A story of My O/C and her run in with dementors, through a series of events she finds herself in the arms of Marcus Flint. To view a full bio of my O/C follow this link .com/#/d488uod ****DISCLAIMER: J.K Rowling owns any and all Harry Potter. All characters and names belong to her (other than Sarah Thornhood, she's mine)

*I love nightgames* Sarah Thornhood thought to herself as she settled into bed, it was around 10PM on a Sunday night and her team -gryffindor- had just beat Slytherin in a very tight game of quidditch a few hours ago. She slept for about an hour before springing awake; "oh no!" she gasped under her breath as she hopped out of bed, she had forgotten my bag down in the locker room and it had her transfiguration essay in it, which was due first period the next day.-

Sarah threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before she slipped into her common room, she saw that the celebration was over because nobody was in the room at all, she slipped through the portrait hole, pulled out her wand and muttered 'lumos' her path was now lit. She snuck around the castle and made her way through the doors, she met no teacher, and no ghosts, she didn't even run into peeves. *what luck* she thought, but it was almost un-nerving ** you would think security would be tighter with Sirius Black sighted in Hogsmeade** she thought again. "I can't believe I would forget my essay" she whispered to nobody in particular, it broke the ominous silence though. Finally she reached the entrance to the hall with the locker rooms.

The gryffindor room was at the opposite end of the hallway, she had just began to wonder why she didn't go through at the other end when she noticed the Slytherin door was ajar. She looked inside and found Marcus Flint still working on improving their plays, she assumed the loss angered him. Normally she would have just kept walking, but she couldn't help but stare, he still had his shirt off and he looked good,his arms were well toned and he had a faint but large scar running down his back. *bloody hell woman, go get your bag!* she heard the voice in her head announce, "right" she said under her breath as she slipped away silently but her mind kept nagging her for her previous thoughts **honestly Sarah, he would have killed you if he saw you, he'd think you were spying, plus he thinks you're a 'dirty mudblood'** All of this was true, she knew she would have been beaten to a pulp, Marcus loved pummeling gryffyndors and muggleborns, she was both. Although she had gotten into fist fights with Flint before, she knew his anger over the defeat would fuel him and she would no doubt lose. He may be attractive, but he was a jerk, a violent one at that.

Finally Sarah had reached her own locker room, she caught something behind her in the mirror and she turned the light, it was a thin shaggy black dog *probably a stray from Hogsmeade* she thought, she paid no more attention to it. She fumbled with her lock, holding her wand in one hand and turning the combination with the other. She ahd just grabbed her bag when she started feeling cold, she had no idea why until she turned to see a dementor hovering in the door, she screamed and her light went out. "Expecto Patronum" she yelled, however, conjuring a patronus was difficult, and hers just barley blew the dementor from the door she ran blindly out of the room, she looked back, her eyes had adjusted and she saw the dog narrowly escape three dementors, she then saw another three coming from the other way. She noticed an open door and flew through it, slamming it behind her, then falling onto the bench.

Then somebody whipped around in shock, their eyes met **how could I have forgot this was only unlocked because flint was still in here?* She questioned herself. She opened her mouth but no words came out, Flint wouldn't have heard her over his own yelling anyway; "Thornhood, what are YOU doing in HERE! MUDBLOOD! SPY!" He yelled furiously, his face red with rage. "d..d..dementors" she stuttered. There was no way he believed her, he had just raised his hand to hit her when the handle of the door turned and two of the dementors silently moved in. Sarah conjured her tiger patronus once more, and this time it was strong enough to send them away, she then got up and slammed the door again. "I told you..." She muttered, still flinching as though she expected Marcus to hit her for even speaking. all he asked was "how many" "six" then his face went whiter than she'd ever seen it go.

