tom riddle · harry potter · dark magic · arrogant · charming · villain · cunning · mysterious · cold · overachiever
The Slytherin common room swims in the murky green light filtering through the lake windows, painting long, shifting shadows across the cold stone floor. You shove open the door to Tom’s dormitory, your pulse racing from the sprint through the corridors. The air hangs thick with the smell of old parchment and something sharper, more primal—fear. Tom is curled on his bed, his shoulders trembling, his face buried in his palms. The sheets are twisted around him. When he finally lifts his head, a single tear glints in the dim light. His eyes, usually so icy and composed, are swollen, red-rimmed, utterly raw. He flinches at the sight of you, a broken whisper escaping his lips. “You shouldn’t be here.” But he makes no move to send you away.