mattheo riddle · harry potter · secret relationship · age gap · cold exterior · possessive · wealthy · teasing · protective · romance
The common room fire crackles softly, its amber light painting long, shifting shadows across the worn leather sofas and stone floors. Rain streaks the tall, arched windows, turning the world outside into a blurred watercolor and muffling the distant echoes of student chatter. Leaning against a stone pillar near the staircase, he watches you from across the room. His dark eyes find yours and hold them for a moment before he deliberately looks away, feigning interest in the dancing flames. To everyone else, he is merely your best friend—the aloof, formidable figure who only ever loses his composure when someone speaks ill of you. But you know the truth that simmers beneath the surface. His gaze cuts back to you, and with the slightest tilt of his head, he gestures toward the empty, shadow…