Tommy Bryce
Gryffindor
[red]1st Year Gryffindor[/red]
You bend and you bruise me while you try to control me
Posts: 104
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Post by Tommy Bryce on Nov 11, 2009 22:50:48 GMT -5
A fresh tang of blood in his mouth caused Tommy to wince slightly at the taste and stumble as he did so, one knee slamming down on the stone step and making it jar. An unsteady breath came out quickly then went in again just as fast in the pain, his head turning downwards and his hands placed on the step in front of him as he attempted to regain his footing and his breath. He reached one hand up to wipe at the fresh cut on his head, fingers coming back sticky and stained as he pushed himself to his feet again, taking a few more stumbling steps upwards before fully regaining his balance. He needed to think, needed somewhere that was quiet and calm, and the astronomy tower was the first place that had come to mind. It was always peaceful up there, especially at night with all the stars out, and hopefully no one would be there.
It was quite late – he was supposed to be in his common room by now, and it had been a miracle that the castle door had opened to an alohomora. Not knowing of the silent alarms that would have alerted the headmistress to the breach after dark, he had hurried away and up, managing to hide from the one prefect he did notice patrolling before continuing towards the tower. As he pushed the door open, he was relieved to see no one else there and took a few trembling steps forward before dropping to the ground besides one of the pillars, crawling around it so that anyone else who entered would not be able to see him from the door.
Setting hid head in his hands, Tommy attempted to clear his mind so that he could think straight about the events of the last few hours. He didn't know what to do... but he was sure he had to do something. He couldn't leave things like they were any longer. Shane and Nick were getting hurt, and he couldn't allow that. Himself was one thing, but Nick was getting angrier every day and he could tell it wouldn't be long until the younger boy burst and did something stupid.
He hadn't intended for his visit to turn out like this... it was meant to be just a simple visit to wish his brother happy birthday. He had gotten together some paper and made a card for him with a magically animated magician on the front, and even managed to go into Hogsmeade before visiting with some money still saved from the beginning of term and buy him some sweets from Honeydukes; it would be a rare treat. His last lesson had finished and he had sneaked out of the grounds, through a hole under the Hogwarts fence that an animal – or possibly a student, really – had apparently previously dug to get out. He had discovered it during his many wanderings of the school grounds when he needed to clear his head.
He had not taken long in Honeydukes, not wanting to get noticed by someone who knew he was at Hogwarts and shouldn't be in Hogsmeade as a first year, but had bought as many sweets as he could with half the money he had left; he needed to make sure he had enough left for Nick as well when it was his birthday. Then it was on to his house with some trepidation at what would occur. A quick check from outside had assured him that his father was not home. He had climbed over the fence, having never been given a key, and climbed up the sole tree in the garden, knocking gently on the window to his brothers' room. Shane had looked up, and the expression of delight on his face had been worth it all. The window had swiftly been opened and he had been welcomed inside eagerly by both his brothers. It seemed his father had been burning his letters, so they had not heard from him since he had started Hogwarts.
He wasn't sure how long he had spent with them in the end, but it had been far longer than he intended. They had adored the sweets, just as expected, and had been asking constant questions about Hogwarts. Of course, it couldn't last. His father had arrived home, just as drunk as always... and he had been furious to see his eldest son returned without permission or warning. Then things had started to get out of hand... Tommy found himself reliving the constant nightmare he had of being beaten around before he managed to escape from his father's grasp, but then his dad grabbed Nick... A knife appeared, and it was pressed to his cheek, drawing blood that trickled down his face, and his dad was shouting what would happen if Tommy came back, and he couldn't do anything about it so he ran. Out of the room then straight out of the house, heading back to Hogwarts immediately. He had ran through the streets, glad that the cover of darkness hid his injuries and the tears running down his cheeks, before finally sneaking into the castle again and seeking out somewhere to think.
