-Chapter 8-
Christmas at Head Quarters quickly turned into one of Brooke's most favorite memory that year. Between Fred and George's pranks, Molly's screaming, Ginny's crying, Sirius and Remus' laughter, and Arthur's return home, the morning passed by in a blur or tears, laughter, wrapping paper, and sparklers. Brooke had barley had a moment alone to herself since she was shaken awake by Fred and George at 4am that morning. Her only sense of calmness appeared to be when she and Ron had snuck outside to test Brooke's new DragonBolt 2016 that Sirius decided to spoil her with.
Brooke had blushed and tried to hold back tears when she opened it, much to Sirius' pleasure, the twins laughter, and Remus' hushing. She had already been spoiled enough by Remus and Sirius who had somehow managed to get her anything a 15 year old could ask for. A diamond charm bracelet with matching charms, a gorgeous bookcase that held even more gorgeous books and pictures from her parents years at Hogwarts, new Qudditch gear with a new Qudditch bag, pounds of money for new clothes, a new trunk, and a new broom. Brooke had tried desperately to give them all back, much to Sirius and Remus' horror, and they easily declared that it was for past Christmas' and also they deserved to spoil her how they saw fit. She had to admit though it did feel good to know she had those two watching out for her.
"Pass the rolls Molly dear." Fred declared across the table from Brooke.
She snorted slightly into her pumpkin juice.
"George you need to respect your mother!" Arthur scolded, casting a glare at his son.
Fred grinned wildly, "Yes George!"
George glared.
Molly sighed shaking her head, "Well I would like to start of this dinner with making a speech." She declared standing.
Brooke noticed Fred and George deflating instantly at the declaration.
"This is obviously a very special Christmas this year, beginning with the fact that each and every one of you is sitting at this table-"
Brooke looked around noticing just how many people were seated at the table. All of the Order were in attendance with their significant others, along with the whole Weasley clan, including Bill and Charley. It was an important Christmas, not to mention for everyone in this room, whom the war seemed to be walking in their shadows at every moment of the day.
"As you all know family is extremely important to me and over the past 5 years, I feel as though I have had another daughter since I met her at Platform 9 and ¾."
All eyes immediately landed on a blushing Brooke who was as red as a tomato much to everyone's amusement.
"She immediately fit right in with my kids and now more than ever, I am thankful for having her in our lives," she said, smiling down at Arthur as she spook, before turning to look in Brooke's eyes. "Cheers to Brooke Potter!"
An obnoxious amount of Cheers went up with whistles and hoots, much to Brooke's horror.
Brooke smiled sweetly, trying to hide her clear disdain of the attention she was receiving.
"Let's eat!' Ron grumbled, giving Brooke a wink from across the table.
Smiling in thanks, Brooke loaded up her own plate and began to eat.
Fred and George of course couldn't just let her embarrassment pass, and continued harassing her at dinner with mocking voices and practically jumping across the table when she made a grab at something to give it to her.
"Stop!" she hissed in annoyance at the two, who gave her identical smiles back.
Ron jabbed Fred in the stomach too.
"Oh Brooke thank goodness you are here to pass me the potatoes!" George squealed.
Brooke glared, blushing red as a few faces looked their way.
"Ekkk I can't believe Brooke Potter would glare at us this way, what would mother say?!" Fred mimicked.
Brooke's face blushed harder, "I said stop it you prick!" she whined, "Everyone keeps looking!"
George was laughing so hard he was almost falling out of his chair.
"Oh but Brooke please let us pamper you wit-ARRGGGG!" Fred yelped as both he and George's chair went flying out from under them.
Ron jumped away in surprise, while Brooke gawked at the two's fall.
"What is the meaning of this you two?" Molly yelled, storming down to their end of the table.
Fred and George both jumped up trying to speak at once and both coming out as a squeak.
Molly glared, "What did you do to your voices?" she scolded.
Both the twins looked at each other in horror, not understanding why their voices were coming out as though they had just sucked on helium.
