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"BADDOCK, MALCOLM"
Craning her neck Brooklyn watched a mop headed boy confidently walk up the few steps to sit on the rickety stool, the stern faced woman who had introduced herself as Professor Mcgonagall only a few minutes earlier placed the ratty hat atop the boys head.
Second later the hat ripped open again "SLYTHERIN"
The Slytherin table cheered as Malcolm hopped off the stool and sauntered over taking a seat.
"STRONG, BROOKE"
The hall immediately filled with whispers everyone watched in surprise and wonder as a short dark haired girl confidently took her place on the rickety stool with the hat placed over her head atop her black curls.
"Ah you I was hoping I'd come across you." A voice echoed inside your head
'Who are you?"
"I am the sorting hat of Hogwarts I was made to sort the students into the houses suitable for them."
'Oh I'm sorry please continue.'
"Such a polite young girl...no doubt got your manners from your mother anyway let me see...hmm...ah you have your father's traits, smart mouthed loyal brave. Your mother lies strong in you also I should place you in Gryffindor you will do great things in that house but I have no doubt you'll do even greater things in-."
"Ms Strong please enlighten the class on what's so important outside the window"
Slapping the cane on the desk in front of the normally attentive girl Minerva Mcgonagall glared down at the girl.
"Er sorry professor" she muttered, feeling her cheeks begin to burn at the sounds of her classmates sniggering at her expense.
"Do pay attention Ms Strong" She simply sighed moving back to the front of the class room "As I was saying class your exams will begin earlier this year due to the...trouble going on outside the castle grounds"
Hearing Professor McGonagall going back to her speech Brooke Strong turned her head back towards the view outside the window. Seated underneath a tree beside the black that had become the hotspot for students whenever the sun decided to stop playing peek-a-boo behind the dark clouds, was the golden trio messing about well Ron Weasley and Harry were throwing stones at each other while Hermione Granger sat her nose buried in a thick book.
"Pss...pss hey" Rose Skeeter slid a folded piece of parchment onto Brooke's blank parchment "Read it" She whispered picking up her quill resuming her writing.
Why was you staring out the window at them three, our exams are 6 month away. Are you still thinking about that letter someone sent to you.
I know our exams are 6 months away and yes that letter is on my mind I can't stop thinking about it. She refolded the parchment and slid it back, Rose slid it back a few minutes later.
You should just forget the letter your aunt told you when you were younger that your father died when you was just a baby in the first war. Somebody is just playing tricks on you.
Regardless if they are I need to know who sent it so I know whose arse to kick.
That's my girl.
Tucking the note into the pocket of her robes Brooke picked up her quill and began to take notes ignoring the sensation that someone was watching her.
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"Well well well if it isn't Ms Stronghold."
Rolling her eyes Brooke swung her head to the side, her long dark curls swinging with the movement fell over her right shoulder as she took in the full form of Draco Malfoy; somebody she avoided gravely.
"Well if it isn't the amazing bouncing ferret" She snapped, a smirk forming on her lips while his fell. "What do you want Draco?"
"Who said I needed anything," He shrugged dropping into the space next to her discarding his bag in the process "Can I come and visit somebody I-"
"Don't." Her index finger silenced his thin pale pink lip "Don't say you care about me."
"Why not." Parting his lips Draco allowed Brooke's polished finger slip into his mouth giving it a gentle brush of his tongue he held it between his teeth, his blue eyes dancing in amusement.
"Give me back my finger Draco." She whispered
He slowly released her finger smirking watching her wipe her fingers in her robes in disgust. Brooke Strong was the girl of his dreams then again she's the girl of a lot of other boys dreams with her wide grey eyes, pert nose, rosy full cupids bow lips. a slim tanned body and legs that seemed endless. Brooke had sex appeal written all over her everybody seemed in-tune with her sexuality except her, it was as if she had cast a blind eye over her own beauty which is to be expected from some of the most beautiful girls but not in Hogwarts. Girls knew what they had, what their best asset is and had no shame in flaunting it but not Brooke she did nothing on purpose to goad their libido, a simple laugh could send even the toughest boys in the school swooning. It was no secret that Brooke was the most sort after girl in Hogwarts she had many admirers yet so many enemies in the female form they all hated her in some sort of way or fashion but nobody more than Pansy Parkinson; she despised Brooke and the ground she walked on. Her husband-to-be once they graduate Hogwarts had chased Brooke rebuffing her blunt, disgusted turn downs. Yet slowly and surely he had managed to wear her down then in their forth year just after Christmas they began seeing each other for 3 weeks and those 3 weeks had been the best of Draco's life not only was people jealous of him than they usually are but he got to kiss Brooke soft mouth almost every night. Draco wasn't stupid but during those 3 weeks he had fallen for Brooke certainly much more than she had for him and when she suddenly told him she was no longer interested in him he felt as if she ripped his heart out of his chest and stomped all over it in her size 5 school shoes.
Brooke sighed turning back to the Potions harms essay she was completing "What do you want Draco I'm busy?"
"What are you doing for Christmas?"
