Relinquished, Chapter Fourteen

By ArrA.

There was a large smile spread across Dumbledore's face as Professors Flint and Bell ignored the astonishment of the student body. They reached the table hand in hand and sat down in between professors Snape and McGonagall, Katie beside McGonagall, Marcus by Snape.

"Good morning," Marcus said to Snape as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Snape grunted unhappily and went back to his eggs as if nothing had gone on. Food appeared magically on their plates and both of Katie and Marcus dug in. Slowly the Great Hall's volume went back to normal as most students forgot the significance of what they had just seen or decided they didn't care.

Suddenly two new figures appeared through the door, Jaymes and Osbourne, about to start their teaching duties. Dumbledore stood up, motioning them to the table with his old eyes gleaming. "Ah," he said when they had sat down together at the High Table, "Students, I would like to introduce two new teachers for you. Although they don't start their classes to next year, they will be helping with Charms and Potions. Let me introduce Professors Lestrange and Avery."

There was a silence as students recognized the names, or at least the family names of the two new professors. For the first time, Jaymes looked nervous and she was leaning against Osbourne for support… maybe she didn't like children.

Jaymes and Osbourne took their seats down the table from Katie and Marcus and started talking with Dumbledore about their upcoming classes and how the students from each house acted. Marcus tuned this all out as he absently spoon oatmeal into his mouth between talking with Katie and Snape.

A rush of wings introduced the owl post and a black owl swooped towards Marcus and landed on his shoulder, snipping at his shoulder. Reluctantly he detached the scroll that was tied around the owl's foot; keeping his fingers away from the owl's sharp beak. Unwinding the scroll he was saw his father's harsh writing on the parchment.

Marcus,

I don't have to say how disappointed I am with you. I think that's apparent. The moment you took that mudblood from our great Lord was the moment you doomed yourself to death. I will not stand the fact that not only is my father a traitor to my Lord but so is my own son. The next time I see you, I will not be merciful. You and the mudblood will pay the price.

That is a promise.

Arcus Flint.

Marcus' face turned an unnatural shade of white and unconsciously moved away from Katie. He had no wish for her to see his father's threat. He had been waiting for the letter to finally arrive, although he had expected it quite earlier. The Flint family hadn't been a rich one but they had been one of the few decent pureblooded families known to the Wizarding World. When Marcus' father had married Mierum Johnson, he had gained a fortune that he had never imagined. Equipped with a new source of income, he went crazy, trying to secure power that he had secretly craved. As Voldemort started to rise, Arcus had started to sink into the dark arts and the Flints' reputation started to take a dive. He had raised his only son with an iron fist, attempting to turn out Marcus in an image he would have loved for himself and bullied his wife into joining Voldemort's cult.

He stared down at his food, no longer with an appetite. Not only was his father after him but after Katie as well. He would of willing gone against Arcus without a fight but not when Katie's safety was on the line.

A hand softly brushed against his shoulder and Katie whispered in his ear, "Marc, you look upset. What's the matter?"

Marcus shook himself and turned reluctantly at Katie. "Nothing wrong."

"Yes, something is. I'm not stupid Marcus, I've known you long enough to know when something's wrong."

"Nothing is wrong. If something was, I'd tell you."

Katie looked at him, disbelief in her eyes but then she turned towards Jaymes who was seated down the table and started to chat with her about her life at Hogwarts and Marcus went back to pondering how he was going to handle the problem of his father.

"It's time for your first class," Katie finally interrupted his thoughts a few minutes later with a chilly look in her eyes. "And I have Charms at the moment. I need to start to study for N.E.W.T.s and I really don't want anyone to bother me, so I'll talk to you later when I'm not so busy."

Marcus nodded in reply and watched Katie stand up and leave, knowing that she knew something was wrong and she wasn't happy he was keeping her out. Obviously she was upset over many things, and he wasn't making it better. He could tell that her Gryffindor friends weren't happy about Katie spending so much time with her and they were probably upset that she had forgiven him so easily.

Slowly he rose to his feet as Osbourne lightly punched him in the shoulder. "What you teaching?" the other man asked.

"Flying. You?"

Osbourne smiled. "I'm going to be helping with Charms and eventually I might take over as the professor."

"Sounds interesting, I'm sure," Marcus told him, not really caring at all. He really wasn't in the mood for small talk. "I have to get outside," he said and turned away and walked out of the Great Hall.

He stalked down the halls and out of the building, heading towards the school's broomshed. He wasn't students for two more hours but he wanted to be ready for his next class. He started to tediously take inventory of the brooms that the school owned but after five minutes he was so bored he rested his back against the wall of the shed and just stared at the brooms. Even though he was no longer in immediate danger, he still felt stressed about the whole situation. He and Katie had been great… for a matter of hours. If they couldn't keep on go terms for such a short term, could they really be able to work out a relationship?

The thought was interrupted by squeak of the door as it was pushed open. Hastily Marcus sprang to his feet and towards the brooms.

