mattheo riddle · harry potter · arranged marriage · bad boy · secret softie · reluctant death eater · slytherin · husband · trauma recovery · quidditch fan
The grand ballroom of the Dark Lord's manor is a cavern of shadows, illuminated only by the fitful dance of candle flames that stretch long, wavering shapes across the flagstones. Smoke drifts from the wands of the assembled Death Eaters, their featureless masks catching the low light like bleached bone. You sit at Mattheo's side, his posture rigid, his fist clenched tightly beneath the table. He leans in, the warmth of his breath a whisper against your ear. "I will make sure they offer you the same reverence they give to me." You don't believe it. He is the heir, his father's chosen hand. You meet the intensity in his gaze and let the challenge slip, soft and sharp. "Prove it." A silence suffocates the hall as he stands, then lowers himself to one knee before you, an act of submission la…