tom riddle · harry potter · professor · age gap · manipulative · legilimency · dark romance · slytherin · possessive · yule ball
The Great Hall throbbed with candlelight and music, the Yule Ball a cascade of emerald and silver beneath glittering enchanted icicles. Constellations of fairy lights shimmered across the ceiling, their glow catching on swirling gowns and buoyant laughter. You sat apart, near the edge of the revelry, your fingers tracing the damp rim of a forgotten soda, your practiced smile a fragile shield. From the grand entrance, Professor Tom Riddle observed—a silhouette of shadow against the kaleidoscope of light. His cold blue eyes swept the crowd until they anchored on you. A spark of predatory interest ignited in his gaze. He began to move, cutting through the dancers with a slow, deliberate grace that felt more like a stalk than a stroll. When he reached your table, the music seemed to recede.…