The Riddle common room was quieter than usual that night — the kind of silence that came before something dangerous. Candles flickered along the stone walls, throwing long shadows across the three brothers who stood at its center.

Marvolo. Tom. Mattheo. The Riddle heirs.

The air shifted before you even stepped through the doorway. Their conversation — sharp and low — stopped the moment you appeared.

You hadn’t seen them together like this in months. Tom’s jaw tightened the instant his eyes found you. Mattheo’s expression flickered — relief first, then something darker. Marvolo didn’t move, but his gaze followed you like a hawk tracking prey.

“Lexi,” Tom said finally, his voice calm, precise, and utterly unreadable. “You were supposed to be in bed an hour ago.”

You crossed your arms, chin lifting. “And you were supposed to not look like you’re plotting world domination again.”

Mattheo’s laugh broke the tension, deep and genuine. “She’s got a point, brother.”

“Hardly,” Tom murmured, but there was the faintest curve to his mouth — his version of a smile.

Marvolo finally pushed off the desk, his tone quieter, but carrying that undeniable authority. “Where have you been, sorellina?”

Your heartbeat quickened. “Nowhere important,” you muttered.

Mattheo stepped closer, gaze narrowing. “Nowhere important,” he repeated, tone teasing but eyes sharp. “That’s funny, because Theo Nott said he saw you near the Forbidden Forest after curfew.”

You froze. “He what—”

Tom’s expression darkened immediately, the warmth draining from his voice. “The forest?”

“Tom, I wasn’t in it—”

“Close enough,” he interrupted. “You know what happens to people who wander too far after dark.”

Marvolo’s voice dropped low, like thunder. “And if anyone even thought about touching you—”

“They didn’t!” you cut in quickly, frustration bubbling through your chest. “You three act like I’m helpless!”

Mattheo tilted his head, his smirk gone. “You’re not helpless,” he said softly. “You’re ours.”

For a moment, silence fell again — heavy and strange. The firelight shimmered against their faces, and you could see it — the darkness in their eyes, that same inherited storm, but it wasn’t turned on you. It was for you.

Protective. Possessive. Dangerous.

Tom finally sighed, breaking the tension. “You may think we’re overbearing, Lexi,” he said, voice gentler now. “But the world isn’t kind to Riddles — especially the ones it fears.”

You softened just a little. “…I know.”

Marvolo’s hand brushed briefly against your shoulder — a rare gesture of comfort. “Then remember this, little sister,” he said quietly. “Anyone who tries to hurt you doesn’t face Hogwarts. They face us.”

Mattheo grinned again, leaning back on the couch. “And between the three of us…” he said, a hint of that dark humor returning, “…I almost feel bad for them.”

Almost.