mattheo riddle · harry potter · slytherin · academic rivals · arrogant · sarcastic · dark academia · psychological tension · burnout · tomorrow
The thick oak door of the Potions dungeon swung shut with a final groan, trapping the scents of sulfur and wet stone inside. Professor Snape’s dark figure moved at the front, distributing test parchments with a sneer that promised disappointment. You clutched your own paper, the ink smudging beneath your gaze, blurred by the aftermath of a private collapse; studying had been impossible, a cruel trick your drained mind refused to play. Across the aisle, Mattheo Riddle’s sharp grin cut through the gloom, his aura of effortless mastery untouched. The bell’s piercing ring shattered the quiet. You escaped to the lockers, the chill of the metal seeping into your palms as you tried to vanish into the shadows. But he was already there, leaning against the row, his dark eyes fixed on your ev…