(Glad you like it OP! This is rather fun to write) Four hours ago, being free from his mother had seemed like a distant dream. The worlds that Mister Grave promised, the freedom, the food and the magic he supplied so easily – all of it felt like a fantasy rather than reality. Four hours ago, Credence had expected to one day die at his mother’s hand, if he didn’t give in to the urge to commit one of the greatest sins. Mister Graves had been a dream, a gentle dream, which brushed his lips and left him shivering, but it wasn’t real.
Three hours ago, his mother lay dead.
Two hours ago, he had been laying near her corpse, trying to understand what he had done, knowing his surviving sister had fled.
One hour ago, he had been anger. It had flowed through him, filling his mind with red as he raced down the streets, smashing everything in his path.
Now, he was a person again. He couldn’t quite understand how this had happened, but Mister Graves was here, and he was promising he would never be hurt. He was so grateful for that. But the other man from the subway, the one who had called himself Newt, was curled up in pain.
He didn’t have the strength to challenge Mister Graves, not after everything that he had done for him, not after he had been freed. But he didn’t want Newt to be hurt. He nodded in answer to Mister Graves question. Newt was to be a way of controlling him. But he didn’t need controlling. He would do anything that Mister Graves wanted, if it was in his power to do so. He just had to prove it to him.
“Now, my dear boy…” Graves was so close to him that Credence could smell him, the scent an intoxicating promise. “Can you explain to me why it is that you didn’t tell me what you were capable of before this?” “I didn’t know.” Credence replied petulantly, then glanced at his hands, seeing the faded scars. “I didn’t know that was what I was capable of. I wouldn’t lie to you. Not after everything you’ve done for me, I wouldn’t…” “My special boy…” Graves brushed his fingers over the pendant around his neck. “You must still be tired after that exertion earlier. Now, why don’t you come with me, I’ll show you to your room…” He turned to the other man. “Scamander, here.”
Credence tried not to see how the other man struggled unsteadily to his feet. Graves’ hand was on his shoulder, guiding him along, so he couldn’t support him. “My room is here. If you need anything at all, let me know. Next to it is my office.” Graves said as they passed the first in a series of doors. He stopped by the third door. “Bathroom is through here. Then here…” He pushed open the last door, and Credence gasped in awe.
The room he was shown was as large as the hall at church, with bookshelves on one wall, and a wide bed with sheets that looked like fine cotton. He couldn’t resist reaching out to touch them. It was a large bed, and he realised with a start that he and Mister Graves both could fit on there. “This is your room my boy.” Graves told him softly. “I do hope it will be comfortable. I will make sure you are well fed, and you will be happy. If there is anything you need, you merely need to ask. I will let you rest tonight, regain your strength. The world is changing my boy.”
Credence nodded quickly, captivated by Mister Graves’ words as he always was. Then Mister Graves stepped to one side, knocking Newt’s feet from beneath him and sending him to the floor. “If you have been good, and I think I can trust you, Newt can sleep on the floor here. Otherwise he can sleep on the floor in the bathroom. For tonight, I think you have been good.” “Thank you.” Credence murmured, trying to ignore the fear in Newt’s eyes. Then Mister Graves placed his wand against Newt’s throat. ‘Silencio.’ That said, he walked from the room, leaving Credence alone with his new roommate.
Credence stared at him, then looked at the bed. He thought. He didn’t want to disobey Mister Graves, not after all his kindness. But he hadn’t said Newt wasn’t allowed a cushion. Carefully, he picked a cushion from the bed and held it out.
Newt flashed him a smile. “Are you alright?” Credence asked. Newt shook his head, pointing to his throat. Credence considered, then spoke. “He made you silent?” Newt nodded, and Credence swallowed. He wanted to comfort him, but he knew from mother’s punishments that trying to comfort someone when they were being punished would only make things worse for both of you. He thought for a few moments, finding himself missing his church, where he knew all the rules and what was likely to result in pain. At the moment Mister Graves was new, and that made him unpredictable.
“I’m going to try and make Mister Graves happy.” The boy said softly. “Then he won’t hurt you. Maybe he’ll even let you talk…” He paused, and licked his lips, then looked up nervously. “Do you know Tina?”
The man on the floor nodded enthusiastically, and Credence relaxed. “She’s a good woman.” He murmured. “Mister Graves is right. We should get some sleep.” He lay down on the softest sheets he had ever felt, and tried not to worry. He couldn’t get any peace, so he looked over at where Newt was lying. “I’m sorry I got you caught up in this. It’s alright. He’ll see how good I am and he won’t hurt you anymore.”
