The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition- Round 3
Team: Falmouth Falcons
Author: MaryRoyale
Position: Beater #2
Prompts Used: Bruises, Wonder and "When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know your name is safe in their mouth." - Jess C. Scott (who attributes it to Billy, age 4)
Title: A Fortuitous Love
Official Disclaimer: The original characters of this story are the property of the J.K. Rowling. No infringement of pre-existing copyright is intended. It is my contention that this work of fan fiction is fair use under copyright law. No monies were received for receipt of this work.
Pairing: Marcus Flint/Susan Bones
Rating: T
Word Count: approx. 2250
A/N: I would like to respectfully point out that the HP Lexicon considers Susan Bones' blood status undetermined, and I find their argument logical and well-thought out. I would also like to point out that during their time at Hogwarts it would have been exceedingly unlikely for Marcus Flint and Susan Bones to cross paths.
The first time Marcus Flint met Susan Bones was due to an accident. He had been hurrying down Diagon Alley on his way to an appointment he was already late for when Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes had an accident with one of their experiments and blew out half of their building. Marcus woke up slightly dazed and rather confused. There was a prodigious amount of white gauze wrapped around his chest and more around his right forearm. He moved to sit up and grunted in pain.
"Don't move," the Healer commanded sharply. She moved toward him and pressed him back against the pillows with firm hands.
In that moment, the overhead light illuminated her hair and gave her an angelic nimbus. Later, Marcus would swear that he felt an electric tingle along his skin at her touch. Her hair was red and seemed to glow under the light. She shifted slightly and the nimbus was gone, but Marcus didn't mind. It allowed him to see her face more easily. It was likely that Pucey and Higgs wouldn't think her beautiful, but he'd never been a fan of the sorts of girls that both men dated.
The Healer before him was a woman of substance. She had a broad forehead and flashing brown eyes filled with intelligence. Her nose was rather patrician and her mouth appeared mobile rather than full or lush. Still, there was a quality about her that made him want to grab her hand and pull her closer. The Healer green complimented her pale skin and dramatic colouring.
"Beautiful," he decided after considering her for a few more minutes.
His angel in Healer's green snorted in amusement. "Well I guess we know that the pain potion is working just fine," she said with a little quirk to her lips. "I'm Healer Bones and I'll be your attending whilst you're here at St. Mungo's."
"Susan!" A harried looking Healer stuck his head into the room. "We need you in A&E immediately."
The Healer nodded and turned back to Marcus. "Sorry about that, but I've got to go. You'll be fine for a bit. All you've really got is some nasty bruises and a couple cracked ribs. The Skele-Gro dilution should fix that right up."
Marcus smiled as he watched her figure retreat from his room. Susan Bones.
-^- SB/MF
Their second meeting Marcus made sure was purely by design. The Flint family had always donated generously to St. Mungo's and as a result always received an invitation to their exclusive Charity Gala Event. Normally, Marcus did his level best to wiggle out of attending—he found such events to be stiflingly dull and filled with people who had come only to have their egos stroked. This year, however, he pestered his mother for a solid month before the invitation arrived.
"Marcus, darling, why on earth are you so interested in this year's gala?" Eudora Flint peered at Marcus over the top of her reading glasses.
"No reason," Marcus muttered and ducked his head.
"Why Marcus," his mother gasped and her eyes widened. "Is it… is it a witch?"
"Maybe," he admitted and flushed slightly.
His mother's eyes narrowed on his face and she appeared to be thinking. "Who is she?" She asked finally. "It's someone associated with the hospital? Or is it someone in charge of the gala?"
"Susan Bones. She's a Healer." There was no point in trying to keep it from his mother. The woman was like a badger once she'd scented out something—tenacious and steadfast.
"Bones?" Eudora's eyes widened and then turned speculative. The Bones family was almost extinct, but it was well-known and well-liked. Her lips pursed thoughtfully. "She's the last you know. She may insist on a body-heir. It's lucky for you that the Flint family has a proven record of sons."
