*DISCLAIMER: We don't own any Harry Potter characters. Moving on...*
Marcus made himself a drink after forcing Katie back through the fire. Had it been anyone else, he would have Avada Kedavra-ed their ass and sent for a house-elf to clean up the mess. But Marcus found he couldn't kill Katie. Not yet, anyways. The girl got to him, and he really wanted to this spying plan to work.
Marcus sighed and sat down on the couch. Why did he let Katie get to him? If he did kill her, he could just get a new spy. Hogwarts was full of students who probably had secrets. But he had chosen Katie himself. This project was like his little creation, and he wanted it to work out exactly as he had envisioned.
He heard a popping sound in the next room and opened one eye. His house-elf scurried in and bowed.
"Mister Flint, Mrs. Bellatrix Lestrange is here to speak with you," the elf squeaked. Marcus stood up and walked into the next room where Bellatrix was waiting.
"The Dark Lord wants to know what information you've received from Hogwarts," she said, making herself comfortable on the love seat. Marcus sighed heavily.
"There was no information to report. But it's only the first week of Katie being on the job. She just needs to know where to get the information," Marcus explained. Did he just make an excuse for Katie?
Bellatrix clicked her tongue and stood up.
"This is not good news, Marcus," she said. "The Dark Lord would want you to be punished. Keep in mind that you'll be punished every week that there is no new information."
Marcus braced himself for the oncoming curse.
"Crucio."
********
Katie slept fitfully after her encounter with Marcus. He had looked so menacing when he had forced her into the fire. Katie hated to admit that she was actually terrified of him at that moment.
Pushing Marcus from her mind, Katie also worried about the visit with her parents the next day. Katie wondered how she'd confront her father. Or even if she'd confront him. He had lied to her for so many years now, and she was finding it hard to forgive him. Katie finally fell asleep after she resolved to confront her dad about the years of lies.
She awoke the next morning and got dressed quickly. She threw a handful a floo powder into the fireplace in the common room and stepped into the flames.
"Bell Manor!" She yelled into the flames. She arrived at her parent's house a moment later. Natalie was sitting in the drawing room, where Katie emerged.
"Katie, dear! So good to see you!" Natalie stood up and embraced Katie. Katie returned the hug, but only half-heartedly.
"Hello, Natalie. Is my father around?" Katie sat down in the chair next to the window. The grounds of their manor were not as impressive as Marcus', she noted. Natalie sent a house-elf to get Katie's father and a moment later he walked through the door.
"Katie!" He gave her a kiss on the cheek. Katie smiled weakly as her father sat by Natalie on the sofa.
"How're classes, Kat?" He asked, placing a hand over his wife's hand. Katie had seen them do this familiar gesture for years now. Her dad's hand was huge compared to Natalie's, but they seemed to fit very nicely together.
"Classes are fine, dad," Katie answered, now torn on whether to confront him or not. She saw the way he looked at Natalie, he truly did love her.
Love was not the most important thing in most pureblood marriages. Would her mother's family, with whom Katie and her father were still fairly close with, really mind if they knew Natalie was not pureblooded? Would Katie's dad's family really mind as long as they knew that he doted on her and would give her anything?
They would, Katie thought bitterly. It would be throwing the tradition away and pureblooded families loved their traditions.
Had Katie's dad really done wrong by lying to her? He obviously just wanted to keep both Katie and Natalie safe. As long as everyone had thought Natalie was a pureblooded witch, everyone was safe. He had acted out of love. Could Katie really hold that against him?
"It's so good to have my Kat and Nat home with me," her dad said smiling. Katie smiled at the use of his favorite nicknames for them. Natalie laughed and kissed him fondly on the cheek. Katie sighed to herself. Ok, so he had lied. He didn't do it maliciously. She could forgive that.
The rest of the afternoon passed without any emotional confrontations from Katie. She laughed and chatted with them as if she did not have to go back to the school and find ways for Voldemort to infiltrate the castle. Right now she was just going to enjoy this time with her father and stepmother.