And now here he was, trying to work out what to do. Today had shown him once and for all that his father could not be trusted, and for a few moments in there he had felt the same as Nick obviously did, shown by the anger on his face; wanting to lash out at his father, make him feel the same that he made them feel, make him hurt like he'd hurt them... Except even if he were strong enough to do such a thing, that would make him no better than his dad. He'd been trying to make Nick see that for some time, but he was terrified that sometime soon his brother was going to crack and do something stupid... And he couldn't let that happen. He couldn't let his brothers get hurt any more, he had to get them away. But that meant telling someone... and that prospect wasn't exactly an exciting one. Firstly, what if they didn't believe him? What if they said it didn't matter, he was their father and he knew how to look after them? And who would he tell anyway? He huddled up tighter against the pillar, trying to stop more tears falling as he began to work up the bravery to tell someone what was going on. Because as much as he might doubt that course of action, he couldn't let this go on any longer...
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Nov 11, 2009 23:24:28 GMT -5
D'rorah had woken to the usual nightmares, having tried to go to bed early in hopes of erasing the exhaustion that had once again begun to wear at her. Unfortunately, she had little luck with dreamless sleep potions... she didn't like taking them, or anything else that might affect her ability to wake quickly if the need arose. And so, tonight, she rose and dressed, quickly donning a set of sapphire blue robes and pinning her hair halfway up. Her scalp was simply too tired and she was too exhausted to be bothered with pinning it all up in its usual tight coif.
Thus arrayed, she made her way down the stairs from dormitory into the Ravenclaw common room. No one seemed to be awake, and even the fire in the grate had settled down and gone out for the night. The room looked rather gloomy in its empty darkness, and she had little intention of remaining in it. The castle wards had been diverted so that she and the other Lightfighters would receive notification if anything breached the castle perimeter. And so, she heard the alarm of the front door opening, but it closed again almost as soon.
Heading down to the main floor, she made a quick sweep of the area and found nothing amiss. Nothing indicating any Shadows or other creatures of Darkness lingered in the area, and no dark magic had been used. Frowning slightly, she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep without making at least a cursory sweep of the school. It was then that she noticed a bit wetness on the floor.
Frowning, she stooped and touched a finger to it, surprised to find that the sticky wetness she had encountered was blood. Noticing another drop farther off, she began to follow the trail, cleaning up the floor as she went just in case anyone else might decide to investigate as well. It wasn't long before she ended up at the Astronomy Tower, stepping into the main room warily, her wand in hand as her eyes and mind scanned the room.
She could feel that someone was here... standing stock still, she listened intently to the room, hearing the whistling sounds of breezes as they whispered over the stonework outside, but little else. She stepped further into the room cautiously. She started to call out, but held herself in check, preferring to keep any surprise she might have in case the entity within turned out not to be friendly. Stepping carefully around the perimeter of the room, she stepped as silently as she could, her eyes scanning the darkness.
When she finally spotted Tommy, she gasped softly. She recognized this boy, he was a Gryffindor, only a first year... and he looked as though he'd been caught in a battle for his very life. [blue]"Mister Bryce?"[/blue] she said, stepping towards him with concern. She crossed the floor quickly, guilt already welling within her at the thought that there was a possibility he might have been attacked by one of the Mage's minions. [blue]"What happened?"[/blue] she asked, skipping the question of whether or not he was alright for the moment because he clearly was not. [blue]"Who did this?"[/blue] she asked, doing her best with healing spells to stop the bleeding from the laceration on his head. She had knelt down to his level, trying to make herself as unthreatening as possible.
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Tommy Bryce
Gryffindor
[red]1st Year Gryffindor[/red]
You bend and you bruise me while you try to control me
Posts: 104
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Post by Tommy Bryce on Nov 22, 2009 21:23:17 GMT -5
Huddled up with his back to the pillar, Tommy tried to calm his breathing and not think about the task ahead for now. That could wait. Although... he didn't have to work out how to do it. Too late, his mind was panicking as to how on earth he was going to tell someone. Maybe go to the hospital wing... they'd ask how he got his injuries and he could explain then. Except, he was going to have to tell them he'd sneaked out of Hogwarts on his own, and had been out after dark. What if he was punished more?
He pushed the thoughts hurriedly away but froze as he head the door open, turning slightly so he was better hidden and staying as silent as possible, although his breathing was still quite shallow. He followed the footsteps with his ears but too late realised the person could see him when they gasped, causing him to tumble back as she said his name, wincing as it jarred his injuries and prompting a few more tears to spill from his eyes.
