Chapter 11
Clear Sky, Stormy Heart
Author's note: I'm sorry for taking all this time to update. There's no excuse but I fully intend to finish this story before June the 21st. My thanks, as always, to Zsenya for her speedy and thorough beta. My love to Miss Pince who is always encouraging me. And the best of thanks to my readers and reviewers who are all too kind to me.
Marcus was displeased with the fact that it looked like it would be a clear night. He preferred the night sky to be dark and gloomy. Perhaps this was one of reasons why he had hated astronomy so much, for it would have been fine with him if the moon and the stars didn't exist. He had often wondered about his sentiments and he had realized this was tied-in with his view on the world. Everything was either black or white - weak or strong. Anything in-between was not worth consideration. Those things did nothing to further his ambition. That was the main reason he had accepted his job as a groundkeeper's assistant. Even though he couldn't get a position on any Quidditch team, he could have used his connections to get some decent job. It was his belief that if he couldn't get exactly what he wanted, he wasn't settling for second best, something that could be referred to as "nice".
His life had never been as empty as now. A week off work due to the holidays and he had nothing to return to but his empty apartment. He knew well that his parents had no desire to have contact with them. So he spent Christmas alone, sitting in the dark and contemplating what he was going to do on New Year's Eve. He had done as Draco had suggested and got himself some Polyjuice Potion. Pretty easy if you knew the right people. That filthy little apothecary in Knockturn Alley, run by a mean-looking old wizard called Venomus Jigger, brother to Arsenius Jigger who had written a Potions school book, provided almost any concoction a Dark wizard would need. The potion was now in a vial with a Preserving Charm and he kept it on him at all times. His whole plan rested on this. He wanted the Weasleys to suffer, to think that someone they trusted had betrayed them. This desire to lash out had grown stronger with every day as he remembered that his sister was gone forever.
Yet the finality of death fascinated him to no end. It fit into his way to see the world in extremes. There was life and then there was death. No middle ground whatsoever. At times he thought about killing someone. Being able to kill was a power. Tantalising power. He would become a killer one day, there was no doubt about that in his mind. He could never imagine using the Killing Curse - just forming the words in his mind transported him to the moment Delilah died and he relived that throat-gripping raw grief and terror. Violence would be his tool, like it had always been. He had been renowned for his brutality at Hogwarts. Using his fists was how he dealt with any complication. There was something deeply fulfilling to find his knuckles crush flesh to find the hardness of the bone underneath. Seeing someone bleed because of him.
This time he wasn't out for fight though he would love to see some blood. Those Weasleys. Soon enough they would taste the bitterness he had in abundance. They would know loss. Know how it felt to have something viciously ripped from their existences. Something they'd always believe would be a part of their lives. A family member. It would be the perfect revenge, for he knew how close they were. It was obvious from how disgustingly affectionate they were with each other. Was that the reason why Delilah had fallen for one of them? Perhaps she was drawn to something she had never known herself. Affection was alien to the Flint family.
The sound of laughter was carried from the street outside and he glanced at his watch to check the time. He supposed that the Weasley's party would have started by now so he should get going though it would just take him a moment to get there. It was easy enough to Apparate to the Weasley's place. There was just the matter of going carefully because those Weasleys might have put up anti-Apparition wards around their habitat. Not that it worried him for he suspected the twins to have fiddled a bit with the wards to make sure that their party guests would arrive safely to the party and of course, he wouldn't be Apparating straight into the party. In his mind there was a vague plan that involved hiding outside the Weasley's residence and waiting for someone. If that wouldn't work, he would have to sneak in but he hoped that it wouldn't come to that. It was guaranteed that someone would have to step out due to lack of bathroom facilities.
It would only require a simple stunning hex and a strand of hair, and he would be ready to enter the party without suspicion. Then he would strike. He went over this in his mind few times to gain focus. To rid the mind of all unnecessary feelings. To leave it fertile for revenge. All he would reap would be vengeance.
