Emptying my Secret Box [tag: Evaine, Jim, && Todd]

Today, I will be free. Free of my secrets, free of some of the burden. Free of..

Brie sat in the Ravenclaw Common Room, running her fingers through her wavy hair. She was anxious and worried, for today would be the day that she would reveal all to her friends. Every detail, she was to tell her friends.. and she was scared for them more than she was for herself.

If they knew everything, there was a chance that her uncle could find out and start messing with them as well, but they had to know. Todd already knew some of the details, but there was even more that nobody else had known but Brie. She wanted them to know because she couldn't deal with it alone, no matter how strong she believed she was. Brieanne was a weathered and battle-worn soul, and she couldn't take much more. This was the day she was going to make herself at peace.

And so she sat, waiting for her friends to enter and the air to thicken.

Todd wordlessly descended the stairs. He chose a spot across from Brie, looking at her curiously and trying not to think about the stupid wheelchair. He was burning to know who'd done this to her, and hoped that she could shed a bit of light on that subject - though, honestly, he suspected he'd be learning much more than that today. "Hey, man," he murmured, leaning forward in his seat and propping his elbows on his knees.

Brie stared at Todd for a while, her warm eyes already tearing up slightly. "I can't say this is going to be sugarcoated, because it's not. Todd, you've been.. more than amazing friend to me. The others aren't even down yet, and I'm already pouring out my heart.. I just can't hold anything more in."

She gripped the arms of her wheelchair, closing her eyes, "You.. um, are you okay with me telling them that I.. like you? I didn't want to worry you more, so.. th-that's why I'm asking."

Todd blinked before nodding slowly. "Yeah, Brie. Whatever you gotta say," he said. He was kind of afraid to hear what she had to say. Not for any solid reason, but because he knew that it couldn't be good news if it led up to her gathering her friends in the common room, battered and handicapped. He cleared his throat, glancing out toward one of the windows, praying that it was at least something solvable. "And, for the record, you've been an amazing friend as well."

Jim's fingers tapped against his thigh as he climbed up the steps, wondering what was going on. Brieanne had said that she needed to talk to him, Todd, and Evaine. What it was about, he wasn't sure. But he did wonder if it had something to do with how she ended up in that wheelchair. Was she in some type of abusive relationship? Or did she have an abusive parent, like Evaine? Thoughts like that fluttered through his head as he entered the common room. Brieanne and Todd were already there, looking more than grim, to say the least. It looked like this conversation wasn't going to be a happy one. "Hey," he said, giving a little wave as he went to sit next to Todd. Now they just had to wait until Evaine arrived.

Evaine slowly walked up the steps towards RavenclawTower's common room after talking to Miss. Melgrove. Making her way up to the door Eva whipped her eyes, that where still red from crying her hands started shaking as she grabbed the nob twisting it and pushing the door open. Taking in a deep breath and exhaling it out slowly, Eva needed to forces on Brie, Brie needed her friends right now. Get it out of your mind and think about Brie.. she thought before walking inside seeing that everyone was there "Hey sorry that I'm.. Late." she waved her hand smiling a bit before walking up towards the couch leaning against it. Her hair in her eyes so they couldn't see right now it was Brie's moment to be taken cared of.

Brieanne looked up from gazing at Todd when Jim and Evaine entered, the girl looking up at them thankfully, "..I'm glad you guys came," she said, putting her hands in her lap and sighing. "I.. have some things I need to tell you all. They're.. not at all happy. It might make you sad, but.. I just need you all to know these things just in case something happens."

Brie looked at the three of them, biting her lip, "My uncle.. my uncle is one of his followers. The Dark Lord. After my parents let him take me away to live with him after they concluded they couldn't handle me anymore, he became my guardian.. and he's been trying to convert me since." She held out her right arm, putting her wand tip on it and closing her eyes as the incriminating tattoo appeared on her skin, "..I didn't want to. I never wanted to. I just.. I couldn't take the hurt anymore. Not after.."