He sniffed miserably and turned away, shuffling back again as the intruder stepped forward – he vaguely recognised her as D'rorah Philosophy, the Ravenclaw prefect who Cavan liked so much, but that didn't really do anything to make him trust her more. But, the prefect he met before, Keaira, she had been nice. Perhaps D'rorah would be too... He buried his face in his hands again as she asked what happened, but raising it again as he feels the wound on his head fade.
[red]"I... I want to tell you but I don't know how and it might get more people hurt,"[/red] he sobbed out, hiccupping slightly as he did so and more tears falling from his eyes.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Nov 28, 2009 20:09:17 GMT -5
D'rorah felt her heart wrench as he jumped, apparently startled as she called out his name. The tears which spilled from his eyes were further tugs at nerves already run taught. She noticed that he turned away, and she supposed she could hardly blame him. He had little reason to know her, other than to know of her. She only knew him because she made it her business to know all the students at Hogwarts so that she could more easily notice those who did not belong. The habit had proven useful a few times.
She watched as he buried his face in his hands and took a seat on the ground beside him, hoping she could make herself less imposing... she gathered the feeling that she tended to look somewhat imposing to her colleagues, and imagined that a younger child might feel much the same way. As he sobbed out a reply, she placed a hand lightly on his shoulder, mirroring a comforting gesture she remembered her mother using to comfort her when she had been a young child.
[blue]"If you believe people might be hurt, I need to know so that I can help... so I can stop anyone else from being hurt,"[/blue] she replied quietly. She couldn't imagine what might have happened to this young man... certainly, if he'd been attacked by Shadows he'd be more excitable and terrorized and confused by what he'd seen. This seemed more like he was upset and deeply concerned about others than frightened of some new, previously undiscovered monster. [blue]"Whatever it is, I promise, I only wish to help,"[/blue] she added. [blue]"If there are others in danger, I want to ensure their safety."[/blue]
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Tommy Bryce
Gryffindor
[red]1st Year Gryffindor[/red]
You bend and you bruise me while you try to control me
Posts: 104
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Post by Tommy Bryce on Dec 4, 2009 8:03:58 GMT -5
Tommy felt D'rorah sit down beside him and tightened up in his ball, arms fastened firmly around his legs and swallowing nervously at the decreased distance between them. She said she was only trying to help, but he didn't know her, what if she agreed that he needed punishing for breaking the rules and leaving Hogwarts without permission? A shiver ran through his body, partly due to nervousness and partly due to the cold wind being thrown about atop the tower.
He flinched automatically when she placed a hand on his shoulder, pulling away and sending a rather frightened look her way, sniffing and moving a hand up to wipe away his tears so he could see her properly. He did of course recognise her as the Ravenclaw prefect, but he didn't see the grey hair or pale complexion that gave her the look of one who was ill, but instead he saw a larger person in authority who could easily overpower him. He shuffled away a little again, not really trying to prepare himself to get away though. She was to his left, and to his right was a very sheer drop he could easily fall down if he moved too quickly.
He frowned at her words, unsure whether he should trust her or not and with no reason to do so, but no one else to tell. [red]"It's... I..."[/red] he faltered again, glancing up once more. [red]"How do I know that though? You're a prefect, you're supposed to uphold the rules. I did something wrong, so I got punished. Why do you care anyway?"[/red] he managed to mumble out, still unsure as to how much if anything he should tell her. But then, better her than a teacher... he shook his head again to try and clear his thoughts.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Dec 4, 2009 11:02:29 GMT -5
D'rorah saw Tommy's shivering and took off her cloak before carefully setting it over him, trying to do so in a way that would not frighten him. Obviously, he was afraid of her by the way he had pulled away from her hand on his shoulder. His frightened gaze was another hint that something was dreadfully wrong with this scene.
She worried he would shuffle too far in the other direction and fall from the Astronomy Tower. And while D'rorah was reasonably sure she could arrest his fall, she didn't wish to tempt fate too much tonight. She pulled away a bit, giving him more space. She listened carefully as he spoke. [blue]"You do not look as though you have been punished, Mister Bryce, you look instead as though you have been beaten. And as a prefect, I am concerned for your safety and well-being. However, I doubt there is any trespass you might have committed against the rules of this school that would warrant such an extreme punishment in response."[/blue]
She wrapped her arms around herself to keep in warmth. [blue]"I care because I make it my duty to care about others,"[/blue] she replies quietly. In fact, that was the drive that kept her going in the Shadow wars. More than wanting to avenge the deaths of her parents or wanting to show the Mage a taste of some of the pain she had endured, D'rorah wanted to protect the innocent... and that was something that spread to all facets of her life. She wasn't always great with emotional issues or support, but she could protect those in physical danger, that was indeed one of her strengths.
