Well, sixth chapter y'all, as things move into the timeline of DH, with Brendon and Katie attending Dumbledore's funeral, as well as learning a few things from Jason and Hannah, facing the Minister again, and dealing with some unpleasant issues. As mentioned before, the timeline for series is brought forward 12 years, so this takes place in 2009 as opposed to 1997. Cause the story is movie based, the actors for Scrimgeour, Romilda, Pansy and Kingsley, (for the purpose of physical presence), are Bill Nighy (Scrimgeour), Anna Shaffer (Romilda), Scarlett Byrne (Pansy) and George Harris (Kingsley). Enjoy!
Chapter 6: The Dark Days Begin
It was Wednesday July 7th 2009, the day of Albus Dumbledore's funeral, and it proved to be another of those days where Brendon was grateful that his mother was at work all day. As predicted, Albus had left the school grounds on the evening of June 30th with Harry to retrieve the third of Tom's Horcruxes, and when they came back, Draco had been waiting for Albus, though it was confirmed that he didn't want to kill him, only he had no choice so as neither him or his mother would die themselves. Luckily for both of them, Snape stepped in at the last minute and as predicted, did the honours for him, as Dumbledore requested, even though Draco didn't know any of that. Afterwards, again as predicted, Snape immediately left with Draco and two of the four Death Eaters that Draco had smuggled in to Hogwarts by means of a newly repaired Vanishing Cabinet linked to a sister in Borgin and Burkes.
In the wake of Dumbledore's death, a lot of things happened very quickly. The Patil sisters were withdrawn the morning after by their parents, Zac Smith was escorted away by his father soon afterwards, but many other students, including Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys stayed behind for the funeral. Katie and Leanne were staying behind too, although in their correspondence, Katie expressed concern that her father hadn't been in contact with her since the end of June, something which caused Brendon to consider the real possibility that her parents were now already dead, but given he had no real proof, he couldn't say this to Katie, so all he could do was to hope for the best, but still expect the worst.
After dressing in a smart white shirt, smart black trousers, his usual POD black shoes, and a black blazer with a black tie, Brendon apparated straight to Hogsmeade, before walking to Hogwarts for the funeral procession. Arriving at the doors, he was greeted by Katie and Leanne, both of whom were also dressed in black, and were both looking subdued and despondent. 'How you both doing' Brendon asked quietly, as he came up to them. 'It's not been easy these last few days' Katie admitted, 'I'm still worried sick about mum and dad, and I'm now fearing that he might be dead. Leanne's not much better, she found out her parents were killed by Death Eaters the day after the meeting' she continued remorsefully.
'Oh no' Brendon replied, in a mixture of both grief and frustration, the latter due to the fact that with Albus gone, the Death Eaters would quite literally have free reigns to do whatever they wanted to. 'Talk about bad timing' he commented, more to himself than anyone else. 'I know' Leanne replied tearfully, catching Brendon off guard, and causing him to think that he'd accidentally upset her. 'Sorry, I didn't mean...' he started before Leanne interrupted. 'No, it's alright' she replied, 'It's just... I don't know' she trailed off, unable to say anything else as Katie gave her a comforting hug.
'What do we do now then' Brendon asked, unsure as where the service was, or where things would go from that day onwards. 'Jason's said he'll look after me until needs be' Leanne commented, much to Brendon's surprise. 'Really' he asked, 'Yeah, he says because you gave everyone at St. Mungo's a massive helping hand while you were there, he's returning the favour by taking Leanne in until things clear up' Katie replied, much to Brendon's eternal surprise. 'Well, I can understand why he's doing it, but I wouldn't have thought he'd go this far' Brendon commented. 'I'd say it more than returns the favour, me old china' came a familiar voice, as Jason, as well as Susan and Hannah came into view, themselves dressed in black. Despite the sombre occasion, Brendon had to smile inwardly at Jason's dry sense of humour at times.
'How you doing' Brendon asked of them both, 'the news is still sinking in, and it's gonna be hard for all of us today, but I'm sure we'll get there' Jason replied. 'And like Katie said, you helped us out so much over those few months, even if you didn't see it yourself; so when I heard the news from the girls, I decided to take Leanne in for the time being'. 'What about Susan' Brendon then asked, 'She's staying with us as well' Hannah replied, 'Her Aunt was the only other person left of her family, so she's inherited what's left of the family fortune, since we reckon the Death Eaters have stolen most of it' she continued bitterly, at which point Brendon nodded solemnly. It was just another example of the Death Eaters' newfound freedom; being able to take whatever they wanted and no-one could stop them.