"I told you two no more pranks today!" Molly scolded, grabbing both of them by the ear and marching towards the kitchen scolding them along the way.
The twins while being dragged away looked back at Remus and Sirius who both had suspicious smirks on their faces.
"Happy Christmas!" Sirius waved as the two were dragged around the corner.
Brooke grinned from her seat, receiving a wink from the two at the end of the table.
"Well I don't know about you, but I am full!" Ron declared across from her, a half hour later.
Laughing, Brooke nodded in agreement, "We should call Hermione."
"Mum we will be right back." Ron said as the two passed by the adults before running up the stairs.
Molly watched with a knowing look as the two disappeared, laughing at who knows what.
Remus cast her a questioning look, that she returned with a simple shrug, before both turned back to their own conversations.
"You think she will answer?" Brooke asked as she flopped down next to Ron on his bed.
"Maybe, unless of course her nose is stuck in a book."
"That does sound like 'Mione." Brooke giggled, leaning into Ron's large figure for support.
Ron grinned back, casting her a lopsided smile.
Grabbing at the phone she quickly dialed the number Hermione had forced Ron and she to memorize before they had left the castle.
Ron looked at the phone in question, "Why is it making that sound?"
Brooke shrugged, "Hermione said to just wait till you hear her voice."
"Haven't you ever used the phone?" Ron questioned, casting her a sideways look.
"No," she said shaking her head, "I didn't ever have a need to use it."
Ron flopped back down, rolling onto his back, "It's much like a Fire Call."
"Hello?"
"Hermione!" Brooke yelled into the phone piece.
"Brooke!" Hermione laughed, "You don't need to yell, I can hear you perfectly."
Ron rolled his eyes, "Even over the phone you sound like a know it all!"
Obviously offended by the declaration from Ron, Hermione's voice sounded annoyed, "Ronald you are still rude as ever."
Jumping in to quickly steer the direction in another direction, Brooke started to speak, "Hermione have you had a Happy Christmas?"
"Oh yes! I have got so many gorgeous books I received from my family members, and we even got to go ice skating!"
Brooke smiled, liking the sound of her friends' happiness.
"Have you too?"
"Yeah, Brooke got a new broom!" Ron all but yelled into the ear piece.
Brooke laughed as Hermione yet again lectured the two on yelling.
"Well we miss you!" Brooke said, even if she did enjoy some alone time with Ron.
"I miss you guys too!" Hermione said, "It's hard to believe another year is half way through, soon we will be going into 6th year!"
Ron and Brooke cast each other a knowing smile at the directions the conversation had turned.
"Which reminds me, I hope you two are really studying for your OWLS, because it really is only a few months away now and-"
"Oh Hermione you are starting to break up!" Brooke quickly intervened, grabbing a piece of candy wrapper and wrinkling it against the ear piece, "We will see you at school!"
Ron gave her a lopsided grin as she threw down the phone, "Thank Merlin, I don't know if I could listen to another OWLS lecture."
Brooke grinned sitting up, "Oh Ronny Pooh, you know you love those talks!" she squeaked in a high pitch voice.
"Are you mocking me Miss Potter?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at her.
"Me?!" she asked looking completely innocent, "Never my little Ronniekins!"
Ron jumped up before quickly pinning her down to the bed, "Who's in charge now Brooke!" he grinned, tickling her sides as she squealed and squirmed under him.
"Ahhh!" she laughed, trying to desperately throw him off of her.
"Oh is my little Brookey feeling sorry now for making fun of me?" he asked, tickling her harder.
"Yes!"
"Say it Brooke!" Ron declared, as he continued to tickle her.
"Ron is our king!" she whispered.
"What?" Ron asked leaning over to get a better listen.
"Ahhha!" Brooke squealed in delight as she managed to throw Ron off of her.
However her glory was short lived when Ron took her down with him as he promptly fell off the bed, Brooke landing on top of him. The two fell into an immediate fit of giggles, laughing for what seemed like hours at their silliness, before finally dying down.
"You're quite heavy for such a small girl!" Ron commented.
