Relinquished

Relinquished

Chapter Two: Knockout
By ArrA

Katie emerged from sleep slowly, the feeling of warmth and safety surrounding her within the bedclothes. But the cold realization hit Katie like frostbite when she wasn‘t in her four-poster in Gryffindor Tower. Memories from the previous night flew back and she recalled Hogwarts aflame and Flint dragging her into the bowels of the Forbidden Forest to the Death Eaters camp.

Her immediate attention was on the toned arms wrapped round her midsection, Katie shifted her body slightly, trying not to disturb the sleeping man. She checked Marcus‘ face for any sign of him waking before rolling onto her stomach, then she attempted to prise his grip from her waist to no avail. Flint‘s fingers were laced tightly, a habit honed from erratic sleep patterns, especially before a game.

Katie huffed a frustrated sigh and decided to reposition herself more comfortably when at that moment Marcus decided to let his hands roam. The Gryffindor prisoner of war looked over her shoulder but Marcus' eyes were closed and his breathing was steady. Katie glared at the hand that had inched its way up and tried to gently pull it off. ‘Damn him,’ she swore and yanked it, causing Marcus to roll on top of her. The Slytherin Alumni was wide awake and had both of her hands in a visegrip.

"Get off of me!" Katie hissed, trying not to make much noise that could alert the other Death Eaters to a problem.

Flint looked down at her with a puzzled expression. "You might threaten me Angelina but that doesn't mean that you could fight me. I know your name."

"Wouldn't that show your disloyalty as well?"

"That's beyond the point," Marcus growled, pulling himself off of her and standing up, with him went the pile of blankets. The Scottish morning air assaulted Katie and she quickly pulled a quilt over her head as Marcus began to dress.

"Are we staying here for long?" came Katie‘s muffled query.

"No, we're leaving today and going back to the base. I was told that there would be clothing for you left in front of the tent, so get up," he ordered and Katie heard him undo the flap of the tent and step out. Katie quickly threw off the blankets, climbed to her feet and surveyed her surroundings. She was still in the thin T-shirt she normally wore under her Quidditch jumper and loose khaki trousers. After a few moments of digging through Flint’s things Katie located her heavier Quidditch robes and pulled them over her head before going to the far side of the tent to examine her restraints.

The thick hemp rope was charmed and despite the fact she was disarmed she tried to undo the knot but her slender fingers kept on stumbling between the braiding. After a bit, dim verdant sparks emitted and the rope began to give way. Katie almost had loosed it from an iron stake thrust into the ground when a voice behind her said, "I thought better of you Miss Johnson."

Katie spun round to see Marcus.

"I don't know why you took me Flint but you should let me go. I'm just going to end up getting you in trouble," she said angrily.

Marcus laughed. "You're no trouble at all Miss Johnson," he said smiling cruelly.

Katie looked down at the ground where she had been trying to undo the rope scanning round the tent looking for any means of escape. She finally looked towards Flint, hoping he wouldn't realize she was watching the door. "What am I supposed to do then?" she asked him frostily.

Marcus glared at her then bent down to retrieve the rucksack he was given, but instead of waiting to receive it Katie flew towards the door, leaping over their blankets, past Marcus. She heard him shout and assumed he was after her, so she pushed herself harder trying to break free. Suddenly a weight slammed into her back and Katie was hurtled to the ground, just inches from the tent opening.

"Thought you could get away?" Flint's voice purred in her ear.

Katie struggled viciously, knowing full well that she couldn't take him on but her Gryffindor determination egged her on. "I hate you!" she cried, tears streaming down her ruddy cheeks. "Why couldn't you let me die? At least I wouldn't be here. At least I wouldn't have been the only one to survive!"

Marcus propped himself up slightly and seized her upper arms, stifling her. "Shut up you stupid girl," he hissed. "Do you want some Death Dater to show up here, wondering about the commotion?"

Katie let out a choked scream and continued. Marcus growled then sat on her as he reached into his robes and pulled out his wand. "Stupefy!" Katie was silent.

