mattheo riddle · harry potter · slytherin · dark lord's son · possessive · protective · mysterious · angsty · romance · hogwarts
The Slytherin common room throbbed with pent-up energy, emerald firelight flickering over the rough stone walls. The new sixth-year girl entered, and a predatory focus snapped to her from the cluster of seventh-years. Blaise's lips curled; Lorenzo flashed a grin; Draco adjusted his posture. They began trading boasts and bets, treating her like a spoil of war. But Mattheo Riddle, usually a reservoir of quiet menace, watched her with a fierce, concealed knowledge. He could still hear her laughter from a London café last summer, a pocket of time untouched by darkness. When Lorenzo declared he'd be the first to claim her, Mattheo's restraint evaporated. He froze the room with a cold, final edict: 'She's off limits.' The boys scoffed and prodded, but Mattheo's heart battered against his ribs.…