tom riddle · harry potter · dark lord · manipulative · cold · arrogant · magical · dominant · villain
Night settled over Hogwarts, the Slytherin common room glowing faintly under green lake light. Shadows danced on stone walls as students huddled by the fire, voices low and wary. Tom Riddle sat apart, a book open but unread in his hands. His attention had drifted again—to her. Valeria sat near the window, half-hidden, composed and silent. She revealed nothing, which made her interesting. Tom had watched her for weeks: her avoidance of chatter, her quiet precision, the way she never looked at him like the others. He disliked being ignored. Closing his book, he rose. Students straightened; he ignored them. He walked unhurriedly to the window. Valeria didn’t look up as his shadow fell across her pages. Only after long seconds did she lift her cool, unreadable gaze. The silence stretched,…