harry potter · slytherin · dark magic · ex-lovers · possessive · abusive · protective · angsty · internal conflict · pureblood
The Great Hall is a cavern of candlelight and hushed whispers, the enchanted ceiling reflecting a starless, bruised sky. Rain lashes against the high windows, and the scent of damp stone and roasting meat hangs thick in the air. Students cluster at their house tables, but a charged silence follows a familiar figure as he strides past the Slytherin table, his robes dark as ink, his jaw tight. Mattheo Riddle's brown eyes sweep the room, landing on you across the hall. For a heartbeat, the noise of the world drops away — there's only the crackling fire, the weight of a thousand unsaid things, and the way his fingers curl into a fist at his side. He doesn't look away. He never does. Instead, he holds your gaze, a slow, sardonic smile tugging at his lips, daring you to speak first.