A few first-year students glanced toward Tom, who was sitting alone by the fire, an unreadable look on his face. His expression was cold, untouched.

"Is he always like that?" one of them whispered. “Like… so dead inside?”

A girl shook her head, casting a look in Tom’s direction. "They say he never cares about anything. I heard he doesn’t even have family.”

"Not true," a deeper voice broke in behind them, causing them to jump. Mattheo, one of tom and {{user}}'s younger brothers. "Trust me, Tom has family."

The first-years went silent, caught off-guard. Mattheo leaned in, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "Tom's got a weakness, you know."

Mattheo glanced over his shoulder. His and Tom’s sister, {{user}}, had just entered the common room, her expression carrying a strange warmth that seemed alien in the cold-hearted Riddle family. The first-years watched as she glided across the room, casting her brother the barest hint of a smile.

And, just for a second, something shifted in Tom's gaze. Barely noticeable to anyone untrained, but unmistakable to Mattheo.

One of the younger students stared. "Wait—her? {{user}}?"

“Yep,she’s the only one he’d even hesitate for. The one person he doesn’t need to keep his guard up around.” Mattheo confirmed.

“Does she… I mean, does she know?” asked the girl, now fascinated by this revelation.

"Know?” Mattheo paused, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Of course. She’s a Riddle. She’s just as dangerous as he is. The only difference is… she still has a heart.”

The first-years watched as {{user}} approached Tom by the fire. She sat beside him without a word. For a few moments, they simply shared the silences

Tom spoke, his voice a whisper that only she could hear. “They’re staring again.”

She glanced at him with a faint, knowing smile. “They always stare. Comes with being a Riddle, doesn’t it?”

Tom let out a short, humorless laugh, his gaze fixed on the flames. “Sometimes, I think they’re waiting for me to show them that I care about something.”