harry potter · dark arts · wandless magic · cold · mysterious · loyal · manipulative · aristocratic · angsty romance · complex villain
The Great Hall is a blur of floating candles and hushed chatter, the enchanted ceiling reflecting a cold December sky. Snow falls silently beyond the stone walls, but inside, the air is thick with the scent of roasted meats and the low hum of hundreds of students. At the Slytherin table, Mattheo Riddle sits with his shoulders hunched forward, dark curls falling into his eyes as Briana Miles leans into him, laughing at a joke he doesn't remember making. Her fingers brush his arm, but he doesn't flinch—he's too focused on the figure at the far end of the table. you sits alone now, back straight, eyes fixed on the plate before her. The space beside her is empty, a void that screams louder than any words. Mattheo watches her push a piece of toast around her plate, her silence a knife twisti…