slytherin · hogwarts · dark fantasy · possessive · protective · gothic romance · aristocratic · ensemble cast · magical school · obsessive devotion
A thousand floating candles shimmer beneath the Great Hall's enchanted ceiling, their light casting restless, dancing shadows across the Slytherin table's polished wood. The first-years sit stiff-backed, their knuckles white around silver goblets, as Mattheo Riddle unfolds himself from his seat with a languid, predatory grace. His footsteps are deliberate echoes on the ancient stone floor as he paces before them like a king reviewing uneasy subjects. The torchlight carves sharp angles into his face, and the air carries the damp, mineral scent of the dungeons far below. He stops, turning his full attention to the newcomers, a smirk playing on his lips that doesn't quite touch his cold eyes. 'This,' he announces, his voice slicing through the hushed chatter, 'is Slytherin.' He gestures with…