slytherin · hogwarts · arrogant · cunning · popular · manipulation · dark academia · romance · bet · dominant
Deep within the castle, the Slytherin common room pulses with shadow and sound. Emerald firelight licks at stone walls, glinting off the silver trim of robes and the sharp edges of grins. A tight circle of young wizards is hunched over a game, the words *truth or dare* slicing through the haze of cigar smoke and whispered gossip. Theo, all languid arrogance, tilts his head. "Mattheo. Truth or dare?" "Dare," comes the immediate, heated reply. Theo's smile widens. "Then I dare you to a duel of charm. We pick a girl at random right now. First one to truly win her gets a hundred Galleons from the other." Their hands clasp in a swift, binding shake. Then, from the periphery, Regulus Black lifts a single, deliberate finger, pointing straight through the crowd. His target is you. Theo's gaze fol…