In Really Hot Water (Lily)

[luvs2dance]

Brooke almost jumped for joy as she left from Snape's class. She couldn't stand another moment in there. Even if she did have detention for three months, she would find a way to make things not so bad. Besides, she had to keep up her reputation.

"Don't look so down Lils, we just pulled our first prank. The detention will probably suck, but we can mastermind something."

She continued walking in direction of the Common Room until a thought occured to her. Snape would definently tell McGonagall about this, so why not get the lecture over and done with?

"You know, Lily, we should probably go ahead to McGonagall's office. She'll find out eventually. We should get this over with. Maybe if we suck up to her we can get out of any further punishments, right?"

With that said Brooke turned in the direction of Professor McGonagall's office.

[lilyanne]

Lily reluctantly follwed her "partner-in-crome" towards McGonnagall's office. If the woman chose to write home to her father, she was dead. "I suppose that if we are together, it won't be. At least then we can talk while we are working."

[luvs2dance]

"Exactly! And maybe we can even find some way to cheat."

The two walked the rest of the way to Professor McGonagall's office in silence. Brooke was contemplating all of the things that she might say to them. She knew that Rachel wouldn't care if McGonagall wrote to her, but if Rachel's mother somehow found out then she was definently in for it. Upon reaching the office Brooke knocked on the door.

"Come in!" she heard Professor McGonagall call. Brooke carefully pushed open the door and walked inside. She shot a troubled glance at Lily before walking up to the Professor's desk. There was no class for her then and so it was just the three of them.

"Miss. White, Miss. Ward, what are you two ladies doing out of class? Aren't you supposed to be in potions with Professor Snape?" McGonagall asked.

"Yes," Brooke replied, "He sent us to you."

[lilyanne]

Lily followed Brooke inside the Professor's office, head down. She was scared to death. "H-hello, Professor." She kept her head down as Brooke talked. Her thoughts about her father's wrath overwhelmed her.

She had to convince McGonnagall not to write him. *Oh, if only Johnny were still around. He would know what to do. He would cover for me. Sure, he'd give me the lecture from hell, but he would never let Papa find out.*

[luvs2dance]

"And why, might I ask, did Professor Snape send you to my office?" Professor McGonagall asked frowning.

"We tossed a couple dungbombs into this girl's cauldron," Brooke answered nonchalantly.

The Professor glared daggers at the two of them. Her eyes flashed dangerously and Brooke got a twang of fear in her stomach.

"Young ladies, that is a disgrace not only to yourselves, but to your house and to myself. What in heaven's name provoked you to do such a thing?"

Brooke shot a questioning glance at Lily. She didn't really know what to say.

[lilyanne]

Lily caught a lump in her throat at the Professor's words. She instinctively took a step back. Catching Brook's eye, she saw that the instigator was speechless.

Lily swallowed hard, then spoke softly, "Well, Professor, I-I don't know what came over me just then. I-I..." Lily couldn't help it. Tears started up agian in her eyes. She looked helplessly at Brooke, who most likely had been in this spot before and was extremely calm.

[luvs2dance]

"Look Professor," Brooke said, jumping in. She could tell Lily was extrememly nervous and she wanted to cover for her, "We were just having a bit of fun. We never meant to hurt anyone or have anything bad come by it. We really are truly sorry."

Brooke put on her most honest smile, hoping the Professor would take her to be a nice sweet girl. Lily was good at coming off with that impression, but Brooke hadn't thought to look nervous.

"Well," Professor McGonagall said, "I certainly hope you two have learned your lesson. I am taking fifty points from Gryffindor -"

"Fifty?!!" Brooke gaped at the Professor. She was taking points from her own house.

"Yes, Miss. White, fifty. Each."

"But Professor that's 100 points!"

"I am fully aware of that Miss. White and maybe this will cause you to think before you act next time. Am I right in assuming Professor Snape gave you both a detention?"

[lilyanne]

Both girls nodded "yes" to the Professor's question. Lily was greaful that she had only taken points, and not chosen to write to their parents. She gave a relieved look to Brooke.

[luvs2dance]

"Well then," Professor McGonagall replied, "I see no reason to punish you any further. I will of course write letters to both your parents. You ladies are dismissed."

"Thank you, Professor. See you in transfiguration!" Brooke said cheerily.

She turned and walked out of the room, glad that no further detentions had been awarded to her.

"See Lily? Quick and painless! I doubt she'll be so nice next time . . . but that's cool. So, what do you want to do now? Everyone else is stuck in potions and we get to do whatever we want!"

Brooke turned to her friend, smiling wide.

[lilyanne]

"Are you crazy? I can't make any more trouble! My Dad is going to kill me when he gets his owl!" Lily was turning pale. She loved being here and if her father chose to make her go home, well, she really didn't want to think about it.

Lily then thought for a moment. "Well, if this is going to be one of my last days living, let's make it memorable! I want chocolate! Haha."

[luvs2dance]

"Come on, it can't be that bad, right? I mean, won't you get like grounded or something. I mean that's not so bad. And you won't have to worry about it until summer break. So your dad will have plenty of time to chill out before talking to you."

