Relinquished

Relinquished Chapter Three:

The Journey

by ArrA

Marcus walked briskly across the Death Eater camp to where the brooms were kept. Katie ran quickly on behind him having difficulty keeping up with his fast pace. There were already a number of other Death Eaters standing round a pile of brooms, each selected one carefully from the pile before attaching a small bundle to the end of the stick which contained their tent and supplies. Marcus stepped into the circle, Katie following close behind frightened of all the sneering Death Eaters around her. She was poked and prodded more times then she could count and she nervously pulled the bundle that Marcus had given to her to carry into her chest as a sort of security blanket.

A Death Eater tried to tear the bundle away but Marcus cut him off, pushing him to the ground glaring. "Don't touch my woman Warrington," Marcus threatened. Katie recognized the name as another former Slytherin Chaser. She squeezed her eyes shut feeling Marcus' fingers wrap around her upper left arm, leaving bruises behind. Silently she wished that Warrington would recognize her and call Marcus' bluff.

It was at that moment she realized the risk Marcus was taking to keep her there. Not only would she be killed if they discovered her true identity but most likely Marcus would be dealt the same fate.

Opening her eyes just a sliver, Marcus dragged Katie towards the edge of the camp to where they were out of the clearing. In fifteen minutes when all the Death Eaters had left, no one would be able to tell anyone was there in the first place let alone taken a hostage. Katie shuddered and turned to Marcus who pulled the sack out of her hands and hurriedly tied it to the end of the broom before mounting it.

"Get on," he ordered.

Katie looked uncertain. It was his Nimbus 2001, a broom of excellent quality, but even so Katie acutely recalled Marcus’ flying style. No way in hell was she sharing a broom with that animal!

"Can't I have my own?" She asked hesitantly, not wanting Marcus to start screaming at her attracting attention.

"Prisoners don't get brooms." Anger started to surface on Marcus’ face. "Now get on the fucking broom before you cause a scene and attract other less humane Death Eaters."

Katie snorted at his comment but gingerly climbed on, making sure she didn't touch him.

Marcus glanced at her, a smirk plastered across his face, and kicked off violently, causing Katie to crash into Marcus' back and she wrapped her arms round his waist as he continued to fly erratically, causing Katie's stomach to start doing flip-flops. Marcus laughed as Katie moaned from the nausea, he planned to make this experience as miserable as it could get.

* * *

Nekane Jaymes Lestrange, referred to Jaymes Lestrange, watched Flint and the witch as they rode ahead of her. There was something about the girl that just didn‘t fit. Jaymes was almost certain that someone was lying, but wasn't sure who. She never met Marcus Flint before but her father had always spoken highly of him. The Flints were an old wizarding family, quite wealthy and despite the troll blood that had recently tainted the line, according to her father, they were still important to the cause.

Observing the couple closely, Jaymes tried to remember if she had ever heard anything about the Johnson family, but she kept on drawing blanks. She knew the girl was a Gryffindor but in the intimate manner she clung to Flint- despite his reckless flying- Jaymes was surprised that the girl wasn't in Slytherin. She sighed loudly. One of the things Jaymes hated above everything else was being kept in the dark. She’d hated it since childhood. There had always been some mystery surrounding her birth. Her mother had given birth to her in Azkaban and it was rumoured that Alder Lestrange wasn't really her father. Whether or not this was true Alder had always treated her as one of his own. Jaymes was just tired of conversations coming to a dead stop when she entered a room or her classmates not associating with her because she might be illegitimate.

Jaymes bored looked behind and was not surprised to see that Osbourne Avery was rather close by. The boy had been a friend of her older brother Gareth, they had been great friends from their days in Durmstrang but it had been three years since graduation and they had grown apart.

Jaymes felt a presence. Osbourne had flown up to hover beside her and was now looking at her expectantly.

"Hello Miss Jaymes," Osbourne smiled. Looking at him, Jaymes did not find him unattractive. The reason why she had rejected him, she was scared. She had never taken a lover... Hell, she never had any friends. The thought of a relationship frightened Jaymes to no end.