She looked over at Todd, her eyes watering, "..Todd already knows about this because I told him the night of the party, and I specifically told him not to tell anyone.. I told him I liked him as well. But.. I figured that this would be the time to just.. tell you all at once why I'm in this wheelchair."

She took a sharp breath, folding her arms and closing her eyes as she spoke, shivers running down her spine as the painful memories flowed back to her, "...It was last year. Uncle, he.. he got tired of me opposing him. He said he'd teach me a lesson that I'd never forget.. that I'd succumb to his wishes sooner or later. His friends -- I remember distinctly, they were big and hulking -- they.. he told them to take advantage of me. And they did."

Brie was weeping at this point, her voice still strong and collected as she continued, "..I found out I was pregnant a few weeks afterwards. Uncle didn't say much about it because he knew it'd break me down.. and it did. It was a boy. A beautiful blue-eyed baby boy.." She moved her hands from her lap and took out a picture, turning it around so they could see the child. "He was so innocent, so.. so loved. He was mine, and I was his.. and I think that's why Uncle got so angry. He wanted me to belong to him.. and only him.. so he got rid of my baby. A month old.. he killed my little Everett.."

Brieanne's body was shaking, and she wiped her face as she looked up, sniffling, "His friends battled me after the party.. I usually could take them, but.. they kept showing me pictures of Everett and I.. I just couldn't do anything but cry.. I'm sorry if I worried you all, but.. I just wanted you to know in case something happened to me and I'm not here for a while."

Todd's grip on the arm of the sofa tightened as Brie started her explanation. Of course, he'd heard the first few parts previously at the party. It was what came next that shocked him. No, no, no, no. So many emotions were coursing through him, clouding his mind. Anger, a sick sadness, concern, fear for her... They werre all bunched up, stringing into one unidentifiable mass of confusion.

"Brie," he breathed, brown eyes wide and empty. He moved to sit beside her, unsure if he should try to comfort or hug her or something like that, but confident in the notion that he had to be close to her while she was so torn asunder. "Brie, I'm so, so sorry." What an understatement. He'd never met the uncle in question, but he wanted to kill him. It was such a violent, uncharacteristic thought that it scared him, but it couldn't be helped. "That bastard," he murmured, half to himself, hands clenched into fists and resting in his lap. No, this was not at all fair, not at all what someone like Brie deserved. "No, that...no, it isn't right! I-I want to...I want to kill him!"

Jim couldn't help it. His eyes widened and his face paled a little. Voldemort was a topic hardly discussed in his house, and for good reason. He hated any witch or wizards that were pureblood. And, there was the fact that he liked recruiting werewolves among his followers. His parents both had an unspoken fear that if news of Jim's werewolf nature ever spread far, that a Deatheater would hear and Jim could be in big trouble. Jim had always considered that a paranoia, but it was something he sometimes feared as well. And here Brieanne was, a relative of one such Death Eater. But the one question that rang in his mind was how someone as kind as Brieanne could end up one of them? The Dark Mark on her arm seemed so unlike her, almost wrong. He felt like it shouldn't be there at all.

He glanced at Todd for a moment. So he and Brieanne had gotten closer together? He felt a little dumb for not noticing it earlier, but it looked like it had happened between them, much like it had happened between him and Evaine. He sat in silence throughout the rest of Brieanne's story, feeling his own hand curl into a fist at the mention of what happened to her, what her uncle's friends did to her. It made his own troubles look like a walk in the park. Sure, he had his werewolf nature to deal with, but Brieanne had suffered so much more. Having your parents ditch you, living with an uncle who was a Death Eater, going through so much pain that you eventually gave in and joined them, getting taken advantage of by a bunch of strangers, losing a child, going through physical abuse, it made his stomach lurch. It sounded sickening how all of that could happen to an innocent girl.

"What are you talking about Brie? Nothing's going to happen to you," he said, his voice steely. "We're gonna look after you. We promised to protect Evaine from Leroy, we're gonna protect you from any of those guys who want to hurt you. We'll find a way to do it."

