Chapter Twelve
"You know, when you said quidditch practice, this really wasn't what I had in mind."
Marcus turned and gave him a sly grin "Well, I can't exactly say join me for some snogging practice under the grandstands now can I?"
Oliver just rolled his eyes finished buttoning his school robe. He sighed when he discovered more then half of the buttons were missing. No doubt ripped off by Flint's drastic attempt to get his chest open and bare for his fingers.
"Flint, could you do me a favor next time and not rip my cloths?"
Marcus looked over his shoulder and smiled.
"Nope."
"Prat." Olive growled and did the best he could to close the front of his robes. "You know the holidays are coming up."
"I noticed."
"You going home?"
"Hell no." Marcus shook his head and started doing up the front of his own school robes.
"Yeah, same here." Oliver sighed.
"What, the loving Wood family doesn't want their wonderful son home?"
Oliver noticed that his fingers were shaking and quickly tucked them inside his school robe. Truth be told, Oliver declined their invitation to come home before the year started and now he was starting to regret it. He'd have to spend Christmas here, with the thought of the monster of Slytherin breathing down behind his neck.
"No, I just decided to stay here for the break." He said, hoping Marcus wouldn't dwell to much on it. "Good time for some much needed quidditch practice you know."
"You're possessed aren't you." Marcus snorted and came up behind him.
"And you aren't?"
Marcus's face went blank, signaling that he was lost for words. Instead of getting angry, like the typical Marcus Flint that Oliver knew, he just smiled back at him.
"Oh, you're good."
Oliver wiggled his eyebrows and smiled. "I think I heard you moaning something like that earlier."
Marcus threw his head back and laughed. "Well, it is a nice sight when I've got the Gryffindor caption on his knees in front of me you know."
Wood rolled his eyes. "I need to head back. Percy's going to start yelling his head off at everyone if he can't find me."
"Why the hell does Weasley shadow you like that anyway? Is he your bitch or something?"
Oliver glared at him. "No. He's just worried. Every buddy's getting anxious from the attacks that have been happing."
"So." Marcus shrugged innocently. "Haven't you heard, it's only happing to muggleborns. You lot should be safe."
Oliver tried to keep a strait face but the cold fear that had nestled itself inside of his chest ever since October ended started coming back.
"Yeah, you're right." He said quietly as he swallowed the limp forming in his throat.
Marcus started crawling under the low hanging support beams under the grandstand and held the covering back for him.
"So, same time tomorrow?"
"Sure, why not." Oliver mumbled angrily under his breath as he slid under the covering.
Marcus blinked, confused. "Okay. See you."
"Whatever!" Oliver yelled back as he started walking back up the hill towards the school grounds.
Marcus watched him leave, feeling even more confused. Why was Oliver so angry all of a sudden? Was it something he said?
He waited until the Gryffindor was out of his sight before he started making his way back up towards the grounds, feeling hungry.
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"Goddamn it!"
Marcus ducked as Adrian threw his muggle studies book across the dorm room.
"Hmm, twenty feet." He replied and looked over at Adrian. "Well, that one went farther then the potions book."
"Why the hell do they have to give us some much damn homework?" Adrian grumbled and rested his forehead against the desk.
"Beats me. I guess they just like making you suffer Pucey." Marcus shrugged and continued working on his paper for Transfiguration.
"Very funny. Were's Higgs at, he's normally good at this stuff?"
Marcus shrugged and Adrian got to his feet and headed down towards the common room. Flint sighed and tried once again to force his attention back towards his homework. He was a few lines short of the requirement but he couldn't think of anything else to add.
His thoughts were elsewhere. He was still puzzled from the Gryffindor's sudden mood swings earlier that afternoon. What did he say to piss off Wood like that?
After a few more minutes, it became perfectly clear to him that he wasn't going to add those last few sentences and rolled up his parchment. He'd try to scribble the last few lines when he was in class the next day.
He rolled off his bed and stretched. One paper down and five more to go. He rolled his shoulders and groaned when the popped loudly.