[blue]"I know you were out of the castle after curfew,"[/blue] she remarked quietly. [blue]"If that is the broken rule you speak of, I assure you, I have broken my own fair share of rules. I tend to be very good at calculating mitigating circumstances into the equation."[/blue]
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Tommy Bryce
Gryffindor
[red]1st Year Gryffindor[/red]
You bend and you bruise me while you try to control me
Posts: 104
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Post by Tommy Bryce on Dec 4, 2009 11:37:30 GMT -5
Tommy flinched again as he saw a large, dark thing come towards him from above before realising what it was and relaxing a little, although his muscles were still wound tight with tension. It was making his injuries ache more, but he couldn't help it. It was a reflexive action, and one that had saved him from numerous injuries in the path.
Fortunately she saw fit to move away a little further from him. He shuffled a tiny bit to the left and towards her, but still maintained that larger distance between them that she had just instigated. The majority of his shivers subsided fairly quickly under the thick cloak, although a few still remained – but it wasn't warm from when she had been wearing it, strangely. It was his own little body heat that stayed between the layer and kept him at this nicer temperature. He nodded his thanks to her shyly but ducked his head back down to stare at the floor as she began speaking
Tommy listened quietly to her words, clutching at the edges of the cloak to prevent it from billowing out any more and being blown away. He blinked a little in confusion at her words about him being beaten rather than punished, not quite understanding what point she was making or how she was drawing difference between the two. The beating was the punishment... But he said and did nothing as she continued, except to make a mental note that she did not supply any firm confirmation that there were no rules he could have broken that required such punishment. Just that she doubted it.
He glanced up as she noticed her wrapping her arms around herself, immediately shrugging off the cloak she had given him and pushing it back towards her. He had learnt in the past what happened if you did not give someone back their belongings when they wanted or needed it. He felt the wind whip through his shirt again but tried to ignore it, instead curling up tightly again. Again, he listened carefully to what she was saying. He wasn't sure what she meant by it being her 'duty' to care about others, but didn't push that further.
He ducked his head shame-faced at the mention of being out of the castle after curfew, redness staining his cheeks. So she did know some of it. He frowned at her last words, not understanding what she meant. [red]"It's... how do you know that? Were you watching me?"[/red] he asked in what would have almost been a demand if it hadn't been spoken in such a feeble voice. [red]"And what do you mean by... mit... mititi... migit..."[/red] He trailed off, giving up on pronouncing the word he had never come across before and instead turning his head to look up at her.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Dec 4, 2009 17:28:54 GMT -5
D'rorah thought Tommy looked confused when she made the distinction between being beaten and being punished. She wondered what she had said that might be easily misunderstood. As he pushed the cloak back to her, she furrowed her own brow in confusion. [blue]"You are clearly quite cold,"[/blue] she remarked, pressing the cloak back to him, [blue]"keep it for now, until you warm up. I will be fine."[/blue] She didn't figure there was any point in mentioning that she would be frigid no matter what she wore. That would only sound either odd or patronizing.
The redness of his cheeks and his ducked head confirmed for her that he had been the one to set off the castle's alarms. [blue]"I was not watching you. However, I do know that the door was opened, because I heard the alarm. And you look as though you have been outside. I am certain, had your injuries occurred inside, there would be quite a scene to clean up at the moment."[/blue]
She smirked slightly as he asked what mitigating meant. [blue]"That means, there certain circumstances to take into consideration. Say, for instance... someone snuck out of the school. A mitigating circumstance to whether or not that person might be punished would be why he snuck out. Was he up to mischief? Or was he trying to do a favor for someone? Were his intentions kind or evil? You see, all of these things mitigate the response warranted. So say a young student had snuck out after curfew to do something kind for someone, why, it would only make sense to make his punishment something light... say perhaps an hour or so of detention... or perhaps no punishment at all. It would depend upon the reason, you see. Whereas, if the same young man were to have snuck out with the intention of hurting someone else or wreaking some sort of havoc, he might warrant a good deal more detention doing something unpleasant like cleaning school potions cauldrons. Though, I cannot ever see a reason for beating a student who did not first attempt to murder or maim me,"[/blue] she added thoughtfully, wanting to further express her opinion that whatever he had done couldn't have been bad enough to warrant the punishment he'd obviously received.