"Promise me you won't mention that at the gala, mother," Marcus groused and shot a glare in her direction.
"Of course not, Marcus darling. What do you take me for?" Eudora said crisply. She picked up her tea and took a small sip. "Perhaps I ought to invite Dahlia Pucey to luncheon."
Marcus took that as his cue to escape the room and fled to the Floo and his office.
SB/MF
The gala had been occurring for so many years that certain inviolate traditions had developed around it. There was a sit down dinner followed by a dance. It was one of the most formal events of the social calendar and all of the niceties were observed; every witch had a dinner partner assigned to her by the St. Mungo's Ladies' Auxiliary who was in charge of organizing the gala each year. Eudora Flint had subtly maneuvered things so that Marcus would be Miss Susan Bones' dinner partner. He found himself looking for her anxiously and was almost overwhelmed by the feeling of relief when he spotted her red hair.
When Susan turned around Marcus forgot how to breathe. Her glorious red hair was piled on her head in one of those up-do things that were heavily favoured at events like this and tendrils had escaped to brush against her cheeks or curl saucily at her nape. Marcus had never been jealous of a lock of hair before, but he found it entirely possible that night. The bodice of her gown was a deep, rich Slytherin green of which he heartily approved. It was a classic-looking evening gown with a long, straight, black skirt. There was a fairly deep décolletage and a small green bow graced the bodice just beneath her breasts. She was glancing about curiously and it was with a sense of wonder that he realized that she was looking for him. He was going to spend a substantial chunk of time in the company of his angel. He smiled a small smile and moved forward confidently.
"Miss Bones?" He may have purposefully made his voice an octave or two deeper because he thought it sounded sexier. It was a distinct possibility.
"Susan," she said firmly. He would never be certain if she had said anything after that because it was at that point that she smiled at him her brown eyes warm and soft.
"Marcus Flint," he replied and bowed over her hand. His lips barely brushed her soft skin, but he still felt as though his lips were tingling.
"Shall we?" She asked tilting her head to the dining room.
He held out his elbow and her talented, capable hand slid through so that it rested lightly on his arm.
SB/MF
"Hey there Flint, care to join a few us for lunch?" Adrian Pucey stuck his head into Marcus' office and gave him a half-smile.
"I'd love to Pucey, but I have a previous engagement," Marcus replied with a silly little smile.
Adrian's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Something you want to tell me, Marcus?"
"Not just yet," Marcus said with a shake of his head.
The night of the gala had been magical and by the end of it he had persuaded Susan to accept a date with him. A real date in the real world was a nice concept, but trying to schedule it around Susan's schedule at St. Mungo's was problematic at best. Finally they had found a day that ostensibly was her day off, but a Healer was always on call.
A picnic lunch in Hyde Park had seemed perfect, and judging by the pleasure in Susan's face he had chosen rightly. They talked about everything and nothing. Once Susan had realized who he was she had expressed surprise that he wasn't playing Quidditch professionally. He had grimaced slightly and explained that as the only surviving son of his family he was expected to take on the family business. Susan's face had paled and her jaw had tightened. She had leaned away from him unconsciously and he felt a pang at the loss of her closeness. Marcus realized his mistake and rushed to clarify his explanation.
"We refused," he rumbled quietly watching her face carefully. He glanced away for a moment and took a breath. "I had two older brothers. They paid the price of my father's refusal."
Susan's hand gripped his tightly and they sat together silently while children laughed and played around them. After several moments she started talking about her aunt. Marcus remembered Amelia Bones, but he hadn't really considered that she was related to his Susan. Perhaps it was a bit too soon to be thinking of Susan as his, but he couldn't seem to help that. He let her ramble on for an hour, her hand in his whilst his thumb stroked the soft skin gently. It was possibly the best afternoon of his entire life.
