Child Of Grace: Chapter 24 - Child Of Hope (Part 2)
Link: C'mon, let's finish this chapter already
ZeldaQueen: I'm not looking forward to this
Link: Oh, what's the worst that could happen?
ZeldaQueen: Attempted rape for drama
Link: ... You're fucking with me, aren't you?
Projection Room Voices: Starting Media in 3...2...1...
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Chapter 24 - Child Of Hope (Part 2)
"No need," Tom rapidly interrupted, not at all liking the things he had heard so far. He could only imagine what else the woman had done.
Link: She acted in character, giving the Sue plenty of angst fodder
He turned back to his friend about to say as much, but he noticed her attention was elsewhere.
ZeldaQueen: Specifically Riddle's pants. Hey-o!
She was looking around, her gaze going to the cards her Slytherin friends had sent her in lieu of gifts. Her eyes then flickered to the book Hagrid had provided, which even now had one of Dudley's belts wrapped around it to keep it from snapping at her.
Link: And...are you going to explain that, suethor?
ZeldaQueen: Right! In canon, it was both a quirky, silly scene, but also foreshadowed how Hagrid was a teacher! And she just gives it a sentence in passing, without even really explaining it. LAZY!
They drifted to the Pocket Sneakoscope, the broom servicing kit, and the Defence book that Ron, Hermione, and Neville had gifted her respectively.
ZeldaQueen: I hate her. Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Hagrid clearly care enough to send her actual gifts, even though she's all but ignored them. How can she justify being such a bitch to them? Doubly so, given that her wonderful Slytherin friends could apparently only be arsed to send her cards
Finally, she glanced at her present from Remus, a pencil sketch with the clouds drifting in front of the full moon and the trees swaying in an invisible breeze, and the small selection of other, obviously magical objects that were lying about.
Link: He's the werewolf, isn't he? Niiiiice, he'd of course make a gift of the thing he hates most
ZeldaQueen: Yeah, why wouldn't he send books on spellwork or something? That's what he gave Harry! And if anyone says "it's because Holly is a girl", I shall kick their teeth in
The girl breathed out very slowly. "With her here, I have to put all of my things away." Holly rose, shuffling over to her desk. "Marge would have an aneurism if she saw any of this." Truthfully, Holly didn't seem all that bothered by the prospect, but the thought of what Vernon would do to her if anything happened to his sister was motivation enough.
Link: Ha ha, hilarious! The Sue is perfectly happy with causing someone to die! And the only thing stopping her is how it would affect her negatively! How charming!
She quietly picked up her framed picture of her parents, gazing at it longingly before she started to pack it and the rest of her possessions under the floorboards. She then petted Hedwig before giving the owl firm instructions to go stay with Blaise, receiving an unhappy nip to her fingers in return.
ZeldaQueen: Go Hedwig! Bite again!
Holly simply sighed, and Tom gave her an unreadable look before rising to help.
The entire time they were working, he didn't say anything, giving no condolences as he knew that she won't want them.
Link: Otherwise, she couldn't properly angst about it
Afterwards, however, he did tentatively put his hand on her arm, silently lending his support. But something unexpected happened when he did so.
Link: She turned into a newt
Holly winced, face tightening in pain as she bit her lip to keep from making a sound.
ZeldaQueen: Oh fuck, not this again!!!
Tom looked at her speculatively, moving his hand more firmly on her arm. She winced again and tried to jerk away, but he tightly held on.
Link: Yes, that's right, she's clearly in pain and about to cry out from it and his first response is to grab tighter
He gently eased her sleeve up, revealing the darkening bruise on her forearm, scratch marks visible along the edges. It was shaped like a hand, as if someone had grabbed onto her, and was accompanied by several scratches that looked like fingernail marks.
ZeldaQueen: Here we go, ladies and gentlemen
"Holly?" he asked, a very hard tone to his voice. He gazed down at her, something a lot like rage passing through his dark eyes. "Was it Vernon?" Tom all but snarled, though his voice was strangely calm, soft and conversational. He had a dangerous cast to his face, shadowed and deadly.
