CW: hospitals, discussions of abuse, forced hospitalization
Chapter Eight: New Merope
Tom woke early the next morning, still feeling the same sense of peace. He flicked his wand to light the candle by his bed, illuminating the room. Merope would still be asleep for some time, so Tom decided to empty the rest of his rucksack. It would be unsafe to bring so much money around with him all the time, plus all the bedding still in there made it difficult to find anything. He put on a set of gray robes and his sandals.
Padding quietly so as not to wake Merope, Tom picked up his rucksack and candle to carry downstairs. It was colder on the floor level, so Tom set his rucksack in what would be Marvolo's room and lit the fire in the kitchen to start warming the place up. When he returned to the bedroom, he spent a moment admiring his handiwork.
And he had done a good job with this room, taking care to give it a dignified air fitting his grandfather. It was simple for now, but none of the items could be considered plain. He summoned the bedding, clothing, and toiletries out of his rucksack, sending them flying to their places in the room. In only a couple minutes, the room looked complete except for the bookshelf he had created for Marvolo to fill himself. Very gently, Tom placed the Gaunt ring on it. He had left the ring wrapped in cloth, still afraid to touch it. Tom summoned three candles, placing one in Marvolo's room before padding into the bathroom.
He found all the toiletries neatly in their places, so all he needed to do was place the candle in its holder before turning to go into Morfin's room. He had made theirs a shared bathroom, knowing they would not really mind. Tom summoned out the bedding and clothing for Morfin's room, which settled into place as neatly as they had for Marvolo's room.
This left Tom with his final task. When he constructed the house, he had created an enclosure for Morfin to house a snake. He hadn't had a chance to find a snake for the enclosure, but decided to spend a little time summoning moss and sticks for the inside. He knew Morfin would probably prefer the snake to a desk, which Marvolo had in his room. While he hoped he could teach Morfin how to use his magic properly, he was trying to be very realistic in his expectations for the wizard.
He turned his head, hearing Merope move into the kitchen. He padded out to find her running water into the cauldron to boil. She started again when she noticed Tom, but then smiled slightly.
"Good morning, Tom."
He smiled, pleased with her confidence. "Good morning, Merope. What are you making?"
She took the cauldron off the counter and placed it over the fire. "I thought we could maybe have some tea with our bread? Do we have tea?"
He pondered this momentarily. "I think we have mint leaves we can use for tea." He walked over to the cupboard and took out the mugs and mint leaves. He then took out the bread knife and walked over to the table. Merope followed with the bread, taking her seat and gesturing for the knife. She sliced the bread for them both and quietly ate hers.
"I wanted to go over some things, Merope, before we go to St. Mungos."
She nodded, indicating she was listening.
"We are going to be Apparating there, which may make you feel a little nauseous. The best way to avoid this is simply to close your eyes while we travel." He paused in case she had any questions, but when she didn't he continued. "St. Mungos is a very safe place, but if you have any concerns you should tell me now so we can be prepared for them."
She glanced up then, and stated very quietly. "I… I don't really feel comfortable around men. Though I feel okay around you!" She added quickly, ducking her head back down in shame.
"I'll make sure you only have female Healers." He stated, easily able to accommodate for that. It made sense that Merope had misgivings towards men, though it did make him feel more accomplished to know she felt safe with him. "They will perform different spells on you and may ask you to drink a potion, but just know that they are all safe and you can always ask the Healers questions first."
She nodded again. "Will you be there?"
"I will. I'm going to go with you and make sure you're comfortable, but I do need to check on your brother and father as well. I may leave you if you feel safe with the Healers once you meet them."
She looked slightly concerned at the thought of being left, but nodded her head bravely. Tom stood up and scooped some water for the tea out of the cauldron.
"Excellent." He handed her the mug. "Careful, it's hot."
"Thank you." Merope gently stirred in the mint leaves, savoring the smell.
He had waited to tell her this part, worried about her response. "I think, once we're finished at St. Mungos, that we will need to go into the muggle village."
He was right, Merope looked white as a ghost. "But father… father says they're dirty. He's never let me go there."
She said it with none of the venom that Tom was sure Marvolo had said those words, but he was struck by part of what she said.
"You've never been outside of the property?" He questioned her.
"I...no. I would sneak out to go, but I always got scared at the end of the path and came back." She rambled, the truth spilling out before she could stop it. It was as if she had wanted to tell someone for some time. She was just a child really, although her seventeenth birthday was coming up. He had not realized fully just how little she knew of the world until this moment. It made much more sense now how she had reacted to the home, the magic, and especially the books.