SB/MF
When Susan had first begun to date Marcus Flint her friends attempted to dissuade her. Many of their arguments had been ridiculous: Ernie MacMillan had tried to argue that Marcus was too stupid for her because he'd had to repeat his last year; Susan had laughed in Ernie's face. Marcus was one of the most intelligent wizards she'd ever met. He didn't like to talk about it, but one evening over dinner Marcus told her the reasons behind his second seventh year. During his first seventh year, his mother had been extremely ill, and they had thought that she would die; he had left during the middle of his NEWTs to rush to her bedside. Yes he was large and solid, but that was hardly an indicator of intelligence. Susan had never in her life measured a potential date's intelligence by the width of his shoulders and she wasn't about to start now.
After dating for several months, Susan knew that Marcus was becoming very special to her. He had carefully dug himself a place in her life and he appeared to have no intentions of leaving it. Susan couldn't explain why it worked between them—why they fit together so well. It wasn't just the fact that he was almost as wide as he was tall and all of it solid muscle. Nor was it the fact that as the sole heir of the Flint family he was extremely wealthy. No… it was something about Marcus himself, an intrinsic element to his nature that attracted her.
"What is it then?" Hannah Abbott demanded. Susan's best friend had insisted on a girl's day—all the better to grill her.
"There was a book I read once and something in it struck me rather strongly," Susan replied. She smiled slightly at Hannah's understanding look. "It was just something the author wrote about love."
"Love?" Hannah exclaimed. Her eyes had widened and she appeared to be completely surprised.
Susan nodded. She knew what Hannah was thinking, but Susan was certain of her feelings. "Yes, love. It just stuck with me, you know."
"And can we share with the class Miss Bones?" Hannah asked drily.
"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know your name is safe in their mouth." Susan murmured softly and then she blushed becomingly. "That's how I feel whenever Marcus addresses me."
"So… love?" Hannah appeared to be struggling with the idea.
"Hannah," Susan said with a disapproving look.
"Susan Flint," Hannah murmured to herself. She smirked at Susan. "It has a nice ring to it. Speaking of rings…"
Susan glared at her.
SB/MF
"Healer Flint, room 6 is all yours," the Floor Head informed her cryptically and then marched off toward the desk.
After a curious glance after the Floor Head Susan shook her head and headed toward room 6. She walked in with her professional Healer persona in place and stopped just inside the door. Her jaw dropped open in surprise and she gazed around the room in amazement. The room was filled with flowers. Every available surface held a vase overflowing with blooms; the room was a riot of colour. Marcus was lying in the bed, just as he had been the first time they met. She knew that Marcus thought she didn't remember, but she did. Her lips twitched as she valiantly tried to not smile at her husband.
"What is all this then?" Susan managed to say in a semi-dignified manner befitting a Healer at St. Mungo's.
Marcus grinned at her boyishly and ducked his head. "Happy Anniversary?"
"But… our anniversary isn't for five more months," Susan protested.
"Not our wedding anniversary," Marcus corrected her. "The anniversary of the first time we met. I know that you remember, Susan."
Susan blushed. "I might."
"I've never come out better from an altercation with the Weasleys," Marcus confessed and the tips of his ears turned pink.
Laughter bubbled up out of her. "I've never really had an altercation with the Weasleys," she admitted. "They were all a bit too wild for me."
"Trust me; you were the better for it. The twins hexed my teeth my sixth year. Took me forever to figure out what they'd done and fix it," Marcus grumbled.
Susan giggled and shook her head. "Oh Marcus. Are you really going to spend all night complaining about the Weasleys?"
"No," Marcus said firmly.
"Good." Susan moved closer until the light was behind her making a halo around her head.
"Beautiful," Marcus murmured. "My angel in Healer's green."
"What am I going to do with you, Marcus?" Susan asked softly as she settled herself in his lap.
"Love me, Mrs Flint," he whispered just before his lips caught hers.