"Wait you expect me to express my holiday plans to you." She snorted rolling her eyes "Draco I wouldn't tell you if I planned to fart in the next 5 minutes let alone my Christmas plans. Why anyway you seriously can not expect me to go within a 100 mile radius of your family's manor."
"I was inviting you too the ministry ball."
"The ministry Draco please that place is corrupt with people your family associates themselves with, people I want nothing to do with people like you." Brooke tilted her head smiling "Please go away now."
"The ball I take it your going?" He continued as if what she just said never struck him deeply.
"If your referring to Hogwarts Halloween costume ball then yes my costume is upstairs in my dorm and no I'm not going with you. Now please piss off"
"I-"
"I believe she said piss off Malfoy don't make me give you a detention for harassment" Hermione Grangers calm voice cut in smoothly, Brooke breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of the Head Girl.
"Sticking your nose in people's business when it doesn't concern you Mudblood." He spat angrily
"Hey" Brooke poked Draco hard in his chest causing him to flinch "I don't like that word in fact I detest it and whoever uses it now go away."
"This is not over Brooke." He promised
"Of course not your still breathing," With a huff Draco left the library knocking over a first year Ravenclaw "Bastard." she muttered before looking up at Hermione "Thank you."
"No problem though Ron will be upset he missed a chance to catch Malfoy." Hemione sat down in Malfoy's vacant seat and began pulling out her own homework.
"Ah stick around me you'll soon find something especially between me and Draco."
"I guess he still likes you."
"Urgh the worst 3 weeks of my life." She shrugged
"Why did you even go out with him?"
"Regardless if he is a spineless pain in the arse he still knows how to kiss and looks damn sexy in his Quidditch uniform."
"Gross" She muttered "Its Malfoy."
"I know but I'm a female I'm not immune to sexy boys."
"But you haven't had a boyfriend since and this is our last year"
"I know" Brooke shrugged "Nobody has been inviting enough plus my aunt says that I shouldn't be as free wheeling as other girls but I can't help it if I find boys in Quidditch uniform undeniably drop dead sexy."
Somebody coughed uncomfortably behind them reminding Brooke of Umbridge during her take over in your fifth year, looking over her shoulder she saw that it was Harry and Ron standing sheepishly avoiding her gaze making it obvious that they caught the end of her conversation.
"Ease dropping on people's conversations Potter." Brooke asked smirking, they sat down opposite both she and Hermione pulling out their own homework
"It's not my fault you talk loud enough for people to hear." He smirked right back
"Whatever" Rolling her eyes Brooke looked back down at the half completed essay and picked up her quill to try and finish before dinner "I could murder Slughorn for this." She muttered looking at her potions book for a quote
"You and just about every student in this castle." Ron scoffed.
"Hmm." She grumbled pulling the book closer as silence fell upon the table.
Harry who directly sat opposite Brooke stared at the title of his essay feeling nothing, no inspiration no notion of what he was going to write "Bloody hell" grumbling under his breath he sat back in his chair looking at the top of Mione's hair as she was bent over her essay, Ron was working on something furiously but he knew it wasn't the potions essay probably Quidditch strategies. Shifting his eyes he looked at Brooke, their was something achingly familiar about her he just couldn't put his finger on it. Over the past 6 years he never really spoke to her only about trivial things such as Quidditch or basically Quidditch he never had a reason to talk to her, around the years he had heard his fellow housemates or the other boys around the school talking about her they all wanted her at one point so did Ron but never Harry he had a brief thing with Cho and as very brief as it was he never looked at other girls, but now he saw what the others saw; long rich black as night hair, hair so dark the light bounced off it's gloss, deep wide grey eyes, lips that looked so inviting whenever she smiled, a body and what a body slim and curvy in all the right places and her legs her long tanned legs that she kept hidden beneath opaque stockings. Brooklyn Stronghold was quite the looker and the heart breaker of Hogwarts yet it seemed as if she was oblivious to it, she never had a boyfriend or displayed any interest in anyone or anything apart from her books.
"What" Brooke had looked up briefly to reach for her essay to find Harry's green eyes on her, studying her, taking in all her features "Potter." Clapping her hands he snapped out of whatever thoughts he had "Why are you staring shouldn't you be doing your work?"
"Oh sorry" He looked back down at his empty parchment his mind still blank on the essay yet filled with thoughts of Brooke, hearing Ron snigger beside him he elbowed him hard causing him to flinch moaning silently "Shut up"
"What I didn't do anything" He looked at Harry innocently only to earn a glare from Hermione who finally looked up from her essay
"Shut up both of you" She hissed "And start that essay I'm not helping you with this one"
Looking up from herr own essay Brooke smirked shaking her head, "You three make me laugh."
"Why"
"I don't know you just do the same way Rose and Cassie make me laugh" She shrugged "Not many people or things make me laugh feel proud"
Hermione shook her head smiling looking back down at her essay while Ron just shrugged and got back to whatever it was he was doing pulling Harry ito the conversation, looking around the library Brooke couldn't help feeling a sense of loss. This was her last year here. Hogwarts was, is a big part of her life it was the only thing the only good thing she thanked her parents for inheriting especially since she's so good at it.