Fill: The Whipping Boy (2/?)
Four hours ago, being free from his mother had seemed like a distant dream. The worlds that Mister Grave promised, the freedom, the food and the magic he supplied so easily – all of it felt like a fantasy rather than reality. Four hours ago, Credence had expected to one day die at his mother’s hand, if he didn’t give in to the urge to commit one of the greatest sins. Mister Graves had been a dream, a gentle dream, which brushed his lips and left him shivering, but it wasn’t real.
Three hours ago, his mother lay dead.
Two hours ago, he had been laying near her corpse, trying to understand what he had done, knowing his surviving sister had fled.
One hour ago, he had been anger. It had flowed through him, filling his mind with red as he raced down the streets, smashing everything in his path.
Now, he was a person again. He couldn’t quite understand how this had happened, but Mister Graves was here, and he was promising he would never be hurt. He was so grateful for that. But the other man from the subway, the one who had called himself Newt, was curled up in pain.
He didn’t have the strength to challenge Mister Graves, not after everything that he had done for him, not after he had been freed. But he didn’t want Newt to be hurt. He nodded in answer to Mister Graves question. Newt was to be a way of controlling him. But he didn’t need controlling. He would do anything that Mister Graves wanted, if it was in his power to do so. He just had to prove it to him.
“Now, my dear boy…” Graves was so close to him that Credence could smell him, the scent an intoxicating promise. “Can you explain to me why it is that you didn’t tell me what you were capable of before this?”
“I didn’t know.” Credence replied petulantly, then glanced at his hands, seeing the faded scars. “I didn’t know that was what I was capable of. I wouldn’t lie to you. Not after everything you’ve done for me, I wouldn’t…”
“My special boy…” Graves brushed his fingers over the pendant around his neck. “You must still be tired after that exertion earlier. Now, why don’t you come with me, I’ll show you to your room…” He turned to the other man. “Scamander, here.”
Credence tried not to see how the other man struggled unsteadily to his feet. Graves’ hand was on his shoulder, guiding him along, so he couldn’t support him.
“My room is here. If you need anything at all, let me know. Next to it is my office.” Graves said as they passed the first in a series of doors. He stopped by the third door. “Bathroom is through here. Then here…” He pushed open the last door, and Credence gasped in awe.
The room he was shown was as large as the hall at church, with bookshelves on one wall, and a wide bed with sheets that looked like fine cotton. He couldn’t resist reaching out to touch them. It was a large bed, and he realised with a start that he and Mister Graves both could fit on there.
“This is your room my boy.” Graves told him softly. “I do hope it will be comfortable. I will make sure you are well fed, and you will be happy. If there is anything you need, you merely need to ask. I will let you rest tonight, regain your strength. The world is changing my boy.”
Credence nodded quickly, captivated by Mister Graves’ words as he always was. Then Mister Graves stepped to one side, knocking Newt’s feet from beneath him and sending him to the floor.
“If you have been good, and I think I can trust you, Newt can sleep on the floor here. Otherwise he can sleep on the floor in the bathroom. For tonight, I think you have been good.”
“Thank you.” Credence murmured, trying to ignore the fear in Newt’s eyes. Then Mister Graves placed his wand against Newt’s throat.
‘Silencio.’ That said, he walked from the room, leaving Credence alone with his new roommate.
Credence stared at him, then looked at the bed. He thought. He didn’t want to disobey Mister Graves, not after all his kindness. But he hadn’t said Newt wasn’t allowed a cushion. Carefully, he picked a cushion from the bed and held it out.
Newt flashed him a smile.
“Are you alright?” Credence asked. Newt shook his head, pointing to his throat. Credence considered, then spoke.
“He made you silent?”
Newt nodded, and Credence swallowed. He wanted to comfort him, but he knew from mother’s punishments that trying to comfort someone when they were being punished would only make things worse for both of you. He thought for a few moments, finding himself missing his church, where he knew all the rules and what was likely to result in pain. At the moment Mister Graves was new, and that made him unpredictable.
“I’m going to try and make Mister Graves happy.” The boy said softly. “Then he won’t hurt you. Maybe he’ll even let you talk…” He paused, and licked his lips, then looked up nervously. “Do you know Tina?”
The man on the floor nodded enthusiastically, and Credence relaxed.
“She’s a good woman.” He murmured. “Mister Graves is right. We should get some sleep.” He lay down on the softest sheets he had ever felt, and tried not to worry. He couldn’t get any peace, so he looked over at where Newt was lying. “I’m sorry I got you caught up in this. It’s alright. He’ll see how good I am and he won’t hurt you anymore.”