Disclaimer: Everything that you recognize does not belong to me. It belongs to the lovely J.K. Rowling who is fantastic. So nothing belongs to me. Please don't sue.
Pairing: Marcus/Katie, Seamus/Pansy, and maybe Terence/Alicia. Others will be implied.
Summary: Slightly AU, Black and white was how most people saw the world and until that moment Katie, like most others didn't bother to look for the grey in between.
Things In Between
Chapter 1- In The Beginning
The easy way isn't always the right way- Unknown
Receiving the letter accepting me into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? Easy. Slightly terrifying and overwhelming…but easy. Disappearing through a brick wall at the train station in full view of muggles? Easy. Well…not really, I was eleven at the time and the prospect of running into a brick wall didn't really sit well in the pit of my stomach. Riding on the train? Easy, that I was at least familiar with. Making friends on the said train? Really easy, seeing as how a set of twins with ginger hair and two girls, both of whom had dark skin literally fell into my compartment. It really was the start of a wonderful and beautiful (yet sometimes infuriating) friendship. Getting sorted? Easy. I had a nice conversation with the Talking Hat. He found it funny that I gave him capital letters. Gryffindor was where I was sorted. Thankfully, my new friends were already there. Making the Quidditch team in my second year? Relatively easy seeing as how I was a very good player (and the fact that I was friends with the twins and Angelina and Alicia helped too, but, shush! No one is really supposed to know that). My first actual Quidditch game? Easy…well almost easy. My first game ever was against Slytherin…the good thing to come out of that? I missed classes for the whole week. Something about broken ribs.
So as you can see throughout my life the events that have happened were easy. Simple really. That's the way it always was with me; Katherine Bell (although please call me Katie), everything I've done has always been on the easy side. Alas, all good things must come to an end, because….
Having the captain of the Slytherin Quidditch come back for his second seventh year looking incredibly built (regardless of his teeth, I personally think they add character) and then developing a very big crush on that said Slytherin captain who is loathed amongst my fellow Gryffindor Quidditch team-mates…yeah…not so easy, that one.
So ladies and gentlemen let me take you back to my fourth year where it all started and we'll go from there.
Katie Bell found it quite ironic that she would develop a crush on the guy most hated in her house. Oliver Wood (the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team a.k.a. her previous crush) couldn't go one minute without blaming Marcus Flint (The Slytherin Quidditch captain…for interest's sake of course) for something. Well, needless to say nothing happened between them. Not that anything ever could. He'd go to Azkaban and Katie would be labeled a whore. Really, life was just a bunch of roses.
There was that one incident with the Dementors though. It was completely her fault too. Riding high up in the sky when there are creatures that drain the happiness out of life and suck your soul out, wasn't the smartest thing to do. So while surrounded by these said creatures and remembering the most horrible experiences in her childhood (things that she will most likely share with you later) she had the sudden thought that she was going to die and the first thought that crossed through Katie's mind? 'I never even got my kiss from Flint.' A surge of light passed by her and through heavy lidded eyes she thought she saw the silhouette of a horse. Then everything went black.
Katie woke up in the hospital wing the next day. Her team-mates were around her bed when she woke. They told her what had happened. After getting scolded like she was a child they finally left. None of them told her who actually saved her. Even though she asked numerous of times. Finally Madam Pomfrey told her when she asked. "Madam Pomfrey?" The older lady turned around to the blonde on the bed, "Who carried me here?"
Madam Pomfrey bustled around Katie's bedside, "Oh darling," She sighed. She slapped her arm, "I will not understand why you children always go looking for trouble. Is it that difficult to just stay on the ground and be the good students your parents expect you to be?" She shook her head and Katie choked back a laugh. "If it wasn't for Marcus dearie, who by the way came in here barking mad, you would be dead."
Katie froze. Marcus? As in Marcus Flint captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team?
"Of course Marcus Flint captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team. How many Marcus's do you know?"
'Apparently' Katie thought 'I said that aloud.'
After getting out of the Hospital wing she tried to corner Flint in the halls. He was never alone. Always with Terence Higgs (who was still friends with him even after he kicked him off the team in favor for new brooms and Malfoy), and Adrian Pucey. If not with them he was with Pansy Parkinson nearly always fighting.
It was nearing the end of her fourth year and Katie still hadn't been able to catch him alone. During Quidditch games was an absolute no because almost all of Katie's focus was on actually staying on her broom after getting kicked and pushed numerous times by the guy she was trying to get alone. She decided not to dwell in the irony.
