if one of them is dead.

chapter five.

Lilith.

As I'm finishing up my makeup in Mattheo's bathroom, he leans on the doorway. "Where have you been going the past few nights?" he asks. I pause, and look at him through the mirror. "Don't try and play dumb, Lilith. I know you've been sneaking out every night. Do you think I don't feel you leave? Where have you been going?"

I shake my head and put my mascara tube in my makeup bag. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do," he says, crossing his arms. "Lilith, I'm not an idiot. I know you've been leaving. Ever since the third day of school, you've been leaving late at night and don't come back for an hour. Where the hell have you been going?" When I don't answer, zipping the makeup bag shut, he tries again. "Are you cheating on me?"

That makes me snap my head over to him. I shake my head and walk up to him, cupping his cheeks. "No," I say, shaking my head more. "No, Mattheo, I would never cheat on you. I could never do that to you even if I wanted to— not that I ever would. I care about you too much." His face softens as I lean up and place my lips on his. He furrows his brows and kisses me back, putting one of his hands on my back.

We have to finish getting ready, but neither of us want to.

"I just thought—" he starts, pulling away from me.

I put my forehead against his and nod. "It's okay, Mattheo. I know. I'm sorry."

He pulls away and kisses my forehead. "I'll let you get dressed," he says, closing the door.

He's getting distant. He knows that there's something wrong. But he doesn't need to know where I'm going at night. What he doesn't know won't hurt him. Or it might. It probably will, and that is what scares the shit out of me.

So instead I get dressed.

✨da shirt✨

✨da skirt✨

Mattheo smirks at me when I walk out of the bathroom and flip him off. He's wearing nice pants and a button up. We're classy for a reason.

When we get there, arm in arm, Slughorn stands up and welcomes us in. He leads us to a round table where most of the members of the Slug Club are sitting. We sit down next to Blaise, who smirks at me.

McLaggen almost goes under the table when he sees Mattheo. They got in a fight last year, and it was pretty bad. Mattheo definitely broke McLaggen's nose and McLaggen definitely broke Mattheo's nose. To be completely honest, I'm surprised that Mattheo is even still alive by how many fights he got into last year.

Granger whispers something to Potter and he raises his brows at her. Mattheo puts his hand on my thigh and sips whatever is in the goblets. Blaise elbows me in the side to get me to look at him.

"What?" I whisper.

"You two make it obvious," he whispers back.

"You're sitting right next to me, of course you can see."

"Just don't give him a hand job."

I slap his arm and glare at him, earning a disapproving look from Granger.

Slughorn turns to Mattheo and I and smiles. "Both of your fathers did very well in my class," he says. "Professor Snape was brilliant at potions and made a few spells. Now, making spells takes a lot." He chuckles. "I hope that he passed that trait down to you, that would be very good. Very good indeed."

I nod. "Yes, my father has told me a lot about the spells he has created. I've mastered a few of them very well."

He's happy with that, so that's good I guess.

"And your father, dear boy," Slughorn says, nodding to Mattheo. Everyone goes a little more quiet. Wimps. Mattheo sets his goblet down and looks at Slughorn with his full attention. "Your father was one of my best students. He was one of my favorites, even though I always told him I never played favorites."

Sluggy buddy, you should really shut up because Mattheo can still go and tell his not dead father about this all.

Slughorn sighs and shakes his head, waving Mattheo off. "And I suppose you will do just as well. I've looked at your marks from the past year, and you do wonderfully."

"Thank you, Professor," Mattheo says, nodding to Slughorn.

Slughorn smiles and turns to Granger. "What do your parents do for a living, Ms. Granger?" he asks.

She looks over at Slughorn and then back at the table. "They're dentists," she says, and after a moment she continues, "They work on people's teeth." She laughs a little. "A kid bit my dad once." Then she realizes that half the people here are uptight bitches and she stops laughing. Potter nods his head and looks like he'll go off on anyone that dares to say anything.

A few minutes later, the door opens and we all turn to see Ginny Weasley walk in the room. I hear Granger whisper something to Potter. Weasley looks like she's been crying. But why? Could it be that Thomas kid, or something else entirely?

Potter stands up. Mattheo, Blaise, and I all look over at him and raise a brow at the same time. After a second, he sits down and Weasley says, "Sorry I'm late." She walks over and sits down in an empty seat.

I take a sip from my goblet and Slughorn turns back to me again. Wonderful. I hate talking.

"So, Ms. Snape, you are very gifted in potion making, is that correct?" he asks.

I set my goblet down and nod. "I'd like to think so."

He nods. "Now, I think you're just being modest." He smiles. "I assume that your father started teaching you potions at a young age?"

I nod. "He did. I was taught the easier things when I was a lot younger up into my first year. Second and third year he taught more difficult things."

"Like the owls?" he asks.

"That exactly," I reply. "Fourth and fifth year were more difficult."

He nods as if it's the most interesting thing ever. "Fascinating."

"I already knew how to brew potions, so he used that concept to help me learn how to cook," I say, shrugging.

Mattheo and Blaise both raise their brows at me. "You know how to cook?" Mattheo asks.

I nod. "You didn't think my father made that food that night?"

He looks like he's contemplating his answer. "I was too worried to worry about who made the food, though it was really good."

I hum and take a drink from my goblet.

"Snape is a scary man," Blaise says, taking a drink from his goblet.

I roll my eyes. "He just intimidates."

Everyone but Slughorn looks at me like I'm crazy. Slughorn nods as if he agrees with me.

After the dinner gets over, I part ways with Blaise and Mattheo, telling them that I need to run by Dad's classroom really quick.

The one thing that sticks in my mind as I walk the corridors is Lemon Drops.