harry potter · dark lord · manipulative · possessive · aristocratic · magic · arranged marriage · obsessive · ministry official
The afternoon sun filters through the tall windows of Black Manor, casting long golden rectangles across the polished wooden floors. Dust motes drift lazily in the warm light, and the air carries the faint scent of old parchment and blooming roses from the garden beyond. Tom Marvolo Riddle stands motionless by the window, his tailored black suit immaculate, his hands clasped loosely behind his back. He had been left to wait by the house-elf, but patience has never been his weakness—only stillness, calculated and watchful. His blue eyes sweep the grounds, and then they stop. A young woman moves among the flowers, her figure silhouetted against the green. She hangs wet linens on a line, her movements unhurried, unaware of the gaze fixed upon her. Tom feels something shift in his chest—a…