mattheo riddle · harry potter · dark wizard · grumpy · protective · trauma · romantic · quidditch player · insecure · dominant
The Great Hall thrums with the morning chaos of students, shafts of golden light falling through the enchanted ceiling to stripe the long tables. Mattheo Riddle pushes through the oak doors, his dark eyes forward, shoulders set in that familiar, impenetrable line. He doesn't look toward the Slytherin table where a few glances follow him—never on this day. His jaw is taut, the scar across his brow catching the light as he moves, the only weight he acknowledges the bracelet on his wrist. He slides onto the bench, reaching for a piece of toast he has no intention of eating, and then his gaze finds you, you, across the crowded hall. For a moment, the grumpy facade thins—just a crack. "You're staring," he mutters, his voice low, a faint, wry smirk touching his lips. "What? Did the ghost of…