's story was interrupted by Harry's scar hurting- seething as he held his hand over it.

Adeline frowned at her friend. "Harry .. "

Hermione tried to lean forward next to him to see it. "It's hurting again, isn't it? You're scar?"

Harry pulled back away from Hermione and covered it with his bangs, obviously forcing a smile. "I'm fine."

A familiar old face paused at their still-open doorway, smiling alongside her trolley fully stocked with treats. "Anything from the trolley, dears?"

Ron stood first, Harry and Adeline following. "Packet of droobles and a licorice wand." He took out his galleons from his pocket, pausing to frown down at them in his palm. "Actually, just the droobles."

Harry took his side, handing over some more money to the trolley lady. "I'll get it." Ron muttered a 'thanks' and took the treats from the trolley lady, backing up to his seat.

Cho Chang, a Ravenclaw in the same year as them, stepped up behind the trolley lady asking for two pumpkin pasties. As the woman takes her money and searches for them Cho smiles brightly at Adeline. "Great to see you back, Addie."

The few times they've spoken one-on-one, Cho was always kind to Adeline. She was also a phenomenal seeker who gave Harry a run for his money. "Thanks, Cho." Adeline returned the kind smile as she responded. "It's really good to be back."

Adeline watched Cho's eyes meet Harry's before giggling and hurrying off. She gave Harry a raised brow and he retaliated by avoiding her eyes.

"Anything sweet for you dear?"

"Oh, no. I'm not hungry." He politely dismissed her. "Thank you."

She giggles under her breath as he retreats into the compartment, stealing a drooble as he sits next to Ron. Adeline gave the trolley lady a toothy grin, searching for money in her pockets as she ordered. "Hi, a cauldron cake and pumpkin pastie, please."

The trolley lady goes to get the pumpkin pastie as Adeline fishes around in her overall skirt. But just as she went to hand it over a hand took out from under her nose. "Shit, guess you lost out." Adeline watched as Mattheo Riddle took a large bite out of the pastry, chewing as his eyes scanned her body. "Adeline."

She didn't give him more than two seconds of attention. "Is there another?" She handed enough money for just the cauldron cake like she knew the answer already.

The older woman took her money with a frown as well as Mattheo's, pocketing the galleons. "I'm sorry miss that was the last one." She hands out the cauldron cake box and a plastic fork.

Though she was highly annoyed she didn't treat the trolley lady differently as it wasn't her fault. She wouldn't dare blame her if she was even afraid of the seventeen-year-old. "It's fine, I'll just settle with this." She takes the closed box and fork, smiling as the trolley lady wanders off with her cart, voicing down the corridor her classic call of 'anything from the trolley!'

She went to turn for her compartment but an arm stopped her, reaching out to block her off. "Ignoring me, Adeline?"

Adeline clenched her cauldron cake box, forced to look up at Mattheo. He was already dressed in his uniform, just in a dress shirt and tie- and he looked the same as ever besides the new scar that formed across the bridge of his nose. "I have nothing to say to you so yes, I am."

His arm stayed up, eyes searching her own. "You seemed like you had plenty you wanted to say last I saw you. Staring at me, and everything."

Adeline felt the crease between her eyebrows, confused. "And then I got hit by a bludger and lost my memory." She bit back.

"I'm sure he knows loads about that." Jane's voice called out- her face being blocked by Mattheo's arm.

Slytherin's top chaser casts a dark look over at her. Peeking more over his arm she watched Jane retaliating with the middle finger. Adeline laughed and her smile stayed on her face when Mattheo turned back to her. When his eyes saw her smile his own lifted into a smirk. "Think I had something to do with your accident, princess?"

'Princess' was never a term of endearment when it came to him. This "nickname" for her started around the middle of second year after they both went face to face on the Quidditch pitch. Teased her enough so that every pass she tried to make was failed and intercepted by him. Since that match, he never stopped, off and on the pitch. Once he did it in front of Snape in the middle of a lesson and she nearly died of embarrassment.

"Don't call me-" Her eyes moved over his shoulder, seeing the tips of what she assumed to be first years' heads trying to pass. "I think you're blocking the corridor."

Mattheo's dark, nearly black, eyes didn't leave hers. "We're both standing here. You move first." He challenged.

She countered back. "You're larger." Which was true- he seemed more built than last year.

Mattheo gave her a short, amused chuckle. "Been checking me out, haven't you?" Her face felt warmer and she cursed in her head when she realized she was beat red. "Still easy to rile up," Mattheo noted, finally lowering his arm and stepping back. "Good." He takes another bite of his stolen pumpkin pastie and turns, starting down the corridor away from her and towards Theo Nott. He was waiting at the end, watching them and Adeline wondered how long he'd been standing there.

Finally freed she wasted no time. Smiling at the first years, now allowed to pass, she ducked back into the compartment and slid the door shut hard- the glass of the window shuttering. "Merlin, he's so .. fuck!" She exclaims with a huff, gritting her teeth and sitting back down next to Jane, opening the cauldron cake box.

She saw Ron fidget in his seat, speaking up in a hushed tone as she stabbed her cake with her plastic fork. "He was probably there that night. Rumors he's had the dark mark since childhood."

"The dark mark?" Adeline asked, taking a bit of her cake. Just as good as the ones in Honeydukes.

"Symbol of 'his' followers."

Then they all did something weird- every pair of eyes met hers, sending her body on alert. "What?" She drew out, picking at her cake for another piece.

Harry was the one to speak up. "What he said was true, Addie. Last we saw you really need to see him for something?" She watched his eyebrows scrunch up. "You don't remember that?"

Even just the thought of her having acted like that made her stomach churn. She cringed. "No, and let's be thankful I lost my memory for that exact reason."

"You even dreamed of him," Hermione added, worriedly.

"Ugh," Her skin crawled, sticking out her tongue as she gagged. She lowered her dessert to give him her undivided attention. "Mattheo Riddle, everything he is and stands for, repulses me and he always will, end of discussion." That seemed to please them all whose faces took turns relaxing.

Adeline took the final bite of her cauldron cake and as she swallowed something caught the corner of her eye. Her head turned towards the window, watching the Hogwarts castle appear across the black lake. She felt Jane's chin rest on her shoulder but she couldn't pull her face away to look at her. "Welcome home, Adeline."

⁺˚*･༓☾ ✧ ✧ ✧ ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

- 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞 -

Why in gods good name did it take me a week and a half to write this?!

Maybe it was because it was Mattheo's first introduction into the series and, look, I'm a perfectionist.

Nothing I was writing WORKED and I still think it's not fully up to my standards. But I  decided to publish because, as a perfectionist, perfection will never come.

I hope y'all still enjoyed it 😭

I love y'all and stay safe

- 𝓚𝓪𝔂𝓵𝓮𝓲𝓰𝓱 ৻ꪆ

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

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- Kayleigh