Nobody's Slave
Disclaimer: Much as I wished I did, I have no claim over anyone here, excepting Merope's mother.
A/N: I'm always intrigued by the characters that don't really get looked at very closely, Merope Gaunt being one of those. Please read and review, they make me very happy and fairly hyper.
You've spent most of your pitiful life locked away, slaving for your father and brother who despise you. And only for one thing. Just your (apparent) lack of magic.
You know you're not a squib (that horrible, vile word that means worthless), if they're not around, not watching you, you can do simple spells. Just things you've picked up from Morfin's lessons, your father never bothered to teach you, a girl. You're less than nothing in his eyes. A slave.
Yet secretly you are not asquib, not worthless, not a slave. You won't turn into your Mother, a breeding machine, she was a slave. She died ill and un-cared for, bar what you could give her. As you were just twelve, your medical care was not the best.
Yet somehow, he makes you feel free. He'll never look at you unless, somehow, you can bring yourself to use a potion on him, but he's there. Even if you just catch a glimpse of him over the fence, see his head in the crowd; hear his voice over the yelling from your own home. That can make your day. Just a second of him and you can instantly survive one more day. If he leaves though, then you'll have trouble. You trust him, however, not to leave you. They say love is blind, you're fairly certain now it is.
He's a muggle, a rich muggle, one who would never talk to you really. Your father would kill you for just looking at him, thinking about Tom like that. Morfin's guessed but he's keeping it back for now, you don't know why. There's always a motive with Morfin so you doubt it'll be good for you.
So you'll keep fighting, hoping that maybe they'll go away, that he'll come to you without trouble (it won't happen but that's something you won't think about yet). If they went then you wouldn't be anyone's slave.