Four Howlers Received:
Bonus Material for neuroticsquirrl's Fantasy Fic.
Notes: These are supposed to represent the characters own insecurites in their own voice, I hope that plays out. These are unbetaed, any mistakes are entirely mine.
Howler Received By Nymphadora Tonks:
YOU CHASED REMUS AROUND FOR OVER A YEAR EVEN THOUGH YOU KNEW HE WASN'T INTERESTED IN YOU. WHAT'S WORSE: YOU AREN'T EVEN INTERESTED IN HIM. YOU WANTED SOMEONE NON-THREATENING WHO WOULDN'T WANT ANYTHING FROM YOU. YOU HIDE BEHIND THE MOST OUTRAGEOUS LOOKS BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU ARE PLAIN, UNINTERESTING OR TWISTED. REALLY YOU ARE JUST SO AFRAID THAT EVERYONE WILL TURN ON YOU WHEN THE OTHER SHOE DROPS. WHEN THEY REALIZE THE HAPPY CLUMSY GOOD-NATURED AUROR IS JUST ANOTHER BLACK DESTINED TO DESTROY HERSELF THEY WON'T STICK AROUND TO HOLD YOUR HAND. COWARD.
Tonks barely noticed the envelope bursting into flames until the curled edges burnt her fingers. She let it drop to the floor and stared at the ashes in wonder. Her own voice was still ringing in her ears, the accusations reverberating through her skull and drowning out the ringing silence that was supposed to follow a howler.
Howler Received By Molly Weasley:
YOU DEFINED YOUR ENTIRE LIFE BY YOUR FAMILY. IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO THEM NOTHING WOULD BE LEFT FOR YOU, BUT INSTEAD OF SUPPORTING THEM YOU SMOTHER THEM. THEY ALL BLAME YOU FOR ARTHUR. THEY AREN'T TOO BUSY WITH THEIR OWN LIVES TO COME VISIT THEY JUST DON'T WANT TO. YOU THOUGHT BY HAVING CHILDREN YOU WERE GUARANTEED UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD ALWAYS COUNT ON FAMILY, BUT YOU KNOW NOW THAT'S NOT TRUE. DON'T YOU? YOU WILL DIE ALONE.
Molly swept the ashes into the bin and washed her hands, pretending that she hadn't stood there a full two minutes with a hand clutched to her chest, and when she began merrily humming as she washed the dishes anyone would have assumed the words had not affected her at all.
Howler Received By Mr. Boot:
YOU ARE EMBARRASSED THAT YOUR SON STUDIES ALL THE TIME RATHER THAN LIVING IN THE REAL WORLD. EVERY TIME YOU SEE THE HERO'S OF THE WAR IN SOME STORY IN THE NEWS YOU THINK 'WHY NOT TERRY?' YOU'RE A HORRIBLE FATHER. YOU WOULD REALLY RATHER YOUR SON BE DEAD THAN BE AWKWARD AND BOOKISH, WHEN YOU DID JUST AS LITTLE IN THE WAR AS HE EVER DID. YOU WISH YOU HAD A SON WHO WAS BETTER THAN YOU SO YOU COULD HIDE BEHIND HIM, BUT INSTEAD EVERYONE CAN SEE HOW USELESS AND IMPOTENT YOU REALLY ARE. HYPOCRITE.
Mr. Boot ran the freshly burnt knuckles on his right hand under cool water. He really knew better than to try to destroy a howler before the message was finished, but the look Terry had given him made him want to curl up and die.
Howler Received By Augusta Longbottom:
YOUR GRANDSON IS GAY. EVEN IF HE DOES MARRY AND CONTINUE ON THE LINE, HE IS GAY AND YOU MADE HIM THAT WAY. THE WAY YOU RAISED HIM, AS A SINGLE WOMAN, CONFUSED HIM ABOUT GENDER ROLES AND NOW HE IS GAY AND IT IS ALL YOUR FAULT. YOU CAN BLAME ANYONE ELSE YOU LIKE BUT YOU KNOW IT WASN'T THE TEACHERS OR THE SCHOOLMATES WHO DID IT. IT WAS YOU. YOU RUINED YOUR GRANDSON'S LIFE.
Mrs. Longbottom was owling the ministry before the howler had even finished its shouting. She didn't have to put up with this sort of harassment.