"Well," Tom spoke briskly. "We're going to change that today. You have no reason to hide away here, and I will be there to keep you safe besides."
She relaxed, then nodded. She seemed vaguely excited, but also still nervous. Her father's influence was like a shadow she couldn't shake off. Perhaps, after Marvolo had gotten better at St. Mungos, that shadow would be able to dissipate.
"I would recommend wearing your dress and the traveling cloak." He instructed. "That way you will fit in with the muggle and wizarding world."
He had not thought about how to best fit in the muggle world himself, but he knew they would need to go to Gringotts anyway for muggle money. He could pick up muggle clothing before they entered the village. It was incredibly important that they make a good impression at the village - they had a lot of ground work to cover regarding the family's reputation.
She simply nodded and pushed away from the table, taking her mug of tea with her to change. Tom continued sipping his tea while he waited for her to return. Taking out the money from his rucksack, he counted it out into piles. It would definitely fit into a small chest, and so he casually summoned some wood from outside and shaped it into a natural box. Picking up enough money for their trip, Tom placed the rest in the chest just in time for Merope to come back.
"Alright, let's go now." He stood, placing the box on a shelf in the dining room.
"Okay." She seemed almost giddy, but was doing her best to contain herself. She had been taught very early in life that to show her positive feelings was punished. He found her attempt amusing, but was also a little saddened by what she had gone through.
Merope followed Tom out of the house, then waited for him as he placed several protective wards around the house. When he was satisfied that no one - muggle or wizard - could enter, he turned back to Merope.
"May I?" He did not want to touch her without her knowing, aware that she would be very afraid of touch by anyone. He wanted to establish a precedent that no one would touch her now without her being okay with it.
She nodded, shyly putting her hand in his before they apparated.
"Oh!" Merope bent over and placed her hands on her knees.
"Take deep breaths," Tom said. "The feeling will pass momentarily."
He patiently waited for Merope to recover, glad that he had chosen to apparate in an alley rather than on the street. It might be a good idea to set up the Floo network for their home though - he highly doubted the Gaunts would ever be able to apparate on their own safely.
When she was again standing, albeit still looking a little pale, they walked back onto the street and up to the entrance of St. Mungos.
"Why does it look like this?" She asked Tom curiously.
"It looks like this to keep muggles disinterested." Tom stated, walking confidently into what looked like an abandoned department store.
The inside of the building was quiet thankfully, but Merope still looked stunned. Tom allowed her a moment to absorb everything, aware of how he had felt only a few days ago. Once she had again settled, Tom walked up to the front desk and accepted the paperwork needed for Merope's appointment with the Healers.
"She will need to see only female Healers, due to some trauma she has previously experienced."
Sadness crossed the witch's face, but she simply nodded her head and made a note for the file.
"I'm also here to check on the progress of Marvolo and Morfin Gaunt." he stated. "Would their Healers be on shift today?"
The witch checked a department scroll in front of her. "Yes, they should both be present, I will let them know you are here, Mr...?"
"Evermore. Thank you." He smiled, taking the paperwork and turning back to Merope. "We will need to fill these forms out and then the Healers will see you."
"Okay." Merope sat quietly in a chair while Tom filled out the forms beside her. He verified a few details with her, but was able to fill out most of the form himself. He handed back the forms to the witch and gestured for Merope to follow him and the witch to a waiting room.
"The Healers will be with you shortly." The witch spoke to them both before leaving the room.
Tom explained the items in the room to Merope, showing her where she would need to sit for exams. It soothed her to have everything explained before anything happened. She was trying her best, but this was completely new to her and therefore scary. She had not experienced many new things that were positive until very recently.
She had just walked over and sat down on the exam bed when two female Healers walked into the room. Tom moved over to the chairs, holding onto Merope's traveling cloak.
"Hello, Merope?" The Healer with the forms spoke first.
"Yes, that's my name." Merope spoke very, very quietly.
"It's good to see you." The Healer spoke gently. "My name is Ginger, and this is my colleague Penelope."
Merope nodded. "It's good to meet you both."
Ginger smiled. "Now, since this is your first visit, I'm going to take a basic diagnostic spell, okay?"
Merope looked at Tom, then nodded for Ginger to go ahead.
She waved her wand, muttering the spell and then watching her medical history spell out on a scroll.
"Who did you bring with you today?" Penelope asked cheerfully, looking at Merope.
"My uncle, Mr. Evermore." Merope seemed to warm a little under Penelope's kindness, which radiated out of her like a small sun.