"Well well what do we have here Potty, Weasel and the Mudblood oh and look the little orphan Brooke."
Pansy stood beside the table with her group of friends cackling at the joke, Ron's hands were curling into fists as he stared at her angry but Brooke just sighed tapping her Quill end on the table top, Pansy pissed her off to the highest notion and she knew it which is why she continued to taunt her about trivial things that don't bother Brooke as much as they did 3 years ago.
"Really Pansy I should think after 6 years you would have come up with something original let alone yours"
"What"
"Draco says the same things to them almost everyday and everyone knows it, you however just jumped on the band wagon trying to make a name for yourself apart from whore, go away"
Pansy stepped to Brooke so they were face to face staring each other in the eyes "Or what I'm not afraid of you"
"Good don't be afraid of me but remember I beat your skank ass last year Valentines day and I'll do it again, leave my friends alone or this time I'll put you in St Mungos" Brooke smirked
"You can't talk to me like that" Pansy seethed
"Oh really and just about who is going to stop me" Brooke looked at Ron, Harry and Hermione "Are you three going to stop me?" They shook their head "Thought not...are you Pansy are you going to step into the big girls shoes and try to kick my arse again?"
Pansy clenched her teeth releasing a hiss, she hated Brooke she hated everything about her; from her black hair on her head down to her toes hiding in her shoes. Sure Pansy had almost everything Brooke wanted that much everybody knows but Brooke had the one thing Pansy craved; Draco Malfoys attention. There brief relationship saw to it that Draco only called Pansy when he needed a certain monkey on his back scratched and yes they were betrothed to bring in the new generation of Death Eaters but Draco's attention was purely on Brooke Stronghold even when she told him 'go jump off the Astronomy tower' he thought it was part of their game.
"This is not over Strong" she sneered
"No shit" Brooke sighed rolling her eyes "Your dismissed be gone from my presence."
With a cry of anger Pansy spun on her heels and stormed off kicking over a chair in anger ignoring Madame Pince.
"Wow she really hates you," Ron whistled.
"So would you if I snogged your dream girl for 3 weeks straight in your face" Brooke shrugged.
"No...I'd ask to join"
"Urgh" Brook frowned at him giggling "Typical male"
"No typical Ron" Harry grinned
"So you wouldn't want to join if I...began a sexual relationship with your girlfriend" Brooke teased
"For you to do that I'd have too have a girlfriend" He smiled leaning forward resting his forearms on the table.
"You don't have a girlfriend" She smiled, her tongue darted out her mouth wetting her bottom lip.
Harry bit back a forth coming groan as he watched the seemingly innocent yet erotic move, how in Merlin's good name had he seen through Brooke all these years.
"Nope" He smiled shaking his head slowly "No girlfriend here"
"Pity" She shrugged slowly "You seem like a terrific catch one a...a girl could bring home to their mum" She began stuffing her things into her bag before standing walking around the table to Harry and bending down too his ear brushing his almost too long hair out the way "Or an aunt. Bye"
Hermione's mouth along with Ron's dropped had they just witnessed their stressed out seemingly obsessed best friend flirting with another girl that wasn't a Gryffindor; Harry openly shuddered at the feel of Brooke's lips against his ear before she walked off.
"Err what was that?" Ron asked surprised.
"What" Harry looked from Ron to Hermione seeing the same look on her face he looked back to Ron and shrugged "What."
"Did you two just flirt...did you just flirt?"
"That wasn't flirting" He brushed off bending his head to hide his smile "...was it?"
"Harry" Hermione leaned forward on the table "That was flirting believe me that was heavy flirting especially on Brooke's part I mean she kissed your ear."
"No" he lifted a hand to his still tingling ear "That wasn't a kiss she just whispered that's all."
"Oh yea" Ron grinned "What did she whisper"
"Or an aunt" Hermione flushed immediately catching onto what Brooklyn said "What?"
"Harry she does not live with her parents, she lives with her aunt her mother's younger sister" Harry still looked confused.
"I don't understand what that has to do with anything?"
"Harry she said your the kind of guy any girl would be lucky to take home to their mum or aunt she happens to be one of the few girls who live with their aunt. She was talking about taking you home to meet her aunt"
"But we hardly talk." He protested.
"Yea and when you do conversation seems to flow like water between you both," Hermione shrugged going back to her essay "Maybe that's saying something."
"Mate" Ron punched him softly in the shoulder packing away his things so he could get to dinner in time "You should ask her too the Halloween ball?"
"What...no I can't" Harry shook his head packing away his own things.
"Yes you can nothing is really stopping you, you don't have a date and there is no way your hanging around me and Hermione all night" Ron declared strongly "I won't allow it."
"What makes you even think I'm going I have too much to think about" Harry frowned, leaving the library with Ron after saying their goodbyes to Hermione.
"Bloody hell Harry its our last year, yes I know what's going on outside the castle and I'm just as worried but its our last year our last Hogwarts ball so do both yourself and myself a huge favour and find a date."
"No"
"Yes and we're going to find one now." Grabbing the top of Harry's robes Ron dragged him off wheels already turning.
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