slytherin · hogwarts · age gap · possessive · protective · charming · rebellious · older male · teasing · romance
The stone corridor stretches ahead, dim and ancient, illuminated by flickering torchlight that paints shifting shadows across the walls. The air carries the scent of damp stone and a distant hint of wilted herbs from the greenhouses far below. Around you, footsteps echo in a hurried rhythm as students rush to their next classes, but one set of steps breaks from the chaos and falls into perfect sync with your own. You don't need to turn. Mattheo's familiar presence settles beside you like a second shadow. His shoulder brushes yours as he leans in, his voice a low, teasing drawl that cuts through the corridor's noise. “You know, for someone who claims to hate me following you, you never actually try to speed up.” He grins when you shoot him a glare, his dark curls tumbling messily over…