ZeldaQueen: Ah yes, evil, murderous Riddle makes an appearance
Link: I think I just realized something - the Sue didn't change Riddle, she tamed him to be her own personal guard dog. She's perfectly fine with him being evil and murderous, so long as he directs it at people who "deserve" it
ZeldaQueen: Dude, you're right
Holly was very much reminded of his connection to Lord Voldemort in that moment. She sighed, losing all energy to fight.
ZeldaQueen: And that doesn't bother her?!? She is reminded that he's connected to a murderous, genocidal bastard, sees a connection there, and just brushes it off? Good lord!
"No."
Holly pulled away, and he reluctantly released her, eyes now blazing with power. The girl inhaled through her mouth, attempting to calm the anger that was burning and twisting in her own belly.
Link: What is with these people, always having fits? This is just Rose Potter, going on about auras and dying to curse everyone
ZeldaQueen: You read Rose Potter?
Link: I needed to see a Sue worse than Jenna
ZeldaQueen: Ah yes, I understand
"The whale then," Tom concluded, a venomous grin tugging at his lips. "Horse's hands aren't that large."
ZeldaQueen: I don't know which is worse - the fact that the suethor is showing blatant character hatred again with unnecessary nicknames that are just spiteful, or the fact that Riddle is grinning during this all. And, I might add, grinning while figuring out who scratched and bruised his Lady Love. *drinks heavily*
Link: Let's just say it's a ball of fail and drink to it. *bottoms up*
The teenager studied the bruise again, oscillating between mentally calculating if there were enough potion ingredients left to make a poultice and wondering just what kind of nasty and untraceable poison he should brew.
ZeldaQueen: Okay, this is not cute or funny. This is no better than when Edward joked in Breaking Dawn about how that hiker probably wouldn't mind a hot Bella Swan sucking him dry. Thus far, suethor, you're shown Tom Riddle to be a horrible bully, despite your efforts to the contrary. I don't see that poison comment as a harmless "I'm going to kill them". All I think is that he probably would murder three unsuspecting people if he thought that he could get away with it. And no one would call him out on it because hey, they deserved it!
"What happened?" he inquired several moments later after mostly reining in himself, though his face was still calculating.
The girl shuddered in recollection. "Let's just say that Ron isn't the only one who fancies me."
Link: Well no, you're a Sue. Of course every male character finds you desirable
ZeldaQueen: Please, no, dear God, no suethor, you are not doing this YOU ARE NOT!!!
Holly breathed out, blowing a strand of hair from her face. "According to what his piggy mind was screaming as he tried to grope me, Dudley doesn't care that I'm a worthless freak. In fact, he feels that I might actually have one use." She spat the last part, shaking with barely suppressed rage.
Link: Child of Grace - the suethor goes there
ZeldaQueen: WHAT THE HELL?!? HOW DOES THIS MAKE SENSE?
Link: You're asking for "sense" here?
ZeldaQueen: I...just think about it! This is the Westermack Effect all over again! Dudley and Holly were raised together! He shouldn't feel sexual desires for her! That's not even going into the fact that Holly ought to be able to scare him away, like Harry did! Just because she's a girl doesn't mean she can't do that! But no, of course the suethor has to play that one stupid Sue cliche - that Holly is just so desirable that of course her cousin twirls his mustache and tries to steal her virtue just because he can! And that of course, Holly will prettily cry, woe is her, someone tried to rape her because she's so pretty and vulnerable, and of course Riddle will go striding up and be the one to defend her honor, instead of her growing a backbone and doing it herself.
Link: Wow.
ZeldaQueen: I hate when rape is used as a cheap source of drama, especially in Sue fics! *spits*
Tom's eyes narrowed into serpentine slits. "I'm going to hex his hands off," he stated in an utterly collected tone, his words more promise than threat. Inside, he was warring with the urge to go through with his dark desires then and there.
Link: I thought Riddle was supposed to be a sweet woobie here who didn't have those "dark desires". Wasn't he supposed to be utterly disgusted with how his present self is acting?
"How completely foul and disgusting," he hissed. "I can't believe that oaf tried to force you. Well, perhaps I can," Tom conceded idly, "especially since he knows that no woman would ever have him."
Link: And because it's a Sue fic and the suethor can't resist adding that one cliche
ZeldaQueen: Okay, when did we ever see evidence that no girl wanted Dudley? Canon firmly established that he and his friends were quite popular in school, or at least well known. Fatness aside, if he's such a horny bugger, why not try to rape someone not related to him, specifically a girl who he knows can't work magic and hex his nuts off?
