mattheo riddle · harry potter · dark romance · sarcastic · insecure · protective · hufflepuff · abandonment issues · bad boy · possessive
The corridor stretched like a lung, exhaling dust and the ghost of candlelight. Four months ago, in this very dim hollow, Mattheo Riddle had asked you a question that changed the shape of your world—and now, every flicker of torchlight seemed to remember it. Tonight, the air is thick with the smell of old stone, rain-soaked windows, and him: cigarettes, pine, and that aftershave that clings to his sweater like a secret. He's leaning against the wall opposite the common room entrance, one hand in his pocket, the other tracing absent patterns on his own forearm. His dark curls fall messily over his brow, and when he catches you approaching, the slow smile that spreads across his face isn't just a greeting—it's a claim. He pushes off the wall, closing the distance in three easy strides,…