Finally, she had given up and wrote a letter instead. At the Leaving Feast she had seen numerous of owls swoop down and place letters in student's lap. Watching the Slytherin table she cringed slightly when she saw the letter fall into his lap. Frowning slightly, she watched him open the letter and read…away from his friend's prying eyes. She saw his eyes widen slightly but in a blink it was gone and his eyes met hers. He gave her a slight nod and then returned to his friend's conversation. Katie saw him tuck it into his pocket and she wondered idly what he would do with it when he got home. "Most likely burn it." She mumbled.
"What did you say?" Alicia Spinnet, her friend and fellow chaser who was a year ahead of her asked.
"Nothing." Katie said quickly. "I said nothing at all."
She glanced at the Slytherin once more and turned away.
She missed the unusual soft smile that Marcus Flint gave her.
That summer was the Quidditch World Cup. She had begged her father to get tickets so they could go and he said he'd think about. She had spent the summer owling Alicia, Angelina, the twins, Lee Jordan and reading. She went into Diagon Alley a few times and finally as the summer drew to a close and a total of zero pro-Quidditch games later, her father surprised her with two tickets to the Ireland versus Bulgaria game.
She shrieked loudly and laughed when her father covered his ears.
The morning of the game they left early and arrived at the camp via port-key. Katie looked around with awe. Her stomach did cart-wheels and she wondered if Flint would be there. She figured he would. Changing into her Ireland jersey and painting her cheeks with the Irish flag, she and her father were ready to go. They had seats at the top where the twins and Cedric Diggory were. She smiled at Cedric when he smiled at her. Cheers erupted when the Irish came out with the dancing leprechaun. More cheers erupted when the Bulgarian team came out and Viktor Krum was shown. She looked over at her father who was in conversation with Arthur Weasley and Amos Diggory, he caught her eye and winked.
The game was exhilarating. Walking back with her father they talked non-stop. Getting into their tent she did a little dance and let out a loud sigh, "And when Krum just came down and fouled O'Connor, wow, just wow. And how about…" She never did get to finish what she was saying when loud screams erupted from outside their tent. "Celebrating already?"
Her father shook his head and smiled as he peaked outside. He turned back around immediately, "Katie, no one is celebrating." He grabbed her hand. "Stay close to me."
"Dad," She said looking up at her father confused, "What's going on?"
"Bad things." Was all he said. He tightened his grip on her hand and they made their way through the camp.
Katie's eyes widened when she saw the commotion. She could see spells eject from wands. Terrified screams were all around her. They stopped in front of the Weasley family. She saw Ginny, (the youngest and only female sibling) bury her head in Fred's sweater. She turned her head around and saw a group of black robbed and white masked people. She forgot to breathe. "Death-eaters?!"
Her father turned around to face her. "Don't let go of my hand."
Like that would ever happen.
Apparently it did, because one moment she was holding her father's hand trying to get back to the port-key and the next she was pulled roughly to the ground and watched as her father was carried away from her by the masses of people, still screaming her name. In an instant she was up and running. "Dad!" She yelled. She kept on getting pushed to the ground. "Dad!" Her throat was going raw and her eyes were watering from the smoke. She felt the tears drip down her cheeks. She heard spells all around her. She patted herself. "My wand." She muttered. "Where in the name of Merlin is my wand?" She didn't have anytime to think, she let out a yelp of pain when someone roughly pushed her with their shoulder. She was on the ground holding her shoulder when she felt a hand wrap around her other arm and pull her up. She pulled against them and kicked.
"Merlin, Bell, I'm trying to help you." The voice hissed in pain.
She stopped moving and breathing at the same time. "Flint?" She looked at him. Yep, it was him. How many times did she dream about this? Well…not this exactly but him? Many times. He was pulling her forward. His vice grip around her bicep was going to leave a bruise but she didn't care. Pushing people out of their way, more successfully then she did they came to a clearing. "How did you…I mean why did you…?"
"I heard someone yelling your name." He grunted out, slightly out of breath. Katie was heaving. Circe, she really needed to get back into shape. "Then I saw you."
"So, you played 'hero' then?" She asked laughing lightly. She felt like bursting into sobs.
"Tell anyone and I'll deny it." He said.
"Katie!" Her father yelled.
Katie let out a choked sob and ran into her father's arms. He wrapped her arms around her and lifted her up. "Daddy!" Katie cried feeling five again when her father held her when she fell and skinned her knee. He put her down on the ground. "He saved me dad."
"Who?" He asked looking around.