The door opened again and Adrian walked in holding a large bit of parchment in his hands.
"This was just posted on the board downstairs." He said as he handed the paper to Marcus.
Marcus frowned and began to read.
"A Dueling Club?" He looked up from the parchment. "What the hell's that?"
"Just a guess, but maybe they'll be teaching us how to duel?" Adrian replied smugly and raised his hand over his head when Marcus rolled up the paper and hit him with it.
"I know what the ruddy hell it is! What do you think they're starting it for?"
Adrian rubbed the back of his head and growled. "Gee, I don't know. Maybe because of the bloody monster running amuck in the castle?"
The door opened again and in walked Terence with his school bag slung over his shoulder and with Bole in tow behind him.
"What's that?"
Adrian grabbed the poster out of Marcus's hands and handed it towards Higgs. Terence's fingers gently brushed against Adrian's and for a second, Marcus could've sworn that Terence blushed from the contact but he lowered his head before Marcus got a clear look.
"A dueling club? What for?"
Marcus was about to open his mouth but Pucey spoke before he could.
"I guess they're starting it because all that's been going on."
Marcus blinked and looked at Adrian closely. How come he got Adrian's normal smart-ass remarks and Terence didn't? That wasn't fair.
"Oh." Terence said and passed the parchment over towards Bole who begin reading it quietly. "Are you guys signing up?"
Both Marcus and Adrian shrugged.
Terence read the parchment once more over Bole's shoulder. "Well, I think I'll go."
At this moment, Adrian suddenly changed his opinion.
"Me too."
"Bole?" Terence looked over at the other Slytherin.
Bole grunted and gave a nod.
"Flint?"
His three roommates all turned their heads and looked at him. Marcus thought for a moment. Did he really want to go? It was a school thing, after all and Marcus normal stayed clear of those things. But on the upside, Wood might be there!
That thought alone settled the matter.
"Eh, why not."
Terence smiled and read the notice again, while Adrian leaned over his shoulder, making it look like he was trying to read it as well, but his eyes kept darting towards the side of Terence's face.
"It's tonight at eight-o-clock." Higgs read aloud and rolled it back up.
He turned his head and gave somewhat of a startled look when he realized how close Pucey was to him, but tried to hide it by clearing his throat.
"Um, anyway. So we're all going?"
The rest of them nodded.
"Great. See you guys then." Terence shrugged his bag off his shoulder and tossed it over on his bed. "I'm going to head up to the library for a bit."
"I'll come with you. I have to finish my paper for muggle studies anyway." Adrian beamed happily.
Terence looked slightly uncomfortable for a moment before he nodded. "Um, okay."
Adrian walked back over towards his desk and shoved his stuff into his bag and slung the strap over his shoulder as he followed Higgs out the door and down the stairs.
Marcus watched his two friends leave, feeling way beyond confused at that point. Since when did Terence start getting nervous when Adrian was around him? And why wasn't Adrian using his sharp tongue when he was around the other Slytherin?
Not really thinking that hard for an answer, Marcus simply shrugged and went back to stacking his textbooks back inside his school trunk.
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"What do you think they're going to teach us?"
Adrian shrugged. "Beats me? Hopefully something new. I don't want to sit there for an hour while they teach the first years how to stun someone."
Terence laughed quietly from Adrian's comment followed him down the stairs. Marcus's eyes were firmly focused on their backs but his thoughts were elsewhere.
If this was a school event, he hoped Oliver would be there. If so, hopefully he'd be able to get some answers out of him. He had a feeling that Wood was still mad at him for something, even though he had no fucking clue what it was.
Bole trudged along quietly behind him, apparently lost in his own thoughts like he was. Every once in a while he'd cast a questioning look at Adrian and Terence's backs.
They reached the open doors of the great hall and pushed their way through the crowd of students. The four of them huddled together in a corner by the doors and waited. Adrian and Terence were wrapped up in a conversation they were having and Bole kept moving his eyes back and forth among the sea of students.
