-Chapter 3-

Looking around the kitchen table at #12 Grimwauld Place, Brooke shook her head for what felt like the millionth time that night. Here she was with the ones she cared for most, an yet all she could think of was the horror she, Hermione, Ron, Fred, George, and Ginny had listened in on through an extendable ear.

When the Order had arrived, the adults immediatly fled to the library room and sent all the teens up stairs. Of course the group didn't do just that, and for once Brooke wished she had just listened to them for once.

Apparently all summer horrible attacks had been happening across all of England, people had gone missing, familys killed, people escaping Azkaban. However all Brooke could think about was how everyone had kept this hidden from her.

Ron and Hermione of course had explained they were banned from saying anything about it to her, and that was why their letters had stopped coming to her. However that still left Remus and Sirius.

When we're they planning on telling her this? Were they even going too? All these secrets, she didn't understand, what was the point?

"Dinner was great Mrs. Weasley thanks!" she said as she was hugged.

"Oh Brooke anytime dear."

After saying a quick goodbye to her friends, she escaped to her room. She felt like she could barley breath as she ran up the stairs, her heart was still hammering painfully in her chest, and her heart ached for all the people that had been killed so far.

She knew sooner rather than later this war was going to come and she had to defeat Voldemort. More times then not she woke in a cold sweat fearing the outcome of that day. She knew that the possibility of dying in her case could very well come true, however what scared her most was leaving all her loved ones behind, or losing them and surviving. She knew at the end of this war that either way she could lose everything, and that scared her more than anything else in this world.

She already knew this year at Hogwarts would be the last before this war started, and hearing the Order meeting tonight only verified it. Voldemort was building up an army, and in that moment she knew what was to come. Training would start next summer, while this year would be dedicated to finding allies and getting information.

As she closed her eyes that night she told herself not to worry, to let herself relax this next year, after all the following summer will come fast enough. And with those thoughts in mind, she let her eyes close, and fell into a deep sleep.

-Down Stairs-

"Well that meeting went well." Sirius growled sarcastically.

Remus sighed, "We knew this day would come, it has just come sooner than we anticipated."

"It's just not fair." Sirius complained.

Remus nodded in agreement.

"What are we going to do?"

Sighing, Remus answered, "Guide her and protect her."

Sirius nodded, "I'm just going to go check on her and then go to bed, today has been a long day."

Remus nodded, "Goodnight."

Sirius head felt heavy as he walked up the stairs, today's Order meeting had him remembering about the 1st war they prepared for, the one that his 15 year old goddaughter had ended for 12 years, and now she would have to end it again.

Quietly opening the door to poke his head in he smiled at his sleeping goddaughter, her black hair sprayed across her pillow. She looked so peaceful as he tiptoed over to pull her covers over her form.

Something caught his eye as he took ahold of the comforter, an ugly black bruise crept up her side and traveled all the way up before disappearing up the rest of her shirt.

"Bro-Brooke" he whispered urgently, his mind not wrapping around the bruise, after all the Triwizard Tournament had been 2 months ago.

The mark was black and puffy as though it just recently happened, making his insides freeze as he took in a few more places on her back and arms, some looked like they happened years ago, while others looked like they happened anywhere between a month and days ago.

Sirius' mouth hung open, as though he were going to say something, before he turned on his heel and fled down stairs to the one person who always had the answers to everything.

"Remus! Remus!"

Remus turned, looking slightly amused at his distressed friend, "Yes Sirius?"

His mouth continued to open and close, but no words seemed to come out, "Bro- her- bruise and- come look!"

Remus sighed, pulling his friend into a chair "Calm down now and tell me what you are trying to say."

Sirius took a few deep breaths his thoughts racing a mile a minute at the bruises he saw on his goddaughters body. "Brooke, there are bruises and scars all over her back."

Remus nodded in nderstanding, "Sirius she was just involved in that tournament remember, that had a lot of-"

"No Remus these are recent, one looks like it was just days ago!"

Frowning, Remus sat back in his chair, "What do you mean?"

