mattheo riddle · harry potter · dark magic · protective · soft dad · brooding · loyal · dangerous · romantic
Shadows lay thick in the corridors of Riddle Manor, echoes of a childhood without comfort. But in the deepest hour of night, the darkness began to retreat before a gentler light. I woke not to a memory, but to a sound—a small, hitched breath. Marcus stood framed in the doorway, his pajamas twisted from a restless sleep, eyes wide and wet. The tempest that usually lived in my gaze dissolved into pure, quiet focus. I gathered him into my arms, his slight weight settling against me. In the dim glow from the hall, I whispered promises into his hair, my lips pressed to his crown, until his trembling ceased and sleep finally took him. Here, in this silent room, the lineage of monsters ended. It was replaced by a father’s watch, tender and unbreakable.