She turned around and noticed that Marcus wasn't where she left him. "Marcus Flint." She said softly against the noise still emitting from the camp. "He saved me."
"Tell anyone and I'll deny it."
It would be their little secret.
That year was the Tri-Wizard Tournament and Hogwarts was playing host. Alicia was excited at the idea of new boys and Angelina's head was bent over looking at Quidditch plays. "This one just might be worse then Oliver." Alicia told Katie, the twins and Lee.
George Weasley laughed. "No one could be worse then Oliver."
"Even if they tried." Fred Weasley said.
"It's just…"
"Not possible." Both of them finished at the same time.
Lee shook his head, his dreadlocks framing his face, "You two need to cut that out." Lee looked at the Slytherin table. "You reckon Flint will come back for another year? Git."
George and Fred sniggered. "Wouldn't be surprising."
Alicia sighed and pouted softly. "I'm just upset that Higgs left with him."
"No dating rivals." Angelina ordered still not looking up from the papers in front of her. "That means Davies is off limits Alicia." She paused. "The same with Diggory."
Alicia scoffed. "Diggory is so far up Chang's arse it makes me sick."
"Not a fan of Cho then?" Fred asked. "Are you…jealous?"
"Bloody Hell yes."
Katie smiled and snickered into her pumpkin juice. She was upset at not seeing Flint. She mentally shrugged, she'd see him again; she had too.
After the scandal with Harry Potter also being chosen as one of the wizards in the tournament, things got a bit chilly in the Gryffindor Tower. Katie noticed that Ron was avoiding The-Boy-Who-Lived. Personally, Katie didn't care how he got it. She just wished him well. Angelina on the hand went a tad bit crazy. She ranted and raved at how the team was going to suffer. Alicia finally had enough and silenced her. Katie laughed while Angelina was throwing deadly glares at Alicia.
The first task of the tournament was Dragons. Katie held the railing tightly until her knuckles had gone white. 'Marcus wouldn't flinch.' She thought. Her thoughts always did end up going to the former Slytherin captain.
One day she made the mistake of speaking loudly, "I wonder what Flint's doing now?"
Angelina let out a gasp, Alicia cocked an eyebrow, George and Fred spit out their pumpkin juice and Lee choked on a piece of bread. "Why the rudding Hell would you ask that?" Angelina growled.
Katie cowered back in fear. 'Great job Katie, way to land yourself in hot water.' "Curiosity?" She squeaked out.
"Probably joined the Death-Eaters." Lee said.
"Hopefully rotting six feet under." Angelina muttered.
"Maybe he went to Romania and got eaten by a dragon. Our brother Charlie says that happens sometimes." Fred said.
George nodded in agreement with his brother.
Alicia kept on looking at Katie with her eyebrow cocked and a knowing smile on her face.
Katie felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. 'Note to self- stop thinking aloud, or better yet, stop thinking period.'
Harry had won the first round. Instead of staying and celebrating with the rest of the Gryffindors, Katie made her way to her bed and slept.
That night she dreamt of Marcus and was sorry when she woke up the next morning.
Cedric Diggory was dead. In the last challenge he died. Harry was holding him and sobbing. She felt Alicia grab her hand. "Oh Merlin."
Katie was still looking at Harry when her gaze shifted to Cedric's pale lifeless body. Wasn't it just last summer that she was at the Quidditch World Cup with him? It felt like a life time ago to her.
"He's back!" She heard Harry cry out. "Voldermort's back!"
She felt her breath hitch as Alicia tightened her hold on her.
She thought of Marcus and that was the only reason why she didn't break out into hysteric sobs.
The next time she saw Marcus was at Cedric's funeral. The crowd had thinned when she saw a shadow behind her. She turned her head and saw Marcus Flint stand next to her. They stood in silence. She could feel the heat radiate from his body.
"He was one of the good guys." He said quietly.
Katie agreed. Silence overcame them again. Marcus patted her on the shoulder and turned to walk away. "It's starting now isn't it?" She felt him stand next her again. "The war, it's starting now isn't it?"
"Yeah, it is."
She turned to face him. "So, what happens now?"
"Now, Katie you have to becareful." He walked away from her.
When she finally got home she laid down on her bed and reveled in the fact that he called her Katie. Not Bell, or Gryffindor…Katie and Merlin help her she wanted him to keep saying Katie…just Katie.
