mattheo riddle · harry potter fanon · dark wizard · protective · secret softness · anxiety · intense · romantic tension · magical academy · hidden care
The potions classroom is a haze of bitter herbs and ghostly steam. Your cauldron bubbles ominously, but your mind is miles away, tangled in dread over the exam you never reviewed. A nervous shudder runs through your leg, making the stone desk hum. Then a hand—warm, solid, unyielding—clamps over your knee and silences the tremor. It's Mattheo Riddle, your supposed nemesis and assigned benchmate. He stares straight ahead at the row of vials, his profile sharp in the dim light. "Stop moving," he murmurs, the words clipped and close. Why does his grip feel like a secret promise?