Chapter Nine: Not This Year

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Bold: flashback

Marcus swallowed the rest of his coffee. It's contents burned his throat and made him want to gag. In the main room, he could hear the shoots and giggles as his nieces and nephews helped his mum put up the Christmas tree. He was rather surprised that he had not gotten roped into helping them. He did not mind decorating for Christmas; he just hated the idea of taking it all down afterwards.

Haley entered from the other room. She had just finished up the first part of her fourth year at Hogwarts. She crossed her arms over her chest and smiled at her brother. "You look like you are about to die."

Marcus looked down at his younger sister. "Why do you say that?"

"You just do." She nodded toward the other room. "Your presence has been requested."

Marcus sat his mug down at the foot of the stairs. "I wondered how long that would take."

Haley smiled. "Just wait until you hear what Mum has planned for you. It involves the lights on the balconies, you, Dad, and the rest of our lovely brothers."

Marcus frowned. They had put the lights up onside yesterday afternoon. He did not see why they had to do them again. "Why?"

"Did you check to see if the lights were working?"

Marcus thought about it. Ryan and Shawn, two of his half brothers, were put on that duty. They were both Healers and Brad, his father, had thought that they could manage that job. Marcus was not even sure if the older men did try the lights. "I do not know."

"Well, they are not and Mum wants them fixed."

"Can't I have a different job?" It was cold outside and Marcus did not like the cold. He was not in the mood to be sore today.

Haley got a thoughtful look on her face. Marcus knew that was not really thinking about what he had just asked her. "Nope, not this year, big brother. All the other jobs have been taken."

Marcus crossed his arms over his chest. "And what is your job exactly?"

"Telling you what yours is." She clapped her hands. "Now, chop, chop. You are wasting valuable time by standing here and chatting."

Marcus gave his sister a look as he pulled his coat out of the hall closet. Sometimes he wished that his parents had stopped having children after he was born.

Bryan, the eldest of the family, was standing out on the porch with his hands in his pockets and his breath forming fog in the cold air. Bryan had the reminder of a burn on his right cheek. Bryan was a dragon trainer in Italy. "Did you get conned into this too?"

Marcus nodded. "Yeah."

Bryan took his hands out of his pockets. "I did not know that there was going to be so much work for a bunch of damn Christmas lights."

Marcus nodded. "Why do we need them anyway?" There was no close neighbours to the Flint estate and, therefore, was no need to decorate the outside of the house to impress someone.

"You know Mum." Bryan shrugged. "She is all about Christmas tradition."

"Le donne amano fare appena le nostre vite difficili."

Bryan snored. "Here, here." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a flask. He took a long drink from it. "That is part of the reason why I never got married." He offered the flask to Marcus.

Marcus shook his head.

Bryan gave him a look. "Since when do you turn down a drink?"

Marcus shrugged. "Things change."

"Apparently."

Brad came out of the barn with a ladder thrown over his shoulder. He returned the other two. "Is this all that is coming?"

Bryan and Marcus shrugged.

"I guess you two will have to do." He propped the ladder against the house. Then, turned to look at his sons sizing them up. "Bryan and I will hold the ladder. Marcus, you are the lightest and so you get the honour of climbing up."

Marcus looked up at the ladder. He really did not want to climb it. Even though he was a Quidditch player, he was not a big fan of heights. He had never really told anyone that and those who did know looked at him oddly.

"Marcus, up the ladder. The sooner you get up there, the quicker we can be on our merry way," Brad commanded.

Marcus gripped the sides of the ladder and climbed up it. Within a few seconds he was face to face with the Christmas lights. They glared at him with their unlighted blubs. They must had thought that they was going to win this battle, but Marcus Flint was here to inform them otherwise. He pulled out his wand and tapped the nearest string of lights. They came on instantly. Sometimes Marcus loved being a wizard; it made life much more simpler.

"Did you get them?" Brad asked his son.

Marcus turned to look down at the ground. "Yeah. I think I did."

Brad nodded.

Marcus climbed down from the ladder.

"There that will keep your mum happy," Brad stated once Marcus had returned to the ground. Brad pulled the ladder away from the house.

Brad nodded. "Now we can experience peace on earth and all of that good stuff."

The three of them started to walk away from the house. A crash sounded from behind them and all three turned to see all of the Christmas lights fall off of the house.

Jasmine, Marcus's and Bryan's mum, stepped out of the house at that very moment. She placed her hands on her hips. "I think you guys have some more work to do."

"Not this year," Marcus muttered to Bryan.

"I am starting to see that now."

Last Christmas

After the champions came in and lead the first dance, Katie turned to Marcus. "Would you like to dance?"

Marcus looked at her. "I thought I was supposed to ask you."

Katie pulled him out onto the dance floor. "I'm not one for traditions." She put her arms around his waist. "Besides, if I waited on you, the dance would be over." Her blue eyes were shining.

They danced in and out of the other couples. Everyone and everything shone in the candlelight. The snow falling from the season was the perfect Christmas snow. Katie found herself looking up at it every few minutes. As a result, she stepped on Marcus's feet many times. Each time she did so, Marcus winced, but did not say a word.

