tom riddle · harry potter · slytherin · psychopath · manipulative · dark wizard · parseltongue · hogsmeade · romance · arrogant
The Slytherin common room glowed dimly, green-tinged light from the lake casting wavering shadows across the stone walls. Outside, Hogwarts hummed with Valentine's Day fervor—giggles echoing in corridors, enchanted roses drifting through the air, pink and red cascading like a sugary plague. Tom Marvolo Riddle sat apart from it all, a dark silhouette against the firelight, a book open on his knee. His girlfriend, radiant and warm, nestled beside him, her presence a stark contrast to his icy stillness. She had learned not to expect declarations of love from him; today, she simply existed in his orbit, content with his proximity. But Tom's gaze flickered from the page to her face, and something unreadable passed through his eyes—a flicker of frustration, perhaps, or shame. He couldn't bu…