He took a deep breath and reached for his travelling cloak, felt for the Polyjuice Potion vial and made ready for Apparition. Seconds later he had landed in the bushes, a hundred yards or so from the Weasley house. He saw the illuminated windows and shadows moving inside. The party was in full swing. He crept closer. The house was exactly what he expected it to be. An overgrown shack. Fitting for the Weasleys. He crept nearer, hiding behind bushes and keeping an eye out to see if someone was entering or exiting. Soon he saw there were two entrances to the house. One front door and an entrance that probably led to the kitchen. He just needed to find an adequate place to hide and to watch.
There were bushes and trees close to the house and soon enough he found the perfect hiding place. In a cluster of bushes, a part of the branches seemed to have been removed from middle. Surely some Weasley kid had done this in order to make a hiding place. There was a good view of the kitchen doors from there and if he strained his neck a little, he was able to make out the main entrance. He wrapped his cloak tight and waited for something to happen.
The weather was still and it wasn't unreasonably cold so he was more then prepared to sit for a while. Nevertheless, his wait didn't last for very long. The front door was opened and two figures emerged. They walked in the opposite direction from him so he didn't make them out right away. There was a glimpse of red hair so one had to be a Weasley, probably the girl since this seemed to be a fairly small person and a taller person with dark hair. Then he caught the flash of glasses. Might be Potter. Of course they had to be two. He wasn't going to risk attacking two people. The girl would scream bloody murder if he stunned Potter and besides he wasn't going to risk taking on Potter since the Dark Lord himself had run in trouble while duelling with the boy. He had heard the rumours.
He turned his attention back to the kitchen door. Sooner or later someone would come out to throw out garbage or escape the bathroom line.
He didn't have to wait longer than fifteen minutes for someone to emerge from the house. On the kitchen side. Someone who obviously had had a bit too much mead. He gloated inwardly. That should make things easier, he should be able to reach that person without them noticing. Slowly he got out of the bush, careful not to break any branch or twig. The person was facing a tree that stood away from the house. This was that kid, Jordan, friend of the twins. Obnoxious git who almost managed to ruin every Quidditch game with his inane commentary. It would be his pleasure to stun that knob head. He waited patiently for Jordan to finish his business, for he wasn't keen on stunning someone with his trousers on his heels. As the chance came, he almost lazily branded his wand in the right direction and muttered distinctly: "Stupefy!"
Jordan was obviously taken by complete surprise. He fell down, flat on his face. Marcus wasted no time, turned the unconscious body over and removed his dress robes. They were about the same size. Then he required a strand of Jordan's hair for the Polyjuice Potion. That proved to be a slight problem. Jordan's hair was all tangled into dreadlocks so he resorted to pluck Jordan's eyelashes. He dropped the eyelash into the vial and watched as the potion became slightly purple in colour. He raised his eyebrows in amusement and then downed the potion, making a face over the revolting taste. Gradually he started to feel like his whole body was bubbling, he watched his hands and saw the colour of his skin changing, he felt the features of face morphing and his hair growing. Soon enough, the transformation was over.
It was important not to waste time so he hurried inside. No one noticed his entrance. The kitchen seemed to be deserted but he was reluctant to make his way in the living room. He needed to get survey the situation before striking and he needed a good place to observe. Perhaps, if he sat by the fireplace there, quite hidden by shadows, he should be able to watch the party.
He had barely sat down when George Weasley made his way into the kitchen, seemingly preoccupied by something. He sighed loudly, probably over the mess the kitchen was in and he started to gather the trash. Then he proceeded to the sink, to fill a bucket with water. Marcus turned his gaze over to the hallway and into the living room and right away he caught the glimpse of someone Apparating in the hallway. It was Percy Weasley, who seemed to be taken aback to arrive in the middle of a party at his home. Marcus couldn't help but smirk. He knew how uptight Percy Weasley was and he was sure to blow a gasket. This would be very interesting.
