Relinquished

Relinquished, Chapter Eight
By ArrA.

Jaymes stood looking up at the house, hands on her hips with disgust. They had trailed Marcus and his prisoner to the narrow street in which she and Osbourne now stood. She was sure that the house across from her was the right one, but she had no way of knowing for sure. Osbourne had wanted to knock on some of the other doors but she had snapped at his stupidity and he had not asked again. Now she was mad. Each house was exactly identical and although she was sure it was the right house, she could only tell if she went in.

Slowly she turned to where Osbourne sat in the shadows behind her and grabbed his wrist, pulling him to his feet. Osbourne nodded, knowing what she wanted to do.

Side by side, the two figures walked to end of the road where there was a lane that separated the backyards of houses on either side. They walked down the lane to the back of the suspected house and Osbourne retrieved his wand from his robes.

They were going in.

* * *

Katie lay on a bed in a small bedroom that she guessed actually belonged to Marcus. It lacked many personal effects except for on the wall next to door there was a small painting of a man dressed in a fancy tux. The man was scowling from the picture, his features resembling Marcus'. Katie had wondered who it was, but was too scared to ask. Next to the bed there was a small dressing table and lining the wall opposite to the bed was a book shelf containing many volumes on quidditch maneuvers and the like.

Edward Flint had lead her up to the room after he had finished driving away Jaymes and Osbourne from his door. He had given her a few towels, telling her he and Marcus would be downstairs if she needed anything and that she would be called for supper when it was ready. Katie had nodded her head obediently and then flopped down onto the bed after Edward had left the room, shutting the door behind him.

It was nice to have sometime alone. It had been such a crazy day and she wished desperately to know what Marcus had been thinking when he had kissed her before leaving Voldemort's fortrice. It had been out of his character and she wondered if he had done it as an impulse, but the only way she would ever find out was if she asked him... and she knew she didn't want to have that conversation with Marcus Flint.

Katie rolled on her side and slowly rose from the bed to look out the small window that looked out the back garden. Outside it was already dark and the shadows seemed to play tricks on her. She swore that she could see movement below her, two figures sprinting across the garden, but she was sure she was seeing things.

Suddenly there was a soft tapping on the door and Katie spun around just in time to see Flint enter the small room.

"Bell," he muttered, "it's time for supper. Please come downstairs as soon as possible."

Katie nodded awkwardly at Marcus before turning back to the window for a moment to take one last look outside. But before she could turn back she heard the click softly close and he was gone again and any conversation about his feelings, her feelings had been avoided and Katie wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing.

Katie wandered down the hall to where Ed had told her the bathroom was and quickly washed up before she headed downstairs to join Ed and Marcus for supper.

They were sitting at the table in the kitchen, talking quietly and laughing about old times. Marcus' childhood memories and such. Katie felt somewhat reluctant to sit down but Ed smiled up at her and motioned for her to sit down. Marcus had converted his eyes to staring at his plate as Katie quickly took her seat and looked at her food which she found very appetizing.

"This looks delicious, Ed," Katie said, motioning down to the chicken and vegetables on her plate.

Edward smiled at her and replied, "Well, don't be thanking me girl, it's Marc here who made it!"

Katie raised an eyebrow, no longer concerned about what had happened that day but intrigued by the fact that Marcus Flint cooked! "Really? I had no idea you cooked Marcus," Katie found herself purring. Marcus kept his eyes on his plate but Katie was pretty sure she could him blushing from where she sat.

"Not much," he said in a soft voice, obviously embarrassed before going back to his supper.

Katie decided not to pursue the subject and turned to Ed. "So what's happening with us tomorrow?"

"Well, Marc filled me on the whole situation and we've decided that in the morning you will go to the Ministry."

"Really?" Katie asked excitedly. She was finally going home. She could finally see her family and make sure all her friends were alright.

Ed nodded. "Well hopefully. I doubt that Voldemort would take the time to come after the two of you, at least not yet."

Marcus nodded from where he was sitting. "I owled Mum actually," he told Ed.

Ed quickly glanced at Marcus. "What?" The colour quickly faded from his face. "We went through this Marc! We weren't going to tell her. It'll put you two in danger."

"She's my mother!" Marcus cried out angrily, glaring at the old man he seemed to love so much.

"And she's a Deatheater!"