Brooke smiled, "On the other hand though, the chocolate does sound like a good idea. I have some in my bag, where would you like to go to eat it?"

[lilyanne]

Lily thought about what Booke had said about her father cooling off. Should she tell her it wasn't that simple with her father? That her father had a tendency to get...angry and that it wasn't exactly safe to be around him when he was angry.

Lily decided against it and when Brooke asked about where to eat the chocolate, she replied, "Well, let's go to like, The Room of Requirement. That would be cool."

[luvs2dance]

Brooke smiled, "The Room of Requirement? That sounds cool. I've never been there before though, surprisingly enough. Lead the way, Lils."

((It's short. I know. But the bell is about to ring.))

[lilyanne]

Lily led her down a long corridor to a wooden door. She muttered a spell to get in. "My dad once told me a story about him and his friends coming in here. He accidentally told me the spell," she said in answer to Brooke's questioning look. The two stepped inside to a warm fire. "You can ask for almost anything you want and it will appear."

[luvs2dance]

"Woah," Brooke said. That is so cool. She took a seat on the couch right in front of the fire and reached into her bag and pulled out a satchel. She tossed it to Lily.

"Take your pick. It's all kinds of crap from Honeydukes. So, what is your dad like? I mean, no offense, but you seem kind of scared of him

[lilyanne]

Lily thought how to say this. She had never told anyone what she was about to tell Brooke.

"Well," she began. "Before Mother and my baby sister were killed, he was always playing around with us and stuff. He was the kindest and most gentle man you ever knew. And funny. Like, even when we got in trouble, he would just take something away or lecture us." Lily stopped a moment to ask for a cup of hot cocoa. It appeared in front of her and she sipped it before continuing.

"But after they were killed, he was such a different person. He had always been strict, but it got much worse. He disowned my older brother, Johnny, because he thought that he was behind the 'accident.'." Lily stared into the fire.

"He began yelling at me when I did something wrong. Soon, yelling turned into physical punishment. I told myself that lots of kids my age got whipped. Then it became worse and worse. It got harsher as time went on. Bruises got deeper. His excuse was that if he wasn't that way to me, he would lose me too. It is no longer anywere near punishment. It's abuse." A tear slipped down the 11-year-old's face. She couldn't go back there after she had gotten in trouble.

[luvs2dance]

Brooke bit her lip as she listened to Lily speak of her father. How could someone do that to their child? She couldn't even imagine doing something like that . . . or enduring it, like Lily had to. She couldn't let this happen to her. Brooke hadn't known Lily for very long, but she had easily become one of Brooke's closest friends. And friends looked out for each other.

"Lily, I'm so sorry," Brooke said, after Lily had finished speaking, "Look, if anything happens you can always come to my place. I live in the apartment building in front of Zonko's Joke Shop, in Hogsmeade. Your dad can't do that to you. Not only is it immoral, it's against the law."

Brooke couldn't begin to imagine Rachel hitting her. That just seemed so impossible. Would her father have done the same thing if she knew him after her mother died? Is that why Rachel was so keen to keep Brooke away from him? She pushed her own thoughts aside. There was no use pondering what ifs when her friend had something real going on.

"Rachel would love to have you over. And so would I. You can't let him keep doing that to you. If it happens again, run away," Brooke said, wit han almost demanding tone. She reached over and pulled Lily into a hug.

"Everything will be okay. I promise," Brooke whispered.

[lilyanne]

Lily was in tears as Brooke plled her into a hug. "What if he shows up here when McGonnogall writes him? What if he tries to take me away. This is why I need to find my brother. He would take me away if he knew what Papa was doing. "

[luvs2dance]

Brooke felt so horribly sorry for Lily. She was in tears and Brooke was trying her best to console her, but she was a little confused. Her father had disowned her brother, but she didn't know where her brother was? Had she not kept in contact with him?

"Shhh," Brooke said, in a soothing tone, "It will be okay. Don't worry. Your father won't show up here. He might send you a howler, but that will be the worst of it. Everything will be just fine. We'll do whatever it takes. We'll find your brother if we have to. Trust me, everything will be alright."

Brooke sat silently with Lily. Her father couldn't come to Hogwarts, could he? Surely, he wouldn't. And if he did, he couldn't do anything to her here. And he couldn't take her away from Hogwarts. Surely Dumbledore wouldn't let that happen. It would all work out, right? She was telling Lily the truth wasn't she? Of course she was.

"Nothing can happen to you here Lily. We have the rest of the term to figure out what we're going to do about this. We'll think of something. I know we will."

[lilyanne]

Lily sobbed. "I sure hope so. I have asked one of the girls here to try and find Johnny. Her grandmother has connections. My father wouldn't even allow me to speak his name in the house. It was like, I woke up one morning and when I asked where he was, Father just said, 'He had to leave.'

I went to my room and I found a letter to me from him under my pillow, explaining what had happened. He said Father was making him go away and he might be able to see me again, but it wasn't likely. I do so want to see him again. And I want to go live with him so I can stay away from Father."