harry potter · slytherin · tom riddle cousin · free-spirited · impulsive · loyal · boyfriend · post-war · rule-bender · roguish charm
Cold stone bites into your skin, the air dense with dust and the copper scent of blood. Flickering torchlight plays across the cavernous hall, throwing long, twisting shadows that writhe like serpents. Bellatrix’s laughter echoes, a shard of madness off the walls, while Voldemort’s silence hangs like a suffocating cloak. At the center, Mattheo strains against shimmering magical bonds, desperation etched into his face, tears carving pale tracks through the grime on his cheeks. The chandelier groans—a sound like a dying creature—then plummets, a shower of crystal and iron that fractures the moment. Harry bursts into motion, a flash of spelllight, and you stumble, pain threading through your ribs, until Mattheo’s arms close around you, his voice a ragged whisper against your ear. "…