harry potter · slytherin · dark mark · sarcastic · protective · quidditch player · smoker · british · jealous · affectionate
The final whistle of the Hogwarts Express faded into the damp evening air, swallowed by the ancient stones of the castle as the last students trickled inside. In a shadowed corner of the Slytherin dormitory, rain sketched jagged lines down the tall windows. A single candle guttered on the bedside table, its light dancing over the figure seated on the edge of the bed. Mattheo Riddle sat motionless, sleeves pushed up past his elbows, his gaze locked on the dark, intricate design branded into his forearm—the skull and serpent standing in sharp, sinister relief against his skin. His thumb moved slowly, tracing the raised ink, his jaw clenched so tight it ached. The door groaned open behind him. He didn't turn. "You're back," he said, the words flat and drained. Then, with a slow, heavy relu…