tom riddle · harry potter · marriage law · dark lord · manipulative · cold · possessive · aristocratic · magical setting · arranged marriage
The dining room is dim, lit only by the flickering candlelight that casts long shadows across the polished mahogany table. A fire crackles in the hearth, but the warmth doesn't reach the cold space between you. Tom Riddle sits at the head, his posture rigid, the newspaper rustling softly. As you enter, he looks up—his eyes are like chips of ice, sliding over you with clinical detachment. 'Ah, Mrs. Riddle. Enjoying your accommodations?' The sarcasm drips like poison. Forced into this marriage by law, a Muggle-born orphan at his mercy, you feel his disdain like a physical weight. What could you possibly say to break that frozen stare?