Entry for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition, Season 5, Round 11 - Wigtown Wanderers vs Puddlemere United
Position: Keeper
Prompt: Write about a romantic story on a spring day(s) OR a tragic story on an autumn night(s)
Word Count: 1,831 Words
Betas: Aelys_Althea, Aya Diefair
Entry for the Musical Category Competition
Les Miserables: Jean Valjean - Write about someone leaving their past behind them.
Entry for The Fluff vs Angst Competition
Team Fluff - Round 1
This is loosely connected to "Never Let Me Go" and "It Started With A Dance", but it's not necessary to have read these two oneshots.
I hope you all enjoy it, I'm looking forward to your opinions :)
Blossoms Of A New Life
For a long time, it had seemed as if the darkness and horrible memories of the Second Wizarding War would never leave the heads of those who'd been fighting at its front, haunting them at night and keeping them from rebuilding their lives among the newfound peace.
The healing went slow and some people were unable to overcome the demons of their past, being left behind as the everyday life slowly returned. All round them, people were returning to their jobs or education, the businesses in Diagon Alley opened again; new spaces were created, but they felt like they were mere spectators. Like the audience in a theater, they were witnessing everything and yet weren't a part of the progress. Instead, their demons trapped them in a state of constant flashbacks and guilt.
Memories were the worst for some, while others were eaten up by the tantalising 'what ifs', and yet others still felt like their part during the war didn't make them worthy of having a place in this new society where everyone was trying to learn from its past mistakes.
Marcus Flint was one of these people, doubting he would ever be accepted again in this new world that should be more open, and yet it was transparent and condemning about past incidents. His father had been a Death Eater, and he himself had been close to joining, but in the end he'd been a coward who'd stayed away from all the trouble. The decision to hide instead of helping – which he definitely would have had both the opportunity and the resources on hand to do – had haunted him for a long time. The guilt almost consumed him whenever he heard stories of people who'd been in the immediate vicinity of his hiding place, hoping for someone to stand up for them. Lives had been ended less than a mile away, and he'd cowered in his small hut thinking only of his own safety, despite knowing that he probably wouldn't have been harmed due to his family's status.
He'd thought he would never be able to accept his wrongdoings, just like the people he came into contact with, that his life would continue to be tainted by darkness and never be at peace.
Never would he have expected that his life would turn around completely, that it would no longer be defined by his mistakes of the past anymore.
And yet it did.
OoO
For Katie Bell, going back to Hogwarts to finish her final year had been hell; the castle she once called a second home was a constant reminder of the death she'd seen within the old walls. But even after graduating and burying herself in the hard work of professional Quidditch, she seemed unable to find her peace. The memories stayed with her, reminding her of the war, the fear for her life, and she never felt at ease: not with her family, nor in her new home in Central London, nor with her friends, new or old.
She was denied the closure that others seemed to achieve so easily, feeling like something was wrong with her for being unable to shake everything off that held her captive. Life went on, and she felt like it was happening without her, that no one she cared about could relate to her problems which left her feeling alone.
Maybe she was supposed to be happy because of the way her career was successfully progressing, but at the end of the day, it didn't mean much. Her friends were falling in love, getting married, moving into their own homes, and she was the only one seemingly at a stand still.
Ultimately, the change had come from a very unexpected source.
If someone had told her that Marcus Flint would be the one helping her out of the low she was caught in she would have laughed, or maybe punched them for being an asshole about her problems.
And yet, he was.
They'd met again for the first time since the war at the wedding of their friends Adrian and Alicia, and somehow he wasn't the school bully anymore that she could remember so well. He'd matured a lot, and the withdrawn seriousness in his eyes when he thought nobody was watching had almost scared her. Some teasing had been exchanged, just like in their school days, and before she knew it, they'd started a conversation that lasted for most of the evening.
When the Quidditch season began, they ended up on the same team, and in her eyes, it should have felt weird to suddenly play with the guy that had shoved her off her broom countless times in the past, but it wasn't. He was polite, surprisingly good at teamwork, and it wasn't as hard to see him every day as she'd imagined when she'd learned we was on the team. Actually, the light teasing between them sometimes was the only good thing that happened some days.
Over the months, they slowly became something like friends without even noticing, hanging around with each other away from work more often, first because of the friends they had in common, then because they wanted each others company.