"Avery, how are you?" She asked politely, following the etiquette training all children of old wizarding families endured.

Osbourne raised an exasperated eyebrow at her. "Must we be so formal Jaymes? I've known you since you were nine!"

Frowning, James looked away. She hated it when he did this to her, but he did it every time he came to speak with her. "Osbourne you might of known me since I was nine, but I think it hardly matters. I have to make a good example for those around me. Otherwise there is no point of me being here. My only dream is to serve Lord Voldemort, please don't take that away from me," Jaymes almost growled at the man. When it came to being in Voldemort‘s servitude, it was no laughing matter.

Osbourne glared at her angrily and willed his broom to dip down and flew off. Jaymes watched him for a minute before returning her gaze to Marcus and his prisoner.

The girl clung to Marcus' strong back for dear life, Jaymes now realized. The way she swayed made her wonder if she was about to vomit. Jaymes considered catching up to the two of them and making Flint stop for a moment but she knew she would be punished. They were quite certain that the Aurors would be hot on their bristles but unfortunately they couldn't disapparate out of the Forbidden Forest. So the plan was to fly to its border and do it there… if the Ministry wasn‘t waiting for them.

Jaymes suppressed a shiver. She had only just completed her sixth year at Durmstrang, she had no wish to end up in Azkaban with her mother.

* * *

They had been flying for the last five hours and Katie was in agony. Everything from her ass to her arms burned with pain. Flint flew like a madman, darting here and there, never in a straight line. Katie was very surprised she had yet to be sick, but then again she hadn't eaten anything.

The thought made her stomach growl and Katie moaned, feeling its emptiness. Marcus must have heard but he ignored her. He had ignored her the whole trip, opting not to talk to her or anyone else. To Katie's relief they had flown a distance away from the pack. Looking around her causing the broom to rock dangerously, Katie noticed the woods were thinning marking its end. Sighing in relief, she hoped that there would be Aurors waiting on the outskirts for them hoping for salvation.

Clutching tightly to Marcus' back she hung on desperately as Flint suddenly gave the broom a harsh kick of power. She was thrown side to side but managed to stay on. Vaguely she could hear Marcus laugh and Katie grimaced, thinking of the terrible situation she was now in.

"Flint," she shouted, "how much longer will we be flying for?"

Marcus grunted noncommittally. Katie almost screamed in frustration. "I'm hungry Flint!" He did not turn to look at her, continuing to steer. "I'm hungry," she repeated. “I need to relieve myself, and most of all I want to go home!”

Flint laughed quietly to himself and looked at the angry girl struggle. "Angelina," he said matter-of-factly, "as a prisoner, you really aren't in the position to make demands, you stupid girl."

Katie screamed. For a moment he was concerned that she might attack him but she just pushed herself away from Marcus' back, riding at arm's length. Katie wasn't prepared for what he did next. Marcus suddenly wrenched the broom to the side and started to pull downwards in a feint. He felt Katie slide quickly, leaning to the edge dangerously then her arms quickly wrapped around his waist again and Marcus violently wrenched the broom in the other direction. Katie yelled pulling herself firmly against Marcus' back and he smiled to himself.

Around him, Death Eaters watched the show but none came to Katie's aid. They were a cruel lot loving to watch Marcus torture the little Gryffindor. Marcus pulled the broom straight, Katie's hands loosening their grip. Ahead of them the forest was ending and Marcus could almost smell the Aurors just up ahead.

Looking around he knew that the other Death Eaters were aware as well. Once they were out of the Forbidden Forest the Ministry would attack, not before since they didn‘t want any of its inhabitants to engage them first. Marcus slowly slipped his hand into his robes feeling his wand. The edge of the forest was quickly approaching and he would have to disapparate as quickly as possible. Suddenly they were out of the forest and the authorities appeared all around them. Katie screamed hysterically but before any wizard could respond, Marcus clapped a hand over her mouth and they vanished.