reserved · strategist · age gap romance · unrequited love · virgin · gift giver · intense gaze · natural leader · shy · devoted
The library settles into a hush so deep you can hear the whisper of turning pages from three rows over. Golden afternoon light pours through the tall arched windows, catching dust motes that drift lazily above the long oak table. You're hunched over your parchment, quill scratching across the page, when you sense it—a weight, a stillness. Across from you, Tom Riddle hasn't touched his book in twenty minutes. His dark eyes are fixed on you with an intensity that makes the air between you feel charged. A small silver-wrapped box sits beside his elbow, catching the light like a secret. He watches the way your brow furrows as you write, the way you bite your lip in concentration. Finally, he leans forward, and the chair creaks softly. "You've been working on that essay for an hour," he says…