In Katie's sixth year the twins made a havoc of themselves as usual, Umbridge was a completely off her rockers, Angelina drilled them harder then ever, her nose got broken by Ron who became Keeper and she joined the D.A. As eventful as it was she never saw Marcus. She dated and kissed but none gave her the butterflies that Marcus gave her. 'He hasn't even kissed you-not that he'd want to.'
She saw on several occasions that Pansy Parkinson who Katie saw with Marcus many times, join Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad. Katie saw the black-haired girl make lives miserable. She stayed away from Katie though for some reason. Katie, like her other house-mates had made up her mind about Parkinson purely on what she saw. Katie always wondered why Marcus was close to Pansy. In the middle on Katie's sixth year, in the girl's bathroom on the fourth floor she found Pansy Parkinson on the tiled floor crying. Not knowing what to do or what to say Katie just stood with her mouth gaping open.
"Is everything alright?" Katie blurted out.
Pansy's head snapped up. A sneer made its way on her face. "Why do you care Gryff?" She hastily wiped away the tears. "Going to use it as ammunition? 'You should have seen it, Pansy Parkinson finally getting what was coming to her.'" She mocked a voice and Katie stood her ground. "Why don't you just run off and tell everyone you know and everyone else who is willing to listen how the might have fallen." She waited tapping her foot impatiently. "Why aren't you running?!"
"Gryffindors don't run." Katie said. Mentally, she was hitting herself. 'Run-away before she turns you to stone.'
"Brave Gryffindor, or stupid Gryffindor however you want to look at it." Pansy sighed. "Go ahead. Say it. Demean me. That is what your kind has always wanted."
Katie cleared her throat and pushed away her blonde hair from her eyes. "I don't like the things you do. I don't like that Umbridge has recruited students to turn on other students. I think that what you said about Cedric to Cho and Harry was horrible and vulgar but I also know that I don't turn away from someone who is in obvious need of a friend."
"I have friends Bell." Pansy spat her last name out like venom.
"Some friends then. They can't even come to check on you." Katie scoffed. She shrugged, "What-ever it is that's got you so upset I hope everything works itself out."
"You want to know why my so-called friend's aren't here to comfort me?" She called out when Katie was near the door. "It's because their parent's were part of what happened. Who would want to face the child whose parent's were murdered by their friend's parents. Did that make any sense?"
Katie felt her blood run cold. She walked towards Pansy and slid down next to her. "Your parent's are dead?"
"By my friend's parents. That's loyalty for you."
"How did you find out?" Katie asked.
"Marcus contacted me." She slid a sideway glance at the blonde next to her. "You know Marcus."
Katie stared at her. Yeah, she knew Marcus…kind of.
"I'll be living with him, Terence and Adrian for the summer. Merlin, help me. They'll drive me insane." Pansy shook her head as new tears came streaming down. "No more Parkinson Manor. No more having my mother there to help me through everything. My father won't be there to teach me things that you can't learn in school. No more family dinners. No more staying up late and drinking hot chocolate. All there will be is emptiness. Don't get me wrong, Marcus and the boys will do their best. Marcus loved my father like he was his own father instead of an uncle." She let out a sob as she gripped the tile floor and rocked back and forth. "No more of my mother and father telling me that they love me for me. I'll just be…empty."
Katie tried to blink away the tears that built up in her eyes but found she was too late. They already made their salty path down her cheeks. Without warning she pulled Pansy to her and held the dark-haired girl as she cried.
Black and white was how most people saw the world and until that moment Katie, like most others didn't bother to look for the grey in between.
Katie Bell almost died from a cursed necklace in her seventh year that Draco Malfoy planted. She woke up in St. Mungos and saw Pansy at her bedside on a chair. Ever since that day in the washroom on the fourth floor Pansy and Katie made time three times a week to meet and talk, about everything and nothing. Pansy woke and when she saw Katie's chocolate brown orbs she let out a small shriek and hugged her. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" Katie croaked.
"For everything. For not knowing what was going on."
Nothing more was said between them because the door flew open and Katie's father came tumbling in hugging his daughter like his life depended on it. Katie looked past her father's shoulder and saw Terence, Adrian and Pansy file out the door. Pansy turned around and waved mouthing 'sorry' once more. A lone figure leaned against the doorframe. Katie's eyes widened slightly. Marcus Flint was looking as disheveled as her father. He made his way next to her bed when her father went to fetch a nurse. She cocked her head to the side when she saw her father pat Marcus on the shoulder. Marcus sat down on the chair that Pansy had previously occupied.
"It's been a long time." Katie rasped.
"Pansy told me what happened." He said his voice rumbling.
"You've been taking good care of her?"