Evaine's brown eyes widen, clinching onto the couch. She hated death eater's thinking they took her father away from her, but Brie was.. innocent, kind heart, caring towards others.. Nothing like a Death eater. How can someone like her.. Eva bit her lip. Here she thought her only problem was the arranged marriage but hearing this and her being so open to her friends about this? Looking at the Dark Mark on her arm, it wasn't suited for someone like Brie, no. Her uncle was a cruel, cruel man for putting her threw his much pain and her parents.. she didn't want to think of anything bad about them but hearing this?

Evaine slightly glanced at Jim when he looked at Todd, she already knew Brie liked him from the times they spent practicing on there dance moves and end up talking about their feelings at the end. She moved her hair away from her face taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, having to deal with a death eater uncle who sends his friends to do his dirty work, being raped.. Having a baby then it being killed? Poor Brie, Evaine didn't know if she should walk up to her hugging her tightly to comfort her, something, anything. "I'm sorry if I worried you all, but.. I just wanted you to know in case something happened to me and I'm not here for a while." Brie said

Evine lift her head up looking at brie "What?." she seemed confused "What are you talking about Brie?" Evaine got worried that Brie might do something to hurt her? or her Uncle sending his boys to finish the job "We're gonna protect you from any of those guys who want to hurt you. We'll find a way to do it." Jim had said as Eva slowly nodded

Brieanne satv quietly for quite some time after everyone spoke, her brown eyes overflowing with tears and sombering memories. She looked down at the picture of baby Everett, the girl reaching down to put a hand on top of Todd's fist as she held the picture to her heart. "Toddy," she started, looking him dead in the eyes, "..Don 't. Don't even think it.. I'm asking you not to try to make him pay, alright? He's.. he's all I have left. Without him, I don't have ties to the past.. what life was like before magic."

Brie looked over at Jim and Evaine, tears still tumbling down her face. She didn't know how she managed to keep her voice from cracking, but it was good that she did. The strongholds she had established for herself were falling, and, deep inside, she was defenseless. "Don't any of you dare put yourself in danger for me. No. I've dealt with it for almost all of my life. I.. I'm still strong. Still. I don't want you all getting hurt because I'm being a selfish bitch. If I'm gone for a couple of days, do not. come looking for me. And this includes you, Todd." she said firmly, looking at the infuriated boy, "I am not going to let my problems lead to you all getting hurt. I would never put you guys in a situation like that. You mean too much to me."

Evaine frowned why must her friends be so unhappy with their life's, she could understand who she doesn't want Todd to hurt her Uncle. Even if her Uncle deserves to have his ass handed to him for causing Brie so much pain, but yet knows how it's like to only have that one person left in your life to ties you to your most pressured memories. No matter how much that person hurts you, makes you feel useless you can't seem to wanna leave for some reason being. Eveine walked over towards Brie kneeling down next to her gently placing her hands over the arm on the wheelchair "Brieanne your far from being a selfish bitch." she said pouting a bit. Her brown eyes glanced up at Brie's chocolate Brown eyes, wishing there was a way, anything to do. Brie doesn't need this kind of problem in her life, yet Eva didn't know if she could keep per promise about not going after her if Brie's in trouble, she was her best friend, her older sister. She couldn't just stand in the background knowing one of her friends is hurt and won't do a damn thing about it.

"Still strong? Brieanne, you may be able to deal with this now, but what if they go too far next time?" Jim asked, his voice sounding more harsh than he wanted. "What if they...kill you next time? Or injure you so badly that you can't be fixed? Magic can't heal everything, you know." Brieanne may be in a wheelchair now, but what if next time, she had to be confined to a bed for the rest of her life? Would her uncle let his friends go that far? "You mean a lot to us too, you know," he said. "I mean, you, Todd, Eva, you're the first real friends I've ever had. And I'm not going to let anybody take you guys away from me. This includes you, Brie."

