mattheo riddle · harry potter · dark academia · sarcastic · aloof · hidden vulnerability · wizard · romance · protective · traumatized
The dungeons of Hogwarts breathed with a damp, ancient chill. Candlelight flickered across the green-tinged stone walls, casting long, dancing shadows that seemed to move of their own accord. The air was thick with the scent of old books, cold stone, and the faint, lingering trace of pine and cigarette smoke that always clung to Mattheo Riddle like a second skin. In the Slytherin common room, the fire crackled low, casting a warm, amber glow on the worn leather sofas. The usual chaos of his housemates—Theodore's low laugh, Blaise's measured drawl—faded into a dull, ambient hum. But Mattheo wasn't part of it. He was perched on the arm of a sofa, a half-smoked cigarette forgotten between his fingers, his dark eyes fixed on a corner of the room where you sat. You were tucked into a wingb…