Skinny, Little Gryffindor

Marcus stood across from the Potion's Lab, hidden by shadow that was common in the dungeons. He had been out of the Hospital Wing for a week, released two days before Katie. After the day that Oliver had burst in and pulled him off Katie's bed, he had not gotten any chances to talk to her and had spent most of his time milling around, trying to get the opportunity talk with her but everytime he saw her, she was with other Gryffindors and he couldn't talk with her when they were standing there.

The doors of the Snape's classroom opened and Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs came pooring out.

Marcus watched from his hiding spot as Katie walked past, talking with her friend Angelina Johnson. He glared and slipped out of the shadows and headed down the hall in the opposite direction, disappointed.

Just as he was about to round the corner he took one last look back at Katie and saw that she and Angelina had stopped walking and were staring at his huge frame as he had retreated down the hallway. She gave him a questioning glance but Marcus panicked and quickly walked around the corner before starting to run towards Slytherin House.

No girl had ever shown interest in him and it frightened him that Katie might have feelings for him, just like he had feelings for her.

When he arrived at the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room, he quickly muttered the password, "necromancy," and entered the domain of the Slytherins.

As soon as he entered his dorm room, he pulled out his wand and placed spells on the door so that no one could enter. Being Quidditch Captain gave him many benefits. The best one was that he did not have to share his room with any of the other, younger boys who liked to berate and tease him for failing his NEWTs and having to do his Seventh Year over again. He glared at the thought of the other Seventh Year Slytherins. He never talked to anyone in house, unless they were on the Quidditch team and even then it was only to criticize them when they were doing something wrong. He was a loner, pure and simple.

Marcus Flint slowly sat down on the edge of his bed and threw his head back and screamed.

He was being such an idiot, mooning over a girl who was so... out of reach, high up in Gryffindor Tower while he was boxed in the Slytherin Dungeons. To a Gryffindor it would be considered lowering themselves to date a Slytherin and to a Slytherin, it was considered the same thing to date a Gryffindor. Marcus was really starting to hate all the boundaries that stood between the houses.

He looked around the room, his eyes resting on his broom which stood against the wall, polished and ready to go. He hadn't flown his broom since the day of the accident and suddenly he realized how much his hands itched to be on a broom again.

Slowly he raised himself off his bed and took three steps across the room to where his broom was placed and cradled it in his hands. It was his most treasured possession and he treated with the upmost care.

Broom in hand, Marcus Flint turn and left his dorm room, already feeling that much better.

She knew he hadn't been there when she had come out of Potions. She had looked. She had been looking for him ever since they were both out of the Hospital Wing. Katie had so much to ask him. So much to talk about. But Marcus Flint had been avoiding her as if she had the plague. She had only seen him once since she had gotten out of the Hospital Wing and he had been walking down the corridor in the opposite direction. He hadn't talked to her, he hadn't even looked at her.

Katie could almost feel her heart shatter. She couldn't believe she had developed feelings for Flint, they had come over her so sudden that they overwhelmed her. He was the only thing she thought of.

And now he was heading in the opposite direction, down the corridor and it confused Katie because she hadn't noticed him pass her and she had been looking for him.

Katie reached out a hand and tugged the cuff of Angelina's shirt. Angelina gave her a questioning look and Katie motioned her head to the Slytherin who was turning the corner.

Just at the moment Marcus looked back and caught the two girls staring at him and he quickly rounded the corner.

Angelina raised an eyebrow. "Maybe he's avoiding you for a reason Kate," Angelina suggested.

Katie looked at her friend and asked, "And what reason would that be?"

"Maybe he fancies you," the other girl suggested and Katie almost burst out laughing.

"Ang, don't be ridiculous. If he liked me, he wouldn't avoid me. He's definitely avoiding me."

"Are you sure, Kate? I mean, I could of sworn he was sulking across from the Potions lab when we came, as if he was waiting for someone... say a Miss Katharine Bell?"

Katie felt herself turn red at the thought that Marcus Flint might of been waiting for her. "I doubt it. Maybe it was your imagination?" she asked. Katie's favourite river was the Nil for a reason... denial.

Angelina just shock her head sadly and pulled her friend down the hall towards Gryffindor tower. "Whatever you tell yourself Katie. I would just hope you would tell yourself the truth. You keep mopping. It's rather obvious. The next thing you'll know, Oliver will even be on your case about it."

Katie looked insulted. "I am not obvious," she said, anger sinking into her voice.

"Then why have Fred and George noticed that something's up with you? They never notice anything!"

"You're making it up," Katie accused her friend.

Angelina shook her head. "You're my friend. I don't lie to my friends."

