heres the next chapter my friends. i wont be updating for a week so please enjoy the story so far and ill upload when i can =) i really want to see if i can get 3000 people to read this story and at least 100 votes on it, so can you help me acheive that please in anyway possible and it will be much appreciated thanks =)
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Chapter 18
Fred P.O.V.
The following day was pretty normal. We went to our usual classes. Got a handful of detentions from teachers, shouted at by Filch for throwing things at Mrs Norris and were shouted at for teasing several first years. It was always fun with George and Brooke we just messed around a lot but we had potions now and fun and laughter was a big no no in Snape's books. Depressing git.
"Hey can I come and see your Dad after class Brooke?" George asked her.
"Sure if you want." She shrugged but I could see that she looked happy that someone else was going. She really loved her Dad and so she was happy other people were visiting him even if it was only for a few minutes. That was the amazing thing about Brooke; she loved everyone so much and was nearly always happy. The only times I've seen her upset was over the Easter holidays, I still didn't know what was wrong with her about that, and when her Dad was in hospital and nearly died.
We strolled into the dungeons, not late for once, and sat down in our usual seats. I gave Brooke a quick kiss on the cheek before taking my seat at the back. Snape glared at me as I walked to the back of the class but didn't say anything and I smirked a little at him.
"One of these days that man is going to kill you." George said to me laughing at his face.
"If I die, you're coming down with me Georgey." I laughed back.
"But you can't! I will need to pick up the pieces and be a shoulder for Brooke to cry on when Snape kills you." He said innocently. I remember George telling me that he really liked Brooke when we first saw her but when she hung round with us he started to like her as a sister. But it didn't stop him making I'll tap that jokes and hitting on her occasionally, I know he only jokes about it and wouldn't really take her from me so I laugh along with it.
"George get over it. She picked me." I put my tongue out at him.
"Ah but when she says 'I love you Fred' she means 'I love you George'." He poked his tongue back at me.
"You two put your tongues away!" Snape snapped at us and there were a few snickers around the room but me and George just rolled our eyes. "You will be doing an Invisible potion today." Why does the guy have such an oily voice? It's not even humanly possible to sound like that. I think he takes something for it.
"What's an Invisible potion Sir?" Danny White asked and I involuntarily frowned at him.
"Shut up White. I was getting to that." He snapped. "If made properly, a person can turn invisible for a short period of time from a single sip." He said in his low oily voice. "Turn to page 934 and get your stuff together. And NO funny business! That means you Mr Weasley!" He said shouting at us.
"What would we do?" We asked innocently.
"I'm keeping my eye on you two." He said and turned to Brooke.
"So what's the plan?" George asked me as we got our things together.
"Take our potion. Turn invisible. Sneak out and cause havoc."
"Great! How do we know if it's done though?" He asked.
"Hmm. We can ask Brooke if it's done." He nodded and we got our stuff together.
Nearly forty minutes later we had finished our potion.
"Psst Brooke!" We whispered to her.
"What?" She asked not looking up from her cauldron.
"Is this done?" George asked.
"Ask Sir." She muttered.
"We can't Brooke. We have… plans." I said.
"Oh. Ok. Give me a minute." She quickly finished whatever she was doing and ninja'd her way to us, making sure Sir didn't spot her. She peered into the potion and mixed it a little bit. "I think so. Hang on." She pulled her wand out of her pocket and turned a tissue into a toad and grabbed a spoon before making the frog drink a little bit of it and disappearing She put it down on the floor and I heard it croak and bounce away. I couldn't see it though. "Yeah it's done."
"How do you know it's safe to drink though? What if we disappear forever?" I asked.
"Yeah you might miss my handsome face." George said jokingly.
"I have pictures of you two. And your face will stop giving me a headache." She smiled sweetly at us. "But if it wasn't safe to drink the toad would've turned purple and sprouted boils. And as it didn't it's safe to drink."
"Good. Want a bit? Get out of class?" I offered her.
"No thanks. It tastes of strawberries and I hate strawberries and I need to get back to my potion." She said pulling a face and heading back to her desk.
