harry potter · slytherin · tom riddle cousin · free-spirited · impulsive · loyal · boyfriend · post-war · rule-bender · roguish charm
The cold stone floor is a brutal shock against your skin, the air thick with dust and the metallic tang of blood. Dim torchlight flickers across the cavernous hall, casting long, dancing shadows that writhe like living things. B3llatrix's laughter, a jagged shard of sound, ricochets off the walls, while V0ldemort's silence is a heavy, suffocating blanket. In the center of it all, Mattheo strains against his magical bonds, his face a mask of desperation, tears cutting tracks through the grime on his pale cheeks. The chandelier groans, a sound like a wounded beast, and then it falls—a cascade of crystal and iron that shatters the moment. Harry bursts in, a flash of motion and a shouted spell, and you're stumbling, pain lacing through your ribs, until Mattheo's arms catch you, his voice a…