*DISCLAIMER* We don't own Harry Potter characters, as much as we'd like to
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Marcus tied the note to his owls leg and carried him over to the window. "Take this to Katie Bell at Hogwarts, and don't wait for a reply."
He closed the window after the owl and turned and called to the house elves to have a lunch for two brought up into the study. He sat down on the sofa in front of the fire, watching the elves set it up. He wasn't sure why he was doing it really....but the idea of having lunch with Katie amused him. And he would do anything to amuse himself. He could already imagine how this would go. He smirked, today's lunch was going to be a great stress reliever for him. He glanced at the time and frowned. Time was going so slowly, and pacing the room as he was now was making it no better. He had to get it together, he couldn't let Katie see him like this, he couldn't appear to be anxious in front of her, it would do far too much damage to his image if he did.
The house elves finished setting the elaborate lunch on the table and bowed before leaving him alone to wait for her. He crossed the room to stare out the window, his hands clasped behind his back. She would be there any moment, and he had to appear cool and collected. Facing away from where she was to appear would be a big help there. So he waited...the only sign of his nerves were his sweaty palms, nothing anyone walking into the room would ever pick up on.
**************************************************************** Katie stepped into the study and eyed the lunch laid out on the table carefully before she lifted her eyes to the man standing at the window. Her eyes ran over his profile and she swallowed. Damn him for being so good looking now. Pursing her lips, she took a few more steps into the room.
"Do you need something Marcus?" she asked quietly, wringing her hands together nervously. There was no winning in this situation. If he wanted information, she had nothing very big to give him yet, she was still trying to figure out who the spy was. She didn't want to betray her friends, but she really didn't want to see him hurt anymore...she was so torn.
"Have a seat Katie, join me for lunch," Marcus replied, still looking out the window, his hands were now clenched tightly behind his back. Bell made him so nervous, and he didn't understand why, but he knew he didn't like it. He needed to regain the upper hand again. He crossed the room to the table, and he did the unthinkable. He pulled out her chair for her. He used manners on a Gryffindor. He frowned as he continued to hold an empty chair, and Bell continued to stand still. "The chair isn't going to get you Katie, I promise," his frown turned into a smug smirk when she sat down. Taking a seat across from her, he placed his napkin in his lap, his eyes on her the entire time, hardly blinking.
Katie squirmed in her chair, toying with the corner of her napkin, her eyes on her lap. She could feel him staring at her, and it made her cheeks bright red. She didn't really mind his staring for some reason. Normally, she couldn't stand to have people stare at her, it was a little pet peeve of hers. Why she felt it was ok for a Slytherin snake to stare at her was beyond her ability to reason. Tired of giving in to him, she forced her steely gaze to meet his, a fine brow arched. "It's rude to stare, Flint."
Marcus merely smiled at her. "I never claimed to be polite all the time."
Katie smirked, shaking her head. "That little thing you did with my chair says otherwise. Only a gentleman would pull out a lady's chair for her."
He smirked, "Oh you think so? What about a con with ulterior motives?" He reached for one of the sandwiches laid out on the platter before him. Katie's smile faded, the humor vanished from her eyes. His smirk wavered slightly, he didn't feel as smug as he use to feel when wiping a smile off a Gryffindors face. In fact, heaven help him, he wanted to make her smile. Frowning, he focused on his sandwich, tearing off the crusts. Katie watched, somewhat amused despite the situation.
"You're not supposed to play with your food," she said, reaching for a sandwich. "I know you have table manners, I've seen you use them plenty of times." Katie's cheeks colored again. Great, now he's going to think I use to watch him in the Dining Hall at Hogwarts.
He smirked, "I don't recall ever eating a meal with Bell, so how could you possibly be so sure I have table manners?" There was more to Katie Bell than meets the eye he was realizing. Katie stayed silent, eyes on her untouched sandwich. "And besides, I'm not playing. I just don't like bread crust," he said nonchalantly, taking a great bite from the sandwich.
Katie did her best to refrain from smiling, but he almost seemed human at this moment, and it was a rare moment indeed when Marcus Flint seemed anything but evil. "Now, down to business," he said, wiping his hands on his napkin. Katie's smile vanished, her face paled, she couldn't tell him she didn't have anything, he would hurt her or her friends, and eventually, someone would hurt him. She would be letting everyone down if she did.
"You've hardly touched your lunch at all Katie, and people usually do eat when they meet for lunch," he said calmly, watching her out of the corner of his eye. He had the upper hand again, he could tell what she was thinking just from the look on her face. She always seemed to wear her emotions on her face. She thought he expected something from her, when all he really meant by business was eating lunch. He was very amused by his game. But part of him was feeling guilty. It was the same part that wanted to make her laugh and smile and the same part that wanted to take that pained look out of her eyes. He held up a hand as she started to speak, "The only reason I want you opening your mouth is to put food in it. Today's business is lunch, nothing more."
