FLAMES TO DUST
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters in the book or film that you all recognise. The only things that I lay claim to is the plot and names that are not recognisable in this story.
This is my first attempt at writing a fan fiction so 'Please be kind in your judgements'. This First Chapter does not mention Draco or Hermione but is important to future chapters. I hope you all enjoy.
PROLOGUE
"Why do you have to be so difficult?" he screamed at her.
"Me, difficult? You lied to me. Is this what are relationship was based on? Lies, lies and more lies?" she screamed back.
This time she couldn't hold back on the tears. She turned to run out of the room but he was too swift for her. He grabbed her by her arm and swung her around.
"Don't you dare walk away from me."
"Or you'll what? Hand me over to the dark lord?" she shot back. He loosened his grip on her arm so she took that opportunity to pull it free but there was no mistaking the mark he had left.
"I didn't mean to hurt you. You know I didn't." There was so much hurt in his eyes.
"Do you mean my arm or the lies?" She seethed through gritted teeth. She tried to back away from him because being in such close proximity of each other made her emotions cave in and she knew she had to be strong. She stumbled and fell onto a heap on the floor. He stepped forward to help her up but she pushed his hand away.
"Don't touch me." She cried. "So stupid, I should have known. The evidence was all there. How could I have been so blind? You have all the traits, the hair colour, your eyes and the way you smile. Exactly like him."
"Melia, please listen to me." He said desperately "I'm not like him. I'm not my brother. This doesn't change anything that's happened between us. You're still my wife.
"Oh my god, is your name even Marcus?" she said in a trance as she picked herself up from the floor and walked towards the sofa. 'Is the marriage even legal?' She thought as she sat down.
"It's legal," he said suddenly cutting into her thoughts.
"What…. How… you used your powers on me?" she exclaimed as she put her hands an either side of her head in a useless attempt to block out the legimentus he was using.
"We were married magically with the hand-fasting. As long as we both used our first names with our true feelings, it was legal. My name is Marcus. That was no lie…"
"What! Am I supposed to be grateful for that one piece of truthful information" she interrupted, tears turning to anger. He cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. "I used my mother's maiden name, I… I… he stuttered "If I told you my real name at the beginning would you have given me the time of day, let alone go out to dinner with me?"
She just stared at him silently. If truth be told, maybe not. He belonged to a long line of pureblood that meddled in dark and evil magic.
"I didn't think so," he said with gritted teeth. With that final statement he stormed out of the room.
She didn't know how long she sat there staring into space. All she could think about was the happy times they had together and how they first met at the bookstore. How can you drop a book on a mans head but still have him ask you out on a date?
FLASHBACK
"I reed do ket wid of dis code ast" she mumbled to herself "I av un in-de-foo add dee minstwee add wun" 'shit, that came out all wrong' she thought. She ran into the kitchen and started looking through the draws and units. "Mare ur day?" she shouted in a frustrated manner. Looking at the kitchen clock she only had three hours to go before the interview. A slow smile washed over her face. She grabbed her coat from the back of a chair and ran out the house.
She ran all the way to Florish and Blotts. She was so busy looking for the maladies and ailments section that she ran straight into someone.
"Sit, sorwee" then she realized what she had said and blushed. "Code" she mumbled as she wiped her noses with a well-used tissue. He smiled at her "Are you all right?" She didn't want to sound like an idiot again so in answer she just smiled and nodded her head.
She hurried to the back of the shop and found the section. Scanning through the shelf at eye level, she couldn't find anything on the subject. "Damn it" she stamped her foot. Looking up as if to ask her maker for help she spotted it, right on the top shelf. As she looked around for an assistant she spied a stepladder in the corner. 'Should I'… She thought. 'There's no one to help and I'm in a hurry'. She moved the ladder towards the shelf. When it was positioned properly she climbed a few rungs up to about the height she needed to reach the book. 'Get rid of common ailments in a flash' was written on the spine. She stretched her arm out for the book, 'Got it' she thought, as she pulled it from the shelf a couple of little children ran past the ladder so fast that they knocked into it at which point she nearly lost her balance but definitely lost the book that was In her hand. She could see it falling as if in slow motion but there was nothing she could do. Moments before, a certain gentleman had spotted the whole episode unfolding before him and gallantly came to the ladies rescue but became a victim of a flyaway book
"THUD'
"OW"
"SORWEE. SORWEE. SORWEE." She started laughing. He gave her a bemused look and shook his head as he picked up the book from the floor. "Ah, I get it, you've got a cold. I thought earlier you were telling me that you're talking in code" he she sheepishly. "Sorry, maybe I can help" he said as he took out his wand. "If you tried it with your mispronunciations you might hex yourself." Melia looked at him suspiciously. The man laughed. "I'm not a bad person. Honest. You can trust me." She nodded her head to let him know that he could do the spell. She closed her eyes expecting the worse as he said the incantation. 'Egrotatio obeo', first she opened one eye and was met by a pair of grey ones staring back at her, then she opened the other. He was laughing at her. "Don't worry, I haven't turned you into a goblin or anything. Try saying something."
"Amelia Stanton, Thank you:" she smiled as she held out her hand. "I can pronounce my words:" she exclaimed in surprise "and I don't sound like an idiot... Uh ohh" she clapped a hand over her mouth.
"No you don't." he laughed.
"I wasn't meant to say that out loud." she blushed furiously. "Um, thanks again. I am really sorry about the book falling on your head and also when I bumped into you earlier."
"Are you really sorry?" he asked
Off course I am. I don't make a habit of throwing books at people from the top of a ladder. I leave that to my gran." she retorted
The man looked taken aback and raised an eyebrow 'Is she for real' he thought.
Melia laughed "I'm only joking." The eyebrow was still raised. "About the gran, not about me throwing the book. For that I truly am sorry."
"Well, If you really are sorry for being so accidental and also for that poor attempt at a joke then how about going for dinner with me?" he grinned at her mischievously.
When she said nothing, he took hold of her hand and placed the book into it. As their hands touched he felt as if he'd been electrocuted in a nice way (AN: if that is at all possible. Maybe he's just a bit kinky)
"I'm not Bad person. If was, would you have trusted me to cast that spell to cure your cold?" She had also felt the energy between them.
She smiled at him "All right. Dinner it is." she looked into his grey eyes.
"Great, I'll meet you at the Three broomsticks at 6 o'clock this evening and we can decide where you'd like to eat. There's this nice Italian restaurant at..."
"Wait," she interrupted him "Haven't you forgotten something?"
He looked at her. " Oh Merlin, Yes. How rude of me. That is, Miss Stanton. If you don't have any plans for this evening. Would you like to join meet me at the..."
"NO, not that." She laughed. She cleared her throat. "Sir, you have the advantage of me but I am still in the dark as to who you are."
END FLASHBACK
She got up from the sofa and walked over to the drinks cabinet. " And for 8 months, I still was." she screamed as she picked up a decanter and launched it at the opposite wall where it smashed to pieces. She walked out of the room but walked back in again. She was a stickler for tidiness. Shaking her head she did a repairing and cleaning spell. She watched as the pieces collected into themselves to make the object whole again. "If only life could be that simple" she thought. It was at that moment she knew what she had to do.