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Tommy Bryce
Gryffindor
[red]1st Year Gryffindor[/red]
You bend and you bruise me while you try to control me
Posts: 104
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Post by Tommy Bryce on Dec 5, 2009 15:03:40 GMT -5
Tommy hesitated as she told him to keep the cloak, not wanting to unintentionally annoy her by keeping the cloak for too long, but also not wanting to offend her by rejecting the offer. "I'm warmer now anyway, it's okay if you want it back," he tried to assure her, hesitating in uncertainty. She looked very cold now he thought about it, but he didn't want to press the issue.
He blinked in alarm at her mention of an alarm, looking up at her worriedly and speaking up as soon as she paused. "An alarm? So other people know I was out of Hogwarts?" he asked with increased apprehension, worried that at any point someone was going to come running up and find him there before he could get up the courage to tell D'rorah what was going on. He did plan to, now, because if he didn't now then he wasn't sure that he would work up enough motivation again to go to someone for the purpose of telling them. But that didn't mean it wasn't difficult to talk about, especially after so long of pretending there was nothing wrong.
His cheeks reddened further as he saw her smirk at his question, and he lowered his head again in embarrassment. He nods slowly as she explains, slowly turning his eyes back up to her as she continued with the example and saying what she thought were suitable punishments for such things. It certainly didn't involve any beating... in fact, she even said so. [red]"I won't,"[/red] he suddenly assured her at her last words, wanting to make sure that nothing he did might be misinterpreted to result in such a punishment.
He paused for a few moments before finally replying, speaking in an even quieter voice than before and staring at the stone floor beneath his feet as he did so. [red]"I... I went home. To see my brothers. It's Shane's birthday next week, and I wanted to give him a present. But I wasn't supposed to go home without permission..."[/red] He trailed off, a distressed expression appearing on his face and he gulped back any more tears that were threatening to fall.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Dec 5, 2009 15:58:18 GMT -5
[blue]"I really do not want it back"[/blue] D'rorah replies about the cloak, wondering if it had an odd smell or feel to it. He was obviously cold, yet didn't seem interested in keeping it. As if to further prove her point, she settled it about his shoulders once again. [blue]"Much better,"[/blue] she remarks with a slight nod.
Obviously, he was worried about the idea of the alarm. Having not even known about it, he would of course not know that they had been redirected some time ago when Wysteria had been brought back into the castle. [blue]"No one else will be coming,"[/blue] she reassures him. [blue]"It is my night to monitor the alarms tonight, no one else will have heard them"[/blue] she adds, thinking that wasn't really untrue now that she had redirected them.
His assurance that he would not maim or murder her was odd... she had no fear that he would attempt to do either. [blue]"I know you will not, Mister Bryce,"[/blue] she replies reassuringly. He seemed to be afraid that she would hit him next, though she hardly even knew him. As he finally began to speak about the events of the night, she had to lean slightly closer to hear him. His eyes were firmly fixed on the stone floor as she watched him begin explaining why he had snuck out.
[blue]"Well, I think it was very nice for you to sneak home to see your younger brother,"[/blue] she replies, assuming he was younger by the fact that he wasn't at Hogwarts. [blue]"So, it is almost his birthday, and you wanted to celebrate with him and give him a present, I do not see how that is such a horrible thing."[/blue] She furrowed her brow slightly. [blue]"Why are you not allowed to go home without permission? Did you run into danger along the way?"[/blue] still searching for some reason as to why he looked the way he did right now.
