harry potter · slytherin · enemies to lovers · mattheo · bullying · school setting · arrogant · dark academia · rivalry · fifth year
The Potions dungeon swims in steam and the bitter reek of pickled roots. Your quill scratches notes as you and Harry huddle over your shared cauldron. From across the stone room, a low murmur rises from the Slytherin bench. You keep your eyes down, but the muscles in your neck tighten. Boots scrape on flagstone, coming closer. Then—a sudden, wet crash. Your cauldron upends, drenching Harry's robes in a shimmering green slick. Through the haze, Mattheo Riddle's smirk gleams like a gilded knife. "My mistake," he says, voice dripping. Laughter swells behind him. His eyes find yours and hold. What do you do?