18 Sep 2022, 20:57
Servatis A Periculum (Servatis A Maleficum)
| I know I can stop the pain if I will it all away | Outfit | 02/09 |
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| ──. |  Terrible Presence is in effect. |
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The Gryffindor rebel's mood had been considerably dangerous throughout dinner, promptly scaring some of her Housemates into giving her a wide berth when she'd sat down in the Great Hall. How could she not glare at anything that moved while angrily eating her meal when not half an hour earlier she was assigned detention by the Gryffindor Head of House @Elaine Pendrast simply because Regina was caught up in a fight against @Piérre Marchonné who, in her defense, had attempted to dump a potion full of bright green liquid on her as a prank?
So they both ended up trashing the common room during their duel. What did magic could not fix? Certainly not Regina's goal to establish her new rebel status, by the looks of it. She was, however, to report in the Head of House's office tomorrow morning and that completely ruined the plans she had for Saturday. Marvelous.
Regina had stabbed her fork into the meat with such viciousness that the juice spurted out and splashed messily onto the plate. She'd ground her teeth and threw the cutlery down, deciding her appetite was not that hungry anyway. She'd stormed out of the Great Hall with whispers trailing her as she went, and she would have noticed somebody following her if she hadn't been so furious.
It wasn't until she made it to the second floor that she was pulled into an empty classroom by whoever it was. Regina faintly registered the door being locked with a Colloportus before her wand was drawn and ready.
"Gina, calm down. It's only me."
"Harold," She lowered her arm at the sight of her older brother. "What is it? Why did you chase after me?"
The older Slytherin's brows furrowed as he approached her carefully.
"I only wanted to confirm something," He said. "Rupert and I overheard some Gryffindor students pouring into the Great Hall saying they witnessed a nasty fight in the common room. They said you even set the furnitures on fire because of a missed Fire Making Spell. Was it true?"
Regina pursed her lips as her fingers curled tighter around her wand, as if she was going to snap the wood. The purple in her eyes looked poisonous as she turned her head away, considering whether or not it would get her expelled if she cursed the entire Gryffindor population. Probably. Would be worth her fury, however, even at the risk of being disowned by her traditionalist Pureblood parents. Decisions, decisions...
"Regina," Harold admonished gently. He was directly in front of her now, staring down with that disapproving frown. "Stop that. You have one of those expressions where you look like you're contemplating murder again."
"Would not be too far from the truth."
"Enough. You know this sort of behaviour is only going to make Father breathe down your neck. Even worse than how he's already doing."
"Are you going to control me too, then?" The girl snapped, glaring rabidly at her brother. Her voice had taken a slightly higher pitch. "Force me to obey and suppress all of my emotions so I can be the perfect Pureblood Heiress? Like how Father clearly favours Rebecca over me because she's a double-faced, snitching twat?!"
Regina's leg made contact with an empty bench, kicking it violently to emphasize her rage. Her breath was coming out in short, angry pants through her nose while her brother simply regarded her with a sad look. An understanding look. And then it suddenly clicked. Oh.
There were times where the young witch was so caught up in her own mental struggles to forget she wasn't the only one who had suffered through a harsh, unaffectionate childhood brought upon by Alfred Miller. She resented her fate, she resented her brothers for never speaking out, and she resented the older sister who'd always tormented her - but she'd consequently misunderstood one thing.
They didn't all cope the same way.
"Gina, you know how it is," Harold whispered, head turned to the side as he heaved a tired sigh. "We were born into this family and we have a duty to follow Father's rules. We may suffer because of his obsession with perfection, but in the end there's nothing we can do but to fake a smile and accept our lives to be the way they are."
Emerald green met orchid purple as brother and sister stared at each other, a certain depth behind their non-verbal communication that none other would understand.
"I know how hard it is to be the younger sibling. I'm Rupert's twin, but he's the older one and the direct Heir. He's the one that everybody revere and admire. The one with more expectations, too much even. When they look at me, all they see is an identical face. You do not think I feel slighted and resentful to be regarded as 'the spare'?"
Regina swallowed as her gaze searched Harold's face. There was no trace of sorrow nor anger, just acceptance. And wasn't that the saddest thing of all? Her brother had taken all of it in stride and had not once fought back against the pain which no doubt weighed on his soul. Regina had been like that, once. Now she wanted nothing more than to break free from the chains.
"Perhaps I should have hated Rupert for it, but I never did," The older Slytherin continued. "Because I know he never asked for any of it. He did not ask to be born as the first son and placed in the spotlight. Rupert does not show it, but I know better than anyone else how much pressure he has. And that is why you mustn't hate Rebecca. She's manipulative and vicious, but...that's her own unhealthy way of coping with what Father had made her go through."
They were all flawed, Regina realised after her brother's little tirade. Just children who'd been raised the wrong ways and who'd given up the happiness of their childhood for the sake of becoming what the Miller patriarch demanded for a perfect family. They had a long, prestigious ancestry and their father would do just about anything to preserve it. It made her wonder if their mother was also a silent victim.
"I do not want to hurt anymore," Regina croaked. There was a prickling sensation inside her eyes, but even though she felt like crying, no tears fell. That was trained out of her a long time ago.
"I know, sister mine," Harold soothed as he stepped closer. He seemed to gauge her for any rejection, and his lips curled gently when she did not move away. Her brother's arms found themselves around her as Regina was engulfed in such a warm embrace she rarely ever received. "If...if this whole 'rebel' thing allows you some peace of mind, then fine. I shall even ask Rupert to dissuade Father's anger a little bit, Merlin knows he's always the only one who that man would listen to."
Regina took a deep breath as her own hands came up to clutch at the back of her brother's shirt.
"For what it is worth...I believe you will be the first of us to become free one day. So never give up, whatever it is you are fighting for, Gina. Even when you are hurting."