"I only managed to get away because of my Mind Magic. I had to mentally throw him off me," the third-year added, her tiny hands balling into fists.
Link: Because of course only her sue-powers could save her! She's just so utterly, utterly defenseless otherwise! And of course, her aunt, uncle, and neighbors are such complete douches that they wouldn't do a thing to help her!
ZeldaQueen: Meh, given the fact that stuff like that happens all too horribly often in real life, I might find it more believable that no one would come to the Sue's aide. Given how puffed up the abusive angle is being played to the point of ridiculousness, not so much. I mean, even in An American Crime, there was the fact that Gertrude was under a ton of stress, implied to be ill to some degree and drugged up on medicine, and determined to use Sylvia as a scapegoat over the concerns of her daughter. These guys just...are evil. That's about it. That, and the fact that the suethor is violating canon six ways to next Monday. Oh, and we get more emphasis on how tiny Holly is. Because apparently she's a midget who's unable to properly defend herself in the slightest. Even though Harry was supposed to be pretty short and had no problem with any of this. *drinks*
Thanks to her mental abilities, Holly had been aware of Dudley's preoccupation with her over the last month, though she had carefully avoided mentioning it to Tom.
ZeldaQueen: Okay, that's just stupid. Why wouldn't she bring this up to someone? She knows her cousin is thinking of raping her and she doesn't write to someone for help? She doesn't start carrying around any sort of protective measures? Surely she could write to one of her many friends to send her some sort of magical equivalent of mace
Apparently, Dudley had matured in one area during the past year, and as such, he was now aware of females as something more than punching bags.
Link: That's right, Dudley is a meanie who hits girls all of the time. Probably kicks puppies too
ZeldaQueen: *sighs* Much as I hate to side with the suethor on anything, book five does say that he has no problem beating up children. I guess girls aren't so far of a stretch...
However, it seemed that no girl wanted anything to do with him, not that Holly could really blame them. So Dudley's attention had turned to the only one who would have little choice in the matter: his cousin.
ZeldaQueen: But that still doesn't make sense! Like I said, he knows his cousin is magical! He knows she has friends who could bail her skinny butt! He shouldn't even have sexual feelings for her! If he's so horny and determined for some sort of an outlet, you'd think he'd turn to an option that he knows to be less dangerous!
Link: Hey, no one ever said you needed a girl in the equation there
At that thought, her mind tumbled into the incident that had occurred just that morning.
Link: Yeah, because we really wanted to see a flashback of the Sue nearly getting raped by Dudley
ZeldaQueen: And yet the suethor couldn't be bothered to actually give us a battle in the Chamber of Secrets. Or develop Ginny's character. Or describe anything, for that matter. But something pertaining to Sue angst? Clear the runway!
She had been working in the garden, pulling up the weeds like Petunia had ordered, when Dudley had arrived. Her telepathy had thankfully warned her of his presence, so she had already been alert when he entered the backyard from the kitchen. It was only the selfsame gift that had driven her to her feet when he had shuffled up to her, her mind already well aware of what he intended. Yet, cornered as she was between the house and the fence, Holly had been unable to dart away from him before he grabbed her arm. Regardless, her mental defences and accidental magic had risen to the occasion, all but throwing him from her, but his jagged and bitten fingernails had regrettably caught her skin as he had been forced away.
Link: So...she had warning he was coming and still couldn't get out of the way?
Still, Dudley had been afraid afterwards, scared she would further retaliate. So he had waddled off.
ZeldaQueen: Why wasn't he scared before? He knew she could do magic!
Nevertheless, the Slytherin wouldn't put it passed him to try again.
Link: Of course. *drinks*
"That's it; you're taking your wand with you from now on no matter what," Tom put in fiercely, dispelling her memory.
ZeldaQueen: See my previous points about carrying defense if you know someone's out to get you!
"We definitely removed the Monitoring charms on it, so you can use it if need be." Another malevolent smile tugged at his lips, as though he was already envisioning the curses she would cast.
Link: What.
ZeldaQueen: Um...that's not how it works. And he's grinning maniacally at the thought of her cursing her defenseless cousin. Hmm.
