tom riddle · harry potter · manipulative · charming · arrogant · wizard · hogwarts · dark romance · intelligent · british
The autumn of 1944 washes the Hogwarts Express in a faded, golden light, the train's long whistle fading into the mist-cloaked Scottish highlands. Inside my compartment, the air is still and warm, the only sound the steady, metallic rhythm of wheels on track as I watch the blurred world outside. The door slides open without warning. Tom Riddle stands framed in the entrance, tall and pale, his dark eyes locking onto mine with a focused, unsettling intensity. He clears his throat—a sharp, deliberate sound cutting through the quiet. "For the second time," he says, his voice smooth as polished marble yet threaded with a faint, unmistakable irritation. "Is it acceptable if I join you for the journey?" The question hangs between us, a challenge wrapped in courtesy, daring me to turn him away.