The two girls rounded the last corner to Gryffindor Tower and came in view of the Fat Lady portrait which marked the entrance of Gryffindor House. Katie turned at looked at Angelina. She was her friend, no her best friend. She knew she couldn't lie to her forever.

"Fine, I think I could possibly like Marcus Flint. I've actually realized a lot these last few days while I was in the Hospital Wing. Firstly I realized I want down Flint's pants. There's nothing wrong with that!" she added when she saw Angelina's eyes bulged in mock horror. "Anyways, that's not the only thing I realized. You know how I've been after Oliver Wood since we joined the Quidditch team?" Angelina nodded patiently. "Well, I'm no longer interested in Oliver Wood. He's been replaced."

A huge smile spread over Angelina's face as she called happily to the Fat Lady, announcing the password, "Honour." Then she turned to her friend, "I'm glad you finally got over him. Your new choice isn't surprising Katie. You should of seen the way you looked at him when you were in the hospital wing." Katie took the opportunity to blush and Angelina dragged her up the stairs to their dorm, shutting the door.

Alicia looked up from where she was sitting by the window, doing her homework. Unlike Katie and Angelina, Alicia excelled in all her classes, especially Potions, so she had been placed the year before in advanced classes.

Angelina gave Alicia a thumbs up and Alicia smiled happily. "She finally admitted it?"

"She finally admitted it," Angelina confirmed.

Alicia smiled before looking back to her work. Her eyes lazily scanned out the window the Quidditch Pitch. Suddenly she stood up quickly and motioned for the other two girls to join her at the window.

"Katie, you should really go down there," Alicia threw her hands in the direction of the Quidditch Pitch. Down below Katie could see Marcus Flint as he lazily flew his broom back and forth, practicing his quaffle skills.

Alicia and Angelina looked at Katie expectantly. "Well, why are you standing there? Grab your broom and join him!" Alicia cried.

Katie looked shyly through the window. Uncertain if he would want to see her. "Remember the last time I played against him? He ended up making us both fall off our brooms. I just got out of the Hospital Wing!"

Angelina and Alicia looked disappointed until Angelina announced, "Then we'll go with you! If he doesn't like you, then we'll protect you and anyways, with the two of us with you, you have a reason for being at the Pitch."

Katie took another hesitant glance out the window before meeting her friends' excited eyes. She took a deep breath before replying, "Let's go!"

The two other girls smiled happily and they all grabbed their brooms before rushing down the stairs toward the Common Room and the Quidditch Pitch.

When they arrived, Katie could see Marcus. He was an elegant flyer, even though he was so large and bulky. Katie found herself being hypnotized as she watched the young man fly for a minute she found herself rooted in place, watching him fly.

She was brought back to earth when Angelina tapped her on the shoulder. Flint was slowly settling to the ground and Katie felt herself blush at the thought that she had just been starring at a Slytherin.

"What do you want?" Marcus Flint growled at them, looking straight at Katie. There was something reflecting in his eyes that certainly wasn't hate. But Katie had no idea what it could be.

Angelina stepped in front of the other girls bravely. "We've come down here to practice. No one has booked the Quidditch Pitch, so there's nothing wrong with us being her. At least we have a reason. What reason can you have, for being by yourself?" she asked coldly.

Katie was about to stop Angelina when Alicia put a restraining hand on her arm, stopping her from going into action.

Flint looked the Gryffindors up and down before replying, "I can be on the Pitch if I want to. I have ever right to be here as you." The answer came in a snarled voice as if they were insisting that he shouldn't be there because he wasn't as human as the girls.

"Fine, fine," Angelina told him. "You stay if you want to scrimmage with us. Will you? Will a Slytherin play scrimmage with a bunch of Gryffindors?"

Marcus snarled and looked at the three girls, eying Katie particularly. "Is that a challenge? Because a challenge I'm willing to take."

Angelina flashed him a brilliant smile. "Good, because we'll take you up on that challenge. You and Katie vs. Alicia and me. Are you willing?"

Flint mounted his broom and smirked. "I can take you on and win without Bell."

Angelina raised an eyebrow. "I believe you tried that once before and it resulted in the both of you ending up in the Hospital Wing. Katie's on your team. Deal with it," she told him before turning around to meet the girls' eyes.

Katie gave her a horrified look. "I can't do this," she mouthed to Angelina, looking nervous. The other two girls gave Katie a reassuring pat on the back and whispered that she would be fine.

Katie shook her head violently but any other argument was stopped when Flint cried up from the air, "Come on Bell, get your arse up here! We don't have all day!"

Katie gave her friends one last look before mounting her broom and flying up to meet Marcus, who was smiling brilliantly down on her.