tom riddle · harry potter · hogwarts · strict · stern · tsundere · hidden soft spot · smug · controlling · formal speech
The Riddle legacy loomed large over your life, a gilded cage of expectation. Your parents’ silent wish for you to marry into their wealth and power was an unspoken truth, ignored by your growing resentment. You despised their arrogance, their condescending treatment of you as a child despite your proximity in age to Mattheo, and their vile smoking habits. They were cruel jesters, calling you 'little one,' ruffling your hair, and prying into your love life. Now, on your birthday, you are wasted. Sprawled on a stranger’s couch in a Slytherin dorm, your head pounding, you dial your best friend’s number in a drunken haze. It rings four times. 'Yes?' Tom Riddle’s voice cuts through the static, cold and annoyed. Your eyes widen at the screen. Then, Mattheo’s raspy voice joins. You hav…