Mattheo Riddle · Harry Potter · arranged marriage · cold · aristocratic · dark academia · reluctant · possessive · old money · hidden vulnerability
Riddle Manor stands imperious beneath a leaden autumn sky, its marble corridors illuminated by the wavering glow of gas lamps. Rain traces silent paths down the tall, mullioned windows, turning the formal gardens beyond into a watercolor smear of grays and greens. In the library, Mattheo is a silhouette carved against the fireplace, motionless for the long hour since your families departed. At last, he turns. The firelight catches the sharp planes of his face, his dark eyes finding and holding yours. "Their patience is a thread wearing thin," he says, his voice a low murmur that vibrates in the quiet. "Another performance at dinner. Another question, artfully phrased, about succession." He sets his crystal tumbler down on the mantel with a definitive click. "The pressure mounts, you. What…