Sparks

Chapter Twenty-Seven:

The Quidditch Pitch: late Sunday afternoon:

"Katie," yelled Roger Davies. "Wait up!"

Katie and Angelina both stopped and turned around. They were on their way to the Quidditch pitch for practice. Angelina shrugged a shoulder and kept on going onto the pitch. Katie stood in the entranceway that led to the house change rooms with a puzzled expression.

"Yes Davies," asked Katie politely.

"Call me Roger," said the handsome Ravenclaw captain with a smile.

"Ummm," said a confused Katie. "Okay Roger. We are about to start practice so -"

"I won't keep you," said Davies with a sunny smile. His voice lowered as he moved closer to an uncomfortable Katie.

"Merlin," thought Katie. "What does he want?"

"I was wondering what your plans are for this summer," asked Davies.

"I don't know yet," said puzzled Katie.

"Well," said Roger while looking into her eyes. "Can I owl you this summer?"

"About Quidditch?" asked Katie.

"No," said Davies with a grin.

"Oh," said Katie with her eyes wide open. Davies was standing very close to her, Katie noticed. If she was not mistaken, he was trying to flirt with her.

At that moment, Marcus and Montague came around the corner dressed in their uniforms. Katie and Roger looked up at the intruders. Katie's face flushed when she saw the fierce look in Marcus's eyes.

"Sorry," said Marcus insincerely. "I hope we weren't disturbing anything."

"No," said Roger. Katie could not say a word. She was frozen to her spot. Instantly, she could see that Marcus knew what Davies was doing.

"Not yet anyway," continued Davies with a smirk at Marcus.

Katie could see the anger flare in Marcus's dark blue eyes. Then before he turned away without a word, she saw the flash of hurt pass his face for an instant. Katie felt her heart fall. She wanted to run after Marcus and tell him she loved only him. But it would be wrong of her. She needed to stay away from him.

Katie was too distraught to notice the outrage on Montague's face. Ty had seen the brief look of pain pass Marcus's face as well.

"Davies," hissed Ty as he passed the couple. "You prat. Could you have at least waited a few weeks?"

Katie stood there in stricken silence until Davies patted her on the shoulder.

"I'm sorry Katie," said Roger sincerely. "I can see it is too soon."

"Yes," said Katie as she nodded woodenly.

"Maybe next year," said Roger.

"Maybe," said Katie neutrally. She turned towards the Quidditch field with a sad air.

Gryffindor Tower:

Later that night in her room, Katie wrote two letters: one to her mother and the other to her father. In her mother's owl, she poured out her heart about Marcus. She and her mom were always very close. After she finished the letter, it was like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Her mother was the one person that never had any preconceived notions about Marcus. To her, Marcus wasn't the Slytherin Quidditch captain. To her mom, Marcus was simply himself.

The next letter was hard to write. She knew what she wanted to say but did not quite know how to say it. She started out by saying that she wanted to get to know Stuart Bell, the man. It was time to lay old grievances aside and to get to know each other before it was too late. Katie closed the letter with an invitation to come see the Quidditch final. She knew it was short notice and she promised herself she wouldn't be upset if he could not come. But she had hope.

Katie looked up at the clock and realized that she was late for the Quidditch meeting in the common room. As she rounded the last steps and stepped into the room, the talking ceased abruptly.

"Go on," said Katie with a lifted brow. "I know you were talking about me. Out with it."

"Well Katie," said Fred carefully. "We are concerned about you."

"Concerned about what," said Katie with her chin lifted.

"Your feelings," said George.

"If everyone is concerned that I'll blow the final," said Katie with a sigh. "You can lay those concerns to rest. I'm not going off the deep end any time soon."

The rest of the team looked at each other and nodded then the discussion about strategies continued. They debated the strengths of the entire team in detail. Katie surprised everyone with her insights into the Slytherin team dynamic.

"Don't you feel-" began Fred. "Nevermind."

