Relinquished

Katie felt like crying. An Auror zoomed towards Marcus and herself on his broomstick, and just as he reached them they had faded away. Now she sat stiffly in a small cell with bare, stone walls which Marcus called home. Katie at least expected him to have better lodgings what with his family carrying the stench of old money everywhere they went. All that decorated the room was a statuette of Voldemort, or rather Tom Riddle menacingly brandishing his wand atop an end table, a narrow twin bed, and a closet. She was grateful of the fact he had his own bathroom which Marcus had been occupying at the moment.

She could hear the shower jets pounding against the tiles and she found herself shamefully wishing Flint hadn‘t been a Death Eater, or in the very least altogether horrid. The more Katie tried to push such ridiculous thoughts away, listening to the water run in time with her slamming heart the more she wished she was in the bath with Marcus.

She sat down on the bed, collapsing onto the edge, and sitting calmly watching the door across the room, waiting for Marcus.

But Katie had always been a restless sort, so she climbed across the bed and knelt up to look through a barred window the size of a manila envelope. Below she watched as black cloaked figures hurried through the courtyard, all of whom seemed very busy. The night before when they had arrived at the Dark Lord's hideout, Katie had been shocked to find it was a fortress, so much so she had cried out. Marcus just laughed. It was an antiquated Norman castle forgotten over the centuries, some sections reduced to rubble but most had been overrun with moss, plant and animal life. High walls and no heat. They had crossed the border farther up into the Highlands where English wasn’t as prevalent. Katie pondered if Wood had ever gone this far. Katie shivered and flopped back onto the bed, mesmerized at the ceiling. With a sigh she hopelessly rolled onto her side once again watching the bathroom door….

Finally he sauntered out, a green and silver towel round his waist and Katie lay there unwilling to look at him fearing she might wonder what was underneath the towel. Marcus took a swing from a goblet he was holding and set it on the highboy. He saw the expression on his captive‘s face and sniggered. "We both know I look good, Bell," he purred and Katie felt that familiar nausea return. "So come over here and maybe I'll take off this towel." Katie looked at him with disgust, quickly remembering the egotistical man under the pretty wrappings. Marcus sat down and curled his fingers under her chin and raised up her head. “My offer still stands Kate.” He cooed. Katie scoffed and spluttered when she caught a whiff of his breath.

"Flint," she said mustering her remaining ounces of patience, "you're drunk!"

Marcus shook his head with a crooked childish and leaned against her, making Katie support his weight. "Marcus Flint!" She shouted, "gerroff-" she was cut off when his drunken watery lips smothered hers. Flint pushed her onto her back Katie fought as hard as she could. In sheer desperation she was able to maneuver herself and kneed Flint in the groin. Flint cried out in pain falling to a pathetic heap on the floor, taking this opportunity Katie ran into the bathroom and locked herself in, hoping beyond hope he would forget her in his drunken stupor.

Sitting with her back to the door Katie listened to the noises coming from the other room. She heard Flint trying to drag himself to his feet, a crash, and the slap of his wet flesh as he fell back to the floor. Then there was silence, but Katie was too frightened to leave the bathroom. She sat against the door for an hour, her mind racing, wondering what would happen if Marcus Flint were to lose his temper and report her for hurting a Death Eater... or would he punish her himself? Katie had no wish to be beaten or raped, two things she thought Flint was capable of in anger.

Looking across the small bathroom during her second hour she noticed the little window. Katie cautiously leapt onto the toilet tank and looked out. Below her she saw the courtyard and wondered if there was any chance of escape but even if there hadn‘t been any Death Eaters, she was three stories above ground and she doubted she would fit out the small window anyways. Defeated she returned to her place on the floor pulling up her knees to her chest and cried. She cried for so long, petrified of what Flint would do to her when he woke up. Eventually she got her answer...

Jaymes wandered through the labyrinth that was the Death Eaters' hideaway from the Ministry bastards, with a scowl on her face. Her father had promised her that he would come and remove her from Voldemort's company if the fighting got too intense. Despite her zealous love for her master it was becoming too much of a risk to stay at the castle. Since her arrival the amount of guards had doubled and there was an aura of unease. Jaymes had owled her father telling him of her concerns and his response had upset her greatly.

Nekane,

I thought you had faith in Our Lord. You're worries show how little respect you hold for my great master and it saddens me greatly. Your mother had nearly died giving birth to you, there are so many things you have taken for granted such as my money and the roof I put over your head. You are starting to disappoint me and when I have lost all my faith in you and you have abandoned your charge, I swear that I will disown you because we all know who is not your father, although the man who did father you still remains a mystery. Do not disappoint me Nekane.

Alder Lestrange

Jaymes glared at her *father's* script and crumpled the letter angrily. He was not the one in this forsaken fortress risking his life. She threw the letter at stone pillar and pulling out her wand, set the hateful parchment on fire. She marched directly to her room, ignoring Osbourne's questions about what was wrong and slamming the door his face.

She lay on her bed, trying to unsuccessfully to block out the sound of his incessant knocking. Exhaustedly she stared up at the ceiling and started counting the number of stone blocks that made up the roof but Osbourne's excessive shouts through the door made it impossible for her to concentrate.

She became so vexed that she jumped off her bed, threw open the door and shouted, "Shut up! I don't like you, you're making me mad! Just leave me the fuck alone!" Before slamming it shut and placing half a dozen wards on the door. Osbourne looked at the door in shock. Never once had Jaymes shouted or swore at anyone in her life, let alone him and that thought was the only thing that kept him standing in front of her door with his hand poised to knock once more.

Osbourne snarled, "Like you McDougal? You have a hard enough time telling your ass from your face! Jaymes would never see anything in you." The Death Eater laughed and signaled to the others.

"What? You think you're so good because you're rich, eh Avery? Well our families may not be rich but we're just as pureblooded as you!" McDougal flung himself at Osbourne and knocking him into Jaymes' door. Osbourne was able to break free, and punched McDougal square in the jaw. Osbourne was pushed into a wall and the other Death Eaters started taking shots at him. McDougal raised his wand, a sinister grin spread from ear to ear. "Avada Keda-" McDougal broke off in the middle of the unforgivable curse and slowly fell over.

Looking up Osbourne saw Jaymes standing over top of McDougal’s dead body with a wand in one hand, a bloody knife in the other. "Stupefy!” One by one the remaining Death Eaters fell to the ground. Osbourne looked at her with awe while Jaymes headed back to her room and gestured with the knife for him to follow her. Slowly he trailed behind the girl- no woman he had been in love with for years. Once they entered she closed the door and applied the appropriate wards before turning to Osbourne. "You're hurt," she muttered looking at his shoulder that Osbourne had just dimly realized was aching.

"I'm fine," Osbourne told her but she ignored him and pointed her wand to his injured shoulder and quickly recited healing charm. The pain quickly faded and Osbourne tested it gingerly, he was most relieved when it did not hurt. "Thanks," he said and Jaymes just shrugged and pushed him towards the door.

"Anytime." Against her better judgment she quickly kissed him on the cheek.

Then the door slammed and Osbourne was left to wonder what that little peck meant as he walked back to his room, suddenly quite a bit happier than he had been ten minutes before.