Notes: These are supposed to represent the characters own insecurites in their own voice, I hope that plays out. These are unbetaed, any mistakes are entirely mine.
Howler Received By Nymphadora Tonks:
YOU CHASED REMUS AROUND FOR OVER A YEAR EVEN THOUGH YOU KNEW HE WASN'T INTERESTED IN YOU. WHAT'S WORSE: YOU AREN'T EVEN INTERESTED IN HIM. YOU WANTED SOMEONE NON-THREATENING WHO WOULDN'T WANT ANYTHING FROM YOU. YOU HIDE BEHIND THE MOST OUTRAGEOUS LOOKS BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU ARE PLAIN, UNINTERESTING OR TWISTED. REALLY YOU ARE JUST SO AFRAID THAT EVERYONE WILL TURN ON YOU WHEN THE OTHER SHOE DROPS. WHEN THEY REALIZE THE HAPPY CLUMSY GOOD-NATURED AUROR IS JUST ANOTHER BLACK DESTINED TO DESTROY HERSELF THEY WON'T STICK AROUND TO HOLD YOUR HAND. COWARD.
Tonks barely noticed the envelope bursting into flames until the curled edges burnt her fingers. She let it drop to the floor and stared at the ashes in wonder. Her own voice was still ringing in her ears, the accusations reverberating through her skull and drowning out the ringing silence that was supposed to follow a howler.
Howler Received By Molly Weasley:
YOU DEFINED YOUR ENTIRE LIFE BY YOUR FAMILY. IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO THEM NOTHING WOULD BE LEFT FOR YOU, BUT INSTEAD OF SUPPORTING THEM YOU SMOTHER THEM. THEY ALL BLAME YOU FOR ARTHUR. THEY AREN'T TOO BUSY WITH THEIR OWN LIVES TO COME VISIT THEY JUST DON'T WANT TO. YOU THOUGHT BY HAVING CHILDREN YOU WERE GUARANTEED UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD ALWAYS COUNT ON FAMILY, BUT YOU KNOW NOW THAT'S NOT TRUE. DON'T YOU? YOU WILL DIE ALONE.
Molly swept the ashes into the bin and washed her hands, pretending that she hadn't stood there a full two minutes with a hand clutched to her chest, and when she began merrily humming as she washed the dishes anyone would have assumed the words had not affected her at all.
Howler Received By Mr. Boot:
YOU ARE EMBARRASSED THAT YOUR SON STUDIES ALL THE TIME RATHER THAN LIVING IN THE REAL WORLD. EVERY TIME YOU SEE THE HERO'S OF THE WAR IN SOME STORY IN THE NEWS YOU THINK 'WHY NOT TERRY?' YOU'RE A HORRIBLE FATHER. YOU WOULD REALLY RATHER YOUR SON BE DEAD THAN BE AWKWARD AND BOOKISH, WHEN YOU DID JUST AS LITTLE IN THE WAR AS HE EVER DID. YOU WISH YOU HAD A SON WHO WAS BETTER THAN YOU SO YOU COULD HIDE BEHIND HIM, BUT INSTEAD EVERYONE CAN SEE HOW USELESS AND IMPOTENT YOU REALLY ARE. HYPOCRITE.
Mr. Boot ran the freshly burnt knuckles on his right hand under cool water. He really knew better than to try to destroy a howler before the message was finished, but the look Terry had given him made him want to curl up and die.
Howler Received By Augusta Longbottom:
YOUR GRANDSON IS GAY. EVEN IF HE DOES MARRY AND CONTINUE ON THE LINE, HE IS GAY AND YOU MADE HIM THAT WAY. THE WAY YOU RAISED HIM, AS A SINGLE WOMAN, CONFUSED HIM ABOUT GENDER ROLES AND NOW HE IS GAY AND IT IS ALL YOUR FAULT. YOU CAN BLAME ANYONE ELSE YOU LIKE BUT YOU KNOW IT WASN'T THE TEACHERS OR THE SCHOOLMATES WHO DID IT. IT WAS YOU. YOU RUINED YOUR GRANDSON'S LIFE.
Mrs. Longbottom was owling the ministry before the howler had even finished its shouting. She didn't have to put up with this sort of harassment.