Marcus tied the note to his owls leg and carried him over to the window. "Take this to Katie Bell at Hogwarts, and don't wait for a reply."
He closed the window after the owl and turned and called to the house elves to have a lunch for two brought up into the study. He sat down on the sofa in front of the fire, watching the elves set it up. He wasn't sure why he was doing it really....but the idea of having lunch with Katie amused him. And he would do anything to amuse himself. He could already imagine how this would go. He smirked, today's lunch was going to be a great stress reliever for him. He glanced at the time and frowned. Time was going so slowly, and pacing the room as he was now was making it no better. He had to get it together, he couldn't let Katie see him like this, he couldn't appear to be anxious in front of her, it would do far too much damage to his image if he did.
The house elves finished setting the elaborate lunch on the table and bowed before leaving him alone to wait for her. He crossed the room to stare out the window, his hands clasped behind his back. She would be there any moment, and he had to appear cool and collected. Facing away from where she was to appear would be a big help there. So he waited...the only sign of his nerves were his sweaty palms, nothing anyone walking into the room would ever pick up on.
**************************************************************** Katie stepped into the study and eyed the lunch laid out on the table carefully before she lifted her eyes to the man standing at the window. Her eyes ran over his profile and she swallowed. Damn him for being so good looking now. Pursing her lips, she took a few more steps into the room.
"Do you need something Marcus?" she asked quietly, wringing her hands together nervously. There was no winning in this situation. If he wanted information, she had nothing very big to give him yet, she was still trying to figure out who the spy was. She didn't want to betray her friends, but she really didn't want to see him hurt anymore...she was so torn.
"Have a seat Katie, join me for lunch," Marcus replied, still looking out the window, his hands were now clenched tightly behind his back. Bell made him so nervous, and he didn't understand why, but he knew he didn't like it. He needed to regain the upper hand again. He crossed the room to the table, and he did the unthinkable. He pulled out her chair for her. He used manners on a Gryffindor. He frowned as he continued to hold an empty chair, and Bell continued to stand still. "The chair isn't going to get you Katie, I promise," his frown turned into a smug smirk when she sat down. Taking a seat across from her, he placed his napkin in his lap, his eyes on her the entire time, hardly blinking.
Katie squirmed in her chair, toying with the corner of her napkin, her eyes on her lap. She could feel him staring at her, and it made her cheeks bright red. She didn't really mind his staring for some reason. Normally, she couldn't stand to have people stare at her, it was a little pet peeve of hers. Why she felt it was ok for a Slytherin snake to stare at her was beyond her ability to reason. Tired of giving in to him, she forced her steely gaze to meet his, a fine brow arched. "It's rude to stare, Flint."
Marcus merely smiled at her. "I never claimed to be polite all the time."
Katie smirked, shaking her head. "That little thing you did with my chair says otherwise. Only a gentleman would pull out a lady's chair for her."
He smirked, "Oh you think so? What about a con with ulterior motives?" He reached for one of the sandwiches laid out on the platter before him. Katie's smile faded, the humor vanished from her eyes. His smirk wavered slightly, he didn't feel as smug as he use to feel when wiping a smile off a Gryffindors face. In fact, heaven help him, he wanted to make her smile. Frowning, he focused on his sandwich, tearing off the crusts. Katie watched, somewhat amused despite the situation.
"You're not supposed to play with your food," she said, reaching for a sandwich. "I know you have table manners, I've seen you use them plenty of times." Katie's cheeks colored again. Great, now he's going to think I use to watch him in the Dining Hall at Hogwarts.
He smirked, "I don't recall ever eating a meal with Bell, so how could you possibly be so sure I have table manners?" There was more to Katie Bell than meets the eye he was realizing. Katie stayed silent, eyes on her untouched sandwich. "And besides, I'm not playing. I just don't like bread crust," he said nonchalantly, taking a great bite from the sandwich.
Katie did her best to refrain from smiling, but he almost seemed human at this moment, and it was a rare moment indeed when Marcus Flint seemed anything but evil. "Now, down to business," he said, wiping his hands on his napkin. Katie's smile vanished, her face paled, she couldn't tell him she didn't have anything, he would hurt her or her friends, and eventually, someone would hurt him. She would be letting everyone down if she did.
"You've hardly touched your lunch at all Katie, and people usually do eat when they meet for lunch," he said calmly, watching her out of the corner of his eye. He had the upper hand again, he could tell what she was thinking just from the look on her face. She always seemed to wear her emotions on her face. She thought he expected something from her, when all he really meant by business was eating lunch. He was very amused by his game. But part of him was feeling guilty. It was the same part that wanted to make her laugh and smile and the same part that wanted to take that pained look out of her eyes. He held up a hand as she started to speak, "The only reason I want you opening your mouth is to put food in it. Today's business is lunch, nothing more."