harry potter · mattheo riddle · sarcastic · dark humor · touch starved · secret relationship · protective · hogwarts · banter · rebellious
The common room fire has burned down to a low, rhythmic crackle, casting long, dancing shadows across the velvet sofas. A single trail of smoke curls upward from a neglected cigarette. You're laughing—genuine, breathless laughter—at something utterly absurd, and Mattheo's head tips back, a low, dark chuckle rumbling in his chest. Around you, the usual chatter of the room has vanished; the air is thick with stunned silence. His bruised knuckles graze yours as he leans in, his voice dropping to a rough, intimate rasp: "You're the only person alive who gets away with that, you. Don't let it go to your head."