Ginger's face; however, was becoming more and more grim. Mr. Evermore had not been exaggerating when he said the girl had been through trauma. While none of her records indicated anything lethal, Merope had sustained several physical injuries in her life. The majority of them were superficial, but Ginger noted several healed fractures - most likely the result of Merope's magic trying to heal herself. There was an incredibly high amount of cortisol in her system as well, indicating continuous stress.
At first, she considered removing Mr. Evermore from the room, unsure if he may have been one of the abusers. But when she looked back up, she saw Merope cheerfully telling Penelope about how Tom had come to them very recently. He was not the one abusing her, but she would need to find out who and where they were before she could release Merope.
"Penelope will discuss some routine potions we will be giving you today. Mr. Evermore, may I speak with you for a moment?" Ginger gestured into the hall, and Mr. Evermore complied after gently touching Merope's shoulder.
Once they were in the hall, Tom spoke first. "I know your concerns. I want to assure you that Merope is safe in her current home. Her brother and father are here actually, receiving medical care for their madness. They will not be entering the home again unless they are cleared by medical staff."
Ginger nodded, satisfied with Tom's answer and pleased that he was paying such close attention. Most of the witches and wizards she dealt with paid little to no attention to their own health, let alone the health of those around them. A side effect of magic was the belief that they could never get sick. It was refreshing that the wizard in front of her cared.
"Alright, well the other reason I brought you out here was to get an idea of what you recommend for her care?" Merope was still a minor, at least for a few months.
"I would like to see if anything can be done for her eyes, they make it difficult for her to read."
Ginger nodded slowly, already considering different options and looking at the family history. "Her brother has the same condition - we could collaborate with his team if you would like."
Tom nodded. "Yes, but do not perform the procedure unless Morfin agrees. He may not be mentally competent right now, but hopefully he will be and then will be able to make that choice."
"Of course." Ginger opened the door back up and the two walked back into the room.
"We've completed all the potions, Ginger." Penelope turned to speak to her colleague.
"Excellent," Ginger smiled at Merope. "Now, Mr. Evermore and I were discussing your eyes, and I think we may be able to heal them."
Merope gave her biggest smile yet, looking from Ginger to Tom as though she couldn't quite believe it.
Tom crossed to Merope. "Ginger and Penelope will be explaining the procedure to you and then it will take a few minutes to get everything ready. Will you be alright here?"
Merope knew he was really asking if she felt safe. She nodded.
"Okay, then I will leave you all to it." Tom left the room, taking the stairs up to Marvolo and Morfin's room.
He began with Marvolo's room, speaking first to his Healer. It appeared that Marvolo was thriving in St. Mungos, thrilled to be treated well although he had felt entitled to that treatment anyway. Mentally, Marvolo had a lot of ground to cover still. He was still holding onto some serious anger and defiance issues that would need to be eased before Tom would allow him anywhere near Merope.
Once he had gotten the information he needed, Tom asked that they call Morfin's Healer over while he spoke to Marvolo. They turned away and Tom walked into the room, not entirely sure what to expect.
Marvolo glared when he saw Tom, but made no move to do anything. He was wandless for one, but also quite comfortable. He was sitting in a chair by the window which had magically created a sunny day for him to enjoy.
"The ring," Marvolo hissed. "Is it safe?"
Tom closed the door and crossed the room to sit facing his grandfather. "Of course. It's safe in your room, waiting for your return."
Marvolo appraised Tom carefully. "So, you're not going to leave me here to rot?"
"No," Tom stated. "As long as you follow the Healers instructions, you will have a home to return to."
"Home," Marvolo snorted derisively. "Hardly a home really. Our family used to be royalty!"
"I think you will be pleased when you return-" Tom spoke gently. "I have made it whole again." He took a spare piece of parchment in the room and tapped his wand on it, where it quickly sketched out the house and specifically Marvolo's room.
His eyes widened and he reverently touched the sketch. "You must be a very powerful wizard indeed." Marvolo conceded, admittedly impressed by the magic Tom had accomplished.
Tom smirked, appreciating how difficult it must have been for Marvolo to extend such a compliment.
He stood from the chair. "I will return to check on your progress soon."
Marvolo simply looked away from Tom and back out the window.
Once he returned to the hall, he approached the Healer for Morfin. He looked much less cheerful than Marvolo's had, and rightfully so. Apparently, Morfin had refused to speak any English since he arrived. He had also been so unpredictable and violent that he had needed to be sedated for every potion administration and restrained constantly. As for his hygiene, they had needed to shave his hair, as it was simply too matted to help. They had; however, been able to regrow his teeth. Morfin was currently awake, but restrained.