"The bruises on her back, they look painful...I don't know how to describe it!"

"Do they look like she was in a fight, or...are you...are you trying to say they are abusive?"

Sirius ran a hand through his already messed up black hair, "I don't know!"

"Sirius!"

"Yes!" he growled, slamming a fist against the table, "They look bloody abusive!"

Remus stood still a few moments, his face blank, before he stood from his chair and calmly walked up the stairs.

Sirius quickly jumped up after sitting a moment and followed after him. He found Remus standing in front of the door way and gently opened it, putting a finger to his lips as he quietly walked in.

The doorway being cracked open cast a small light to where Brooke lay peacefully asleep in her bed, exactly the way Sirius had left her when he rushed out of the room.

Sirius stood back slightly, his stomach twisting as he caught a glimpse of the bruises he had seen moments ago. Remus carefully looked at her back, barley moving the sheets to get a better look, before placing the covers back over her and heading out the door.

"Well?" Sirius demanded.

However Remus continued walking, not saying a word until he walked downstairs and sat at the table once again.

"Remus?" Sirius asked carefully.

Remus looked up, his eyes somewhat glassy, "It appears you may be correct."

Sirius sat down heavily in a chair, "What do we do?"

"We talk to her in the morning, find out what they are from." he said quietly.

"What the bloody hell do you mean what happened, are you mental Moony, that arsehole beat her!" Sirius yelled, standing up and slamming his fist down yet again.

Remus glared, "We don't know that for a fact Sirius!"

"You don't want to believe it!"

"Do you?" He demanded, shooting a glass of firewhiskey his way.

Sirius shrunk back down into his seat, filling his own glass with some sort of alcohol, "No, I don't want too."

A silence filled the kitchen as the two men were drawn a away into their own thoughts.

"What do we do Moony?"

"We wait till morning."

-The next morning-

Brooke woke from a sleep filled night relaxed and happy. It was the first night in the past few months that she had not had a nightmare, and she felt giddy about it as she threw her hair in a pony tail and raced down the stairs. She wondered what she, Remus, and Sirius would get into today.

"Goodmorning" she said, smiling at the two men at the table, "Uck you two look and smell awful, did you stay up all night?" she asked wrinkling her nose is disgust.

Remus and Sirius both looked up at her, both opening their mouths to say something when the doorbell went off.

Brooke frowned, "You guys expecting anyone?"

The two shook their head, and quickly followed behind her as she went to answer the door.

"Sorry to bardge in..." Ron Said, storming through the door, "I just had to get out of my house..."

Brooke cast the other two men a questioning look as they walked quietly up the stairs, leaving the two teenagers alone, "That's okay Ron you know you're always welcome here."

Ron threw her a smile, "Sometimes family sucks." he mumbled, stuffing his hands deep into his pockets.

Brooke's gaze softened at her friend, "What happened?"

Ron looked down, "I don't want to talk about it."

Brooke sighed, taking a seat on the stairwell next to Ron, "If it makes you feel better, I hate mine as well."

Ron snorted, "I can't blame you there, I'd hate having to live with those muggles as well."

Smiling, Brooke looped her arm through Ron's, "Whatever happened, you know your family loves you more than anything."

"Sometimes I just want to run away..."

"Trust me, I know what you mean..."

Ron smiled, "I know you have more important things to worry about-"

"Listen here Ronald Weasley, nothing is more important to me then my best friends happiness!" she growled, punching him lightly in the arm, "Come on we can play Quidditch and get your mind off things."

Ron smiled, "Only if I get to use your Firebolt."

Laughing, Brooke jumped up, "I might be able to let you do that."

The sound of the back door closing had Sirius and Remus move down from the top of the stairs, and wondering over to the window to watch the two bicker outside about tossing the Quaffle.

"So many hints she has given us that nobody picked up." Sirius muttered.

Remus sighed, "We have to talk to her Padfoot...I just hope she's not too scared to talk."

Sirius nodded, "One promise that I told James I would keep was to keep his daughter safe, and I'll be damned if I break it."