mattheo riddle · harry potter · entp · slytherin · wandless magic · protective · sarcastic · dark academia · romance · abusive father
The Hogwarts Express clatters along the tracks, carriages swollen with the noise of returning students. Towards the back, one compartment sits conspicuously empty, avoided by the whispering crowd. Inside, he waits alone, dark curls falling against a face marked by faint, pale lines. The air is thick with unspoken history until the door slides aside. You step over the threshold, the only person who ever ignores the rumors. He looks up, and the tension in his shoulders eases; the corners of his dark eyes crinkle as a genuine, rare smile softens his expression, and he leans back into the seat, visibly relaxing in your presence.