For Carmen via the Monthly Oneshot Exchange (MarcusKatie, warrior princess). I was a little intimidated writing this because Carmen writes this ship so perfectly. I hope I did them justice.

"Don't try to move. Your ankle is broken."

Katie bolts upright at the voice, eyes narrowing at Marcus. "You…"

"Me," he confirms, lifting a potion vial. "I was waiting for you to wake. Didn't want you to choke on this."

Katie backs away angrily, her hand reaching for her wand but closing around nothing. She swears under her breath. Of course he took her wand.

Marcus raises his brows, a small smirk playing at his lips. "Did you really think I'd risk you hexing me?" he teases.

"You deserve it."

His expression darkens at that. Part of her wants to apologize, wants to reach out for him the way she used to. But she doesn't. He betrayed her. He should have fought by her side, but they were enemies on the battlefield instead.

And now the war is over. They've lost. She'd tried to escape the castle, but… Well, she can't remember anything but chaos and screaming, followed by pain and darkness.

Katie looks around, frowning. She's been in his bedroom enough to instantly recognize the green and grey wallpaper and the intricately patterned tile floor. "What am I, then? Prisoner? Trophy?"

Exhaling deeply, the wizard shakes his head. "Is that what you think of me?" he asks, and she hates how wounded he sounds.

She purses her lips. Given everything, she'd say it's a fair assessment. After all, good people don't fight evil dictators. She highly doubts she's simply his houseguest. "Then let me go."

"Your ankle."

She moves her leg, crying out as flames seem to engulf her. Playing Quidditch, she's broken enough bones to recognize the sensation.

"Told you," he mutters, offering her the vial. "Drink."

She keeps her hands folded stubbornly in her lap. "And then you'll let me go?"

"Katie-"

"Don't."

"I'm trying to protect you."

"I don't need you to protect me!"

He snorts, pushing the vial towards her again. "I know, warrior princess," he says gently. "You're the toughest woman I know. But even you can't be too stubborn to accept medical attention."

Grudgingly, she snatches the vial from him. The pain in her foot and leg is maddening; the fact that it will shut him up is just an added bonus. She sniffs the contents suspiciously, and Marcus rolls his eyes.

"It's not poison."

With a scowl, she presses the vial to her lips, downing the contents quickly. The relief is instantaneous. She feels the pain dull as her bones begin to right themselves.

"Satisfied? Let me go."

Marcus frowns and crosses the room, looking out the window. "The world is in chaos, Katie. It's not safe for you."

Carefully, she climbs to her feet, stumbling slightly. Her ankle isn't completely fixed yet, and it feels strange to apply pressure to it. Inhaling deeply and gritting her teeth, she takes an unsteady step, ignoring the faint hum of pain pulsing through her leg.

"What happened?" she asks quietly.

"What do you remember?"

"Harry… Harry is dead," she whispers.

She saw his body hit the ground in burst of green light. She witnessed the hope fade from the eyes of those around her. But she still can't quite comprehend it. Unfortunately, Marcus nods his confirmation, and Katie chokes back a sob.

Katie turns away quickly, blinking back tears. Harry wouldn't want her to mourn for him. He'd want her to honor his memory by continuing the fight.

"They…" She trails off, taking a deep breath, trying to find the right words. Everything in her head seems to blur together, and she can't seem to make sense of it all. "They began hunting us down. I ran. Oliver was with me. He's dead too, isn't he?"

She remembers his hand in hers, how natural it felt, like he was trying to keep her calm before a big match. She didn't see the curse that hit. She only remembers staggering as her best friend fell, his fingers still laced with hers.

Another nod. Marcus looks sympathetic. Whatever rivalry they had on the pitch, she knows that he'd respected Oliver as a player.

"I don't remember anything after that."

"You ran. Someone pushed you down the staircase in the stampede. That's where I found you, unconscious."

Katie swallows dryly, pressing a hand to the back of her head. She wonders how she didn't notice the tender knot sooner. Wincing, she pulls her hand away.

"Yaxley was going to kill you. I stopped him."

"How?" she asks.

He refuses to meet her eyes. Katie shivers, her stomach turning shower. She watches the way his face contorts in pain, the way he stares at his trembling hands as though they're something disgusting.

"You killed him," she guesses, her voice barely above a whisper.

"He was going to kill you!"

Katie reaches out, taking his hand in hers. That couldn't have been easy for him, and she can imagine the consequences his act of mercy had.

"I have protective spells around the house, but they won't hold," he says grimly.

Katie looks out the window. In the street below, she can see four figures. Four… It isn't too bad. If they can each manage to take on two, they have a chance.

Marcus seems to read her thoughts. He shakes his head, lips drawn into a thin line. "Where would we go? It's over, Katie."

She lifts his hand to her lips, pressing a kiss to his knuckles. "It isn't over. They're still going to fight," she insists.

"And your plan is to go on the run until we find someone who is fighting?"

Katie shrugs. Admittedly, it isn't the best plan. There's too much risk, too much uncertainty. But it's all they've got. Besides, it's better than waiting around for more enemies to gather outside, better than waiting around to die.

"You're insane. Have I ever mentioned that?" he asks.

She grins. "You and me against the world, Marcus. Isn't that what we used to talk about?"

A smile twists his lips. He releases her hand and makes his way to the dresser where he retrieves her wand from the top drawer. "Now is the part where I remind you that I'm a Slytherin. I'm supposed to be concerned with saving my own skin."

"Not today. Today, you're a lion, and you're fighting."

"The things I do for love."

…

Katie checks the provisions in her bag one last time. In theory, they should be fine for about a week, but it's difficult to estimate with so many uncertainties out there.

"Ready?" Marcus asks.

She swallows dryly. Her insides feel like gelatin. Her heart races in her chest as though she's just finished running a mile. Really, Katie doubts that she will ever truly be ready for this, but it doesn't matter. Marcus is at her side, as he should have been before. This time, somehow, they will make it right.

"Let's do this."

He leans in, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. It doesn't calm her nerves completely, but she can feel a renewed determination flood her body. "For luck," he says before raising his wand, speaking the incantations to lower the protective barriers.

She keeps her wand steady somehow as he opens the door. The Death Eaters outside seem confused, and they quickly take advantage of the hesitation. Katie's wand slashes through the air as she binds one. Marcus easily disarms another before sending him flying backwards.

Katie grins, adrenaline taking over, her confidence soaring. It's just like her first Quidditch match. Once her nerves settled, she dominated. And now, she does the same, dodging curses and jinxes with a laugh.

"Stupefy!" she cries, and the Death Eater falls beside his comrade.

Marcus takes out the last one before turning to her. "I should have fought with you in the battle. My family-"

Katie throws her arms around him, kissing him fiercely. "Doesn't matter. You made up for it," she assures him. "We'd better go."

"Where?" he asks.

Really, she doesn't have a clue. Countless allies have undoubtedly gone underground, into hiding. She's sure little rebellions will spring up over time, but, until then, there is no way to know what places are safe or who can be trusted.

Somehow, it doesn't matter. All she cares about is that she is alive, Marcus is by her side, and they can carry on. A grin spreads across her face. "Doesn't matter," she says. "As long as we're together."