Relinquished

Relinquished, Chapter Seven
By ArrA.

Marcus ran towards his room at as fast as he could, breathing heavily and pumping his arms in the hopes of running faster. He came to a lurching stop right in front of the room he shared with Katie and threw the door open to see Katie laying on her back, staring at the ceiling.

Rushing over he pulled her quickly to her feet, and started to drag her out of the room.

"What the hell are you doing, Flint?!" Katie yelled at Marcus but he just grunted incommutably and continued to pull her towards the door. "Seriously Flint, what's happening? You don't have the right to barge in here and pull me around like this," Katie said, starting to get worked up.

Suddenly Marcus spun on her and looked down at her, hesitantly reaching out and stroking a hair out of her face. "Be quiet and you'll be ok. Don't attract attention," he told her in a soft voice that almost gentle.

But Katie didn't listen, instead barled on. "Seriously Flint, I want to know now!"

Marcus sighed in deep frustration, a small growl emerging and Katie took a quick step back, finally realizing not to mess with Marcus Flint. But she was to slow and his arms struck out, strong as steel, pulling the resisting Belltowards him before leaning down and planting his lips on hers.

Katie struggled viciously for the first moment, trying to bite his bottom lip but soon became lost in the kiss, kissing him back eagerly and pulling him closer to her, unaware of what she was doing. She was so caught up in the moment that she thought about her protests and her fears until Marcus wrenched her away and started to drag her down the corridor.

But for once Katie Bell was speechless, marveling over what had just happening and wondering why she wasn't gagging with repulsion like she would of done weeks earlier.

Soon they reached the great hall of the castle where a group of Deatheaters were standing and they looked questionly at Katie and Marcus, the latter who was now pushing Katie roughly in front of him.

"What are you doing Marcus?" a woman's stern voice asked and Flintlooked at the woman, whose face was covered in a mask and paled.

He stuttered for a moment at first and Katie was starting to wonder who the woman was when Marcus finally blustered out, "You see Mother, I was just taking my prisoner to some of the lower dungeons where she will be safe during the attack but at the same time will not be able to escape, for I find her a very pleasant companion."

Mierum Flint looked at his son oddly but nodded her head before looking back at the other women, "Marcus is harmless, is that not true Mars-Bar?" she asked, fake affection in her voice and Marcus swallowed and nodded stiffly. "Now run along and take the girl to the dungeons and come right back after." But both Marcus and Mierum Flint knew he wouldn't be coming back, even though Marcus nodding obligingly and Mierum pushed him and the girl towards the hall that lead to the dungeons. Marcus did not hear it, nor did anyone else in the hall but then Mierum uttered more words, "Good luck my son," so quietly that she barely heard them herself.

Katie looked back at Mierum one last time, wondering if Mierum had been a good mother and if Marcus had had a good childhood but she didn't ask but followed Marcus as he pulled her around to the depths of the castle.

Finally they arrived in a small cavern like room, underneath the dungeons of the castle. Katie could hear screams of agony above that were followed by explosions and Marcus stiffened. "Aurors are attacking this fortrice, we have to leave."

Katie looked at Marcus quickly and then the door. "Not if I can help it," she hissed and tried to make a run for the door but Marcus grabbed his wand from his robes and muttered the words of the binding spell and Katie fell over and cried with pain, slowly crawling towards him until the headache receded. "You bastard," she hissed, all the feelings that had started to develop after their kiss evaporated.

Marcus just laughed softly before pulling Katie to her feet. "Come on Bell, we're leaving this place before it's too late. Believe me, you don't want to die here, you're soul will never leave this castle."

At that Katie shivered but tried to hid it. Apon seeing it Marcus put out a reluctant hand onto her shoulder and she brutally slapped it away, ignoring the growl that came from Flint as he grabbed Katie by the wrist and started to pull her to the other side of the cave where a platform had been setup above the water.

Both looked down into the water which was spinning around at a tremendous speed like whirlpool and suddenly Katie realized what she was staring into it. They were thought to be lost, one of the old creations that had been lost during the fall of Atlantis, the Floo. Small Floos were still created and from them floo powder was made but no one had been able to create a stable Floo since the time of Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.

Katie shivered as Marcus gripped her arm tightly and pulled her towards the edge of the platform, and Katie's stomach started to feel nausious and she had the feeling that she might faint. She swayed on her feet the same time that Marcus started leaning forward and suddenly she was plummeting towards the Floo with Marcus' hand entwined tightly with hers and Marcus' voice screamed out, "Diagon Alley!"

The two were shot out the fireplace of the Three Broomsticks at such a speed that Marcus ended up landing on top of Katie and he didn't seem to be in a hurry to get off except that people from all parts of the restaurant were staring at them. He quickly pulled the girl to her feet and ushered her out of the Three Broomsticks, whispering, "Say nothing, you have no wand, I'm in full control here Bell."

Katie nodded slowly and followed Marcus cautiously, and she felt as Flintclutched her arm, right above the wrist tightly, so she didn't try to escape.