'What of your inheritance' Brendon then asked, 'Oh, ours is safe' Hannah replied. 'Mum already had the plans lain out by the time... you know...' she trailed off, unable to finish her sentence due to tears, with Jason providing her a shoulder to cry on for a few moments. 'Sorry' Hannah whispered, 'don't worry, I can understand. I never got to see my own Dad remember' Brendon replied, with which everyone nodded. 'Yeah, we sorted the inheritance out with her dad after Hannah was withdrawn from school, so we all received an equal share of it, though Hannah's father, Eric, had his converted into Pounds and Pence' Jason explained. 'Well, that's fair enough' Brendon replied, 'but in any case, shouldn't we be off already' he then asked. 'Oh yeah, might as well' Jason replied. 'Come on, I'll lead the way' he then offered, with which everyone followed Jason through the school grounds to the funeral procession.
The service itself was held on the shores of the Black Lake, with Dumbledore's tomb being located on a small island in the middle of the lake. Throughout the service, Brendon, Jason and the girls kept quiet, unsure whether to say anything or not. As the service progressed, Brendon noticed that Katie and Leanne were both sullen and withdrawn, Jason looked really cut up over all of this, and Hannah and Susan were struggling to hold back the tears. He himself also felt the remorse everyone was feeling, but while most people were sad to see Dumbledore go, Brendon felt more... apathetic, though this was probably as a result of the meeting he'd had with Dumbledore only a week before, and the fact Katie, Leanne and himself now knew a lot of things everyone else, even Harry, Ron and Hermione didn't know.
Thinking back to these details, Brendon still felt very uneasy about what Harry's reaction would be when he eventually found out the truth, though he basically had a mantra for this now; In that what would come, would come, and he'd face it whenever it did come. The same also applied for whether any Death Eaters even came close to Grimsby, even though he wasn't sure how likely that would be, given the fact that Grimsby was seen as a bit of a backwater and very much out of the way, and never the type of place that a wizard would even consider living in. Even with the precaution Brendon took in having the addresses for himself, Katie, Leanne, and Jason and Hannah Abbott removed from the school registrar, Brendon would vow to have his wand with him all the time, and would make sure the others would do the same.
Eventually, the service came to a close as Dumbledore's tomb was finally laid to rest, and while members of The Order of the Phoenix, plus Harry, Ron and Hermione stayed near to the shore, everyone else disbanded. Most of the school kids made their way back to the castle to collect their belongings before boarding the waiting train in Hogsmeade, but Katie, Leanne, Susan and Hannah remained seated with Brendon and Jason at the back. They would be walking to Hogsmeade before apparating home, although Brendon had the uneasy feeling that Katie might have to come with him. Not that he minded, but he worried that Katie might get homesick or something.
As they prepared to leave, they were caught off guard by a familiar voice. 'Mr. Halkirk' the voice came. They all turned round to see the Minister, still limping slightly, and looking rather stone-faced and moody, heading their way. Seeing the look on his face, Brendon decided deal with him alone. 'You guys go ahead, this might get ugly' he whispered to Jason, Susan, Hannah and Leanne, with which they all left, leaving Brendon and Katie on their own.
'Penny for your thoughts, Rufus' he asked, with which Scrimgeour limped over to face him. 'Came to pay your last respects, I see' Rufus asked pleasantly enough, even with the look on his face. 'Isn't it obvious' Brendon replied sarcastically, 'and whys your face hanging like a dead man's corpse then, unless Harry's shot you down already' he then asked, deciding to wind the Minister up as hiss face hardened instantly.
'As it happens, Mr. Potter did just cut me down when I asked him if he might know what he and Dumbledore did the night the Headmaster died. Seems to be Dumbledore's man through and through, that boy' Scrimgeour explained sourly, much to Brendon's amusement. He loved seeing the Minister have his face rubbed in the dirt. 'And as for you, I hear rumours that you had a meeting with Dumbledore the day before he died' Rufus then countered, at which Brendon's face took on a dangerous look.