"What?" asked Katie with a raised eyebrow. "That I'm betraying Marcus by telling you about their relationships to one another? Fred, you do know that their personalities are no secret. It's just that, as Gryffindors, we tend to see the Slytherins as interchangeable and indistinct."

"Okay," said George. "What is Derrick really like."

"Well Myles is a real Slytherin," offered Katie. "He's a pureblood whose favorite classes are defense against the dark arts and potions. He has never gone out with a girl who isn't from Slytherin House. He's observant rather than quiet, forceful rather than brawny and clever rather than smart. He loves Quidditch, brunettes and butterbeer. And he has a tiny crush on you Angelina."

"What?" said a blushing Angelina.

"What?" scowled Fred.

"What about Malfoy?" asked Angelina in order to distract Fred. Yet again this year, Harry had to miss their meeting. He had a special session with Professor Lupin.

"Yes," said Katie with a worried frown. Marcus had told her some things about him but Katie had guessed the rest. But Marcus was right; it was Malfoy's secret. "There are depths to Malfoy no one really has seen. He's completely dominated by his father. He looks like him and I think feels compelled to act like him. This whole father issue drives him to be the way he is. His father is very demanding. I don't even really know my own father but I can say truthfully, I'm glad that man isn't my dad."

"He is a decent flyer," offered Fred. "In time, he'll be a more confident seeker, you know willing to take more risks."

"Fortunately for us, Harry is a risk taking madman on a broom," said George.

"We are lucky to have Harry," said Alicia.

"Flint says we depend on him too much," said Oliver with a pensive look at Katie.

"He's right," said Katie. "Marcus always said that having him on our team was like having a good luck charm. But when we are missing our lucky charm, we lose."

"I hope Harry doesn't get involved in something mad between now and the game," said George gloomily. "Slytherin is going to come out with a vengeance."

"Using every damn trick in the book," said Fred with a frown. "And they have those damn brooms. Damn Lucius Malfoy."

"If Malfoy didn't buy them," said Katie firmly. "Bole would have. Marcus was determined to have those damn brooms. He was going to put Malfoy on the team anyway. He just arranged it so he got the brooms too. Marcus didn't give a toss that everyone thought that he took a bribe from Malfoy."

"Brooms aside, we all know that the keeper is the key," said Angelina firmly.

"He'll be good in a year or two," said Oliver. "I think the poor sod is terrified of Flint."

"With good reason," said Fred. "The kid is not the best."

"Let's stop talking," begged Alicia. "I'm going to be dreaming of Bludgers tonight as it is."

"The next practice is on Tuesday," said Oliver as the rest of the team made their weary way to bed. He stopped Katie as she got up from the couch.

"Thank you for your input today," said Oliver. "You were always the clever one. I never thought of the Slytherins as distinct personalities before."

"Well," said Katie with a smile. "If you wanted an insight into Tarquin Bole, all you had to do was ask Ravenclaw House. I heard that there are girls there who drew up a character analysis of him last year. He has dated most of that House."

"Character analysis?" asked Oliver with a grin. "Those 'claws are daft sometimes."

"He is a character all right," said Katie. "He actually got a copy and owled each girl with an offer to analyze him up close and personal."

"They didn't take the offer?" gasped Oliver.

"They did," confirmed Katie. "Each and every one of them. Tarquin said it was the lure of his galleons but he is completely unaware that it really is the lure of his personality."

"You sound as if you really like Bole," said Oliver quietly.

"I do," said Katie simply. "He is a likable person. Granted he does throw a mean left hook. Ask Fred."

"I meant to say this earlier," said Oliver tentatively.

"Please don't,' said Katie as she turned her head.

"I'm sorry," said Oliver. "I wasn't going to say I told you so because you don't need to hear that right now. I know that you really cared for him."

"Oliver, I really loved him," said Katie softly.

Oliver pulled her closer in the deserted common room and hugged her hard. Katie closed her eyes and hugged him back.

"It was nice finally talking to you again," said Katie as she pulled away from him.

