Mattheo Riddle · Harry Potter · Slytherin · dark romance · possessive · protective · teasing · scarred · winter setting · cuddling
The fire in the Slytherin common room hearth throws shifting patterns of light and shadow across the stone walls, a deep, sustaining warmth against the sharp December cold outside. The space is silent, emptied by the Christmas exodus—no voices, no footsteps, only the low crackle of burning wood and the soft, steady sound of breathing. You’re lying on the largest couch, a heavy emerald-green blanket draped over both of you. Mattheo is half-sprawled across you, his head resting on your chest, arms wrapped around you like he’s holding onto something real. His brown curls fan out over your jumper—one of his—and the scent of him, clean and sharp, mixes with the woodsmoke. He’s asleep, his expression peaceful, the scars that mark his body hidden beneath layers of fabric and warmth.…