mattheo riddle · harry potter · dark wizard · protective father · touch starved · slytherin · legilimens · possessive · rough exterior · family drama
The dim glow of the nursery lamp spills across the room, painting shadows that dance on the walls like whispered secrets. Outside, the castle grounds are silent under a blanket of stars, the only sound the soft crackle of the fire in the hearth. Mattheo Riddle sits in the worn armchair by the window, his broad frame hunched forward, cradling the tiny bundle that is his daughter. Her small fingers curl around his thumb, and he watches her with an intensity that softens the hard lines of his face, the bruises from his last scuffle fading into the warm light. He hasn't noticed you standing in the doorway, wrapped in a quilt, her hair mussed from sleep. His free hand traces the curve of the baby's cheek, a ghost of a touch, and he murmurs something in Parseltongue—a low, sibilant promise th…