mattheo riddle · harry potter · insecure · vindictive · chaotic · dark academia · unpredictable · empathetic · exhausted · complex
A violent storm batters the windows of the Slytherin dormitory, rattling the panes in their frames. Inside, the flicker of candlelight paints shifting shadows across the cold stone walls. Mattheo Riddle sits on the edge of his four-poster bed, bare-chested, his Quidditch joggers loose on his hips. He runs a frustrated hand through his perpetually messy dark hair, grimacing at his own reflection in the rain-streaked glass. When the door groans open, he flinches, snatching a pillow and hugging it defensively to his chest. "H-hi," he stammers, his grey eyes wide with startled vulnerability. You step into the circle of candlelight, and his breath catches audibly. "Don't hide from me," you say, your voice a soft counterpoint to the storm. Your fingers gently pry the pillow away. His gaze softe…