Tom apologized for all the inconveniences and thanked the Healer for continuing to work with Morfin. "I will speak to him and see if I can help at all."
The Healer nodded, although he was not sure what on earth Mr. Evermore could say that would make Morfin cooperate. He had honestly been so frustrated by Morfin and his behaviors, although Mr. Evermore's words helped ease that frustration a little.
It was only after Tom had closed the door that he spoke to Morfin. "Why must you make all of this so difficult?"
"Go away, filthy blood traitor!" Morfin growled, pulling on his magical restraints.
"I am trying to help you." Tom was doing his very best to be patient, but it was very taxing for him. The Healers too - you should notice how much they've already done for you."
"I hate them! They're all traitors or mudbloods!" Morfin spat.
Tom just sighed at his blatant ignorance. "Well, you will not be allowed back into our home until you are properly healed. So you have two choices - you can remain here, or attempt living without us or your wand."
Tom meant what he said too - he would not allow Morfin into the house in this state and would not return Morfin's wand unless he knew it would be safe to do so. After all, Morfin's curse on Tom Riddle Sr. had been the start of the chain of events leading to his birth. He would not allow that to happen.
"How dare you…" Morfin's face was an odd shade of maroon, but he seemed unable to continue. He knew Tom was serious, and knew the current position he was in left him vulnerable.
"I know this is difficult for you," Tom hissed. "But you will be fine, and your place will be waiting for you when you return."
He left the room before Morfin could respond, ready to get back to Merope. He had not been gone for long, but after being around the two male Gaunts, she would be a pleasant change. She was at least grateful for all the effort Tom was putting in on their behalf. Although, in Morfin's case it had been him who sent Morfin to Askaban…
It was then that he felt it again.
Remorse.
It hit like a train, seeming to capsize his whole body from the inside out. He was luckily next to an empty room, so Tom fell into the room and shut the door. Breathing heavily, he tried to understand what was going on - was this another trick from Death? He had never regretted his choices in a previous life, but now he felt it. What he had done to Morfin was wrong, even if Morfin was a horrible wizard. No one deserves to go to Azkaban, no one deserves to feel alone and scared in the way dementors made people feel. And the Riddle family, though cruel and awful, did not deserve to die.
Then he felt something different, like a warm burning sensation. Tom looked down quickly at his ring finger, where his scar seemed to be… burning off? There was white smoke coming off of it, and he very gently touched the area. It was smooth and new now, as if the burn hadn't existed in the first place. Shakily, Tom stood and tested his balance. He felt tremors from what he had just experienced, but nothing physically seemed to be wrong. The closest thing he could compare what he went through to was being hit by the Cruciatus curse.
Merope, Tom thought once he could focus again. She'll probably be waiting for me, wondering where I am. He kept one hand on the walls, but was able to walk slowly back to Merope's room.
There was laughter coming from Merope's room, a welcome sound for Tom. He had hoped this would be a good social experience for her as well as a medical one. He opened the door to find Penelope chatted with Merope while Ginger prepared the potion and charm-work for her eye repair.
"Oh! Welcome back Mr. Evermore." Penelope said brightly. "Merope is almost finished here. Ginger is just going to administer the potion and we'll see how much it works."
Merope was so hopeful, her smile shining through like a small flower in the spring sunshine.
"Alright, here you are." Ginger handed Merope the potion vial. "Best to drink it quickly, I'm afraid it does not taste very good."
Merope nodded and downed it quickly, grimancing only slightly at the taste.
"Now for the charm," Ginger stood in front of Merope and muttered a spell while waving her wand in circular patterns over both eyes.
Slowly, the pupils in Merope's eyes centered themselves. It left her face looking much prettier than before, because her brown eyes now looked large and bright. She looked around at Ginger, Tom, and then Penelope, as though looking at them for the first time.
Penelope smiled widely, taking a small mirror out of her pocket for Merope to look. "See? I told you Ginger would take excellent care of you!"
Merope's jaw dropped as she looked into her reflection. In truth, she had only really seen herself on the surface of water. But her father and brother took no trouble in telling her how ugly she was her whole life. Which meant that now...now was the first time she had ever felt pretty.
"Aw Merope! Don't make me cry now!" Penelope cried, gently touching Merope's shoulder as joyful tears fell down Merope's face.
She looked tearfully up at Tom, and Tom just nodded to show he understood. This was the start of a new Merope.
Notes:
I hope Marvolo and Morfin are coming across authentically enough. But St. Mungos is going to be a pretty constant part of this story, including these two OC characters, Ginger and Penelope.
Happy Reading!