"How long do we stay invisible for?" I asked her.
"Half an hour and you should only take it once an hour at most otherwise you could actually disappear and I might eventually miss you two." She said teasingly.
"Ok. Well if you're sure. Bon Voyage!" George and I took a sip and I felt like someone threw a bucket of really cold sludge over me and I wondered if it worked. I looked over to where George had just been and I couldn't see him. I reached out to where he was and he must've done the same thing because we punched each other in the chest. "Ow! So it works then?" I whispered to him.
"Looks it. Let's go." He whispered and we were about to sneak out the door when water fell on top of us soaking us to the core.
"YOU TWO! GET BACK NOW!" Snape shouted at us. How the HELL could he see us? "I CAN SEE YOU SO DON'T TRY AND DO A RUN FOR IT!" We reluctantly turned round as Snape stormed over to us. "DO YOU THINK I WOULD BE SO STUPID AS TO LET A CLASS HANDLE INVISIBLE POTION AND NOT EXPECT THEM TO MAKE A RUN FOR?!" He spat in our face.
"Well yeah to be honest." George said and I had to bite my lip so I wouldn't start laughing.
"DON'T GIVE CHEEK TO ME!" He spat in our faces again. "YOU WILL HAVE DETENTION AFTER CLASS WITH ME!"
"Sir they were coming with me after class to go to the hospital." Brooke said washing her hands. I assume she finished her potion.
"Well they're not now are they?"
"Why can't they do it some other time?" She asked fairly.
"Because I said so!" He snapped at her and I wanted to swing for him.
"Well I don't want to go alone." She walked over to her desk calmly.
"Fine. Then you can stay here with them after class."
"No. I'm going to see my Dad." She said calmly in a way that meant she wasn't going to take any shit.
"You can't defy me. You are staying behind after class." He snarled at her. Everyone was watching us intently. What happened to the guy that was really nice to her? He is defiantly schizophrenic.
"Like hell I will." She snarled back and I couldn't help but smirk at him and I saw George do the same. "I'm going to see my Dad and there's nothing you can do to stop me." He muttered something low to her and I couldn't hear him and I don't think anyone else around them could. She looked really angry and muttered back in the same low voice looking vey dangerous and deadly. I would rather kill myself that have her look at me like that.
"Fine. You will do yours tomorrow after school." He said to all three of us.
"I'm doing mine when my Dad get's out of hospital." She said stubbornly and I could see him falter under her glare. He looked torn between his pride and reputation and something else.
"Fine. You three will do it when her Dad get's out of hospital. Everyone pack up!" He shouted to the class and everyone scuffled around cleaning up and we returned back to our desks to clear up as well. I saw that Snape was trying to talk to Brooke but she was just ignoring him. What is going on with them? It's really starting to annoy me. When George and I finished we went over to Brooke whose fists were clenched pretty tight.
"Ready to go Brooke?" I asked chirpily.
"Yeah." Her voice sounded strained.
"You ok?" I whispered to her as we walked out of the class and she shook her head.
"Yeah I'm fine." She smiled at me.
"You're giving me mixed signals; you're shaking your head and saying you're fine. Which is it?" I asked.
"Look can we talk about it later? I want to see my Dad." I sighed, there's no way I'm stopping her from seeing her Dad.
"Ok fine. But promise me you'll tell me what's going on between you and Snape later ok?" She didn't say anything and looked down at the floor instead. "Brooke. Please promise me you'll tell me what's wrong between you and Snape when we've visited your Dad." I begged her and she sighed obviously looking strained.
"Fine. Just… please don't hate me after it." She shocked me by saying that.
"Why… why would I hate you?" I asked her.
"I'll tell you later." She said and that was the end of that subject and we went to visit her Dad.
*
Brooke's P.O.V.
After visiting my Dad with Fred and George we headed back to the school via Floo Powder again. I appreciated how Dumbledore let us use his office to come and go t the hospital, as long as we cleaned up after ourselves if we made a mess and didn't say out past seven. I can't believe I was going to tell Fred the truth about what's going on, but there's no way I can lie to him again.