They didn't speak for a moment and they didn't know how to escape, finally they decided to open the door and run. They were wrong, dead wrong. The dementors had no reason to harm students and were getting hungry. The remaining four surrounded Sarah and began sucking her very soul, she remembered thinking that Marcus had used her as a meat shield to escape, that he'd leave her for dead, but as she slowly faded her ears picked up a faint "pect...tronum..." she was almost gone when suddenly the silvery lion pushed the dementors away. She saw the light come back and she carefully sat up, she was ice cold. When her eyes came fully back into focus she saw Marcus reach down and pull her up and over to the bench, she was so cold he shivered just touching her. He draped his quidditch robe over her shoulders and wrapped it around her as an attempt to warm her up, she thought it was a strange act of kindness, but wasn't going to question it. They decided to wait it out and Marcus sent a flair from his wand up to the castle, they had to wait for help now.

They sat their in awkward silence, you know, the kind that happens after an enemy saves your life; which is what had just happened. Sarah broke the silence with the only thing she could think of, "Adrian said you couldn't produce a patronus..." she realized it may have been rude, but she couldn't think of anything else, and the prior silence was deafening. She saw Marcus clench his fist, she thought he was mad and that he would yell at her for imposing, instead a sigh escaped him, he looked up and said "Well I don't really have any happy memories other than the time he and I made the team together" he then turned his arm to reveal several burn marks, she ran her hand down his arm but had no idea what to say, it was his skin that felt cold now. "What happened to your arm, how did you get so scared?" that was question one, question two was " and what happened to your back?" She hoped he would open up, she hoped she didn't over step a boundary. All he said was "I'm only telling you this because you've had it rough too" -he was right, her alcoholic mother was only now seeking treatment, for 16 years she barely had a mother- "you have to promise you won't tell, only Pucey knows, and Dumbledore but he forced it out of me, something about letting go" he trailed off. "I...I won't say a word" Sarah replied, she normally wouldn't have been flustered but she was shocked Flint would open up to her, he only ever told Adrian anything.

He took a deep breath and started his story: "my father isn't necessarily a great guy, since I was little if I ever did anything wrong... well he wouldn't talk about it unless you count yelling, that asshole wouldn't even let me tell my side" I inhaled another deep breath "I came home from a local quidditch game when I was ten, I only had 100 points to my name and he told me I would never be a good chaser, he yelled for an hour while he burned out his cigarette on my arm, once it was gone he used a candle" She was shocked at this "Marcus... your dad's wrong, you're a great chaser" those were the only words she could find. She hadn't realized her hand was still on the burned arm until she felt him slide his arm up so he could hold her hand, he squeezed it a little. "Then one time..." she noticed a bit of shakiness in his voice, "one time I came back from school with a C- and he told me I was the stupidest kid he's ever met, then he whipped my back over and over again, in the same spot, until I passed out, I don't think he stopped right then either. My mom doesn't care, I guess she thinks it keeps her safe, but he wouldn't hit her, I think she just likes hearing me scream" He stopped and Sarah felt something wet drip onto her fingers, she couldn't believe it, tough guy Flint was crying. She would have laughed if she had ever saw this any other time, but now she only rubbed his hand with her fingers. Marcus turned his head to try and stop her from seeing his tears. She could tell he wouldn't say much more.

"Marucs..." She started carefully, "can't you talk about something happy... I...I've never seen you like this, you must've thought of something really strong to produce such an amazing patronus" **I never thought the day would come when I would try to CHEER Flint UP** she thought. all he said was "you'd laugh if you knew" "Why would I laugh at someone being happy?" she retorted. "Fine." he said but he sounded nervous. "You don't have to tell me if it's too personal" she realized again she could have crossed a line. "No... I should tell you, you started it after all" This floored her, she had never been so puzzled yet so intrigued. A small smile crept across his face "That day you helped me up during dueling practice, even though I made fun of you all class.. It made me think not everyone wanted to kick me when I was down, that some people are forgiving, I never let that go" Sarah smiled and looked over at him, their eyes met for a second and his face went red. "and... um you know" he started stammering " having Pucey around helps too, he's my best friend... But I just don't think I can forget when you grabbed my hand and helped me back on my feet, I don't know why... it stuck though" he was completely flustered. She didn't know what to say, so she wrapped him in a hug, he hugged her back, she felt him rub against her neck, his face was still damp; then she ran her fingers through his short black hair and that's when it happened, he slid his fingers down her neck, looked up, and kissed her lips. "I...sorry, I don't know why, um... sorry..I" he was about to blabber an excuse when she simply smiled and said "shh" she ran her hand to his shoulder and kissed him back, this time they stayed that way for a few minutes, until they heard footsteps down the hall.

