Written for Quidditch League - Round 12 - Covering Seeker position. Prompt: Write a FLUFFY SLICE OF LIFE story about THE GAUNT FAMILY

Unexpected Kindness

Family fic - no pairings - Gaunt family

Merope wasn't expecting this reaction when her family found out she was pregnant.

Merope listened to the faint sound of a horse leavng their property and she sighed to herself, running her hands over her pregnant stomach. It had recently become noticeable and her father and brother would be back from their trip at any time.

They would know she was pregnant. They would force out the name of the father.

The only reason Merope didn't have Tom in the house anymore was because she was certain her father and brother would kill first and ask questions later. Even if they were willing to ask questions first, Tom wouldn't have left their little hovel alive.

She put dinner on, her worries for Tom and about what her family would do never completely leaving her.

Her evening was spent cooking dinner and listening for the sound of her family returning. As the time passed, she grew more and more anxious. Different scenarios ran through her mind.

What if her father made her give her child up? What if they threw her out?

What if they got rid of the baby… that same day?

The thoughts made her shiver. She knew already that she would protect the baby with her life, but if she left now, where would she go?

She had no other place to go, and Tom's family had talked about disowning him were he to stay with her, so his home had never been an option.

No, she would stay and face her family. She would tell them the truth, and she would protect her baby. If they made her leave, she would. She'd find a way, somehow. Weren't there places for pregnant women? Didn't the muggles look after people in her condition?

Dinner was finished and she covered it to keep the heat in. She knew her father would be able to warm it when he returned, as long as it was kept fresh, and the next half-an-hour was spent cleaning up and picking flowers for the table.

Half-way through picking, she heard their return and rushed inside to put dinner onto the plates and everything was set as the two men walked into the house.

She turned and there was a long silence as her father's eyes moved down to her stomach. Merope felt like time stood still, and with each moment that her family stared at her, she felt it harder and harder to breath. She clutched the counter behind her, struggling to even stay upright.

"Merope? Sit down before you fall down." She felt arms pulling at her, guiding her to a chair. She glanced around, her eyes meeting her brother's concerned gaze.

"What?" she whispered.

"Better eat a bit more than that," her father stated gruffly. "You're eating for two. Morfin, you don't need all those potatoes."

Merope watched, open-mouthed, as her brother started shifting some of his food onto her plate. She briefly wondered if she had passed out and hit her head, because this was her father and her brother—two people that had treated her as little more than a slave for most of her life.

Now they were treating her with an unknown kindness.

"Morfin, fix the girl's chair." She felt her chair being pushed in, and her father tapped the table with his wand, causing all of the food on the plates to heat up. He glanced at his plate and the flowers.

"Looks good."

Merope wondered if it was a trick, and ate slowly, just in case her brother was going to ask for the potatoes back, but the way he was looking at her—the way they were both looking at her—told her that this was really happening. She quietly thanked her brother before clearing the rest of her plate.

Morfin cleared the plates away; a job which was Merope's.

She glanced around, noticing her father's gaze on her. His fingers were steepled together under his chin.

He didn't speak until he had her full attention.

"Who?"

He didn't need to be clearer than that. She took a deep breath, reminding herself that her father was aware that Merope didn't know any wizards or witches.

"A boy in town."

"Did he…" Marvolo waved his hand. "I mean, a young girl like you left here alone—"

"No," she quickly said. "I… I made a love potion."

"You made a love potion?" Marvolo murmured. "It worked?"

"It did."

"Thought you were a Squib. Squibs can't make potions." He turned to Morfin, and Merope thought that she detected the tiniest bit of approval in his voice. Or had she just imagined that? "She's got magic. We should get her a wand."

His gaze moved down to her stomach. "As for that…"

"I want to keep it," she blurted out, knowing that her voice sounded pleading, whiny. Merope knew her father hated hearing those tones, but she couldn't help it.

"'Course you're keeping it. We have to keep the bloodline going. If anyone asks… you've got a cousin, and—"

Merope tuned out at those words. She was allowed to keep her baby. Her family weren't angry, they weren't making her leave.

"Morfin, you help around here. Don't let your sister do anything too strenuous. You look after her."

"Thank you, Father," she whispered, tears glistening in her eyes.

He nodded stiffly. "If we're saying he's a pureblood, he needs a good pureblood name. Marvolo is a strong name."

"It is," she agreed standing up. She walked around the table, hugging the stern man. After a moment of shock, he returned the hug, and Morfin followed, wrapping his arms around his sister.

"I can't wait to be an uncle," he murmured.

Merope didn't move from the embrace. She had thought that her life would be over when her family found out.

But it seemed that having this baby meant that for the first time, everything was working out for her.

She couldn't wait to become a mother.

Thanks to Carmen and Emily for the help.