"But...you are hurting too, are you not?" The question came out no more than a quiet whisper against the older teen's chest. "We are all hurting."
She received no response, but her brother simply held her tighter.
So they both ended up trashing the common room during their duel. What did magic could not fix? Certainly not Regina's goal to establish her new rebel status, by the looks of it. She was, however, to report in the Head of House's office tomorrow morning and that completely ruined the plans she had for Saturday. Marvelous.
Regina had stabbed her fork into the meat with such viciousness that the juice spurted out and splashed messily onto the plate. She'd ground her teeth and threw the cutlery down, deciding her appetite was not that hungry anyway. She'd stormed out of the Great Hall with whispers trailing her as she went, and she would have noticed somebody following her if she hadn't been so furious.
It wasn't until she made it to the second floor that she was pulled into an empty classroom by whoever it was. Regina faintly registered the door being locked with a Colloportus before her wand was drawn and ready.
"Gina, calm down. It's only me."
"Harold," She lowered her arm at the sight of her older brother. "What is it? Why did you chase after me?"
The older Slytherin's brows furrowed as he approached her carefully.
"I only wanted to confirm something," He said. "Rupert and I overheard some Gryffindor students pouring into the Great Hall saying they witnessed a nasty fight in the common room. They said you even set the furnitures on fire because of a missed Fire Making Spell. Was it true?"
Regina pursed her lips as her fingers curled tighter around her wand, as if she was going to snap the wood. The purple in her eyes looked poisonous as she turned her head away, considering whether or not it would get her expelled if she cursed the entire Gryffindor population. Probably. Would be worth her fury, however, even at the risk of being disowned by her traditionalist Pureblood parents. Decisions, decisions...
"Regina," Harold admonished gently. He was directly in front of her now, staring down with that disapproving frown. "Stop that. You have one of those expressions where you look like you're contemplating murder again."
"Would not be too far from the truth."
"Enough. You know this sort of behaviour is only going to make Father breathe down your neck. Even worse than how he's already doing."
"Are you going to control me too, then?" The girl snapped, glaring rabidly at her brother. Her voice had taken a slightly higher pitch. "Force me to obey and suppress all of my emotions so I can be the perfect Pureblood Heiress? Like how Father clearly favours Rebecca over me because she's a double-faced, snitching twat?!"
Regina's leg made contact with an empty bench, kicking it violently to emphasize her rage. Her breath was coming out in short, angry pants through her nose while her brother simply regarded her with a sad look. An understanding look. And then it suddenly clicked. Oh.
There were times where the young witch was so caught up in her own mental struggles to forget she wasn't the only one who had suffered through a harsh, unaffectionate childhood brought upon by Alfred Miller. She resented her fate, she resented her brothers for never speaking out, and she resented the older sister who'd always tormented her - but she'd consequently misunderstood one thing.
They didn't all cope the same way.
"Gina, you know how it is," Harold whispered, head turned to the side as he heaved a tired sigh. "We were born into this family and we have a duty to follow Father's rules. We may suffer because of his obsession with perfection, but in the end there's nothing we can do but to fake a smile and accept our lives to be the way they are."
Emerald green met orchid purple as brother and sister stared at each other, a certain depth behind their non-verbal communication that none other would understand.
"I know how hard it is to be the younger sibling. I'm Rupert's twin, but he's the older one and the direct Heir. He's the one that everybody revere and admire. The one with more expectations, too much even. When they look at me, all they see is an identical face. You do not think I feel slighted and resentful to be regarded as 'the spare'?"
Regina swallowed as her gaze searched Harold's face. There was no trace of sorrow nor anger, just acceptance. And wasn't that the saddest thing of all? Her brother had taken all of it in stride and had not once fought back against the pain which no doubt weighed on his soul. Regina had been like that, once. Now she wanted nothing more than to break free from the chains.
"Perhaps I should have hated Rupert for it, but I never did," The older Slytherin continued. "Because I know he never asked for any of it. He did not ask to be born as the first son and placed in the spotlight. Rupert does not show it, but I know better than anyone else how much pressure he has. And that is why you mustn't hate Rebecca. She's manipulative and vicious, but...that's her own unhealthy way of coping with what Father had made her go through."
They were all flawed, Regina realised after her brother's little tirade. Just children who'd been raised the wrong ways and who'd given up the happiness of their childhood for the sake of becoming what the Miller patriarch demanded for a perfect family. They had a long, prestigious ancestry and their father would do just about anything to preserve it. It made her wonder if their mother was also a silent victim.
"I do not want to hurt anymore," Regina croaked. There was a prickling sensation inside her eyes, but even though she felt like crying, no tears fell. That was trained out of her a long time ago.
"I know, sister mine," Harold soothed as he stepped closer. He seemed to gauge her for any rejection, and his lips curled gently when she did not move away. Her brother's arms found themselves around her as Regina was engulfed in such a warm embrace she rarely ever received. "If...if this whole 'rebel' thing allows you some peace of mind, then fine. I shall even ask Rupert to dissuade Father's anger a little bit, Merlin knows he's always the only one who that man would listen to."
Regina took a deep breath as her own hands came up to clutch at the back of her brother's shirt.
"For what it is worth...I believe you will be the first of us to become free one day. So never give up, whatever it is you are fighting for, Gina. Even when you are hurting."
"But...you are hurting too, are you not?" The question came out no more than a quiet whisper against the older teen's chest. "We are all hurting."
She received no response, but her brother simply held her tighter.
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| sta • 9 | eva • 11 | str • 4 VICIOUS⠀PREDATOR wis • 12 | arc • 11 | acc • 12 | Prodigal DADA | Perfectionist | TP THROUGH⠀THE⠀YEARS LC | Nonverbal | ability |