"Well er, I'll see you guys in a bit." George said to us and waved as he headed back to the common room. Apparently Fred told him he wanted to talk to me privately when we got back. I thought that sounded quite mean but he was desperate to know what was going on so there was nothing I could do to stop him.
"See ya George." I waved miserably and turned to Fred as we sat on a window ledge over looking the lake. I was glad there were no students around here now; I didn't want anyone else knowing my secret.
"So Brooke what's going on between you and Snape. Please tell me in your own time." He said gently. He knew if he pushed me I would close up and not tell him and I loved that about him, how he knew me.
"It's really hard to say." I mumbled looking out of the window.
"In your own time just tell me." He said and held my hands. I took several deep breaths.
"Please don't run away or hate me." I begged him, my eyes welling up and I could tell he looked worried.
"Brooke did he hurt you?" He demanded looking angry.
"No! He didn't hurt me. It's just…" I faltered. Wow this is hard.
"Er do you want to write it down?" He asked and I remembered that I put the birth certificate in my sock. I didn't want to risk it lying around in my room so I kept it close to me.
"I have it here." I pulled the piece of paper out of my sock and handed it to him.
"Is that the piece of paper that made you run a mile during the holidays?" He tried to joke and I nodded. "Ok then…" I watched him as he read the paper. My heart was banging erratically in my chest and I felt slightly sick. "Brooke?"
"Please don't hate me!" I panicked.
"No Brooke –"
"Look it's not my fault!"
"Brooke –"
"I'm so sorry!"
"Brooke listen to me!" He shouted.
"What?"
"This is a list of school things you needed to buy at the beginning of the year." I could see him bite his lip so he wouldn't burst out laughing at me and he looked red from the struggle. I felt my face heat up and I couldn't help but laugh at how stupid I was. Fred took that as a good sign and burst out laughing at me. "Oh Brooke. You are funny. So was that it?" He asked. I really wanted to lie. I really did. But I made a promise and when I make a promise I keep them.
"Er no. That was me being stupid." I laughed and took it back from him and checked my other sock and found the right piece of paper this time (I checked it) and handed it to him. "Please, please, please don't hate me!" I begged him. He read it slowly and I could see when he was finished. His hands were shaking and he looked angry, confused and like he wanted to kill someone. "Fred?" I asked tentatively.
"Brooke. I'm so sorry." He pulled me into a hug. "I'm so sorry you thought you had to hide this from me!" He kissed my head then my nose and then my mouth. I'm sorry if you thought I would leave you and I'm sorry for this." He waved the piece of paper in the air.
"Fred I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner." I sniffed into his chest.
"Oh Brooke. It's ok, I'm happy you told me now." He pulled away from me. "This doesn’t mean I'm going to be any nicer to him though, you do understand don't you?" I laughed.
"Of course. I wouldn't expect any less from you." I kissed him softly and he pulled me into him then someone coughed. We pulled away and saw Snape standing there. And Fred did the funniest thing I have ever seen. It will go down in history.
"Daddy!" He squealed and hugged him tight and Snape looked furiously from me to Fred and back.
"Mr Weasley get off me." He said in a dangerously low voice as I howled with laughter and he shoved Fred off him. "What do you think you are doing acting in such a foolish behaviour?"
"Well considering Brooke told me about you I thought you would like to welcome me with open arms into the family! Obviously not." He smirked at him. Snape turned and glared at me with such hatred and disgust in his eyes I involuntarily flinched back.
"I thought you said you would never tell anyone." He snarled at me and I cowered on the window ledge.
"I had to tell Fred." I whimpered.
"You didn't have to, did you silly girl?" He snapped at me and I snapped.
"Don't you DARE call me a silly girl. I have been through hell this week. This secret has been stressing me out, I have been worried about my Dad and I'm panicking over the stupid OWLs!" I shouted at him. "You might think its some stupid High School trouble that's inferior to what you think you have to go through but let me tell you now! I would happily kill you right now to get rid of one thing off my list." I snarled at him.