Marcus did the same, except he was only searching for one person. After a few failed attempts, he finally located Oliver standing in the middle of a groups of Gryffindors. As usual, Percy stood next to him, along with the a few members of their quidditch team.
Marcus tried to catch his eye a few times, but decided against it when Bole started to wonder who he was waving at.
"Gather 'round, gather 'round." A bright and chipper voice that could only belong to Gilderoy Lockhart yelled.
The four of them moved as the rest of the students and gathered around what appeared to be a small stage set up in the center of the hall.
"Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent." Gilderoy smiled when he had everyone's attention and started pacing back and forth on the stage. "Now, Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this event to help train you all incase you ever need to defend yourselves properly."
"Against what?" Marcus asked, causing Adrian and Terence to turn around and shush him.
"Now, let me introduce my assistant. Professor Snape. He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about dueling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry, you'll still have your potions master when I'm through with him."
"Please don't."
Marcus's wishful thinking was rewarded with another shushing gesture from Adrian and Terence and he glared at the back of their heads.
The two teachers bowed to each other and drew their wands as they walked a few paces away.
"Alright, careful now." Lockhart called. "One, two, three."
Both of them shouted out their spells but Snape's hit Lockhart square in the chest and through him back a few feet.
Laughter exploded inside of the hall as Lockhart got to his feet.
"Yes, as you can see, that was a successful Disarming Charm. Anyway, I think that's enough demonstrating for now. We shall now divide you into pairs."
Marcus turned his head towards Adrian's direction but Adrian already moved a few feet away with Terence. He growled and turned in the other direction.
"Bole?"
Bole nodded and followed him over towards an open space.
"Face your partners!" Lockhart yelled from the stage. "And bow."
Marcus and Bole bowed awkwardly towards each other and held their wands out.
"Wands at the ready! When I count to three, cast your spells to disarm your opponents, only to disarm them. One, two, three."
Before Bole could even raise his wand, Marcus held his own wand out and yelled "Expelliarmus!" at the top of his lungs.
Bole's wand flew out of his hand and Marcus snatched it out of the air before Bole had any idea what had just happened.
"Sorry, I guess I've done this to many times." He apologized as he handed Bole his wand.
Bole took his wand back and give him a bewildered look. Next to them Adrian was attempting to disarm Terence but his own wand flew out of his hands instead and almost hit Terence upside them head.
"Very good." Lockhart said as he started across the stage again. "Now Professor Snape and I shall move about the crowd and assist you. Now once more."
Marcus bowed at Bole again and waited for his partner to disarm him. Bole raised his wand and yelled "Expelliarmus" but nothing happened. He tried again but only a set of small sparks flew out from the tip of his wand.
"You're not doing it right." Marcus said and held his own arm out. "You hold your arm out like this."
Bole copied him and held his arm out.
"Good. Now you wave it, like this." He pointed his wand over towards Adrian. "Expelliarmus!"
Adrian jumped a few feet as his wand flew out of his hand and turned angrily towards them.
"What the hell Flint!"
Marcus grinned smugly and winked at Bole, who raised his own arm and yelled "Expelliarmus" the second Adrian picked up his wand.
"Goddamn it! Do I have a target painted on the back of my head or something?"
"Of course not. I was just showing Bole how to properly disarm his opponent." Marcus simply stated, not even bothering to hide his smile.
"Oh, bugger off." Adrian spat and turned his attention back toward Terence.
Marcus and Bole laughed and turned to face each other again but a cold voice grabbed their attention.
"Very impressive Mr. Flint."
Marcus's finger tightened on his wand as professor Snape came to a halt right besides him. Bole looked at the Potions teacher questionably but continued to remain quiet. Marcus however, was in the middle of thinking what jinx he should send Snape's way.
"Thank you. Sir." Marcus growled, returning Snape's cold look with one of his own.