They had just slid apart just moments before four teachers came in, it was Dunmbledore, Lupin, McGonagall, and Snape. Dumbledore spoke, " I do believe Mr. Flint sent up a flare? We followed it's trail but it seemed to take the long way down here" upon saying this he slide a subtle smile to Marcus. Before he could ask what happened Snape looked at Sarah and snapped "twenty points from Gryffindor, ten for being in the Slytherin room, and ten for being out late, I suppose I'll take ten from Flint as well, it's midnight" "now now Severus, let the kids explain" Lupin cut in and Snape sneered at him. Sarah spent what felt like hours to her, explaining the forgotten work, the dementor attack, and how Marcus saved her. "I don't know what would have happened if he wasn't here" she finished McGonagall gave him ten points and Snape gave him twenty. {this is a bit unfair, I should speak up} Marcus thought then he spoke " It would have been worse if you weren't here" he started, he smiled up at Sarah as he said this, "There would have been six, not four and I wouldn't have known, I would have walked into them, I'd have been killed for sure." Dumbledore then granted her the points Snape had taken, Lupin winked slyly behind Snapes back.

Once things were settled they all starting their walk back up to the castle, Lupin and Dumbledore disappeared first, next they hit the Slytherin entrance, Snape mumbled the password and stormed off and Marcus stepped inside. Snapes footsteps faded as Sarah and McGonagall turned to head to the Gryffindor room when they heard the Slytherin door re-open. Marcus re entered the hall, lifted Sarahs chin and kissed her lips again, she didn't blame him for waiting, with Snapes mood the way it was, he'd have murdered Marcus, Slytherin captain or not. They whispered their goodnights amd Marcus kissed her cheek, his smile glowing. As soon as she watched him leave her face turned scarlet, she had forgotten McGonagall was behind her, and that she saw the whole ordeal.

"I suppose I won't have to worry about you and Mr. Flint killing each other anymore?" McGonagall asked, her lips moved into one of her rare smiles. Sarah laughed, they did get into scraps a lot in the past. She too smiled, then said "please, don't tell the other girls, I don't want them to know yet." **Katie and Alicia would NOT be pleased, but I'll tell them once we see where this goes** She thought, though she didn't need to ask McGonagall to keep the secret, the girls could always confide in her. ", I wouldn't say a word, but the girls MAY notice his qudditch robe in your dorm." "oh, right, I forgot all about it" Sarah said as she stopped and handed the robe over. McGonagall poofed it away to the wash. Sarah had just headed through the portrait when McGonagall yelled after her: "Don't forget the essay is due tomorrow" "It's already done! Me forgetting an essay would be like Wood canceling a practice because of rain" Sarah had shouted back. She snuck through the common room and into the dorm, she lay in bed with Marcus's scent and the smell of his robe still on her shirt, lucky for her it was a reminder to change into pajamas. **I'm sure the girls would notice if I slept in jeans and a shirt** she thought **but they ARE used to me sleeping with a forgotten shirt on my bed** She changed and curled back up with the shirt over her arm, inhaling the last lingering scent of her new love made her smile dreamily, she could almost feel his kiss again. She went to sleep with a clear head and no worries for the first time in a long time.

In the Slytherin dorm Marcus was laying in his bed, he had a smile on his face too. For once he slept peacefully, he didn't need to wake Adrian with a terrible nightmare about his dad. In fact, that night, he didn't think about his past at all.