Marcus gathered the young witch into his arms and dropped her on the pile of blankets. He sighed and turned around and crossed to entrance of the tent and looked out, Osbourne Avery was heading towards him. Osbourne was the youngest son of the Avery Clan, he was fairly tall and obnoxious. Marcus thought of him unbearable and while the feelings were mutual for Osbourne, obviously someone had heard the Stupefy spell and he had been sent to investigate.

"Flint!" Osbourne barked. "I have been informed that there has been magic used in your tent and I've been sent to find out why."

"Well Avery," Marcus replied with distain, "my prisoner became a little wild and attempted to escape, so I had to Stupefy her to stop attacking me."

"Understood," Osbourne replied before continuing. "This means she will have to be bonded during the flight back to headquarters though. I hope you are ready to do so."

Marcus frowned at the other man. "Of course I am Avery! Is this meeting finished? I really need to find a female to dress the girl."

"I will arrange that myself Flint. Do not leave your tent, we have no assurances of your ‘magical talents‘. She might wake up before you return and attempt another escape."

Marcus sneered and nodded before walking back inside.

Katie was laying still, her breathing soft. Marcus sighed, she was no longer unconscious but just sleeping.

He walked to the pile of blankets and sat down beside her to study her closely. Her dirty blond hair just reached past her shoulders in a messy fray that framed her face. Her face so peaceful when asleep, but the majority of the time she gave him her patented steely glare. He tried to think back to what she looked like with her friends but failed to remember. Hell, he couldn't even picture the Weasley Twins or Wood at the moment. He had forgotten so much since he had been at Hogwarts, he couldn't recall what colour Katie's eyes were.

Marcus sighed and stretched, turning to look out the door. As if on cue, a short girl with auburn hair walked into the room, a bundle in her arms. She looked down at Marcus and Katie and took everything in.

"You're to leave," she stated looking at Marcus, her tone utterly business-like.

Marcus stood up slowly, smoothing out the wrinkles in his robes. "Fine but call me when you're done or if she wakes up. Her name is Angelina."

The witch nodded and dropped her bundle on the blankets and waited for Marcus to leave the room before setting to work.

Marcus sat outside of the tent and waited for the girl to finish dressing Katie. He sat there staring at the ground until he heard the sound of dirt being crushed and the hem of robes appeared before him. Looking up Marcus saw that Osbourne Avery was back.

"Who is she?" Marcus asked full of curiosity.

Avery glared down at him for a moment before answering, "Nekane Jaymes Lestrange. My only advice about her would be to never call her Nekane. It's Jaymes or she'll bite your head off," Osbourne laughed softly, as if thinking back to a similar event in the past.

"Anna's daughter, not Alder's?"

Osbourne looked at him angrily and nodded. "Yes, Anna's daughter. Beautiful, isn't she?"

"Don't worry Avery, she's not my type."

"Well I'm not her type."

Marcus looked up at him, thinking he finally had something over Avery but the look on his face made Marcus swallow his words. Instead he said very quietly, "Pity."

Osbourne just nodded and walked away.

Marcus sighed and waited for Jaymes to come out and after a few minutes she did. "She's still out cold," she told him before walking away and Marcus quickly climbed off the ground and went back into the tent where Katie was lying garbed in elegant forest green robes.

Marcus took one glance at Katie before starting to pack everything up and storing them in a little bag that he had spelled to be bottomless. Finally after a half an hour of packing, Marcus was distracted from the sounds of Katie waking.

He quickly turned around and pulled out his wand in case she tried to run and approached her. Although she was groggy Marcus took the opportunity to place the bonding charm on her, so that she couldn't venture more than five feet away from him at a time. Should she get any ideas and run away her head would begin to feel on fire. He was the only one who could take it off and Marcus was very proud of his handiwork.

As it turned out, Katie was more than five feet away from him because she quickly sat up massaging her burning head.

"I put a spell on you so that you couldn't try to run away again," Marcus informed.

Katie looked up and glared at him. "Really. Does it explain my headache?" She asked sarcastically.

"Exactly," Marcus nodded. "You're going to have to say within 5 feet of me at all times."

"Great." Katie grumbled.

"Oh and one more thing," Marcus added, "only I can take it off." And then he turned and strolled out of the tent. He heard Katie cry out in pain before she came running after him.