Hide | Rousseau Residence

He was yelling again. That was why Dille was under her white bed with the princess sheets, Lian's quilt over her head and the black teddybear he'd won her at a faire last summer tucked under her arm. As Donat's yells echoed up the stairs, Dille shrunk further under the bed and into her temple of pillows snatched from around the house. She was good at being completely silent by now, the eight years of her life being a good lesson. She'd been quiet, even as a baby, her siblings said. Corin said she was the smartest girl, even though Maddie was the smartest person she knew.

The sound of footsteps, light under the sound of their father raging, distracted her, especially since it was coming from the room right beside her.

Lian's room.

That fact alone had her sneaking out from under her bed, pausing just below the moonlight brightened the shadow. She chanced a look at her bedroom door, which was, as always, locked, and slipped out, tip toeing through the Jack and Jill bathroom to the door that led to Lian's room.

"Li-Li?" She called softly, pushing open the door. The light from the bathroom illuminated the room around her, stretching her shadow into Lian's room. Her eyes waited to adjust to the darkness, her small fingers tangling into her nightgown and the stuffed bunny hanging limply from one arm. "Li-Li?"

He - he wasn't ever going to stop yelling was he? Swallowing hard, Julian bit his lip, continuing to watch his father carefully as he yelled.

Glancing at the book that had started this entirely one sided argument that now lay forgotten on the floor, he hissed softly at the sudden sharp pain at his cheek. Raising his hand to softly brush at his face, he bit down hard on his lip to keep himself from whimpering.

"You'll look at me," Donat said slowly, as if he was talking to Tristan, his eyes dark in fury, "when I talk to you. Do you understand?"

His mouth dry, Julian nodded and at the urge of the glare from his father, choked out, "Yeah - yes. I - I understand."

"No, no you see," beginning to pace again, he growled, his voice raising all over again, "I don't think you do. I've told you over and over again." He slammed his hands down on a nearby table, his son jumping in response.

"You're a freak." he spat, suddenly pulling himself up to tower over the Beauxbatons student, his blue eyes wild. Flinching, Julian began stammering unintelligibly, stepping backwards. "Shut up," Donat snapped, slapping him again.

Clamping his mouth shut to stop himself from uttering anything, Julian rubbed at his cheek again, watching his father. "Admit it, you think you're better than all of us." Shaking his head rapidly, he opened his mouth to refute that, before realizing what he was doing and shutting it as Donat continued, "Because you have magic." spitting out the word, his eyes darkened. "But you aren't. Because you're nothing."

The words, they'd always seemed to hurt more than whatever his father did. Because, as cheap and cliche and cheesy as it was, the wounds and bruises would always heal; he couldn't just put a bandage on his psyche and be done with it.

Trembling as his father continued to yell, Julian didn't move, barely allowed himself to breathe, only letting out the breath he'd been holding when the man finally told him to get out of his sight.

Not needing to be told twice, the Prideux practically flew up the stairs, his father's words still ringing in his ears even as he found a new target to bully. Standing in his room, he glanced around, his eyes lighting up as they fell on his trunk. He - he couldn't do this anymore. He was sick of having to deal with that man every time he came home. Rifling through his drawers and dresser in the dark, he threw everything important into the suitcase.

Jumping at the sound of his name, he glanced up at Odille. Giving her a little wave, he swallowed hard, thinking about how he was going to explain this to her, "H - hey Oddish."

Dille winced as their father's voice rose again, padding into his room on frill laced socks. "Li-Li, I'm scared..." She wrapped her arms around her brother's waist, hiding her face in his stomach. Her eyes swept his room, and she frowned as they landed on his trunk. "Why are you getting ready for school?" She asked. "It's nighttime."

Flinching as well as their father's voice floated up the stairwell, Julian looked over at Odille, dropping the sweater in his hands to hold his little sister close to his chest. "I think we're all scared," he muttered into her blonde hair, glancing down at his trunk. And this, this leaving, it'd stop, or at least hinder, the God damn fear he felt every time he came home.

His mouth suddenly dry at her question, he shook his head as he tried to come up with something, "I - it's never too early to pack for school. This way I can spend more time with you before I leave." Nodding, he gave her a little smile.

"Oh." Dille said, completely convinced at her brother's words. When had Lian ever lied to her? She climbed onto Julian's bed, burrowing her way under the covers as she usually did whenever she got scared. All that was missing now was her brother.

As the yells got louder once more, she pulled the covers over her head and brought her knees to her chest, closing her eyes. "Make the noise go away, Lian." She said, her voice lined with panic. "Please Li-Li."

