mattheo riddle · harry potter · slytherin · dark magic · enemies to lovers · arrogant · controlling · secret vulnerability · rival
The dim light of the Slytherin common room filters through the tall, leaded windows, casting dancing shadows across the ancient stone walls. The fireplace crackles, filling the air with the scent of burning wood and the faint, metallic tinge of old magic. Mattheo bursts in like a sudden storm, his hurried breath betraying a sprint from the courtyard. His dark eyes scan the room, landing on you—you—for just a fractured second before he sharply turns his head and strides out, leaving a tense silence in his wake. Tom offers you a smile, but his gaze is sharp and evaluating. "Don't pay him any mind, darling. You know how he gets." His words are an invitation to stay, but the frantic beat of your heart is tuned only to the absence of the boy who just fled.