As Percy loudly inquired what was going on, Marcus averted his eyes over at George who looked thoroughly irritated and apparently looking for good hiding place. Quickly he retreated through a door that Marcus assumed had to lead to the pantry. His attention went to back to Percy, who stood red-faced in the door to the living room, demanding to know the whereabouts of his brothers. Someone seemed to think that they might be in the kitchen and so Percy stalked in that direction. Marcus noticed gleefully that Percy's knuckles whitened as he took in the mess in the kitchen. Just as Percy stood there, George, Fred and one of the Gryffindor Chasers emerged from the pantry. The twins were obviously guilt-ridden, so very much that Marcus's amusement almost made him forget his plan.
Percy was irate. He began telling off his brothers in a formidable fashion and reminding Marcus all too much of his Hogwarts days when Percy was prone to give the same tirade to anyone who dared to so much as bend the school rules. He felt the bile gather in his throat. That pompous twit made him sick. It was time to act and he rose from his hiding place and as the twins were departing the kitchen, he spoke up.
"Cut this self-righteous crap, Percy Weasley. You always think you're right about everything. You were that way at Hogwarts and I see you're still that way." To his gratification, this had instant effect. Everyone seemed to freeze. Percy looked at him bewildered.
"I beg your pardon," he said.
"You heard me. I have no idea why you are so full of yourself, you must be compensating for something more than just the fact that you're a flea-bitten Weasley." It felt good to be finally able to put Percy Weasley in his place. Though soon enough he would be doing more than just putting him in his place. That Gryffindor Chaser interfered, using Jordan's name.
"Oh, there's nothing wrong with me. I'm just telling like it is. Finally, the Weasleys are going to get it. They walk around, oblivious to the fact that everything they pretend to uphold, are things that undermine the Wizarding world. Their self-righteous, Muggle-loving ways have destroyed people and will continue to do so." The words came effortlessly from his mouth. He thought to himself, there I've said it. All he was ever willing to give up about his reasons to do what he was about to do and the reactions he got from the people around made it all more worth it. One of the Weasley twins whispered something about madness and it filled him with cold confidence. He would catch them by complete surprise. He turned to the Weasley twins.
"Oh, you think I'm mad. You know nothing about madness, nothing!!" He held back the urge to laugh. Instead he used the precious seconds while everyone was trying to register his words, to act. Within seconds, he had managed to grip Percy, get him in a deadlock and get the wand up. As he moved the wand tip to Percy's throat, he watched the people around waking up to what was happening. He looked at them triumphantly.
"Don't even try to save him. He'll be dead even before any of you will have touched their wand." He had just uttered these words when that Gryffindor Chaser let out a bone-shattering scream. Everyone's attentions were now turned to this little scene and they were forming a circle around him. Some were talking in low, hurried voices and then one of the twins spoke up.
"Lee … mate … why?" Those precious few words were uttered in a broken voice. Marcus turned towards the speaker as he spasmodically gripped his hostage's robes. He met a pale face, with eyes full of fear and as he looked over the crowd of people, he saw the same fear reflected in everybody's eyes. It made him uneasy. Which was hard for him to understand. Hadn't he set out to teach the Weasleys a proper lesson? Therefore he should be rejoicing at all signs that his plan was succeeding. He returned his attention to his hostage, who hadn't moved a muscle. Percy's face was unreadable, his features seemed set in stone. He jerked up Percy's head so he would partially face him. The look in Percy's eyes was unmistakable. This was a look he has seen before. The same look as Delilah had as she faced her death.
At this moment, for the first time in his life, Marcus experienced empathy. He had felt what the other Weasleys were feeling now and he realized what he was about to do wouldn't in any way make him feel better. This would never lessen the pain and this would never bring the grim satisfaction of hurting someone physically in a surge of rage. And it would never bring Delilah back. His existence would still be empty as ever.
As his thoughts progressed, his grip on Percy loosened. Finally his wand hand fell slack. He took one look at the crowd, pushed Percy away and made way for the kitchen door. No one hindered his departure. He ran as fast as he could from the house, through the grounds until he was on the other side of the village. There he stopped, paused for a second and saw he was changing back. With his wand held high, he Disapparated.