As she turned away from him towards his bed, Julian bit his lip. He hated lying to her, even though technically what he'd said had been completely true. But only if he wasn't planning on leaving. Climbing into his bed after her, he hugged her.

"I - I wish I could," he said softly, his voice cracking slightly, "but I can't do everything."

Dil curled into the familiar comfort of her brother's body, her small arms wrapping around him, her fingers tangling into his shit. "Don't leave me here, Li-Li." She whimpered. "I don't want you to go back to school. It's scary without you." She leaned further into the boy, snuggling herself as close as she could. "W-will you sing me our song, Lian?" She asked quietly. "Please?"

Biting his lip, Julian focused on everything but Odille. He - he liked going to school. And they'd probably come after him if he didn't show up at the beginning of term. Looking back at his sister, he hugged her tightly, whispering, "I have to go, Oddish. And besides," he added, forcing cheeriness into his voice, "you have Madeline and Corin and Tristan. You won't be alone."

Smiling at her, he poked her softly on the nose, "Of course I will, Dilly. All you have to do is ask." Grinning, he shook his head amusedly before singing softly.

---

Ooh, what's this? A song?

Dille shook her head. "Daddy doesn't like me." She whispered, tears welling in her eyes. "Please, Lian. Please? Can... Can I come with you?" She buried her eight year old face in his chest, trembling from fear as the sound of their father's anger came up the steps, the girl whimpering at his proximity to them.

"ODILLE!" He yelled, his fist slamming against her door and echoing through the bathroom they shared. "ODILLE! OPEN THIS DOOR!!" Dille's hold on her brother tightened. "ODILLE!!"

She tried to calm herself by focusing on her brother's voice, singing along softly. "A-Always... golden in the s-sky..."

"ODILLE!!!!"

"I don't think he likes most people," Julian muttered dryly, tears stinging his eyes as he noticed the telltale shimmer in his sister's eyes. Hugging her close to his chest, his fingers shook. He - well, he couldn't. There had to be rules against this sort of thing. And no matter how much Professor Fontaine liked him, he didn't think he could bring himself to tell her why his sister couldn't stay at home. He didn't want people think of him differently because of it.

"I can try," he said softly, even if he knew she'd never get the answer she wanted.

Jumping at the sound of his father's voice, Julian shivered. They couldn't just let him stay angry. He'd just go after someone else. Stomach clenching as Tristan's face swam behind his eyelids, he bit his lip. He couldn't stand living like this.

"I - I'll be right back, a - alright?" Untangling himself from Dilly, he pushed a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear, faking a smile.

Turning back towards her room, he rubbed at his temples, Donat's yells ringing in his ears. Heading towards him, Julian bit his lip, stopping to stare at the door that separated him from his enraged father. Muttering under his breath, he closed his eyes for a second before flicking them open as he opened the door.

His mouth dry, he looked up at his father, nothing coming out of his mouth.

Dille's hold on her brother tightened as he jolted, curling closer before latching onto him. "No!" She whispered urgently. "Don't Lian! Please?" But he pulled away, and she was left alone, her fingers left empty. She crawled forward as Donat's voice filled the room. Fighting the fear that made chills erupt through her entire eight year old body, she peeked out from under the blanket in time to see Daddy lift his arm.

She was familiar with this stance, he'd often threatened her with it. But he would hit Lian. He would. He'd done it before.

An irrational fury filled all four foot seven of her. She reached out and grabbed the closest thing to her - one of his old soccer trophies - and threw it as hard as she could.

For once, it went where she wanted, hitting her Daddy in the middle of his face. Blood squirted from his nostrals, and his eyes locked on her.

With a terrified whimper, she scrambled backwards into the covers, cowering as her father's voice roared over everything else he could hear.

"LIAN!"

This wasn't going to end well. But then again, it hardly ever did. Not in this house. Donat's words running through his head, Julian winced. He wasn't even really hearing him. But the anger in his words, and the deranged look in his eye was enough to terrify him.

As his father raised his hand, the Prideux flinched, stepping backwards. Watching him fearfully, Julian's eyes widened as out of practically nowhere, one of his trophies flew through the air, smacking his father in the face.

Glancing behind him at his little sister and automatically understanding what had happened, Julian swallowed hard. Before Donat could take out his anger on him, Julian scampered towards the bathroom, locking both doors behind him as he got back into his room.

Staring down at her, he said softly as he pulled himself back under the covers, "You - you didn't have to do that for me, you know."