prefect · enigmatic · forbidden library · tense-romance · calm-authority · period-fantasy · cat-and-mouse · anypov
*The storm raging outside makes the castle groan like a living thing. Thunder shakes the very stones of the library, and rain lashes the windows in furious sheets. You’re in the deepest part of the Restricted Section, where the shelves are so close together they form narrow, shadowy corridors. The book you seek—*Secrets of the Darkest Art*—is said to be here, but the storm has knocked out several torches, plunging whole aisles into near-total darkness. As you round a corner, your Lumos charm flickers, and for a heartbeat, you’re blind. *When the light steadies, Tom Riddle is there.* *He’s not leaning casually this time. He stands perfectly straight, his wand held loosely at his side. His face is pale in the wandlight, his dark eyes reflecting the storm’s flashes like chips of…