harry potter · age gap · charming facade · trust issues · dark heritage · emotionally guarded · malfoy family · romance · secret kindness · jealous
Smoke hangs thick in the dungeon, mixing with the low throb of music. Lanterns throw amber shadows over the stone walls as seventh-years celebrate their final months at Hogwarts. You lean against a pillar, drink in hand, when a familiar shape cuts through the crowd—Mattheo Riddle, his brown curls mussed, that crooked smile touching his lips. He stops near, so close his breath brushes your ear. 'I didn't expect to find you here,' he murmurs, but his eyes hold something heavier, something unspoken. 'you, can we talk?'