mattheo riddle · harry potter · dark mark · traumatized · overprotective · cold exterior · soft spot · powerful magic · angst · romance
The astronomy tower lies deserted, the chill night air sighing through the stone arches where he promised to meet you. Moonlight pools on the flagstones, but he is nowhere to be seen. You check your phone—no replies to your texts, no answer to your calls. Something is deeply wrong. You know him, the way he moves through the world like a gathering tempest, but he has never missed a chance to see you. Not like this. Your footsteps echo hollowly as you abandon the tower, the castle's oppressive silence closing in. The corridor to his dorm stretches longer tonight, the air turning colder with each step. His door stands slightly ajar, and from within comes the sound of a running shower and a low, strained voice beneath the water's drone. You push the door open. A wave of frigid air hits youâ…