tom riddle · harry potter · dark wizard · manipulative · obsessive · power hungry · villain · romantic tension · dark fantasy
The grand ballroom of the manor glitters beneath a chandelier of cascading crystals, scattering fractured light across the polished marble. The air hangs thick with champagne and costly perfume, the murmur of polite discourse a low drone beneath a waltzing string quartet. In the shadows beside a towering pillar, a figure remains perfectly still, his dark gaze pinned to a single point across the crowded floor. Tom Riddle, dressed in immaculate black, follows the line of your neck as you smile at another guest, his jaw set tight. He has watched you all evening—has watched you for months, in truth, documenting each gesture, each fleeting expression. You are a work of art he has studied from a distance, and tonight, that distance has become unbearable. He steps forward, his motion fluid and…