Marcus nodded. "She's my cousin; I take care of my family." He looked at her and then grasped her still cold hand. "Never scare me like that again."
"I didn't know you cared." Katie answered, her heart hammering against her chest.
"I've tried not to but there's something about you that gets to me."
"I'm glad you care."
"I'm glad that you care that I care." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "This time when I say becareful, I mean it."
"I'll make sure that next time I'm holding something it isn't cursed."
Marcus held up his hands. "That's all I ask."
That's all he could say because seconds later her father came back in with a nurse and Alicia, Angelina, George, Fred, Lee and Oliver.
Marcus winked at Katie and then got up. "I'll see you around Katie."
"See you Marcus." Katie said softly. She smiled at how…right his name felt rolling off of her tongue. Staring at the people in the room she knew she'd have to answer their most likely repetitive questions but at that point she didn't care because she knew that Marcus cared about her.
She hadn't heard from either Marcus or Pansy after that. Pansy was nowhere to be found in the halls of Hogwarts and Marcus never contacted her. It came as a shock to her when Dumbledore died. He was one of the people that she felt was immortal. She glanced at Harry and in that moment she made her decision. She had heard stories from both her father and her friends about the Order of the Phoenix. She approached Harry after the funeral.
"I want to join the Order." Katie said.
Harry looked up at her and smiled lightly. "I figured you would." He pointed to a woman with pink hair. "You see that woman right there?" Katie nodded. "She'd be happy to tell you everything. Her father and your father were both in Ravenclaw together. At least that's what she tells me."
She walked over and introduced herself to the pink-haired woman. "I'm Katie Bell and I want to join the Order."
"Bell? Jonathan Bell's daughter?" At Katie's nod the pink haired woman smiled, "He said to be expecting you. Your pa is part of the Order too. Joined right after what happened to you. Sorry about that by the way, must have been right awful. I'm Tonks just so you know. My pa and your pa were Ravenclaw's together and boy let me tell you some stories."
Katie had a feeling that she and this pink-haired woman would get along just fine.
It had been 10 months 18 days 3 hours and 47 seconds since Katie last saw Marcus…not that she was keeping count or anything. Her heart still ached and she wanted to see his dark eyes and built body again. While Tonks proved to be entertaining and an amazing friend Katie still missed Pansy. The Headquarters was always full nowadays getting ready for the Final Battle. Alicia and Angelina were there almost all the time with the twins and Lee but Katie missed Pansy's sarcastic comments and bluntness. She missed looking at Marcus's face.
That's why it came as a surprise to her when she and her father apparated into the Headquarters and felt the weight of a body jump on her. Both bodies fell to the floor. Pansy was holding her head and laughing. Katie let out a squeal and pulled the girl into a hug. "Where the bloody Hell have you been?"
"Language Bell." Chided Adrian Pucey smirking into his cup of tea.
"Didn't know Gryffindors used that kind of language." Terence joked.
Pansy scoffed. "And I suppose that everything that came out of Spinnet's mouth were compliments?" She shook her head and helped Katie up.
Katie noticed everyone looking at them. She mentally winced. She'd have some explaining to do. She paused and glanced around. She turned to Pansy. "If you and Pucey and Higgs are here then where's-"
"Right here." A voice said from the doorway.
Katie's breath hitched as she saw Marcus Flint walk into the room. He was more built and had a scar on his jaw. She noticed that his teeth shrunk but were still a far cry away from perfect. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt that outlined his torso like a human sculpture. He walked towards her and pulled her into a hug. "Hello Katie." He whispered against her ear.
"Hello Marcus." She whispered back standing on her tip-toes to reach his ear.
She realized in that moment that letting go would prove to be a very hard task.
This leads me to where I am today. Hiding in a quiet hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The place where it all began and the place where it will all end.
The quietness didn't last. Moments later curses rang out and screams filled the air. The Final Battle had begun and we were all right in the middle of it.
'Well, damnit all to Hades.'
Author's note: Okay so I changed a few things and added a few things. Hope everyone liked it and I'm trying to keep the characters true to their personalities but I'm horrible at that. Hope everyone liked it. Don't worry there will be another chapter, maybe even two more. Reviews are appreciated!
So I made Angelina captain in fourth year even though they hardly mentioned Quidditch that year. Hope that doesn't piss anyone off.
I posted this on another site under another name and decided why not here? Hope everyone likes it. Reviews are also appreciated. I also know that I've been neglecting my other stories but I will hopefully have them updated by this weekend. Thank-you.
Signing Off
Books.