"You think you're so special, you have money, looks, friends, family and a boyfriend but let ME tell YOU Miss Kelly, not all of us are that lucky and we are often reminded about it on countless occasions." He hissed at me. I couldn't help it. I slapped him. Hard. He staggered back and both he and Fred looked at me shocked. Snape was clutching his cheek where I could see a red handprint forming already. After a moment of shock Snape moved towards me and looked like he was going to slap me across the face. Just as he was about to hit me Fred grabbed his wrist and moved it away from me and jabbed his wand in his chest.
"Don't you dare even think about slapping her you miserable git!" Fred said in a dangerously low voice and looked like he wouldn't think twice about killing him. Snape shook his head and realisation came into his eyes and he looked at me horrified.
"I'm so sorry Brooke." He said and made a move to come over to me.
"Shit Fred!" I shouted and his wand sent sparks out of the end and a small fire started on Snape's robes. Fred looked at what he had done and didn't look too bothered by it. I quickly waved my wand and the fire stopped instantly. "You need to calm down." I said.
"He nearly assaulted you Brooke! I wasn't going to take that lightly!" He shouted at me then sighed.
"Yeah I know and I will kill him for that." I snarled at Snape who still looked slightly shocked. "And thanks for stopping him. But please calm down." I begged him. He took a shaky breath and ran his fingers through his hair.
"Fine. But if you're going to kill him, I want in."
"Fine."
"I am still here. You can't talk about killing me whilst I can hear you." Snape snapped.
"Fine. Cover your ears." We snapped at him together.
"Fred can I talk to him for a minute?" I turned to Fred.
"No. He's freaking mental!" He said.
"Fred? Please? I won't be long." I begged him.
"Fine. But if there's any problems shout me and I'll come. Ok?" I nodded.
"Promise." He kissed my cheek and left, after glaring at Snape. When he was gone I turned to Snape.
"Thank you for that Brooke –" He began.
"Don't think that changes what you nearly did to me Snape." I said bitterly.
"I know and I apologise profoundly." He said and sounded sincere.
"I really don't like how you can be nice to me one second then a world class git the next." I sighed.
"That's me though. I can't help it." He said sighing and ruffled his hair looking stressed. "And it's not like he's perfect! He would've left me there burning if you hadn't stopped him!"
"You were going to hit me! He was looking out for me!" I shouted at him.
"I am sorry. But you hit me first! It's in my nature to retaliate!" He snapped.
"I wouldn't have hit you if you had been talking down to me and being a git!" I growled and then sighed. "I know I'm a lucky person and I'm not a snobby girl either, I know not everyone is as lucky as me and some people have to make do with what they've got. So don't tell me I don't realise that because I do. Funny enough during the holidays when I'm alone, I go out and help the less fortunate and to be honest I don't think you do that do you?" I said bluntly. He looked like he was trying to come up with a comeback to that but couldn't think of one. "I thought so." I turned to head back when someone called out my name.
"Brooke! There you are. You need to come with me." Professor McGonagall said hurrying towards me.
"Why?" I asked panicking slightly.
"Your Father had a heart attack and well… he never made it. I'm so sorry. Dumbledore sent me to get you so you could visit him." She looked sincerely upset for me.
"What?" I whispered and my legs were shaking like crazy.
"Oh I'm so sorry Brooke." She said and then I collapsed to the floor. I felt someone bend down to help me up and steady me to my feet. I then thought about Fred and how he was probably waiting for me in the common room.
"Fred!" I practically shouted.
"Sorry?" She asked looking bemused.
"Er… long story but I think Fred is waiting for me in the common room." I said skipping over everything.
"Ok. Snape you take her to Albus's office and I'll get Mr Weasley. Will you be ok Brooke?" She asked me and I nodded and the tears fell down my face as Snape helped me walk to Professor Dumbledore's office because my legs were shaking too much to stand alone. I couldn't see anything because my vision was blurry from my tears and I just kept on thinking. No, my Dad can't be dead! It's not possible.
