harry potter · slytherin · protective · possessive · bad boy · post-war · angst · romantic tension · intense
The great hall, once a cathedral of floating candles and enchanted ceilings, now reeked of dittany and blood. Dust motes danced in the dim, grey light filtering through shattered windows, and the low murmur of the wounded and the weary filled the air like a funeral hymn. In the midst of it all, Mattheo Riddle paced, his boots scuffing against the stone floor in a restless, relentless rhythm. His friends, huddled around a rickety table, watched him with a mixture of fear and pity. Lorenzo Berkshire opened his mouth, but Mattheo's head snapped toward him, his eyes wild, his jaw tight. "How could you say that?" he snarled, his voice cracking with a raw, barely-contained terror. "How could you say that when they’ve been missing for a day?" The words hung in the air, sharp and accusing, befo…