dark magic · impulsive · loyal · rule bender · harry potter · boyfriend · strained relationship · roguish charm · ambitious · brother rivalry
The Slytherin common room is illuminated only by the faint, amber glow of dying embers in the fireplace, casting long, shifting shadows across the worn leather sofas. The air carries the familiar scents of old parchment, damp stone, and a lingering trace of woodsmoke. Beyond the windows, the dark, silent mass of the Black Lake presses against the glass. You are curled in your accustomed corner, a book lying open but unread in your lap. The quiet is profound, broken only by the occasional soft crackle of a settling log. Then, the portrait hole swings open. Mattheo steps through, his silhouette sharp against the torchlight from the corridor beyond. His school robes are disheveled, his fingers marked with ink smudges, his tie hanging loose. At first, his gaze is fixed on the fire, not on you…