"Come on Brooke. The sooner we get there the better." Snape said softly to me and I realised how close we were and how awkward I felt. I was leaning into his side and his arm was wrapped around my waist. I tried to push him away from me and he looked at me confused. "What's wrong?" He asked me.
"I can walk by myself." I said stubbornly.
"Fine. Then hurry up." We were near Dumbledore's office now and so I sprinted to the door and waited impatiently as the stairs appeared, I heard Snape running to me but I didn't care. I wanted to see my Dad. As I got to the top I realised I wasn't crying anymore and my legs weren't shaking any longer. I burst through the door, not bothering to knock and saw Dumbledore pacing by the fireplace.
"Oh Miss Kelly. I am very sorry. Your Mother is waiting for you in the hospital. Your Father is in the same room as before." I nodded thanks at him and ran into the fireplace and the second that it took me to get from the school to the hospital was the longest second of my life. When I came out of the fireplace I sprinted to my Dads room and it felt like the hallways were stretching on for miles before I finally made it to his room and saw my Mum bent over my Dads bed, her forehead pressed against his and sobbing quietly.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no! He can't just die!" I shouted and my Mum jerked back and ran over to me. Then I collapsed to the floor again and floods of tears came pouring out of me. She tried to help me up but I kept on jerking out of her arms and crawled to my Dads bedside and held onto his hand for dear life. "Daddy. You can't just leave me! You were getting better! You can't just leave!" I begged and cried. "You can't! You… you… can't!" I bawled my eyes out and buried my head into the blankets that covered my Dad.
"Oh honey what are we going to do?" My Mum said softly stroking my back and I shrugged her off me.
"I want my Daddy!" I cried my eyes out and I felt like someone ripped a part of me away and stomped all over it then ground it into the dirt. "He can't leave me!" I shouted into his blanket.
"Brooke?" Someone asked tentatively. I looked up and saw Fred and he took one look at me before collapsing next to me. I saw George behind him and he did the same thing. "Oh Brooke. I'm so sorry. I am so sorry." He held me tight and rocked me gently and I cried into his chest as George stroked my back.
"Why did he leave me? He was doing so well!" I cried into his shirt.
"I don't know Brooke. I don't know." He said softly. I felt him spin me round and my Mum held me and I gripped onto her like she would leave me if I let go of the slightest pressure.
"I'm sorry Mum." I cried.
"What for?" She asked crying into my hair.
"I just am. For everything."
"Oh honey you have nothing to apologise for." She sobbed into my hair and we stood that way for quite some time. Just holding each other and crying and not saying anything else.
"Excuse me, Mrs Kelly?" The Doctor that saw us the first time came in. My Mum and I looked up. "We need to take him away now." He said sadly. My Mum looked like she was going to agree with him but that wasn't ok with me.
"No!" Everyone looked at me shocked at my outburst. "No you're not taking my Dad away from me!"
"I'm sorry but it's hospital rules." He said sadly but firmly.
"I don't give a damn about hospital rules, or protocols or anything else right now! I want to stay with my Dad!" I shouted getting worked up.
"Honey! You have to let the man do his job!" My Mum said standing up slowly, still holding me.
"But I want to stay with my Dad!" I cried. "I want to stay with him." I whimpered again.
"Honey. We need to let him go. It's the best for all of us." She said softly and still crying.
"But –" I felt my argument weakening. I stopped talking and I saw my Mum nod at the Doctor and he wheeled him out of the room. And just like that he was gone. From the room, my life and this world. And he was never coming back. I looked to where he was just before. A couple of hours ago we were all laughing and chatting and now. Now? He was gone. "Why did he have to go Mum?" I asked her.
"Sometimes the best people on this earth are needed for greater things in life so that's why they get taken from us so suddenly." She said softly and I sniffed.
"Do you believe that?" I asked her.
"I believe that wherever he is now, he will be a greater man." She said solemnly and I nodded.
