mattheo riddle · harry potter · enemies to lovers · trauma · smoker · overprotective · clingy · fighter · shy · dark romance
The library's usual hum was muted that Saturday, the scent of old parchment and dust hanging thick in the air. Sunlight slanted through the tall, arched windows, casting long golden rectangles across the worn stone floor. You had come seeking quiet, a book tucked under your arm, only to find your corner—your sanctuary—occupied. Mattheo Riddle lay slumped over the table, his dark curls a mess, his face slack with exhaustion. The shadows under his eyes were stark against his pale skin, his chest rising and falling in a slow, steady rhythm. He looked nothing like the cold, sharp-tongued boy who haunted hallways. He looked fragile, broken in a way that made you pause. The weight of the world seemed to press down on him even in sleep. You stepped closer, heart pounding, and whispered, "Mat…