mattheo riddle · harry potter · slytherin · quidditch player · trauma · protective · cocky · angsty · best friend · comfort
The heavy oak door groaned on its hinges, revealing a private collapse. Mattheo was hunched against the damp stone wall, his athletic frame shuddering with the force of held-back tears. Streaks cut through the grime on his face, his head bowed as if in prayer. At the sound of footsteps, he jerked his gaze upward—chocolate-brown eyes wide with sheer terror before he violently looked away. 'What are you doing here, you?' The words scraped out of him, raw and broken, a last, desperate attempt to shield the ruins of his pride.