Both youths walked through Diagon Alley with their heads' down and their ears open, both listening curiously for news. They stopped at a small outlet of Flourish and Blotts and picked up the latest Daily Prophet with the headline,

After Hogwarts Attacks, 52 Dead, 13 Missing

And Katie shuddered, thinking that she would be classed as missing, even though most of the people missing were probably children of Deatheaters. She quickly scanned the names on the list provided below and was horrified to see her name combined with the likes of Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson, all from families with roots in the dark arts.

Marcus looked at the girl out of the corner of his eye and noticed her distress. Over the past few days, weeks, with Katie, he had lost track, they seemed like forever, and he had started growing fond of her in his own perverse way and the sight of her sad, made him sad.

His hand calmly cupped her elbow and he started to lead her through Diagon Alley until they arrived at the entrance of Knockturn Alley.

"We're going to stay with a friend for a few days, until the Deatheaters stop looking for me... if any who cared escaped," he told Katie in a soft voice and Katie just nodded. "Jeez Katie, cheer up, please," Marcus told her, concern in his voice, "you're scaring me."

Suddenly Katie sniffed before bursting into tears and throwing herself into his arms. Other people looked at them strangely from the corners of their eyes as they walked past but no one stopped and carefully Marcus started to guide Katie down Knockturn Alley, comforting her at the same time, praying they were not followed.

Eventually they arrived at a two story building in one of the poorer parts of the Alley. It was the traditional, ancient English house and it looked exactly the same as all the other houses on its street, it did not even possess a street number. Its owners of course had done that on purpose. Only those who knew what they were looking for would find it right away and if someone went to every door, their neighbors had the duty to notify the owners of the house that there might be a problem.

Marcus approached the door, Katie still hanging onto him, shaking terribly, and knocked twice before pausing and then knocking three more times. A minute later he received the feeling that he was being watched and then the door swung open, revealing a small, old man, bent over a cane.

"Who is this that you have brought with you, boy?"

Marcus cleared his throat and answered, "My friend, we're hiding from the Ministry."

The old man nodded, stepping back and pulled open the door so they could enter. Marcus slowly promoted Katie into the house and she let him guide her silently until they were sitting in a warm kitchen and the old man was looking down at her curiously.

"So, what's her name?" he asked, when Marcus and Katie were sitting down and he fiddled with his back towards them, brewing something. "She isn't your type Marc."

Marcus nodded as the old man turned around and said, "Stop talking like she isn't here."

The old man shrugged before turning to Katie, "What's your name girl?"

Katie looked up into the old man's pale blue eyes and answered, "I don't have any idea who you are, so I'm not telling you anything," regaining a little of her former spirit.

Beside her Marcus laughed softly before the old man let out a whopping laugh. "She's a keeper Marc, she's a keeper," he said pleasantly, smiling down at Katie. "Well, if you must know young lady, my name is Edward Flint, Marc's grandfather. And you would be..."

Hesitantly Katie opened her mouth to reply to Edward, liking the old man although she knew it was against her better judgment. "Katie, Katie Bell," she told the old man and he smiled.

"Gryffindor Chaser if I'm not mistaken," he answered, adding when he saw Katie's look of astonishment, "I watched everyone of Marc's game, isn't that right Boy-Oh," he said, elbowing Marcus in the stomach.

Marcus blushed and nodded his head. He was about to answer when there was a tapping on the door similar to the one that Marcus had used... but slightly off.

Edward looked at the two kids with concern in his eyes, muttering under his breath, "What did you two get yourselves into?" as he walked out of the kitchen and towards the front of the house. Marcus positioned himself right by the kitchen door and watched out the corner of it, Katie standing hesitantly at his shoulder.

They could hear Edward open the door and start talking to who ever was out there. Suddenly they heard him almost yell, "I've already told you, he's not here! Why are you disturbing an old man's peace?" There was a murmur of reply and Edward snapped again, "No, you may not come into the house; I don't care how suspicious it is. I'm a respected wizard, so my word is good enough," and with that he slammed the door and looked back at Marcus and Katie.

Marcus quickly crossed to the front window of the house and cautiously pulled a drape but only far enough to look out of it with only one eye showing. Outside he could see Jaymes Lestrange and Osbourne Avery standing and arguing. Dropping the drape he turned to his Grandfather and Katie.

"Damn Lestrange is following us with Avery," he muttered.

Edward lifted an eye brow, "What did you do boy? You're not going to tarnish the Flint name are you?"

"In whose eyes?"

Edward shrugged and returned to the kitchen where Katie still sat and smiled at the girl. "How you feeling Katie?" he asked kindly, smiling down at her.

Katie shrugged and then Edward noticed the paper curled up in her hands. He gently reached down and took it from her, unclenching her fingers away from it in the process. On the front cover he spotted her name and realized the problem.

"No Gryffindor's a deatheater girl, everything will workout."

Katie shrugged, deep down feeling that no matter what happened, nothing would ever be alright again.