'What' Brendon asked, wishing the Minister didn't know about it. 'You heard me. Rumours are also spreading that you became very angry with the headmaster over something discussed that day, and I would like to know what it might be' Scrimgeour pressed. 'If you think you're gonna get answers from me Rufus, think again' Brendon replied, standing his ground. 'They are NOT matters that I am prepared to discuss with your sorry ass anywhere. And as for the rumours, I would like to know who started them' he then asked, facing Scrimgeour resiliently.
Seeing that Brendon wouldn't give in and talk, Rufus decided to answer his question. 'The person who spread the rumours was a Miss Romilda Vane of Gryffindor House' he replied. Brendon merely let out of humph over the news. He had heard from Katie how much of a chatterbox Romilda was, and he reckoned she must have heard or seen something the day he came over. 'Thank you for that. I'll see her about it' Brendon replied calmly, 'and I'll be on my way', with which, he turned on his heel and headed towards the castle, with Katie following on straight afterwards, while Scrimgeour and his delegates returned to the Ministry.
As the pair of them made their way back inside the castle, Brendon instantly spotted Romilda struggling with her trunk near the entrance doors. Deciding to take his chance, Brendon walked over and cleared his throat to attract Romilda's attention, who immediately turned to face him. 'May I question what you were bloody well thinking of last week, Miss Vane' Brendon asked rather sharply. 'W-What do you mean' Romilda asked in confusion, 'Spreading rumours that I had an argument with the headmaster in a meeting last week, barely 24 hours before his death' Brendon replied testily.
'Whoa whoa, hang on, that wasn't me' Romilda replied, trying to pacify the seemingly seething young man staring defiantly at her. 'I noticed you, Katie, Leanne and Professor Snape discussing something that day. And when Snape left following the Headmaster's death, I realised something was up, but I only mentioned it to a friend of mine who I entrusted not to say anything, and I never intended to talk about it either' she explained, which did little to ease Brendon's sourness.
'Well somebody must have listened in then, cause the Minister just asked me about it already' Brendon replied. 'And I don't take kindly to rumours involving me getting spread around' he continued. 'I made sure no-one was around to hear me or my friend' Romilda replied, 'what have I got to benefit from spreading rumours' she continued. At this, Brendon had to concede that Romilda had a point, but it still left him no closer as to who spread the rumours, until Katie grabbed his attention.
'Brendon, I can hear someone giggling' she whispered, pointing Brendon round a corner towards the Great Hall. As Brendon looked round, he saw the sniggering form of Pansy Parkinson leaning next to a wall. Certain that she can't have been laughing over anything other than what he'd potentially discussed with Romilda, Brendon made his way over to confront her.
The moment Pansy heard someone clear their throat to gain their attention, she instantly stopped sniggering, and looked up to see the brooding and very unhappy form of Brendon Halkirk staring down at her. 'Oh Erm... hi there' she managed to get out before Brendon literally bore down on her, a look of displeasure on his face. 'Do I get the feeling you're laughing over what you just heard' Brendon asked, his annoyance clear in the tone of his voice. 'What do you mean, I've no idea what you're on about' Pansy replied, trying to sound innocent.
'Oh can it Pansy' Romilda piped up angrily, 'you were obviously listening to us moments ago, and the fact we all caught you giggling kind of makes it obvious you were up to something' she continued, at which point, Pansy's façade broke. 'All right, fine' she spat out, 'I overheard Romilda and her vapid mudblood friend's discussion and decided to spite Romilda by saying she was spreading rumours' she continued, showing no sense of pity or remorse, especially as she angered Romilda by offending her friend.
'Why do you always feel the need to offend, pick on and throw scorn on people outside your own house, Pansy' Brendon asked, 'why? Because you're all losers!' Pansy replied defiantly. 'And now the Headmaster's gone, that gives those who support the Dark Lord free to do what we want' she continued. 'And you two had better be prepared to be forced into prostitution' she added, pointing at an infuriated Katie and Romilda, who now obviously wanted to throttle Pansy.
'Yeah well, have you even considered what might happen to YOU now' Brendon countered, stopping the girls from pouncing, 'cause I don't think you'll get off lightly. Chances are, you might be forced into their ranks like Draco was' he continued. At the mention of Draco, Pansy's face instantly hardened. 'Fuck Draco! He made his choice!' she spat out. 'Like I said, those who supported the Dark Lord will surely get an easy life, and there's nothing anyone can do about it' Pansy continued, more than happy to get in all of their faces.