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Tommy Bryce
Gryffindor
[red]1st Year Gryffindor[/red]
You bend and you bruise me while you try to control me
Posts: 104
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Post by Tommy Bryce on Dec 5, 2009 17:22:19 GMT -5
Tommy nods again, reassured as she places it back around his shoulders although the closeness was certainly not reassuring and his muscles were tense the whole time she was near. She didn't stay for too long though and he gathered the cloak around himself, glad to have the warmth again. He nodded at her words that it was D'rorah's job to monitor the alarms, not thinking any more of it, and glad she accepted his promise – although apparently she had taken that for granted anyway. That would be nice... to be able to take for granted that someone wouldn't hurt you. The only people he could really say that was true for were Nick and Shane.
He felt her lean closer as he began to speak about earlier that night and his muscles tensed again, but he didn't move away any further. He blinked in surprise when she expressed what sounded awfully like approval at his intentions to visit his brothers for Shane's birthday, even though it had meant him breaking school rules.
But then she moved onto the real issue at hand – what had caused his injuries. He gulped again, closing his eyes as he pushed back his fear to speak in a halting voice. [red]"It's... my dad doesn't want me there. He said I shouldn't come home except when I have to, like in the summer,"[/red] he began falteringly, glancing up at D'rorah every now and then to see her reaction. [red]"But I couldn't wait until the summer, I haven't seen them for months, so I went anyway, and he was supposed to be out, but he got back earlier than I thought he would and he got angry..."[/red]
Tommy trailed off after the last very fast paragraph, another tear managing to find its way from his eyes to fall slowly down his cheek at the memory of the fear he had felt in his stomach when his father had appeared in the doorway with that expression on his face. [red]"He's hurting them still, even though he said he wouldn't, he said it was me he was angry at, not his real sons. But he's hurting them anyway, and he says that if I go back ever again or tell anyone then he'll kill them,"[/red] Tommy sobbed out, having to get everything out now he had begun. [red]"It's all my fault, I shouldn't have left them with him,"[/red] he muttered bitterly into his hands, tears falling at a steadier rate now.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Dec 5, 2009 19:09:34 GMT -5
D'rorah was relieved that Tommy accepted that it was her night to monitor the alarms without questioning it. She didn't really want to have to think of any further reasoning to go along with the story. She could sense his tension as she leaned closer to listen, but he didn't shy away, which seemed like decent progress. His surprise that she didn't disapprove of visiting his brother was more expected... strictly, what he had done was against school rules, but she couldn't really fault Tommy's closeness to his family. Though, if he'd truly wished to visit his family, he could have simply requested someone to escort him home from school.
As he began to speak in a halting voice, she realized just why he wouldn't have been able to request an escort home. His father would have had to approve the excursion. She was puzzled by the fact that his father wouldn't him home, but remembered the caretaker she had been saddled with before reaching the age of majority after her parents' deaths. He had loathed D'rorah, but he had never been a physical match for her.
It saddened her to think that Tommy's own father didn't want him home. She nodded slightly as he explained that he couldn't wait until the summer to see his brothers. She had never had siblings herself, but she could imagine she would want to spend time with them if she did. As Tommy said that his father had gotten angry to find him home, she pursed her lips slightly, waiting quietly for him to continue.
She watched without speaking as a tear fell down his cheek, not daring to come nearer to him for fear of frightening him right over the edge of the wall. She could not help the shocked expression on her face as he remarked that his father was hurting Tommy and his brothers... that his own father was responsible for the injuries she saw now. [blue]"Your own father did this to you?"[/blue] she asked, slightly incredulous. [blue]"And your brothers are still with him?"[/blue] On top of her shock, she was now angry... the fact that anyone would harm the innocent for no reason at all was abhorrent to her.
[blue]"Come with me, Mister Bryce,"[/blue] she said, rising from where she sat and holding her hand out to him. She would see that Tommy's brothers were taken far enough away that their father never had an opportunity to hurt them again... and then, afterwards, she would visit the father personally to impress upon him just how poor a choice it had been to hurt children.
