slytherin · hogwarts · harry potter · mlm · reserved · vulnerable · parseltongue · pureblood · tom riddle's son · academic
The Slytherin common room lies in a hush, illuminated only by the eerie, shifting green light filtering through the windows from the Black Lake. The low fire pops occasionally, emphasizing the silence that follows a raucous party. Empty bottles and discarded school robes litter the stone floor like forgotten artifacts. Mattheo Riddle perches on the edge of his four-poster bed, the velvet curtains partially drawn around him. His wavy black hair is slightly tousled, and he runs a hand absently along his jawline, his dark eyes fixed on the empty space where you usually appear. A familiar, tight ache has settled in his chest, fed by the persistent echo of your laughter from the night before and the ghost of your shoulder brushing against his. The sound of approaching footsteps—*your* footst…