It kept growing to the point where they ended up sitting together in the stands of the Quidditch stadium, a blanket wrapped around them for warmth and talked about their deepest secrets and the demons that they were living with. The realisation that neither of them were truly alone with their problems anymore, that they'd drifted towards someone who could relate, it gave the first push towards a change.
From then on, everything just seemed to shift into place.
OoO
Not a single cloud obscured the blue sky, giving the sun free reign to warm the air and tempt nature to show the signs of spring more openly and transfigure it into a beautiful day. The first birds that had returned from their winter retreats were gliding low over the meadows as they searched for the perfect tree to build their nest in, singing their song and thus providing the perfect background music for the scenery. Flowers in all colours slowly blossomed, chasing away the grey of the winter for good and signaling the time of change.
It was a magnificent setting, and yet Marcus barely paid attention to the beauty surrounding him, eyes focused on the woman walking towards him across the meadow in her white lace dress. They'd agreed not to make a big fuss, the ceremony having no guests except for the Ministry official needed to seal their bond. Aside from her dress and the white blossom in her hair, nothing was out of the ordinary, but it didn't matter. To him, she was always beautiful, and the fond smile she gave him as she slipped her hand into his upon reaching his side gave him the rest. There was not even the tiniest flicker of doubt on her face and it soothed the anxiety that had been bubbling in his stomach since arriving on the meadow. His fear that she might not show up, having decided that marrying him was a bad idea, had long vanished. At the feeling of her small hand in his big calloused one, he forgot it had ever existed.
"Hey," she whispered softly, her brown eyes gleaming in adorable excitement as she looked up at him and Marcus' heart jumped in the same way it had when she'd smiled at him like this for the very first time.
"Hey. You came."
"Of course." A light chuckle accompanied her words and she rose on the tips of her bare feet to kiss his cheek. "I would never leave you hanging."
When he started smirking at the potential double meaning, she laughed out loud, rolling her eyes playfully while the sound of her laughter mingled with the song of the birds; to Marcus, it was the most heavenly melody he ever heard.
"Not even on our wedding day can you manage to be serious." She paused teasingly and Marcus cocked his head; Katie mirrored his smirk. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
They exchanged another long glance before turning towards the official, who was smiling softly about their behaviour, ready to perform their marriage bond. "I guess we can start then?"
"Yes please," Katie replied while Marcus nodded, neither of them feeling like they could wait any longer.
A small ceremony had been their wish; something without overly romantic gestures and pathos in the official's speech, and so he only spoke a few words about love and giving each other strength, just like Marcus had secretly instructed him. Marcus couldn't take his eyes off Katie when they raised their joined hands, speaking the short vows they'd written themselves, while the official moved his wand, a golden glowing band winding itself around their wrists slowly. To them, the moment didn't require big words about the way they felt for each other, as their action was enough proof of their love.
When they kissed, the band glowed more brightly, wrapping even more tightly around them, and then it disappeared, signalling that their marriage bond was sealed. After a few words of gratulation, the official Disapparated, leaving the newlyweds alone, and Marcus needed a moment to assure himself that he wasn't dreaming. His fingers ran through Katie's brown hair and over her cheek while they kissed again, holding each other close, and the feeling of her skin and her warmth assured him that this was reality.
Upon parting, Katie rested her head on Marcus' chest and closed her eyes, listening to his heartbeat, and Marcus leaned his cheek against her hair. Both of them more content and happy than they'd ever been in their lives.
Words of love were whispered between them quietly as they continued to stand in solitude, embracing each other tightly in the middle of the beautiful spring that was awakening, enjoying the simplicity of the moment that marked the last step into their new life.
Together, they could finally leave the past behind; the darkness was gone.
Marcus had lost count of the times he'd thanked her already, and so he just repeated the words of gratitude in his head for a last time as Katie lifted her head, releasing a breath as if a weight had finally fallen from her shoulders. She gazed up at him with love as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down for a sensual kiss, and finally he believed with all his heart that he deserved to be loved like this. What he'd allowed to happen wouldn't hold him back anymore.
All thoughts left his mind as she pressed against him, the fingers toying with the buttons of his dress shirt signalling to him that she wanted to celebrate, and he gladly deepened the kiss.
They had all the time in the world.
THE END