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Drabble #21
I'm going to attempt something tricky and try to get into a very evil, twisted mind....
Cold Comfort
---
Crouch looked appraisingly at the Longbottom boy as he sat down nervously in his office. His features resembled his mother's, mostly, though there was a bit of his father here and there. However, he carried none of their staunch resolution or fearlessness. Not that either of those traits had done much good against the Cruciatus. Crouch hid a smirk as he recalled the screams, the light slowly fading from their eyes, the feeling of exaltant power that filled him as he realized what it meant to be on the Dark Lord's side.
But now the boy was beginning to squirm in his seat. Crouch cleared his throat and offered what, on Moody's face, could pass for a friendly smile. "Now then, Longbottom."
"Sir?" The boy's voice cracked.
"Have a biscuit," Crouch offered gruffly. Longbottom looked like the sort who sought comfort in food. Still, the boy's hand shook as he reached into the tin on the desk. Crouch switched tack. "Must have been rough for you, seeing that curse again."
"Again?" the boy repeated faintly, his eyes carrying a bit of horror.
"Of course I know about your parents." Crouch made his voice a reasonable facismile of gentleness. "Good people, Frank and Alice." Weaklings. Raving looneys.
The boy stared into his hands, his eyes tearing up. "Please don't make me talk about it."
"Of course not." Crouch stretched out the blasted wooden leg with a groan. "Just apologizing, that's all. If class was too hard for you. But the others have to know about the Unforgivables."
The boy nodded, still not looking up.
Crouch ran his tongue over his lips. He hardly needed Cruciatus to torture this boy. It was really too much fun. But - he'd best not get too caught up in it, or he'd forget why he brought Longbottom here in the first place. "You're a bright boy, Longbottom. Brighter than you think."
The boy looked up in surprise, blinking. "Me?"
"Yes, you." Crouch opened a drawer. "I had an interesting conversation with Professor Sprout the other day. Seems you have quite a knack for Herbology."
Now the boy reddened and shrugged. "I just like plants."
"Hmph. It's one thing to like them. What you do is something else." Crouch pulled out the book he had been keeping in the drawer. "Here. Someone gave it to me, but I'm rubbish with Herbology. You'll find it much more interesting than I do."
Hesitantly the boy accepted the book, looking at Crouch as if he hardly believed it. "I can keep it?"
Crouch smiled. "It's yours. Go on, then."
Longbottom stood up, clutching the book to his chest. "Th - thank you, sir."
He waved his hand. "No problem. And Longbottom - don't be afraid to show a little backbone." His smile widened. "There's no reason to be afraid of me."
------
Cold Comfort
---
Crouch looked appraisingly at the Longbottom boy as he sat down nervously in his office. His features resembled his mother's, mostly, though there was a bit of his father here and there. However, he carried none of their staunch resolution or fearlessness. Not that either of those traits had done much good against the Cruciatus. Crouch hid a smirk as he recalled the screams, the light slowly fading from their eyes, the feeling of exaltant power that filled him as he realized what it meant to be on the Dark Lord's side.
But now the boy was beginning to squirm in his seat. Crouch cleared his throat and offered what, on Moody's face, could pass for a friendly smile. "Now then, Longbottom."
"Sir?" The boy's voice cracked.
"Have a biscuit," Crouch offered gruffly. Longbottom looked like the sort who sought comfort in food. Still, the boy's hand shook as he reached into the tin on the desk. Crouch switched tack. "Must have been rough for you, seeing that curse again."
"Again?" the boy repeated faintly, his eyes carrying a bit of horror.
"Of course I know about your parents." Crouch made his voice a reasonable facismile of gentleness. "Good people, Frank and Alice." Weaklings. Raving looneys.
The boy stared into his hands, his eyes tearing up. "Please don't make me talk about it."
"Of course not." Crouch stretched out the blasted wooden leg with a groan. "Just apologizing, that's all. If class was too hard for you. But the others have to know about the Unforgivables."
The boy nodded, still not looking up.
Crouch ran his tongue over his lips. He hardly needed Cruciatus to torture this boy. It was really too much fun. But - he'd best not get too caught up in it, or he'd forget why he brought Longbottom here in the first place. "You're a bright boy, Longbottom. Brighter than you think."
The boy looked up in surprise, blinking. "Me?"
"Yes, you." Crouch opened a drawer. "I had an interesting conversation with Professor Sprout the other day. Seems you have quite a knack for Herbology."
Now the boy reddened and shrugged. "I just like plants."
"Hmph. It's one thing to like them. What you do is something else." Crouch pulled out the book he had been keeping in the drawer. "Here. Someone gave it to me, but I'm rubbish with Herbology. You'll find it much more interesting than I do."
Hesitantly the boy accepted the book, looking at Crouch as if he hardly believed it. "I can keep it?"
Crouch smiled. "It's yours. Go on, then."
Longbottom stood up, clutching the book to his chest. "Th - thank you, sir."
He waved his hand. "No problem. And Longbottom - don't be afraid to show a little backbone." His smile widened. "There's no reason to be afraid of me."
------