"Yes, it was," agreed Oliver.

"I'm utterly tired," said Katie with a yawn as she said good night to Oliver. He sat down at a table as she left in order to fiddle with plays.

"Good night Katie," said Oliver with a gentle smile as she went to bed.

The Slytherin Dungeons: Tuesday night

Tarquin eyed up the pile of owls scattered carelessly across Marcus's desk.

"Oh Marcus," asked Tarquin casually. "Are you going to read these letters or collect them?"

"Oh I read the important ones," said Marcus. "I have no intention of reading the ones from my family. If they do not have the courtesy to tell me I'm getting engaged ahead of time then I will not read their freaking letters."

Tarquin ruffled through the owls casually. He picked one up. "Marcus," said Tarquin. "This one looks like it is from someone named Ekaterina. Isn't that the name of your ummm...whatever she is?"

"I know," said Marcus pensively. He looked up from his Quidditch playbook. "It's mad but I think that if I open it, this whole situation will get too real. She'll become more than a name and I am not ready for that."

"Katie," said Tarquin quietly.

"Yes," said Marcus. "I'm not ready to let her go yet. I know the time will come when I will have to but not yet."

"Ty told me what happened today on the pitch," said Tarquin.

"You know," said Marcus with a frown. "Davies is a prat. He was trying to chat her up. We've only been broken up a few days. I can only imagine how long it will take that Scottish git to move in. Hopefully, after I am far away from Hogwarts."

"What did Ter have to say," asked Tarquin as he cleaned his broomstick.

"He said he heard about the betrothal and he was sorry," said Marcus. "His mother has been trying to marry him off for a few months now but Ter said he finally got her off his back."

"What did he do?" asked Tarquin with a grin. It was sure to be something outrageous. Terrence was a tiny bit mad and he had a tendency to be melodramatic.

"He said he was gay," snickered Marcus. "And that Adrian has been the love of his life for years."

Tarquin laughed until his sides ached. "The ironic thing is that his mother probably believes him," said Tarquin with tears in his eyes. "They have been mates since preschool. And Ter loves clothes."

"Ter is sure that Adrian will play along if need be," said Marcus with a wide smile. "And you know Adrian, he's game for anything."

"The lengths Ter will go to piss off his mother," said Tarquin shaking his head.

The Great Hall: Thursday morning:

"Katie," said Alicia with concern. "You look a little shocked. What is in the owl?"

"Merlin," said a pale Katie as she put the letter down. "My father is coming to the game."

"Is that a good thing love," asked Angelina hesitantly.

"Yes," said Katie. "I'm just surprised and a little relieved. I think it is time to get to know him."

"Why?" asked Alicia.

"Because," said Katie as she caught Marcus's eye. They looked at each other intently. Then Marcus nodded and turned his head to talk to Tarquin. Katie's heart turned over in her chest. She turned to look at Alicia. "I didn't want to wake up one day to find that I never said the things I had to say to someone who was important in my life. I do not want to live my life with regrets."

"Do you have any regrets Katie," asked Angelina softly as she looked pointedly at the Slytherin table.

"None," said Katie fiercely as she looked at Marcus. A look flashed in her eyes for a brief second. Alicia could see the passion Katie still had for Marcus in her face for that brief moment.

Later Angelina watched Katie stride ahead towards the pitch. They had another practice after class. Oliver was almost frantic with anxiety.

"She is still madly in love with Marcus Flint," said Alicia from beside her.

"Yes," said Angelina. "I've also seen the way he looks at her when he thinks no one is watching."

"How does he look at her? " asked Alicia with a raised eyebrow.

"Like she is the only woman in the world," said Angelina.

"He's as mad for her as she is for him," said Alicia.

"Yes," said Angelina sadly. "I wish-"

"I know," said Alicia quietly.

They both watched as Katie determinedly smiled as Fred and George tried to make her laugh. Both girls could see that the smile did not reach her eyes.