unholy waters » tom riddle

one

𝓿𝓲𝓸𝓵𝓮𝓽⇝

Violet Potter was a good girl. She was. She listened to her aunt and uncle and played nicely with her cousin when told. She even looked after her twin like any good sister would.

But. Well, she had hiccups occasionally. Things happened, things she wanted to happen, but never fully believed would. For example, her aunt would start screaming at her, a daily occurrence really, and then something in Violet would shift. Something that recognized just how unfair everything was and how it rioted against her chest for freedom.

She'd forget to play nice and she'd give her aunt a stare that had the woman shutting up quickly. And then one of the lightbulbs over them would burst and her aunt would scream before locking her under the stairs for a few hours.

But Violet was good. She was. Even if the other kids at school called her a freak. Even if Dudley didn't like playing with her anymore all because she wanted him to fall down the stairs and he did that one time.

At least her brother was there. Harry made it bearable. Having someone to lean on in a house like theirs was crucial for her sanity. She wondered just how good she would be if he wasn't there. If she was all alone and there was no one to be good for.

Because that was the truth, really. She never wanted to scare Harry. Never wanted him to agree with the cruel kids who called them names. So she made sure to never let him see that darkness she knew laid dormant beneath her ribcage.

⚕

Harry was always a later riser than she was. The boy would sleep in for hours if she or the Dursley's didn't wake him up at a reasonable hour. Luckily, he wasn't too deep a sleeper, so the most Violet ever had to do was shake his shoulder to get him up.

And that was easy to do from her cot. Really, the cupboard was hardly big enough for one cot, let alone two. It gave them no room, not that they had any to begin with. But they made it work. They kind of had to.

Luckily, Petunia hadn't been cross with them the night before so the door wasn't locked. They got up and got started on breakfast, knowing Petunia would be down soon to make sure of that. And if Violet slipped Harry some of the bacon and toast, that was their business. He slipped her fruit in return.

It seemed fortune favored them as the Dursleys weren't too terrible, simply eating their breakfast and being demanding as they always were. Nothing the twins couldn't handle.

And then it was time to prune back the garden. Harry took care of watering the flowers and picking the blooms for the tables inside. Violet took the other jobs of picking the weeds and clearing the garden of any critters that shouldn't be there.

It was a good thing she did, too. She spotted it an hour into their work, sweat clinging to her brow and making hair stick to her face. A small garden snake, barely the size of her forearm, slithered beneath the leaves, gently hissing at the sight of her.

Glancing to make sure Harry couldn't see, or hear, she hissed back a warning to get away. And if a threat of eating snake meat was made, it only made the creature go away faster.

Harry glances back, eyebrows furrowed. "Did you say something?"

"Just mumbling," She lies easily with a smile. "It's hot though. Are you almost finished up?"

He nods. "Yeah, you?"

"Same. And I heard them leave about fifteen minutes ago. We can take a break inside!" She exclaims, hurrying with the weeds.

By the time they go inside, there's three new vases full of flowers and a clear garden. And without the Dursleys around, they're free to take a long break and drink as much water as they want without being stopped for being wasteful.

⚕

Violet was a good girl. Until they pushed her not to be. Harry had dropped a glass plate and it had shattered across the kitchen floor. And as the Dursleys, they were a dramatic bunch, all of them jumping like the glass shards had been thrown at them.

Vernon had grabbed Harry by the back of his neck while Petunia hollered about ungrateful menaces. And then Vernon had pushed Harry into the cupboard before locking it. Then? Then they turned to the twin they'd forgotten in the mess.

"Let him out," She didn't ask, she demanded. And she did so barely above a whisper.

"Excuse me?! Just who do you think you are, going around deman-" Petunia didn't get a chance to finish, the lights in the house flickering enough to quiet her.

"I won't repeat myself again." She makes that clear, her patience gone and her entire body running on pure adrenaline now. "Either you let him out or more things start breaking."

It must be something in her eyes. Perhaps Petunia just grew a brain over the few seconds that passed. Whatever it is, it has her aunt looking to Vernon in distress. "Vernon."

"Absolutely not! I will not have a child tell me what to do!" He shouts, right as the window overlooking the back garden shatters. He yelps as if he's been wounded before staring at her for a long moment. Pale faced and looking on the verge of pissing himself, he hesitantly let's out Harry. But then he turns back to the reunited pair with disgust. "You will clean up your messes! And no food tonight or tomorrow!"

It wouldn't be the first time food has been restricted from them so they shrug it off. The Dursleys leave the hall, no doubt avoiding Violet and the strange things she can do sometimes.

Harry hugs her, hands slightly shaking, and she suddenly wishes she could start breaking things anyways. Starting with their necks. "Are you okay?"

She nods, smiling at her brother. "I am. You?"

"Fine. I had some glass in my hands but I got it out." He shrugs it off, like it's a normal occurrence. And she vows then and there to change things for them. To get them somewhere they don't have to worry about locked doors and walking on eggshells. "What happened?"

"I told them to let you out. And somehow the window broke." She feigns confusion, as if she hadn't specifically been thinking of it shattering a moment before it did.

"And they listened?" He frowns, suspicion clear in his eyes.

"I think the window freaked them out." It wouldn't be the first time one of them had done strange things. The difference is, Harry's was always accidental. Never intentional and never violent. Hers came off the same, just a bit more volatile. What she never mentioned to him was how it was always things she wanted to happen. Things she thought about and desired.

But Violet Potter was a good girl. She was. She just looked out for her brother, is all. And if she had to get her hands messy to do that, then so be it. It didn't make her bad. It made her a good sister.