'Why can't you even show one moment of compassion for ANYONE, Pansy' Katie then asked angrily, 'you've always bad mouthed everyone in this school, and you always keep on thinking you're better than everyone when the truth is, you're worse than us for how racist and uncaring you are' she continued. 'Shut up Bell, you snivelling, reckless, mudblood loving halfblood scum' Pansy then spat out, at which Brendon, who'd obviously had enough, drew his wand, a 12.5 inch Larchwood with Dragon Core out of his pocket, and able to catch Pansy off guard, stunned her silently, blasting her into the wall with a sickening crunch.
Both Katie and Romilda watched Brendon stun Pansy in shock and awe. By then, they both wanted to kill Pansy for infuriating them, but as they watched Pansy hit the floor, they began to realise that killing her might not really be the best option. 'Thanks Brendon' Katie whispered softly, at which Brendon turned and smiled slightly at her. 'I wouldn't let her bad mouth you and get away with it' he replied, his anger beginning to subside but still slightly evident in the tone of his voice.
'What do we do now' Romilda asked, worried that if they left at that moment, there might be repercussions in the future. Brendon however, was already wary of this, as he raised his wand towards Pansy. 'Obliviate' he uttered, with which, Pansy's memories of her confrontation with Brendon, Katie and Romilda, and the knowledge that she started the rumour spreading were wiped from her mind permanently. Once he'd finished, Brendon turned on his heel and left, with Katie and Romilda following shortly afterwards.
After they collected Romilda's trunk, Katie had to go and fetch her own trunk from her room before they could leave. While waiting, Brendon slipped up to the Potions Classroom used by Professor Slughorn, and after a brief talk with Slughorn, was able to obtain himself six bottles of Liquid Luck. After putting three of them in each of his blazer pockets, grateful of the fact they were only small bottles, he thanked Slughorn for his time, and quietly returned to where the girls would be waiting. Once Katie had retrieved her trunk, the trio left Hogwarts and walked to the station, Katie on Brendon's left hand side and Romilda on his right. After a couple of minute's silence, Brendon spoke up again.
'I guess I owe you an apology Romilda' he confessed, 'but you have to understand. I don't like rumours about what I do getting around, and I take dealing with them very seriously' Brendon continued. 'I realise' Romilda replied, 'but like I said, neither me or my friend have any intention of spreading the rumours around, and like I said, I made sure no-one could hear us. I didn't realise Pansy heard anything' she continued. 'Must have walked by quietly at the wrong moment then' Brendon reasoned.
'Why remove her memory though' Katie then asked, 'why? Well simply, if she doesn't remember anything from today, or the fact she spread the rumours to begin with, she can't do anything about it' Brendon explained. Seeing the logic behind his actions, Katie nodded in agreement. After all, if Pansy was supporting the Dark Lord, removing the memories of today would mean she couldn't set any Death Eaters on them, as she'd have no memory of what happened.
However something else crossed her mind, whether Brendon felt guilty about it, however unlikely that seemed. 'I know it sounds silly of me but, do you regret what you've done' she asked, concerned Brendon might see it as a stupid question, but surprisingly, Brendon simply smiled slightly. 'Not really, Pansy was asking for it' he replied. 'Besides, I know with my temper I'm hardly a saint, but I'm not a sinner either. I'm just who I am, and that needs no substitute'. Hearing this, Katie understood the meaning of Brendon's words, and had to admit, she hadn't been that saint-like on occasions either. She figured that everyone had these kind of moments, some more than others. Her thoughts were interrupted though, when she heard Romilda speak again.
'Listen, I hope you don't mind, but... are the rumours true?' Romilda asked, 'I promise not to tell anyone, its more curiosity than anything' she continued. Upon hearing this question, Brendon turned to look at Katie to ask whether he should reveal some of the truth, but Katie spoke up before he could. 'Just so long as you keep your word Romilda, cause I know how much of a gossip you are' she piped up. 'Cross my heart' Romilda replied, at which point, Katie motioned to Brendon to say she was happy.
