Fic: "What She Is," Tom Sr./Merope, PG

[kethlenda]

Title: What She Is
Author: kethlenda
Pairing: Tom Sr./Merope
Rating: PG
Warnings: Melodrama and angst ahoy! I mean it. You have been warned!
A/N: This was bunnied by gehayi's observation that there's actually not evidence, other than Dumbledore's conjecture, that Merope actually used magic to seduce Tom--or even any evidence that she used magic at all except for

Comments

[absinthe_lust]

!!!

Ohh, your ability to make me sympathize with EVERY character you write shines through again. Merope simply breaks my heart with the way she's treated throughout her life, and how she's developed because of it, and gah, your Tom makes me seethe.

[kethlenda]

Thanks so much!

I worried a lot about whether Tom was over the top, but the number of people I've seen actually act like that is, well, a little too high. His weight comment in the final section was inspired by a guy on Jerry Springer (lol) who told his wife off for being "fat" while she was about nine months along. Um, hello, where's she supposed to carry it? And I've known people who tried to turn people into "cultured" people and then were disappointed when they didn't live up to expectations.

/ramble.

Anyway, I'm glad the fic worked for you. ♥

[obeetaybee]

Very interesting premise. You've made it work here, why Tom would chose Merope, and how very cruel someone of his social standing could be to someone who was not.

I like your Merope here, she has a bit of a backbone, which is lacking in other fics. She's always portrayed as a victim, (I'm guilty of it myself) so reading her here with her burst of temper is a nice change.

I like it. :)

[kethlenda]

Thanks so much! :) I'm glad I was able to make the pairing make sense without love potion. :)

[lilacsigil]

Tom didn't like being jilted very much, did he? I can see exactly why he married Merope, here - he thinks she's helpless and totally dependent on him. Like his son, Tom fears being laughed at so intensely that he cuts off the chance of human relationships.

I really liked this Merope - beaten down on the outside, but roiling with anger and injustice on the inside, though there is little she can do about it. Magic never did her any good, and neither did Muggle life, but I loved her helpless outbursts and her desperation for something better, even though she didn't know what it was, and couldn't see that Tom wasn't it.

[kethlenda]

No, no he didn't. :) I think he may have had some rebound issues...

Anyway, thanks! I'm glad you liked my Merope.

[eldee]

I honestly never thought that I would read this pairing, but I'm so glad I did! Your characterizations of both were stunning. Beautifully written. Wonderful!!

[kethlenda]

thank you!!!

[maidenform]

EEEEEEEEEE!

The beautiful thing about this is that you have succeeded in making me sympathize with and understand the actions of both Tom and Merope. I adore your writing, I really do. *squishes*

[kethlenda]

Thanks! *squishes back*