Brenna's POV
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Sydney frowned as Remus and I began stacking books on top of one another.
"How else are we supposed to reach it?" I grunted, heaving another stack of hefty books onto the Tower of Literature. "All the ladders had disappeared."
"We're witches, and wizard, for Merlin's sake! Why don't we use magic to get it down?" Sydney groaned.
"Because that's not nearly as fun! Plus, Dumbledore probably worked some kind of magic on it. I doubt he wants students getting to it," I reasoned. Turning to Remus, I asked, "Is that enough to reach it?"
"Looks like it. Hey, maybe Sydney is right. This looks a little dangerous. Why don't you let me do it?" He offered.
"No, no. I can do it. Besides, I'll be easier to catch."
"Are you calling me fat?" Remus gasped.
"Of course not," I giggled. "I'm simply implying that I don't have nearly enough muscle to catch you as you do me."
"Nice save," Sydney snorted. I cast a glare over my shoulder as I began to scale the tower. Remus and Syney chattered nervously, calling for me to be careful and to watch my step. I rolled my eyes at them and continued to ascend centuries of knowledge. I felt a little bad for stepping on the life stories of famous witches and wizards, but I figured they might be used to it.
When my target neared and I ran out of books to climb, I stood on my tippy toes and reached as high as I could. My fingertips barely grazed the edge of it before I fell back on my heels causing the Tower of Literature to waver and shake.
"Please, please, please, don't fall!" Remus called and coughed nervously into his elbow. The full moon was tomorrow and since the boys weren't here, I'd be the only one staying with him through it. I'd only been in with him once, but it was after he'd already transformed. He didn't want me to see it. He got the boys on his side and they wouldn't let me in again after I'd heard him scream and cried for an hour.
"I'll try my best," I laughed and leaned back onto my toes. A hooked my fingers on a higher shelf and used it to pull myself up the last inch I needed. I snatched the small sealed bowl from the dusty shelf, causing a puff of grey to cloud around me. Covering my face, I dropped to bowl down to Sydney, who caught it with ease.
I shuffled slowly in a circle with my back to the shelf and took a deep breath as the tower rocked mockingly. Dust tickled my nose and I winced as I tried to hold back a sneeze.
"Brenna?" Remus called. Before I could answer, my nasal cavity betrayed me and a sneeze wracked my chest. The books below me swayed dangerously and I clung to the shelves the best I could as they toppled out from under me.
"Brenna!" Remus and Sydney shouted in unison. I yelped as my feet dangled in the air and I struggled to find a shelf below me to support myself with. As my fingers began to slip, I cried out.
"Let go!" Remus yelled.
"Are you nuts!?" I growled.
"Just trust me!"
Much to my dismay, I did trust him. So, reluctantly, I let my fingers slip from the shelving. I didn't scream. It was a weird feeling, like I was floating. Before I even noticed, Remus had caught me.
"You can open your eyes now," He laughed. He set me down gently and I brushed the dust off my stockings.
"Are you alright?" Sydney asked, tugging on my sleeves.
"I'm fine," I laughed. "It was actually kind of fun."
"I love you mate," She sighed, "but you're a bloody lunatic."
"Who sneezes like a kitten," Remus pointed out ever so helpfully.
"Shut up! I do not!"
"So hostile. Simmer down there, kitten," Remus grinned. I picked up the nearest book and smacked him in the arm with it.
"Ow!" He groaned, rubbing his arm. "Geez! Lesson learned!"
"Darn right it is," I glared.
"Why don't you two just get married already?" Sydney groaned.
"H-hey!" Remus and I stammered at the same time.
"You're in sync. How cute."
Remus' POV
I wrapped my arm around Brenna's shoulder and she nuzzled closer to me, burying her face in my sweater. She reminded me of a fox, lean and cunning, and I laughed quietly at the irony of this discovery.
"What?" She asked, her voice muffled by my chest.
"Nothing," I smiled. She leaned up far enough to show me a pout (quite a cute one) then dropped her head back on my chest.
"Hey Brenna?"
"Hm?"
"What were your real parents like?"
Brenna sat up in suprise. She'd mentioned once before that the people she called mum and dad weren't her biological parents, but muggle friends of the family.
"Why do you ask?" She frowned.
"Just curious," I shrugged. "You never talk about them."
"Well," She sighed, "there isn't much to talk about. They died when I was three. I don't remember much about them." When she didn't seem fazed, I pried further.
"How did they die?"
"My mum was a muggle, my dad worked for the Ministry. He got some real wicked guys thrown in Azkaban, but their friends got away. Followed my dad and mum to a little restaurant and killed them both in an alley."
I didn't know what to say, so I grabbed her arm and pulled her into my lap.
"Hey!" She giggled. "I'm okay. It was a long time ago. Besides, I love Marge and Richard. Even though Richard has his ups and downs, I still love him like a father."
"When you told me about your scars, you said it took a strong man to apologize for beating his own wife and child, but you aren't actually his child. Didn't that make you not want to forgive him?"
"I thought about it like that, yeah, but a figured since I got a second chance at having parents, I'd give my new parent a second chance too."
"Brenna," I smiled, "you really are amazing." I leaned in to kiss her, but quickly turned away as I sneezed.
"Awww," She laughed, patting my cheek, "Wolf boy's all sick."
"I'm not sick," I frowned.
"Close enough," She smirked and kissed my cheek.
Moving is literally the bane of my existence. Driving halfway across the county wasn't very fun, but I saw some pretty rad stuff. I'm all settled in and unpacked now, so I'll be getting a few updates out. Thanks for being patient!