'Alright, the truth is, Yes, I did have an argument with Dumbledore the day before he died, though the reasons why are mainly something I want to keep a secret between myself, Katie, Leanne and Professor Snape, all of whom were present' Brendon explained, surprising Romilda when he mentioned the former professor. 'Snape, what was he doing there?' she asked, not scathingly, more in confusion than anything. 'Severus is Katie's surrogate Godfather, and he wanted to be present when Katie was told about what happened the day she was cursed' Brendon replied.
'Right but, what else has he got to do with these rumours' Romilda then asked, 'well, the truth is' Brendon started, before leaning in to make sure no-one but Katie could hear him, 'Dumbledore's death was arranged' he finished, with which, Romilda's hand covered her mouth in shock. Have I just heard him right she thought, her mind clouded with confusion and horror. 'I know it sounds absurd, but it's the truth' Brendon then mentioned, which did little to ease Romilda's confusion, but did allow her to put two and two together.
'You mean, Dumbledore asked Snape... to kill him' she asked, 'yes' Brendon replied darkly, leaving Romilda feeling very uneasy on her feet. 'Dumbledore was already dying after being hit by a curse before the school year started. Hence why the arrangement was made' Brendon then explained. 'I see' Romilda replied, things becoming a little clearer now, 'but what about Malfoy. Reports say that he was a witness' she then asked.
'Yes he was' Brendon replied. 'The Dark Lord decided to punish his father's recent failures by forcing Draco into the Death Eater Ranks, and giving him an impossible mission' he continued, at which point, the penny dropped inside Romilda's subconscious mind with an awful clatter. 'You mean... kill the headmaster or die trying' she whispered in horror, 'Yes' Katie answered for Brendon, as the realisation of the situation dawned on Romilda, especially with the knowledge that Snape was Katie's Godfather as well.
'So' she whispered softly, 'Snape killed Dumbledore, to spare Draco, and end his suffering, and then he had to leave' she then asked, 'Pretty much' Katie replied, 'and I'm worried I'll never see him again' she continued, tears shining in her eyes as she spoke, something Romilda noticed, and instantly felt sorry for Katie about. 'So was that what Brendon was angry about' Romilda asked, 'partially' Brendon replied, 'but it was mainly because Albus didn't try to remove Draco because he was worried Tom, the Dark One, would find out about it' he continued.
'And of course, that led to Katie being hospitalised, and Ron Weasley nearly being killed as well' Romilda added, her voice carrying a touch of embarrassment when she mentioned Ron's name, something Brendon noted, but kept quiet about. 'Exactly, which was another thing I was fizzing over' Brendon replied. 'Thing is though, that's only the tip of the iceberg, as there were more things I was angry with Albus over, but like I said, I want to keep those details secret. Just make sure you keep what I've told you today secret as well' he continued. 'Your word' Romilda replied, with which, the trio continued towards the station.
As they reached the station, they noticed the throng of students still getting on board, and so the gang waited until they had freedom to move. Whilst waiting for everyone else to board, Romilda decided to have one final word with Brendon and Katie. 'So what about you guys then' she asked conversationally. 'Well, I was gonna escort Katie home, that is, if the house hasn't already been trashed' Brendon replied, 'If that's the case, I'll take her in' he continued. Hearing this brought a pang of sorrow to Romilda; at the thought Katie's parents might be dead as well. 'Then we'll probably hide. Keep under the radar, so to speak' Brendon finished.
'What about you Romilda' Brendon then asked. 'Well, what do you think' she replied. 'Like I said I'd take what I told you today and keep it secret' Brendon replied. But I'd also hide throughout the summer as well. Don't do anything drastic, and when the next school year comes round, if you have to go back, don't argue it. I fear if Tom takes over, anyone who opposes him will end up dead' Brendon finished. Hearing Brendon's grave words was enough for Romilda to take his suggestion and stick to it. After all, what good has standing up to evil done in the past she thought, knowing it was how Harry's parents died.
Eventually, they were brought back to reality when a new voice interrupted them. 'Romilda Bloody Vane, are you getting on board or what!' Ginny Weasley yelled from the station entrance. 'Hang on Ginny' Romilda replied, before turning to face Brendon and Katie again. 'Look, I better go, Ginny's already pissed at me over Harry and her brother' she explained, her lingering embarrassment over the whole sordid saga clear to see. 'Fair enough, you get on board' Brendon replied, 'we'll be leaving shortly as well, and good luck' he finished, Romilda sharing a uneasy smile with him as she grabbed her trunk, passed through the booking office and onto the train.
