"Ronald!" Hermione called after her boyfriend as he stormed out of the room. She gave one look of apology over to Matt and Harry and immediately chased after Ron. "Ronald, wait!" Hermione called.
Matt exchanged glances with Harry, a look of concern on his face. They both started towards the door as well, but Harry seemed to think better of it and stopped.
"Wait, I'm sure this will blow over. It's…not unusual…for them, I mean." Harry said, as he stopped Matt from chasing after the couple.
"Alright, fair enough." Matt replied, trusting in the famous Harry Potter and his newfound friends enough to listen. "Although, that isn't good. They fight like that all the time?" he asked, surprised at the severity of the argument.
"Yeah, I think they secretly like it, though." Harry replied.
"Well, I guess I can see it…" Matt said, his own voice did not sound convinced. "But supposedly, half the reason couples fight is to make up. The sex is supposedly better." He added bluntly. Harry gave an uncomfortable cough and Ginny's face had turned the color of her hair. Luna, meanwhile, simply giggled into her hands.
Matt grinned slightly but looked back to the door, shouting could still be heard. His expression betrayed him, he looked and felt guilty about the situation.
"So that spell…" Harry began.
"Yes?" Matt asked, turning back to the other wizard, drawing the word out a little to indicate his amused openness.
"What was that?"
"It's just a custom spell I developed. Mixed a few spells together to get that. I was trying to make a rebounding ball of fire. Figured it'd be useful in a situation where you had a room full of stuff and needed to hit multiple objects with one spell. Kind of like a pinball machine but with flames."
"Woah, that's…" Ginny began.
"Totally brilliant." Harry finished for her. Matt smirked. He had figured out the two were in a relationship. It was not difficult to guess, they had exchanged glances and smiles several times since the group had convened. And given both their reactions when Matt even mentioned the word sex, it was pretty obvious there was an attraction between the two beyond simply good friends.
"Matt." Harry said, as Matt pulled out of his own thoughts.
"Yeah, Harry?"
"What was it you wanted to talk to me about, earlier, you mentioned it." Harry said.
"Well, that's a longer story. Hermione's told me some of what you all went through the last few years, but not all of it. And, well…" Matt was hesitating. He did not want to tell everything without the others here, but he figured he could truncate it a little and still get his point across.
"Go on." Harry prodded.
"There was a plan. I came up with it. You weren't supposed to have to fight Voldemort on your own." Matt explained. "We were going to send back up. Ilvermorny, I mean. We believed your story, more or less, from the get-go. But MACUSA needed hard evidence. So, we were going to send a transfer student to talk to you, get the evidence and then we could have acted. Send you some backup." The expression on Harry's face went from interested to confused to realization.
"The idea was we were going to send a transfer student initially, get the lay of the land and then follow up with a handful more. I was going to be that student. But the Headmaster pulled me, had me pick someone else…" Matt continued.
"But we've never had a transfer student." Harry said.
"I know. Hermione told me as much. He didn't make it." Matt said, pain in his voice. "He was found about a month after Ilvermorny fell. I had to research the papers for it. Think Madam Pince isn't too happy about my incessant need for information. Although, I get the feeling, that I'm coming to a point where I've gotten all the information I'm going to be able to get; as far as catching myself up on what happened."
"I see." Harry said and looked at the floor.
"Don't." Matt said, standing up.
"What?"
"I've seen that look. I know that feeling, believe me. Don't go taking responsibility for my friend's death. That one's mine to bear." Matt said.
"Oh, for Merlin's sake! You two are just alike, you know!" Ginny exclaimed suddenly. "Look at the both of you! Harry's trying to blame himself for yet another life lost in his name, knowing fully well that he isn't, but feels like he is. And you, Matt! You want to take the burden of guilt off Harry only to lay it on yourself! Your friend, good as I'm sure he was, did ultimately decide to try to come here to help. You didn't force him to at wand point, he went of his own accord, didn't he? If he hadn't been willing to take the risk, he wouldn't have, and you know that! It's not like you knew the risk and didn't tell him!"
Matt paused as he looked at Ginny and gave a defeated sigh. She was right and he knew it.
"Well damn, she's got us both figured out, doesn't she, Potter?" Matt said, almost amused. "Yeah, I'd say so." Harry agreed.
"You got yourself a keeper." Matt gave him a playful nudge with his elbow.
"Yeah, I do…"
There was more shouting, and Matt's brow furrowed with concern. The fight that had ignited in the corridor sounded like it had not gotten better and was now echoing through the castle. Matt knew they must be either near or in the Great Hall.
"We should go check on that…" Matt said and snapped his wrist, turning his wand back into a cane. The three on one duel had left him aching. He did not give Harry a chance to protest or stop and simply walked out of the room, heading for the staircases.
"Ginny, Luna, maybe you better clear off for now." Harry said as he quickly followed in Matt's wake. The two girls left behind decided to. They followed Matt and Harry but chose a different fireplace to leave from.
"Harry, if Ron asks, I didn't leave because he told me to. I left because we're done for the day it seems. I'll see you back at your place?" Ginny said.
"Yeah, sounds good." Harry agreed before he jogged to catch up to Matt. Matt was almost running as he heard the shouting growing louder. He was worried for his friend. He did not want to see her get hurt. But he was not as fast as he used to be, his injury slowed him so Harry could easily catch up to him.
As the pair neared the Great Hall, they could hear the argument much more clearly.