"I need to go outside." I mumbled and ran outside. When I got outside I didn't realise that it was getting light. I wonder how long we were inside for. I let the cool air whip around me and I sobbed hard into my hands and leaned against the wall as I slumped to the floor. A heard footsteps come and go past me and a couple of people gave me there condolences and pity. I didn't want that. I wanted my Dad!
"Brooke?" I looked up and saw Snape was standing there. "May I sit down?" I nodded and put my head between my knees and cried again. I felt him stroke my back and I involuntarily leaned into him and cried.
"Why did he have to die?" I asked him. I've been asking everyone that a lot and everyone had different answers.
"Sometimes it's just their time." He said simply.
"But he was young!" I said and looked up into his face that looked ancient under the moonlight.
"I didn't say they had to be old. It was just his time to go. He might've left this world. But he hasn't left where it matters." That made me cry harder. I was just glad that I wasn't a loud crier and just sniffed a lot.
"Do you believe that sir?" I asked him.
"I tell myself that everyday Brooke." He nodded at me and I saw that his eyes were filling up slightly and a tear rolled down his cheek. I leaned into his side again and shut my eyes and let the tears roll down my face freely. I felt his arm gently move round my back until it was on my shoulder and he just held me like that. "I promise I will be here for you Brooke whenever you want me ok? I won't be able to be like your Dad, that position was filled, but I'll be whatever you want me to be." I felt really weird that Snape was opening up to me, but I was grateful for it.
"Thanks sir." I sniffed and hugged my knees.
"No problem Brooke." He held me and rocked me gently and I felt myself drift off.
*
Snape's P.O.V.
I felt her body get slightly heavier in my arms and I looked at her. Her face looked grave and there were tears still falling down her face, but she was asleep now. I held her this way for a little bit longer until the sky looked scorched in red as the sun came up. I felt my feelings grow stronger for her. When she looked at me before with tears falling down her face and looking so tired, she looked so beautiful I wanted to kiss her and hold her and not let her go. But when she leaned into me and used me as a support I felt more like a father or friend to her. But I do know that my feelings for her are growing stronger. I can't believe I opened my heart out to her and how easy it was, she knew what it was like to lose someone you love and understood what I felt every single day. But I don't want her to feel how I feel and I know there's nothing I can do to stop it. I sighed and stood up and gently scooped her into my arms, she rolled into my chest and clung onto my robes with a vice like grip as I walked through the hospital quietly to where her Mother and everyone was. When I got to the room I saw everyone sitting around and they looked like they were praying or just being silent. Her Mother was the first one to look up at me when I walked through and she took one look at Brooke in my arms and tears filled up in her eyes.
"Thank you." She mouthed to me and I nodded. Then Dumbledore looked up at me and Brooke.
"Mr Weasley, Mr Weasley. It's time to head back." He said to the twins who looked up and saw me with Brooke.
"Can I take Brooke?" Fred asked me politely and I tried to hand her over but she wouldn't let me go. "Fine. It's ok." He looked hurt and I wanted to apologise but I couldn't. All this opening up stuff defiantly wasn't for me.
"Let's head back. I'm sorry about your loss Nina. He was a great man." Dumbledore said patting Brookes Mum on the shoulder before leaving, followed by the twins.
"I'm sorry too." I said softly to her.
"Take care of her Severus. When I'm not there." She said to me but didn't look at me.
"I will." I promised and with that I walked out and back to the school. She still wouldn't let me go when we got outside the common room so the twins let me in so I could put her to bed. The twins headed off in one direction so I headed off in the opposite and found her room. I gently put her down on the bed and under the covers. I turned to leave but then I couldn't help myself, I turned back and kissed her on her forehead. She moved in her sleep slightly and her eyelids flickered.
"Night sir." She mumbled sleepily. I didn't know whether she was asleep or not so I stroked her hair.
"Night Brooke." I whispered then left her to sleep.
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I hope you liked it. it was sad and again i am sorry for anyone who has lost someone. i did recently it was my great uncle mario. he was a mad italian man who kept on trying to fatten me up with macaroni cheese =') i will try to upload when i can so have a nice week doing whatever you do and please vote and comment =) xxx