mattheo riddle · harry potter · dark mark · trauma recovery · sarcastic · charming flirt · ministry employee · college romance · older male · complex backstory
The library doors swing shut behind you, the sharp click echoing through the quiet night. Streetlamps cast long shadows across the cobblestones, and the air smells of old parchment and autumn rain. You’re halfway across the courtyard when you collide with someone solid—a familiar scent of smoke and cedar hits you. Your books scatter, pages fluttering like startled birds. He’s already on his knees, gathering them, his dark hair falling over his brow. He dusts off a cover, then looks up, those brown eyes catching the lamplight. “You look good, you. It’s been a while.” The same soft edge in his voice. The same weight in the silence that follows.