"I hate to take sides but I agree with Jim.. What if they kill you next time Brie. We could all be heart broken about it, I can't make a promise not to go after you cause I will. You became more like a sister to me... Your family and i won't let my family get hurt.". What Evaine said was true Brie became more like family toward her, and both Todd and Jim where family. "All three of you are more like family to me than my own." she rubbed her forehead shedding a small tear, rolling down her cheek she rubbed her eyes trying not to break down crying yet again. She stood up looking at Jim "Um, mind if we talked.. alone later?" Eva rubbed her arm nervous to asked him a few things and tell him some stuff.

Todd's jaw clenched in determination. How could they not to after her? They were her friends! That wasn't a promise he thought he could easily keep. "Brie...what he's done to you...what he's already done...it's wrong! He...he could hurt you even more next time!" he said, trying to keep his voice down. When Jim mentioned that next time Brieanne could be seriously injured or even killed, his head swam. He forced himself to nod in agreement, though. She was too important to all of them to just let this kind of thing go. No,no, no, something had to be done. "I...there has to be something we can do," he muttered, voice dwindling down to nearly a whisper in his hopelessness.

Brieanne hung her head down, wrapping her arms around her stomach, feeling as if her lungs were going to collapse as she forced out the last thing she had to tell them. "He doesn't know that I know this.. none of them do. I found out on my own.. hiding from him one night. He's not my uncle.. he's my father. My real father. I'm.. I'm really a Pureblood. He Obliviated my mother and stepfather, rearranged their memories.. made everything seem perfect until my latter years of Hogwarts. He's just.. he just has control of everything in my life. There's no telling what he'd do if he found out I had friends, threw away my ring.. like someone else," she said, stealing a quick glance at Todd, "...The only solution to it all that I see is me dying. It'll never stop until I take my last breath. It just won't.. I know it's not right at all, but.."

She looked at Todd, biting her lip, "He's my father. That's why.. that's why I never tried to hurt him more than he hurts me. Sometimes I believe he hates me for being alive.. and I honestly can't think of any other solution but to keep taking it."

Jim saw that Evaine was getting emotional now. He took her hand and squeezed it. He was having a hard time thinking clearly himself. He wanted nothing more than to just jump on a broomstick and fly as fast as he could. Or at least punch a wall or something. But that wasn't going to make the situation better. There had to be something they could do, some way they could help Brieanne get away from her uncle. Or, more correctly, her father. He nodded towards Evaine. "Yeah. Later." He wondered if Evaine was going to reveal a mind-blowing secret like Evaine's, but pushed the thought away. He wasn't going to make a mountain out of a molehill right now. "Isn't there something that the Ministry can do?" he asked. "I mean, they deal with Death Eaters all the time. Isn't there some program they can put you in to get away from him or something?" He wasn't sure if something like that existed, but there had to be something for good people who had Death Eaters as relatives.

Wait this guy wasn't her uncle it was her father? Then what was about her saying she wants love like her parents? Shaking that out of her mind she felt Jim taking her hand and lightly squeezed it. "Come on Brie there had got to be something we can do to help. anything." she said, biting her bottle lip as her eyes started watering. Lessening to everything Brie was saying about maybe the best thing would be for her to die, the girls eyes widen more small tears ran down her cheek. Evaine tightly squeezed a hold on of Jim's hand "N.. No it's not." she voice started to get shaky, would could Brie then think that could be the best solution.

Todd let out a slow breath, hoping to let go some of his anger in the process. That guy was her father. Her own father had done those things to her. Forced her to get pregnant and then killed her baby. And now he'd made her believe that death was the only way to fix everything. "Brie...that's not a solution," he murmured, shaking his head stiffly. "That's...that's losing. You aren't going to lose." He glanced briefly toward Evaine and Jim. "We won't let you lose. You're a freaking winner."He was aware that he might not be making the most sense, but she had to know that dying wouldn't solve a thing. His gaze swiveled to Jim again when he mentioned the Ministry. "Yeah! There...there has to be something they could do. My own dad works there, and they wouldn't be able to arrest you or anything 'cause he forced you into it." It was a flimsy theory, but it was a chance, right?