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Tommy Bryce
Gryffindor
[red]1st Year Gryffindor[/red]
You bend and you bruise me while you try to control me
Posts: 104
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Post by Tommy Bryce on Dec 6, 2009 22:38:31 GMT -5
It was strange, really, the relief Tommy felt at having finally told someone. He had held it all inside for so long that he had gotten used to the guilt at lying to people's faces about the reasons for bruises – he'd tripped while running, or had been hit by a football while playing. The latter excuse generally worked best, he had found, because he was then forced to explain in most cases what a 'football' was and how he had been hit by one. He'd never mentioned it to anyone before – it wasn't even really talked about with his brothers. There had been a few times, such as Tommy telling Nick to be careful about how he reacted and Shane asking why their father got so angry, but it was a rare topic of conversation.
Glancing back up at her, Tommy had seen the shocked expression on her face, and it immediately brought back his worry. What if she didn't believe him? What if she thought he was just saying it for attention or something, or that he was just over exaggerating. But then that worry was superseded by another at her inquiry as to whether his brothers were still with him. [red]"Yes, but I couldn't help leaving them! I wouldn't have gotten away otherwise. I know I shouldn't have let them but if I'd stayed to protect them then no one would have been here to tell you when you came upstairs and it all would have been the same,"[/red] he babbled out, a few more tears spilling which he immediately wiped away.
He started in shock as she suddenly stood, staring up at her with fear. She looked so much more imposing and capable of violence now she was towering above her, even with her hand offered out. He scrambled to his feet so he wasn't quite so much below her in height, although it really didn't make that much difference. He didn't take her hand just yet, instead eyeing it warily then staring up at her. [red]"W-why? Where are we going? What are you going to do?"[/red] he asked in as firm a voice as he could manage.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Dec 6, 2009 22:58:42 GMT -5
She was surprised when Tommy immediately began defending his decision to leave his brothers as though she might condemn him for it. [blue]"I understand, Mister Bryce,"[/blue] she replied quietly. [blue]"You did what was best by extracting yourself from the situation and seeking help. I do not expect you would have remained behind to face your father. Perhaps he will have even calmed some after you left. I am certain you chose the course of action which seemed wisest at the time."[/blue]
She saw Tommy start as she stood. After what he had been through tonight, it was no small wonder that he would be frightened of her. He'd been trained to see the world as constantly having the potential for pain... and this was no exception. Watching as he scrambled to his feet, she took a deep breath once her asked what she was going to do.
[blue]"We are going to your home. We will collect your brothers and I will take them somewhere I can ensure their safety,"[/blue] she replies quietly. [blue]"I know somewhere they can live without any fear of harm from others. And somewhere you will be free to visit them when you like without fear of retribution."[/blue] She took a deep breath, not wanting to frighten him, but not wanting to linger too long either. [blue]"I would not ask you to come, but I need your assistance to locate your house, and your brothers would not know me to trust me if I were to simply arrive."[/blue]
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Tommy Bryce
Gryffindor
[red]1st Year Gryffindor[/red]
You bend and you bruise me while you try to control me
Posts: 104
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Post by Tommy Bryce on Dec 6, 2009 23:12:45 GMT -5
Tommy gulped, glad she understood him leaving his brothers like that. It was something he was having difficulty forgiving himself for, having simply fled the moment the knife was wielded as if that would abate his father's anger. Even if he had been yelling at him to go, running away had always made his dad angrier before. Surely this would be no exception... and it was making him worry about Nick and Shane more by the second. So long as this D'rorah really did intend to help, and soon, then maybe they might be okay and his cowardice wouldn't have hurt them too much.
He hesitated as he watched her outstretched hand, waiting for him to take it. But first he wanted to hear what she had to say. And what she had to say wasn't anything he wanted to hear, besides the part of getting his brothers away from his dad. [red]"Go back there?"[/red] he repeated in a terrified voice, staring up at her with wide eyes. [red]"Just you and me? But he'll hurt you!"[/red] Tommy protested, not seeing how she could be so silly as to walk straight into the lion's den, so to speak. Even if said 'lion's den' was his own home and they needed to go there to fetch his brothers.
He gulped again at her last words, understanding her reasoning for him going and, after a few more seconds of pausing, finally reached out to take her hand. He flinched again as he did so, staring up at her in surprise because of how cold her hand was. But his mind was too preoccupied with others things right now than to worry about chilly hands, except to shrug her cloak off and hand it back to her without a word. [red]"Where can they go?"[/red] he asked in a whisper, not quite daring to believe that if they did manage to get them out of the house safely, then they could go somewhere else to live.
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