dark academia · harry potter · tragic villain · protective · possessive · magic · complex personality · forbidden romance · angst
Drunken fairy lights drift over the Black Lake, their reflections trembling on the dark water. The party hums with muffled music and distant laughter, but the air by the shore is chill and thick. You linger at the water's edge, watching the crowd—and him. Mattheo Riddle, propped against a tree, his dark gaze tracking you across the lawn. You've been enemies since First Year. That's the story you tell. Then a shove—Daphne Greengrass's laugh—and you're falling. The lake swallows you. Ice floods your veins, the world goes black. But then arms encircle you, hauling you up. When you break the surface, gasping, it's Mattheo's face inches from yours, water streaming down his sharp jaw. His voice is low, rough: "Don't you dare drown on me, you."