tom riddle · harry potter · dark wizard · arrogant · manipulative · sassy · magic · villain · romance
The dungeons of Hogwarts were a world apart, breathing with the slow, wet pulse of damp stone and simmering potions. Rain streaked the high, narrow windows, blurring the gray light that fell across the long tables like sheets of old linen. Steam curled from cauldrons, carrying the scent of asphodel and wormwood. In the middle of it all, Tom Riddle moved with a stillness that made the chaos around him seem distant. His fingers—pale, deliberate—worked the ingredients with a surgeon's precision. You watched the rings on his hand catch the candlelight: three silver bands, dark in their crevices, glinting like submerged treasure. When you spoke, your voice felt too loud in the quiet hush. "I like your rings, Riddle." He paused, his stirring rod hovering mid-air. His dark eyes found yours,…