Marcus made himself a drink after forcing Katie back through the fire. Had it been anyone else, he would have Avada Kedavra-ed their ass and sent for a house-elf to clean up the mess. But Marcus found he couldn't kill Katie. Not yet, anyways. The girl got to him, and he really wanted to this spying plan to work.
Marcus sighed and sat down on the couch. Why did he let Katie get to him? If he did kill her, he could just get a new spy. Hogwarts was full of students who probably had secrets. But he had chosen Katie himself. This project was like his little creation, and he wanted it to work out exactly as he had envisioned.
He heard a popping sound in the next room and opened one eye. His house-elf scurried in and bowed.
"Mister Flint, Mrs. Bellatrix Lestrange is here to speak with you," the elf squeaked. Marcus stood up and walked into the next room where Bellatrix was waiting.
"The Dark Lord wants to know what information you've received from Hogwarts," she said, making herself comfortable on the love seat. Marcus sighed heavily.
"There was no information to report. But it's only the first week of Katie being on the job. She just needs to know where to get the information," Marcus explained. Did he just make an excuse for Katie?
Bellatrix clicked her tongue and stood up.
"This is not good news, Marcus," she said. "The Dark Lord would want you to be punished. Keep in mind that you'll be punished every week that there is no new information."
Marcus braced himself for the oncoming curse.
"Crucio."
********
Katie slept fitfully after her encounter with Marcus. He had looked so menacing when he had forced her into the fire. Katie hated to admit that she was actually terrified of him at that moment.
Pushing Marcus from her mind, Katie also worried about the visit with her parents the next day. Katie wondered how she'd confront her father. Or even if she'd confront him. He had lied to her for so many years now, and she was finding it hard to forgive him. Katie finally fell asleep after she resolved to confront her dad about the years of lies.
She awoke the next morning and got dressed quickly. She threw a handful a floo powder into the fireplace in the common room and stepped into the flames.
"Bell Manor!" She yelled into the flames. She arrived at her parent's house a moment later. Natalie was sitting in the drawing room, where Katie emerged.
"Katie, dear! So good to see you!" Natalie stood up and embraced Katie. Katie returned the hug, but only half-heartedly.
"Hello, Natalie. Is my father around?" Katie sat down in the chair next to the window. The grounds of their manor were not as impressive as Marcus', she noted. Natalie sent a house-elf to get Katie's father and a moment later he walked through the door.
"Katie!" He gave her a kiss on the cheek. Katie smiled weakly as her father sat by Natalie on the sofa.
"How're classes, Kat?" He asked, placing a hand over his wife's hand. Katie had seen them do this familiar gesture for years now. Her dad's hand was huge compared to Natalie's, but they seemed to fit very nicely together.
"Classes are fine, dad," Katie answered, now torn on whether to confront him or not. She saw the way he looked at Natalie, he truly did love her.
Love was not the most important thing in most pureblood marriages. Would her mother's family, with whom Katie and her father were still fairly close with, really mind if they knew Natalie was not pureblooded? Would Katie's dad's family really mind as long as they knew that he doted on her and would give her anything?
They would, Katie thought bitterly. It would be throwing the tradition away and pureblooded families loved their traditions.
Had Katie's dad really done wrong by lying to her? He obviously just wanted to keep both Katie and Natalie safe. As long as everyone had thought Natalie was a pureblooded witch, everyone was safe. He had acted out of love. Could Katie really hold that against him?
"It's so good to have my Kat and Nat home with me," her dad said smiling. Katie smiled at the use of his favorite nicknames for them. Natalie laughed and kissed him fondly on the cheek. Katie sighed to herself. Ok, so he had lied. He didn't do it maliciously. She could forgive that.
The rest of the afternoon passed without any emotional confrontations from Katie. She laughed and chatted with them as if she did not have to go back to the school and find ways for Voldemort to infiltrate the castle. Right now she was just going to enjoy this time with her father and stepmother.