Katie buried her face into his shoulder.

"Yes?" Marcus inquired.

Katie removed her face. "Can we go outside?"

Marcus led her off the dance floor. "I'd thought you'd never ask."

"Why don't you like dancing?"

"It's almost as a fun as having to drink that stupid healing Potion."

Katie laughed.

Marcus shrugged. "It's the truth."

They walked outside through the rose garden that was not there yesterday. At least, Katie thought that it was not there yesterday. She breathed in the deep scent of the roses. After about five minutes of walking, Katie stopped next to a bench and sat down. She patted the seat next to her and Marcus sat down.

She stared up at the night sky. "Everything's getting bad, isn't it?"

Marcus looked at her. "What are you talking about?"

"There's a storm coming."
Marcus looked down at the ground.

Katie sighed. "I know you know Marcus."

Marcus looked up at her. "Do we have to discuss this on Christmas?"
"I guess not," Katie mumbled.

Marcus kissed the top of her head. "Good."

Katie turned her head up at meet his lips and gently kissed him. "Merry Christmas," Katie said.

"Merry Christmas," Marcus whispered.

Behind them, the bell tower chimed in a wonderful carol of the bells.

Katie Bell placed the final angel on the Christmas tree. She stood back to admire her work. Decorating the tree was on her favourite things to do for Christmas. Since she only got to do it once, she had to make it matter. Sierra and Zoey stood next to her looking up at the tree.

"What do you think?" Katie asked the two younger girls.

Zoey smiled. "I like it. I think Sierra's homemade snowman looks the best in front."

Sierra shot her sister a look. She was not known for her artistic abilities. Katie did have to admit that it was pretty funny. Sierra mastered everything else, but arts and crafts. There was one thing that Katie did not understand: how in the world could a snowman turn into something that looked like a tree? Snowmen were supposed to be round, not sharp and pointy. "It is not my fault," Sierra pouted.

Katie smiled. "We all have our strengths."

Sierra smiled. "Yeah and I clearly got to brains in this." She stomped out of the room.

Katie sighed. She did not know if Sierra was kidding or not. Sierra seemed upset about something. Katie knew that if she went to talk to her sister that they would get nowhere. Sierra did not open his emotions up to anyone. Katie wished that she would. This Christmas the lights did not shine brightly for Sierra and it was rain coming down, not snow. Katie wished that there was something she could do for Sierra, but did not know what.

"Someone is in a mood," Zoey commented. "She usually is okay with teasing."

Katie nodded and stared where her sister had been moments ago. "Yeah, I know."

"Was it just because of the snowman?" Zoey's eyes were full. She really wanted to get along with Sierra. "I can take it down if it was."

Katie took a deep breath. "I do not think it was. I think she has got something else on her mind and you know how she is at opening up."

Zoey nodded. "Maybe she has changed," she said in a hopeful voice.

"I do not think it will happen this year," Katie sighed. She turned back to the tree. One of her favourite things to do had just been broken. Outside the snow had turned to rain.

Katie was not sure what to do. She knew that rightfully she should go up and talk to Sierra. Even if Sierra did not want to talk, she had to know that someone cared about her.

Zoey sighed. "So, what are we going to do?"

"I think that I am going to go up and attempt to talk to her." Katie made her way upstairs.

Sierra's room was at the furthest end of the hall. Katie was glad that this house had enough rooms so that they did not have to share. The rooms were not very big, but it gave the girls some privacy. She nodded lightly on the door and waited. No response came and she pushed the door open slowly.

Sierra was sitting on the centre of her bed with tears rolling down her face. She was hugging a pillow. "He is dead and you never got to met him."

Katie sat down next to her sister. She was not sure what Sierra was talking about, but at least she was talking. "Who is dead?"

Sierra wiped her eyes. "Zach."

"Who is Zach?"

Sierra looked shyly at her bed. "My boyfriend," she whispered in a small voice. "He is a Muggle from town."

Katie looked at her sister. She was not aware of any boyfriend. She wondered why Sierra had never mentioned him, but now was not the time to ask. "When did you find out?"
Fresh tears fell from the other girl's eyes. "This morning. It happened a few days ago."

Katie bit her lip. She did not know what to say. This Christmas was not going to a happy one for those who knew Zach. "How did it happen?"

"He was hit by driving who was texting."

Katie frowned.

Sierra knew that she was not supposed to whine and cry this year, but she could not hold it in. She could not take it. Her heart just was not in the spirit this year. She could not fake it and act like everything was okay. She had tried to do that and it had not ended well. "Zoey probably hates me," Sierra mumbled.

"She is just worried about you," Katie replied. She pulled her sister close. "I could ask Marcus to go on trail ride with us. It will have to be after the holidays though. He is supposed to be with it family and he got out of it last year. So, he is not getting out of it this year."

Sierra really did not know what Katie was talking about, but she did enjoy trial rides. It would help relieve the stress. "Okay." She paused. "I would like that."