Click to viewZeldaQueen: Just start watching at 3:16. For those of you who don't know, this is from Peter Jacksons' movie The Frighteners. The ghost was - and still is - a heartless serial killer. The girl, Patricia, spends most of the movie acting like a scared, innocent girl. In a flashback later, we see that she helped her boyfriend there when he went on his killing spree. *cough*
Holly made a face, remembering the complicated potion they had brewed in secret that had removed the spells. "Yes, I know, but we went over this before, Tom. Dobby managed to set off the under-age detections, so the Ministry or Dumbledore undeniably have extra wards on the house. They'll still know if I cast anything."
ZeldaQueen: *Clears throat* THE DETECTION SPELLS DON'T WORK LIKE THAT!
Link: Ack! *chocks on milk* Don't just scream like that!
ZeldaQueen: I'm sorry, but the latter books make it clear how it works - the Trace makes it only that the Ministry knows if magic is set off in the presence of an underage student and they don't know who did it! There's no excuse for this! And for some reason, that potions thing really pisses me off
Link: Probably because its more of their horrific sense of self-entitlement. "Oh woe is us! We can't hex and curse and threaten people freely! Let's just conveniently sidestep it. I mean, it's not like we have to be held to the rules like the rest of the plebs!"
ZeldaQueen: True. That, and why bring it up if it's decided later that it doesn't do any good? Did the suethor want to show that Holly was Just That Good at dodging rules?
"Not if you do it away from the property," he said with a smirk, clearly liking that idea. "We didn't receive a warning when I hexed the blasted dog that was bothering you when we went to grocers last week."
Link: Yep, Riddle's still a sociopath. The only difference is that he's a sociopath guarding the Sue, which makes it better. Somehow
ZeldaQueen: What was the dog even doing? For all we know, it was just barking at her. And again, he's happy. He's pleased at the thought of violently hurting a Muggle and he's cheerfully remembering hurting an animal that didn't know better. GAH!
"But I still don't want to chance it too much. I can't get expelled, Tom," the girl murmured in a very small voice. "You know that. I can't be sent back. I can't have to remain here until I'm of age."
Link: So get expelled and run away. It's not like you've given a fiddler's flip for any of the rules set up for your protection before
"I know," he responded, anger abating momentarily. "But you don't deserve this, Holly, and if you don't do something about it, it will only get worse. Trust me, I know." He bit his lip, refusing to say more.
ZeldaQueen: Yeah, she deserves much worse. She deserves to have her head shoved down a toilet bowel that was just used by someone who simultaneously had diarrhea and was on the rag, while at the same time having a fiery pitchfork jammed up her bony ass sideways
Link: You can really be bitter, you know that?
"And I know that, but there isn't much I can do." She gestured emphatically. "I have to stay here, at least temporarily, so that the blood protections are still active. I can't curse them. They'd never take me back if I did."
Link: And that's the only reason the Sue doesn't kill them all in their sleep - it would cause trouble for herself
Tom stared at her for a second before finally nodding. "We still need to do something… but it'll have to be a potion then," he concluded. "Something that they can't detect and that is easily deniable."
ZeldaQueen: Somehow, if the Dursleys drop dead from a magical potion, I still think Holly might look a tad suspcious
Holly inclined her head in acquiescence. "That's doable. I have leftover ingredients from school and when we made the potion to get rid of the Monitoring charms.
ZeldaQueen: First of all, where are they getting all of these ingredients from? Especially for that *sigh* stupid Monitoring charm-removal one. Surely the fact that it's so complicated means that it requires special ingredients. Second of all, sure, just brew a potion in your bedroom. It only requires a fire, constant attention, and hiding a lot of weird smoke, smells, and possibly explosions. It's not like anyone would notice it
It'll be simple enough to owl-order anything extra we need."
ZeldaQueen: THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU OWL-ORDER SOMETHING FOR PROTECTION WHEN YOU FOUND OUT YOUR COUSIN WAS PLANNING TO RAPE YOU, YOU DAMNED FOOL?
She paused to think.
Link: Which was quite a chore for her
"Which one do you think we should use?"