Brie put her head in her hands, having no more tears to shed over the entire ordeal. All she could do was give in. Over and over and over again. Something had to give. She wanted out just as much as they wanted her to be, but she didn't want to lose ties to her past. "..Maybe I just need to let go.. I've hated being a magical person for so long.. That's the only thing keeping me from leaving him. My childhood."

She sat up, trying to smile, but failing miserably, "..I guess the Ministry could help, I suppose.. but how would we get this issue to them? They're busy with a lot of things.."

"Trust me Brie, letting go will be better for you," said Jim. "The way your life now, it's just not good for you. It's dangerous and hurtful and...a person's home life shouldn't be like that. Nobody like you deserves a life like that."

He gave a wry smile. "This is a Death Eater issue. I'm sure they'll take it very seriously. Anything with You-Know-Who usually is. And Professor Rivera here is an auror. She can help us. She's a trustworthy person, trust me on that one." Professor Rivera had helped him out when he was a werewolf, after all. Maybe she could help Brieanne out, too.

Evaine loosen her grip on Jim's hand as she used the other to whip her eyes. She hate to think that Jim was right thinking about how she kinda lives but Mel made him promise not to tell and so far he hasn't told anyone about her mother and they way she treats Evaine. Evaine glanced up at Jim as he gave Brie a wry smile "Yeah Brie." she spoke not knowing that ells to say mostly the guys where helping cheering her up.

He bit his lip, searching for the right thing to say. This wasn't at all his area of expertise, but at the very least she was his friend. There was no question as to whether to try and help her after that. "You'll still have your memories, Brie - even if you don't want to remember some of them. Your childhood will still be there. He's just...he's a rotten part of all that, and it's not healthy at all the way you've been living." He raised an eyebrow slightly, as if to prompt her to think along those lines.
Todd straightened, eyes taking on a determined look. "Yeah. He seems like a dangerous guy and...the Ministry would definitely take interest in whatever he's done to you or anyone else," he conceded. His eyes softened when she mentioned the fact that even after all his abuse, Brie's father was still a tie to her past.

"I just don't want this to be for nothing. What if the Ministry doesn't believe me? I mean… honestly. Would. YOU believe some Hogwarts seventh year that looks like me and just randomly rolled in there saying "Oh, hi there. I'm Brieanne Devereaux, and my father's a Death Eater! He lets his friends abuse me and rape me and he killed my baby! Would you like to help me?"? They'd.. they would exterminate me once they found out I was one of them!"

Brieanne blew warm air out of her lips, looking down at her hands. "Infeel like I'm being really selfish.. you guys have a bazillion other problems.. and I'm just adding to it. I'm starting to think I should've never opened my damn mouth in the Great Hall.. I'd been quiet for that long.." she muttered, particularly angry with herself. She growled, putting her head into the cushiony part of her wheelchair. "..I think it's you all's turn go tell me what's going on with you. Might as well get it out now.. we all need to be at peace."

"We'll vouch for you, Brie," Jim promised, not willing to give up on this idea yet. "I mean, we're you friends. We'll back you up on everything you say. And if you have any other friends, then I'm sure they'll back you up to if they're loyal to you." Jim believed that was friends did after all: helped each other out, stood by them when times were tough. That was what he had promised to himself when he had become Brieanne, Evaine, and Todd's friend. And he was determined not to break that promise.

He blinked in surprise at the sudden turn of conversation. Brieanne wanted them to talk about their problems? He bit his lip, the Shrieking Shack and a full moon popping into his head once before he shook the images away. "No, we're not the focus of this conversation," he said, waving his hands as if swatting the idea aside like a fly. "We're just focusing on you right now. Being a friend means sometimes putting your own troubles aside so you can help somebody else. We don't mind doing that for you."