"Ron! Let go! You're hurting me!" Hermione said and tried to wrestle out of his grip. Ron struggled with her as she dug her heels in and tried to spin.
Matt took a sharp intake of breath, sensing danger and was about to charge in when Harry got in front of him and stopped him. The two peered into the wide-open doors of the Great Hall as Ron shot back and Hermione gave her explosive reply.
"No! I'm not letting go of you, now come on Hermione!" Ron said yanking her hard towards the fireplace. Hermione had had enough. She pivoted on her left heel away from Ron and then came back with her right hand and struck him hard in the face.
Matt and Harry both flinched and stepped back from the doorway. Ron gasped and let go of her before he stumbled into the fireplace and shouted, "The Burrow!" and disappeared.
The two heard Hermione break. Matt winced in sympathetic pain. He felt a need burn inside him to go to her, to make her feel better. He did not understand this. Why? Because she was just his friend? Why did he care so much? They had not known each other exceptionally long, not nearly as long as she had known either Harry or Ron. What business was it of Matt's go to her and try to comfort her?
Harry seemed to see how much his closest and best friend's sobs and cries affected this newcomer. His own emotions seemed reflected in this displaced America wizard. Harry looked like he actually felt sorry for Matt. Harry pulled Matt back away from the Great Hall and up the nearby staircase.
"What are you doing?" Matt asked annoyed. "She needs help!"
"Listen, I know. Alright? I know. I might have been wrong; this wasn't just a lover's quarrel." Harry replied, even agreed with Matt.
"Then we should go to her." Matt tried to push past Harry, but Harry was steadfast.
"Now's not the time for this. I know you want to help. But she's going to need some space. You can't help her the way she needs right now." Harry reasoned.
Matt sighed. He felt defeated and deflated. Harry was right and he could not argue.
"Alright. You're right. You take care of her. I'll just…" he motioned with his head deeper into the castle. "Just, tell her I hope she's ok."
"Sure thing." Harry agreed and Matt limped up the stairs. He turned back one more time; if he had not seen Harry go into the Great Hall, he would have thrown caution to the wind and gone in himself. But he did not want to cause a scene or make things worse for Hermione.
He had a long walk through the castle back to the hospital wing. He cursed his damned injured leg for hurting him so much. He wished it would go away, but like many other things, some pain never disappeared. He tried to rest when he returned to his bed but found he was unable to quiet his mind.
Thoughts raced in his head, replaying the incident in the room, wishing he had not overcharged the spell and blew the trapdoor up. He felt bad for making everyone afraid and even more so for getting in the way of Hermione and Ron's relationship.
Eventually he could stand it no longer and walked to the library. The place had become a comfort to him. The smell of old books and parchment. The charming quiet. Even though there were very few people at the school now, the Hospital Wing was still the busiest place in the castle. The library was mercifully not.
Matt paced the rows of books and passed through the tables as he thought, trying to figure out why he reacted that way. What had made him rise to Ron's challenge? Was it because he wanted to show off? He had been in the room with two of the greatest wizards and the greatest witch of their time. Did he really want to show them he could stand with them that badly?
Or was it because Hermione was the one who wanted to see him show his stuff? She wanted to know. And he wanted to show her, build her trust, no secrets. But why did that matter?
Hermione is just a friend, right? That was all he wanted right now, was it not? Just a friend.
Matt questioned himself. He thought that was what he wanted. Maybe that was not the case. Maybe he was wanting more and had wanted more all along. Had he truly been lying to himself the last few months? No. He tempered his feelings. Hermione was his friend and he let hearing her cry register on an emotional level. He should not have done that, should not have let it get to him so damned easily.
He grimaced as he paced. Matt was berating himself mentally for having opened a part of himself that should not have come out at all. He needed to focus and shut it down. He really wanted to just start skipping any further tutoring lessons and keep his distance. That would be for the better.
Matt shook his head. No that would not work either. Hermione, Ginny, Luna, none of them would understand that. Not without an explanation. And no one was going to buy 'I'm tired' 'I'm not up for it today'. Those would only work about once or twice before any simpleton caught on to the fact that he was avoiding them.
There was no way he would be able to just explain everything that had just run through his head. That would make things infinitely worse and make a huge mess to clean up. Ultimately, doing that would more than disastrously end most, if not all, of the new friendships he had been forging.
Matt cursed himself again and sighed. The only way forward was to give Hermione some time to recover and some space to get herself straightened around. And maybe that time and space would help him get a little more perspective and clarity on his own feelings and situation.
He finally felt better, after he had walked all over the library several times over, he collapsed into a chair by the window. Matt took a deep breath and realized where he had sat down. The conversation from earlier in the day drifted back to him.
"Hermione's looking for you…" the red head started. "Although, I don't know how she missed you. This is her spot you know."
"I'm sorry? What do you mean 'her spot'?" Matt asked, marking his place in the book with a piece of parchment.
"This is the exact same spot she always comes to, whenever she comes to the library." Ginny stated matter-of-factly.
"Well, it makes sense, comfortable seat, good lightning, easy access…"
"Great minds…" he said to himself. His leg was hurting, and he suddenly regretted all the walking to release his pent-up adrenaline. Matt sighed and realized he was sitting an arm's length away from a bookshelf. He reached over at random and picked a tome off the shelf.
Hogwarts: A History the cover read. Matt gave an almost knowing glance upwards. As if the fates had somehow made it so he stopped here, now, at this particular space, to find that particular book. He knew he had nothing better to do the rest of the day, so he read.