As the train pulled away for the long journey to London, Brendon and Katie watched it leave with a touch of wistfulness and uncertainty. They missed the feeling of the last train home after graduating, but they also had no idea about what was to come, especially with the impending darkness on the horizon. As the train disappeared into the distance, they went back to the front of Hogsmeade station to apparate back to London when were interrupted by a new voice.
'Mr. Halkirk, Miss Bell, I need a word' came a deep, calming voice, with which they turned to be greeted by Kingsley Shacklebolt, dressed in his usual blue robes. Brendon hadn't met the respectable auror before but he still held him in great respect, more than what could be said for Dumbledore now. But from his presence, and the fact he needed to talk to both of them, Brendon was certain that whatever Kingsley had to say would certainly be about Katie's parents, and that it wouldn't be good, but somehow, he felt things would be clearer if he knew. He turned to face Katie and could see that she was just as concerned as to what the news might be, but she too looked ready to hear it herself, so they let Kingsley join them.
'What's the matter Kingsley' Brendon asked the moment Kingsley walked over. 'I needed to deliver some rather unpleasant news to Miss Bell but with everything going on, I've only managed to find the chance' Kingsley replied. 'It's about my parents, isn't it' Katie asked, half-expecting the news to be for the worse. 'I'm afraid it is, Miss Bell' Kingsley replied solemnly, leaving Katie and Brendon with little doubt now. 'Death Eaters?' she asked, struggling not to cry in the process, 'Yes' Kingsley replied, 'I'm sorry' he added, upon which, Katie started crying softly, and Brendon grimaced, looking down at the ground as he felt his gut being kicked in. There had been concerns for several days now, but Kingsley's news made it official. Katie's parents were dead, and she was now an orphan.
'Her mother stood no chance when they barged in, but her father fought them off until he was subdued and cornered' Kingsley explained, bringing a weak smile to Katie's face with the knowledge that at least her father went down kicking and screaming. 'What about the house though' Brendon asked, as he didn't know what the Death Eaters had decided to do with it. 'I'm afraid those responsible decided to raise the house to the ground before they left, probably to make sure no evidence remained' Kingsley replied.
Hearing her childhood home had also been destroyed brought fresh tears from Katie, as she knew she had nothing left in London for her, though she had the comfort that Brendon would take her in. 'But I also have these for you Miss Bell' Kingsley then added, pulling out two folders, one black with NATWEST written on it, and the other made of brown leather with Gringotts written on it. When Brendon saw the names on the folders, he had a feeling about what they might be, and sure enough, they both looked inside them, Brendon's suspicions were confirmed, while Katie was left dumbstruck.
'My... My parents' bank details' she whispered in shock. 'How did you get hold of them' she then asked. 'Your parents left them with a close family friend for safekeeping' Kingsley replied. 'After I informed them of their death, they handed them over knowing you would inherit the lot' he continued. Hearing that her parents wanted to make sure she wasn't left penniless in the event of their death, Katie shared another weak smile, knowing that their selfless actions had saved her from a potential life on the streets, even though she knew with Brendon beside her, that had been unlikely to begin with.
'What do we do then' Brendon then asked, referring to Katie's finances. 'Miss Bell will need to visit both the Banks in question so she can claim both sets of inheritance' Kingsley replied, at which point, Brendon realised they were best getting it done sooner rather than later, out of worry that the money tied up might be stolen. His thoughts were broken though, when Katie spoke to him. 'Should we get it done now then' she asked softly. 'I would' Brendon replied, 'means it's out the way then, but it's your choice' he continued, looking gently at Katie in the process.
Seeing that Brendon was only offering his opinion and nothing else, Katie made her mind up instantly. 'I'll get it done now, Kingsley, at least it'll be done with' she replied, facing the auror. 'Very well then' Kingsley replied, smiling gently, 'which bank first though' he then asked. 'Gringotts, cause I think you'll need a change of clothes for mum's bank' Katie replied. 'Yes, that's a good point' Kingsley admitted. 'Let's be off then' Brendon commented, with which, the three of them all apparated away from Hogsmeade to Diagon Alley.
So, thoughts? I know leaving Katie an orphan might sound a bit cliche, but it's only so as to bring her and Brendon closer together. Anyway, reviews would be much appreciated.