Marcus glared and jumped out of his seat and stalked out of the room. Katie could hear his feet stomping up the stairs as he hurried to his room and then his door slammed shut and Katie turned back to Ed. "What's happening now?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," Edward answered. "I'm sure that Voldemort knows where Marcus has taken you, so I'm not sure if you should stay here much longer... the Ministry opens tomorrow morning at 8am. You should be out in Diagon Alley before then. Leave at 7:30 I guess. For now we'll just have o set up a lot of wards around the house and make sure that no other deatheaters get in."

"To late," a feminine voice said from behind Edward.

Katie looked up to see Jaymes Lestrange standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips, her wand clutched in her right hand. Osbourne Avery stood next to her, his wand in his hand.

Looking at Edward she realized that neither of them possessed a wand. She was pretty sure that Marcus still had hers and she couldn't see Edward's anywhere on his person.

"Now, where is Marcus?" Jaymes asked curiously.

"I guess you should go and look for him," Ed replied.

Jaymes looked at Osbourne before turning back to Ed. "She," she said, pointing at Katie, "will go and get him. Osbourne will go with him and if she warns Flint, I'll kill you old man, so you better hope that she doesn't try any funny stuff."

Katie laughed quietly. "I'm a Gryffindor. I have more courage than that."

Jaymes glared and pointed her wand at her, "Yes, well that's probably true. Gryffindors do possess foolish courage."

"Whatever," Katie muttered, climbing to her feet as Osbourne approached and pushed her towards the door.

"Let's go," he told her and Katie headed for the stairs.

She led him up the stairs and then stopped, realizing she didn't know which room was Marcus'. "I don't know where to go," she told Osbourne quietly.

"Well figure it out," Osbourne hissed and Katie looked around before trying the door of the room that she was supposed to sleep in.

Slowly she turned the door knob and pushed the door open. Peering inside she saw that Marcus lay face down on the bed. Suddenly Osbourne pushed past her into the room and Katie hit the wall hard, pain splitting through her arm.

Osbourne was in the middle of muttering a spell when Marcus somehow stupelified the other man. Katie moaned against the wall as she watched Osbourne fall to the ground.

Pushing herself off the wall she whispered, "Jaymes has Ed downstairs. You shouldn't have done that, she threatened to kill him if you tried to escape or anything."

Marcus paled and looked down at where Osbourne lay unconscious on the ground. Quickly he walked towards the bedside table and opened the draw, pulling something out and handing it to Katie.

"Here Bell," he muttered, handing her back her wand. Katie reached to accept it but a jolt of pain flew through it and she shuddered. "Sorry," he murmured.

"It wasn't your fault," Katie told him.

Slowly Marcus reached out and touched her shoulder with the tip of his wand a muttered a healing charm. Immediately the pain disappeared and Katie could move her shoulder without feeling any pain. "Thanks," Katie told Marcus but before he could reply, Jaymes' voice sounded up the stairs.

"Osbourne, what's happening up there?"

Putting his wand to his mouth, Marcus answered, "We'll be right down," in the perfect impression of Osbourne's voice.

Katie raised her eyebrows and murmured under her breathe, "And why exactly did you fail your seventh year?"

The sympathy drained from Marcus' face and he ignored her, wracking his brain for the curse he was about to perform. Slowly he took a depth breath before crying, "Imperio."

Katie shuddered as an Unforgivable Curse was used right in front of her.

Osbourne opened his eyes and suddenly rose to his feet. Looking at Marcus she could tell he was sweating slightly. "Put your wand into your robes," Marcus commanded Katie as Osbourne started to herd the two of them in front of him and out of the room, making it look like he was in control.

Soon they arrived in the kitchen where Jaymes stood behind Edward, looking over his head, waiting.

"Aw, I see you've found him," Jaymes murmured, watching the three people in front of her contently. "Now," she said, turning to Marcus, "what exactly do you think you're doing Flint? Is this girl so special that you're willing to leave our side for her?"

Marcus glared at Jaymes, not even glancing at Katie. "The fortrice would have fallen. It was the best thing to do."

"That doesn't answer my question."

Marcus glared at the girl and answered, "That's because I don't even know that answer."

Jaymes laughed softly and Katie felt as she was about to faint. Edward of course was smiling; he probably knew the answer to Jaymes' question, since he seemed to know his grandson so well.

"Well," Jaymes started to say, just as all the windows in the kitchen shattered and the door burst open.

Men robed in black started to rush in the door and all of sudden Edward was on his feet, pushing Jaymes towards the rest of the youths with his wand drawn. Marcus grabbed the back of Katie's robes and drew his wand, muttering a spell. Neither he nor Katie was aware that of the two hands that grabbed onto the back of eachs' robes.