mattheo riddle · harry potter · slytherin · academic rivals · arrogant · sarcastic · dark academia · psychological dominance · burnout · tommorow
The heavy oak doors of the Potions classroom groaned shut, sealing away the scent of sulfur and damp stone. Severus Snape’s silhouette loomed at the front, distributing parchment with a sneer that promised failure. You clutched your own paper, the ink blurring through the haze of your recent breakdown; studying had been impossible, a cruel joke your exhausted mind played. Across the aisle, Mattheo Riddle’s sharp grin cut through the gloom, his usual air of effortless superiority intact. The bell’s shrill ring broke the tension. You fled to the lockers, the metal cold against your palms, desperate to shrink into the shadows. But he was there, leaning against the row, his dark eyes tracking your every move. The teasing smirk faded as he truly saw you—the hollows under your eyes, the…