"I'm sorry, Marcus," a soft voice said. Marcus turned around to see Katie standing by the doors. "I'm so sorry."

"What for?" he asked, wondering if she knew what his father had written to him.

Katie smiled hesitantly. "For being such a bitch. I shouldn't have been so harsh. You don't have to tell me everything, I understand if you don't want to, don't trust me. But I am here for you and you can tell me everything."

Marcus smiled at this. "Thanks Katie," he said. "Really though, nothing's wrong and if something was, I'd tell you."

"Well for what it's worth, I trust you more than anyone else I know."

"Thanks Kate," he whispered and moved towards her and gently kissed her, strange emotion in Marcus' eyes that Katie could recognize.

"I have to go to class, Marc. I'll talk to you later, alright?"

Marcus nodded and kissed her goodbye and then she fled the broomshed and hurried through the halls of Hogwarts until she was standing in front of her Transfiguration class. Opening the door she looked towards Professor McGonagall who was standing at the front of the class, looking at Katie with a hard look. "Miss Bell, although we are thrilled that you are finally joining us again, we require that you're on time for class."

"I'm sorry Professor, but I had to talk someone before coming to class."

McGonagall glared at the young Gryffindor. "Sit down and do not be late again. The N.E.W.T.s are quickly coming upon you and you need to concentrate, you have already missed a lot of work."

Katie nodded and quickly sat down in her old spot between Alicia and Angelina. "Listen, Ang," she whispered, "it wasn't what you thought." Angelina shrugged but didn't reply. "I'm glad that everyone's alright. I was so worried."

"Really?" Angelina finally answered sarcastically. "I'd have thought you were to busy fucking Flint the whole time, no time to think about your friends."

Katie felt her eyes sting. "I can't believe you just said that."

"And I can't believe you would stoop so low as to sleep with a Slytherin."

"10 points from Gryffindor," McGonagall's shrill voice rippled through the room. "Girls, you can talk with each other at a later time, for now, pay attention."

Angelina glared and Katie looked down at the table, feeling sick to her stomach. She had thought that things couldn't get worse after being kidnapped by deatheaters but obviously that wasn't true. Although she wanted to didn't dare open her mouth and deny Angelina's accusations. Instead she looked to her other side to where Alicia sat and looked to see the feelings in her face. Alicia's eyes were blank, showing as little emotion as possible. She didn't say anything, but looked away instead.

For one of the first times in her life, Katie felt hopeless. When she had been with the deatheaters she had always had Marcus' support in his strange way but she didn't want to have his support against her best friends.

Finally the grueling class was over and she was allowed to escape away from her friends and down the hallway. She walked through the corridors and almost aimlessly until she arrived in Charms to see a smiling face. Osbourne Avery.

"How are you, Katie?" he asked.

She looked at the ground. "I've been better," she told him as she selected a seat in the corner at back of the Hufflepuff half of the room. He looked at her strangely; Flitwick had obviously informed her of the silent seating plan that had always separated one house from the other. "I'm just having a hard time with my friends. They don't understand my relationship with Marcus."

He shrugged. "From what I've heard and what I experienced at Durmstrang, I'm not surprised. Me and Jaymes were in totally different houses. That's part of the reason that she's so reluctant to get close to me. In her mind she's still in Durmstrang where it's looked down on for us to be together… and the fact that she's scared to be with me."

Katie shrugged. "They should attack me for that," she told him, anger in her voice.

"I know. All I can suggest is time. Wait for them to calm down before talking with them again."

Tears stung her eyes and she whispered, "I don't know if I can stand life here with out them here."

"You have Marcus."

"But it isn't the same. I think I might love him but I can't talk to him about boys or clothes or anything else like that."

"Everything will turn out fine," Osbourne told her but she shook her head. Osbourne placed a hand on her shoulder before walking towards the front of the room and taking a seat towards the sign of Flitwick's desk.

Soon Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors shuffled into the room, looking at Katie with suspicion. Nobody sat anywhere near her, but satisfied their curiosity by throwing occasional glances over their shoulders or across the room whenever they hoped she wasn't looking. She could feel their eyes on her person and it took strength for her not to shudder and run out of the classroom.

Flitwick ignored her as did the whole class, so she was able to concentrate and take notes about the Confundus Charm and Flitwick hinted towards which Charms would appear on the Charms' N.E.W.T.

After what seemed like hours but was only forty minutes, she escaped from the classroom and hurried towards the Great Hall.

Marcus was already sitting at the High Table and she hurried towards him and threw herself in his arms.

Author's Notes

I'm so sorry about the lack of updates but I've been busy lately since I've just started college and everything. Full course loads are the devil I tell you, the devil. After the beginning of December (exams L) the updates will become a lot more frequent but until then I can't promise many updates unfortunately.

Anyways, thank you to my reviewers! You all rock and I'm glad you're liking Relinquished.

EDIT- Sorry everyone, at first I forgot to put up the edited version but now I have! J