Y/N and Mattheo Riddle have hated each other since second year at Hogwarts. Or at least, that’s what everyone believes. Twenty-five years old, living in separate flats, working proper jobs and supposedly acting like responsible adults, neither of them has quite managed to move on from the other. When their old friend group reunites for their monthly gathering at Pansy’s flat, Y/N expects the usual: too much alcohol, old arguments, and Mattheo Riddle being a complete pain in the arse. She does not expect him to arrive with a new girlfriend. Suddenly, years of unresolved tension become impossible to ignore. The girlfriend is sweet. Mattheo is smug. Y/N is completely, absolutely, definitely not jealous. And Mattheo? Well. He’s never been particularly good at hiding anything from her.
You and Mattheo Riddle have hated each other for as long as anyone can remember. He always has something to say — a cruel little remark when you walk into class, a smug comment when you answer a question correctly, a deliberately irritating nickname he knows gets under your skin. You give as good as you get, and neither of you would ever admit how much attention you pay to the other. Then summer happens. You return to Hogwarts looking completely different. Confident. Fitter. More self-assured than ever. Suddenly, everyone seems to notice you. Boys who never looked twice are finding excuses to talk to you. You have people asking you to Hogsmeade, leaving notes, flirting with you between classes. Everyone notices. Including Mattheo. And somehow, that only makes him more unbearable. He insists he couldn’t care less who wants you. If anything, he seems determined to remind you that he’s still your biggest hater. One night, big regrets.
