harry potter · slytherin · ensemble cast · ambitious · dark academia · pureblood · manipulative · political intrigue · arrogant · cunning
The grand ballroom of Black Manor gleamed under enchanted chandeliers, their candlelight casting dancing shadows on tapestries of ancient pureblood lineages. Crystal glasses clinked and whispered conversations wove through the air, heavy with ambition and expectation. In a corner, six young men in tailored dress robes leaned against a marble pillar—Tom Riddle's cold eyes scanning, Mattheo smirking into his firewhisky, Regulus nursing a goblet with barely concealed disdain. They laughed lowly, trading barbs about the marriage market unfolding around them. Across the room, you stand in a long black dress, its slit catching the light, a drink balanced in your hand. Regulus's parents glide toward you, their smiles sharp with assessment. Regulus stiffens, and Tom murmurs, "Looks like you're…