Katie was laying on her bed, clutching a pillow. McGonagall's words still
rang in her brain. Her parents had been killed. Killed by Death Eaters.
Marcus was a Death Eater. Marcus who had sworn to protect her family's
secret if she worked for him.
In the end her thoughts always returned to Marcus. That made her feel very guilty, though. At this time she should be remembering her dad and step- mother, not Marcus. But try as she might, she couldn't help but think about him. He had become a part of her life, like it or not.
An owl appeared at her window and she recognized it at Marcus'. Her heart leapt a little bit as she untied the letter from the owl's leg. She read it once over, grabbed her robe, and made her way to the Common Room fireplace. The letter had been simple. It only said "Come here now". She was in no mood to be difficult with Marcus.
She arrived in the Flint Manor fireplace and found Marcus waiting for her. He didn't face her and she sat on the sofa. She grabbed a pillow and clutched it to her chest, rocking slowly back and forth, still letting everything sink in. Marcus still remained silent and Katie found herself drowning in the silence. She wanted him to say something, anything. She wanted him to comfort her. She wanted to her that everything would be ok.
"Katie, I'm going to need that information tonight," he said, still facing away. He spoke slowly and deliberately. Katie looked at him unbelievingly. Surly he was not going to insist on the information tonight, not after what she had been through. She furrowed her brow as he turned to face her.
"Katie, I'm going to have to insist."
She shook her head as tears welled up in her eyes. Her parents had died and he didn't care.
Of course he doesn't care about my parents, she thought bitterly. He wanted to kill them after all.
Marcus sat beside her on the couch and took one of her hands. She tried to shake it free, but he held onto it firmly. She started to rock back and forth more quickly as she tried to keep the tears from falling. She was reminded suddenly of all the times her dad had hugged her and soothed her as soon as her chin would start to tremble. Her dad could ward off her tears better than anyone. But now the tears were threatening to fall and no one was there to comfort her. Her dad would never be there to stop her tears again.
"Katie," Marcus nearly whispered, "please."
With that little 'please' it was as if a dam had broken. Her tears fell freely and she gasped for breath. Marcus moved off the couch and kneeled in front of her, taking her other hand as well.
"I know you've been through absolute hell," he said, rubbing her hands. "But, Katie, this is important. I need to know what you know." His plans of being quick with no regard to her feelings were going out the window. It broke his heart to see her cry. If it had been up to him, he would have just held her and rocked her like a child. But duty to his cause made him continue. He had to get this information, and he had to get it tonight. He could not let his personal feelings get in his way.
"You just have to tell me, and then you can go."
Katie was taking slow deep breaths and was wiping her tears. "Ok, Marcus," she said in her still shaky voice. "All I know is that there is in fact a spy. I heard it from Hagrid. The spy reports to Dumbledore with any attacks the Death Eaters are planning and the Dumbledore tries to save those who'll be attacked."
Marcus nodded and continued to rub her hands. "Thank you, Katie," he said, bringing her hands to his lips. "This is a great help to us."
Katie wanted to yell and scream. She wanted to rant and storm about how her parents had been murdered by these people she was helping. She wanted to hate Marcus for what he was making her do. But she couldn't do anything. She sat there mutely while he knelt in front of her, holding her hands.
"You can stay here if you want," he said softly. "It's understandable if you don't want to be at Hogwarts."
"I'll be staying with my grandparents for a few days," she mumbled. Marcus nodded, not saying anything.
"Well, if you ever want to get away," he offered. He seemed to want to say more, but was struggling with the words. "I'm... I'm sorry, Katie."
"For what?"
"For all of this. For putting you through this. For making you spy on your friends. And especially sorry for your parents," he spoke quickly without taking a breath. Katie slid off the couch and sat on the floor with him, still holding his hands. His eyes were deeply apologetic and she found that no matter how hard she could try, she could never hate him.
She let go of his hands and placed hers on either side of his face. She held them there for a moment before bringing his face to hers. He kissed her slowly, as if afraid she may change her mind and pull back. But as she started to kiss back, he became bolder. He pulled her closer to him till she was almost in his lap. She ran her fingers in his hair and kissed him forcefully. All the emotions that had plagued her that day disappeared and she could think of nothing except kissing Marcus.
