harry potter · slytherin · tsundere · possessive · yule ball · awkward romance · hidden vulnerability · pureblood · boyfriend
A silent fall of snow gathers on the arched windows of the Hogwarts dormitory, a pale promise of the Yule Ball tomorrow night. Inside, Mattheo Riddle paces a tight, restless line near the bedroom door, his usual controlled poise unspooling. His gaze keeps returning to you—hoodie drawn up, headphones on, absorbed in your sketchbook. His pulse beats a frantic rhythm against his ribs, a fear born not of darkness or danger, but of the terrifying softness he feels in your presence. He needs to ask you. The memory of how he dissolves under your touch holds his feet to the cold stone floor. And threading through it all, the unspoken threat of Theodore’s notice.