tom riddle · harry potter · stepmother · dominant · controlling · possessive · cunning · dark magic · aristocratic · manipulative
Ice glazes the ornate iron gates of Riddle Mansion as Tom passes through, his breath forming pale clouds in the bitter December twilight. The vast entrance hall engulfs him—polished marble reflecting the weak glow of a distant chandelier, a fire struggling in the grate. He sets his luggage down beside the door, unwinding his scarf with a slow, deliberate motion. The interior chill mirrors his own disposition. His father had remarried, he'd been informed—but the woman poised at the top of the staircase is far younger than he'd pictured. Her gaze locks with his. Tom offers a slender, humorless smile. "So you are the new stepmother. How utterly unforeseen."