"But of course, if you have no trouble producing a Corporeal Patronus, a small disarming spell shouldn't prove too difficult for you to pick up."
Snape gave him one more cold look and moved on towards another group. Marcus made sure his eyes stayed on the back of his greasy head until Snape was a considerable distance away. He turned back towards Bole and groaned when not only Bole was looking at him confused, but Adrian and Terence as well.
"What?"
Adrian's mouth hung open and Bole looked around nervously. Terence was the only one who could summon his voice.
"Can you really make a Corporeal Patronus?"
Marcus lowered his head. Great, thanks to that greasy headed idiot, no one was going to leave him alone now.
"So what?"
He raised his wand and signaled Bole that he wanted another go. The other Slytherin was eager to oblige, while Adrian and Terence both stood completely still and watched them.
They bowed once more and once again, Marcus successfully caused Bole's wand to fly out of his hand again.
"Wow." Terence and Adrian gasped together.
"It's not that impressive!"
"Yes it is. I can't even get it right." Terence said, trying not to look embarrassed.
"It's not that hard really. C'mere." He waved Terence over and moved his arm to the same angle he instructed Bole to do. "It one quick jerk...like this."
He waved his arm and disarmed an unsuspecting Bole once more, who was too intrigued to fight back. Terence waited for Bole to pick up his wand again before trying.
"Expelliarmus!" He waved his wand and tried once more when nothing happened. "Expelliarmus!"
Once more, Bole's wand flew out of his hand and Terence let out a triumphant yell when he grabbed it.
"I did it!"
He turned around and high-fived a happy looking Adrian. However, the four boys froze when a loud gasped echoed through the great hall.
The other students were gathered closely around two boys. Marcus instantly recognized the sleek blonde hair of Draco Malfoy. The other student was obviously Harry Potter, apparently Snape teamed the two of them together.
"What the hell?" Adrian took a few steps backwards and pulled Terence with him.
The rest of the crowd were backing away as well and when they parted, Marcus could see why. A large black snake was slithering in-between them and was hissing at the people gathered around the sidelines.
The snake stopped and rose it's head, getting ready to strike at someone. It hissed and lunged forwards and then suddenly stopped. The loud hissing sound rang through the great hall, but it wasn't coming from the snake, it was coming from Potter.
The snake turned it's head and hissed right back. Harry stepped forwards and hissed louder at it and the snake moved away from the sidelines obediently. Before Marcus could get a good look at who it almost attacked, Snape stepped forwards and banished it with a wave of his wand.
"What the hell was all that about?"
Before he could get an answer Lockhart took the stage.
"Well, um, that's enough for today. Everyone back to their houses."
Most of the students didn't need to be told twice and headed for the door the first chance they got. The four of them stayed put. Bole was looking at the stage where the two teachers stood and Adrian was talking frantically to Terence.
Marcus's attention was elsewhere. Oliver was making his way over towards the doors, with Percy behind him as usual, and his face was starting to turn white.
"Come on, you heard the fruit." Marcus sighed and motioned for them to leave as well.
Bole nodded and Adrian and Terence ended their conversation and followed him out the door. Marcus tried to walk as fast as he could, trying to catch up to the large group of Gryffindors ahead of them.
Even from a distance, he could still make out the back of Wood's head as they climbed the stairs towards the towers. Just as the group branched off from the rest, Oliver turned his head and caught sight of Flint.
For a moment, Marcus swore time froze, and the large sea of people in front of him disappeared. The only thing that he could see was the pair of soft brown eyes that gazed at him with a fearful expression.
Flint swallowed but forced himself to smile even though his heart felt like it was being squeezed inside of his chest. Oliver's gaze softened and he returned his smile. A warmth spread through Marcus's chest, making his face feel hot.
"Oi Flint! You're holding up the bloody line."
Adrian's rough push was enough to bring him back to reality. He looked over his shoulder and gave Pucey the angriest look he could, forcing the other Slytherin to take a few steps backwards, out of his reach.
When he turned back, Oliver was gone.
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