In the end her thoughts always returned to Marcus. That made her feel very guilty, though. At this time she should be remembering her dad and step- mother, not Marcus. But try as she might, she couldn't help but think about him. He had become a part of her life, like it or not.
An owl appeared at her window and she recognized it at Marcus'. Her heart leapt a little bit as she untied the letter from the owl's leg. She read it once over, grabbed her robe, and made her way to the Common Room fireplace. The letter had been simple. It only said "Come here now". She was in no mood to be difficult with Marcus.
She arrived in the Flint Manor fireplace and found Marcus waiting for her. He didn't face her and she sat on the sofa. She grabbed a pillow and clutched it to her chest, rocking slowly back and forth, still letting everything sink in. Marcus still remained silent and Katie found herself drowning in the silence. She wanted him to say something, anything. She wanted him to comfort her. She wanted to her that everything would be ok.
"Katie, I'm going to need that information tonight," he said, still facing away. He spoke slowly and deliberately. Katie looked at him unbelievingly. Surly he was not going to insist on the information tonight, not after what she had been through. She furrowed her brow as he turned to face her.
"Katie, I'm going to have to insist."
She shook her head as tears welled up in her eyes. Her parents had died and he didn't care.
Of course he doesn't care about my parents, she thought bitterly. He wanted to kill them after all.
Marcus sat beside her on the couch and took one of her hands. She tried to shake it free, but he held onto it firmly. She started to rock back and forth more quickly as she tried to keep the tears from falling. She was reminded suddenly of all the times her dad had hugged her and soothed her as soon as her chin would start to tremble. Her dad could ward off her tears better than anyone. But now the tears were threatening to fall and no one was there to comfort her. Her dad would never be there to stop her tears again.
"Katie," Marcus nearly whispered, "please."
With that little 'please' it was as if a dam had broken. Her tears fell freely and she gasped for breath. Marcus moved off the couch and kneeled in front of her, taking her other hand as well.
"I know you've been through absolute hell," he said, rubbing her hands. "But, Katie, this is important. I need to know what you know." His plans of being quick with no regard to her feelings were going out the window. It broke his heart to see her cry. If it had been up to him, he would have just held her and rocked her like a child. But duty to his cause made him continue. He had to get this information, and he had to get it tonight. He could not let his personal feelings get in his way.
"You just have to tell me, and then you can go."
Katie was taking slow deep breaths and was wiping her tears. "Ok, Marcus," she said in her still shaky voice. "All I know is that there is in fact a spy. I heard it from Hagrid. The spy reports to Dumbledore with any attacks the Death Eaters are planning and the Dumbledore tries to save those who'll be attacked."
Marcus nodded and continued to rub her hands. "Thank you, Katie," he said, bringing her hands to his lips. "This is a great help to us."
Katie wanted to yell and scream. She wanted to rant and storm about how her parents had been murdered by these people she was helping. She wanted to hate Marcus for what he was making her do. But she couldn't do anything. She sat there mutely while he knelt in front of her, holding her hands.
"You can stay here if you want," he said softly. "It's understandable if you don't want to be at Hogwarts."
"I'll be staying with my grandparents for a few days," she mumbled. Marcus nodded, not saying anything.
"Well, if you ever want to get away," he offered. He seemed to want to say more, but was struggling with the words. "I'm... I'm sorry, Katie."
"For what?"
"For all of this. For putting you through this. For making you spy on your friends. And especially sorry for your parents," he spoke quickly without taking a breath. Katie slid off the couch and sat on the floor with him, still holding his hands. His eyes were deeply apologetic and she found that no matter how hard she could try, she could never hate him.
She let go of his hands and placed hers on either side of his face. She held them there for a moment before bringing his face to hers. He kissed her slowly, as if afraid she may change her mind and pull back. But as she started to kiss back, he became bolder. He pulled her closer to him till she was almost in his lap. She ran her fingers in his hair and kissed him forcefully. All the emotions that had plagued her that day disappeared and she could think of nothing except kissing Marcus.