ZeldaQueen: The one in the middle
"Hm… perhaps a Calming draught," the teenager replied, thinking it over. "Maybe a Befuddlement potion - that worked wonders on the children at the orphanage before I could use my wand against them. You'll even learn to make it this year, I believe." He rubbed his chin, beginning to pace around her room as he contemplated.
ZeldaQueen: He...drugged the children at the orphanage
Link: And that was before he was able to curse them. Children. Wow...
"I think I can still remember how to do that one," Tom went on after a moment, "but did it have Flobberworm pus or Essence of Niffler?
ZeldaQueen: STOP MAKING UP STUFF AND THINKING IT SOUNDS CANON!
I can't recall which, but I do know that one will cause him to shrink down and turn purple," he finished, sounding completely serious. His smirk suggested that he might add the wrong ingredient just to spite the Dursleys.
Link: Because it's not like anyone would notice the Dursleys shrinking and turning purple, suspect that Holly did it, and throw her scrawny ass in jail for attacking Muggles
Holly couldn't help herself, the strain of her day too much for her. She chuckled, though there was a faintly hysterical ring to it.
"I could always just set Saladin on them," she added after she had calmed down, and the little serpent glanced up from his spot on the bed. "Even for his size, he is scary enough to do what's needed. Dudley is especially afraid of snakes since I set a few garden ones on him when I was seven."
Link: So save yourself some trouble and hide rubber snakes in his bed
"Only as a last resort," Tom cut in with a solemn voice, but his gleaming eyes gave him away. "We don't want it getting out that you are a Parselmouth, after all."
ZeldaQueen: Yes, only terrify your cousin with a dangerous snake as a last resort. After all, their safety doesn't matter but we don't want your stupid secret to get out, now do we?
Holly shrugged. "I might as well kiss my arse goodbye if that happens,
ZeldaQueen: WHY? All we've ever seen is that Parslemouths sometimes are the subject of suspicion and gossip. It's not like they round them up for execution
Link: We should be so lucky
but I'll still keep Saladin with me, nonetheless." The little snake flicked his tongue, slithering over to snuggle in her hand. "I can just say he's my pet. That alone will be enough to scare Dudley away."
Link: And she didn't do this from the beginning...why?
Tom grinned darkly but didn't say anything for several minutes. Instead, he reached over to pet the snake, too.
Link: Oh, is that what they're calling it these days?
In the meantime, he silently observed Holly, watching her shoulders sag further. He noted her eyes drift half-closed, but he knew that no matter how tired she was, the girl would never be able to fall asleep.
ZeldaQueen: Why? Besides angst, I mean
Inclining his head with his resolve deepening, the older teenager bent to retrieve something from under the floorboards before quickly straightening. There was now a round bottle in his hands.
Link: (Riddle) "Thank you! Thank you! And for my next trick, I'm going to pull a rabbit out of my ass! Watch closely!"
"Take it." He handed her a blue potion. "It's a mild Sleeping draught."
"Tom," she protested weakly, trying to hand the bottle back.
He shook his head. "Take it." Tom forced it into her hands. "It will help you sleep. Something you desperately need, especially with that Marge woman coming - if she is anywhere near as bad as you said." His patented superior smirk appeared on his lips with the last sentence, knowing he had won.
ZeldaQueen: Now I'm getting shades of Edward "I'll decide when you need to be medicated, bitch" Cullen
Holly merely frowned and after a second's hesitation downed the potion.
ZeldaQueen: Because she's a pathetic female who can't protest against anything a Man tells her to do, even if it involves medicating oneself
Listlessly, she got under the covers, not even bothering to change, Saladin slithering up to lie on her pillow. In the background, she heard Tom turn off the lights.
"Goodnight, Holly," he murmured, moving the desk chair over to the window so that he could read by the moonlight.
"Night," the girl responded softly and rolled over. She laid there for several moments, allowing the draught to kick in, and just as a restful sleep claimed her, Holly mumbled, "Happy birthday to me."
Link: Wow, such a level of angst I don't think I've ever seen before!
ZeldaQueen: You know, I had hoped that this fic would get a tad less, how to put this, obnoxious if we finished second year and moved away from the Weasleys. God, am I an idiot
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Onward to: Chapter 24: Child Of Hope (Part 3)
Back to: Chapter 24: Child Of Hope (Part 1)
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