"Oh really?" she smiled, turning her face to look him in the eyes.
It was a moment she felt like she would see in a movie. Their faces were inches apart, both pairs of cheeks flushed, and eyes slightly glazed over, small smiles gracing both of their faces. This would be the point in the movie where everyone would be leaning on the edge of their seats, waiting for the long awaited kiss to take place.
"What are you two doing?" George's voice asked, from the doorway.
The two jumped apart in alarm and turned to see Fred and George grinning against the doorway, looks of pure amusement written on their faces.
"Yes George what do you suppose we have here?" Fred asked, walking further in the room to investigate.
"Well let us see," George mumbled following Fred into the room.
"Messy bed-" Fred commented.
"Flushed faces-"George added.
"Appears to have fallen to floor-"
"Bodies were intwined-"
"Oh shut up you two!" Ron declared as he stood and offered a hand to Brooke.
"Yes all we were doing was talking to Hermione-" Brooke huffed as Ron pulled her up.
"Oh so they were doing a kinky sort of three some-"
"What is going on in here?" Sirius asked from the door way giving the four an odd look.
"Funny you should ask Sirius-" George said, casting a smile Ron and Brooke's way.
Brooke all about stormed out of the room, claiming she needed to speak to Remus right away, with Ron following hot on her heels.
Sirius continued to stare at the twins with a raised eyebrow.
The two crossed their arms, narrowing their eyes at him.
"Funny dinner wasn't it." Sirius said, grinning, "Careful what you eat next time boys, you never know what you are actually eating…" he said, before walking out of the room, his laughter following behind him.
The house was quiet and it seemed a calming peace had washed over the house finally after hours of laughter, tears, yelling, and squealing. Remus and Sirius sat in a comfortable silence on the couch, Sirius lost in thought, and Remus lost in a book. The teenagers had long sense gone to bed, though Sirius wondered if the light sounds they kept hearing were from the teenagers all gather up in the twin's room testing new treats, and taking shots of firewhiskey. Memories of his own teenage years were constantly drifting through his head.
"Do you think something might be going on with Brooke and Ron?" Remus suddenly asked, placing his book down.
"WHAT?!" Sirius all but yelled startled by the sudden question. "Why would you say that?"
Remus frowned, "Isn't it obvious Padfoot, Ron is in love with Brooke, I would almost dare say more than James was with Lily, however less obvious about it."
Sirius mouth fell open and continued to stay open before finally closing it, "Bro—Broo-Brooke can-can't have a –a-a-a-"
"Boyfriend?" Remus finished with a chuckle.
Sirius glared, "Exactly she cannot have a boyfriend!"
"Sirius she is 15, and sooner then we imagine she will be 16, it is only natural if she were to start seeing someone, if she isn't already-"
"You think she has had a boyfriend before?!" Sirius asked, looking completely horrified at the idea.
"Sirius look at Brooke she is a beautiful young lady, and if I am not mistaken, teenage boys normally go after someone like that." Remus explained, amused with Sirius' reactions.
Sirius continued gaping at him like a fish, "You don't think she's….you know been with someone before right?"
Remus frowned, "Been with someone?"
"You know…" Sirius stuttered, "Been with someone…"
Remus continued to look at him like he had grown three heads.
"Sex Remus Merlin sex!" Sirius growled out, his face turning red at the prospect.
Remus in turn blushed and looked extremely uncomfortable at the question, "I wouldn't think so…"
Sirius continued to look horrified as the statement, "Does Brooke even know about things like that, she is only 15?"
Remus gave him a look, "What were you doing at 15 Sirius?"
Sirius frown deepend.
"I am sure Brooke has not done anything like that she is very responsible." Remus said finally breaking the silence.
"You're right…." Sirius said nodding.
The two sat a few moments longer the silence thickening.
"But maybe we should go make sure she isn't in the twin's room, keep a close eye on her for now." Sirius suggested loudly standing and making a dash for the stairs.
"Right behind you!' Remus agreed, following closely on his heels.