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Katie sat on the steps leading into the castle, her head resting on her folded arms. It all seemed surreal today, the memorial service that had been held for her parents. She lifted her face at the first crack of thunder, and almost instantly, rain was pouring down over her face. She was soaked within seconds. A large owl landed beside her, a note tied to its leg. She didn't have to even look at the writing to know who it was from. Calmly, she took the letter, walked back up to Gryffindor Tower, threw a handful of floo powder into the fire, and disappeared.
Marcus stood by the window, watching the rain fall down outside, his mood dark. It had been nearly two weeks since he had called to Katie, wanting to give her some privacy. For being a Slytherin, he sure was feeling an awful lot of guilt and remorse for this whole ordeal. He had waited as long as he could to get the information from Katie, and now it was time. Voldemort wanted to see him tomorrow with news, and the Dark Lord was not pleased. Marcus had a feeling not many people had ever told Voldemort that he had to wait. But he had, and he had done so for Katie's sake. It had been hard for him, a lot harder than he had expected it to be. He couldn't get that kiss out of his mind. Nothing could distract him from it. Even when he was involved deeply in something else, the memory stayed with him. He had to see her, and he had to see her now, not only just for Voldemort, but for himself.
When he heard her arrive, he turned to look at her and frowned. "Katie, you're soaked," he said as he crossed over to her. He put his hands on her shoulders and felt her trembling, noticed her teeth chattering and how pale she seemed. He didn't like the look of her, so he called to his house elves to bring a set of dry clothes, some blankets and some hot tea while he rubbed her arms, trying to bring some warmth back into her. When the elf with the dry clothes appeared, he put her in the care of the elf, and crossed back to the window. Once there he let his worry show. She was completely soaked, and just not there. He had expected to find himself more worried about the info, but was surprised to find he was more worried about her than what would happen to him. It was then that he knew what he was going to do. He found her in the next room, now changed into one of his shirts and a pair of pants, her hair now dry and tied back, her eyes staring off into space. He dismissed the elf, and bent down, drawing her up into his arms, cradled protectively against his chest. He carried her back to the sitting room and found the tea and the blankets waiting for them on the couch before the fire. Gently, he tried to set her down, but when he did, Katie wouldn't release her hold on his neck. He sat down and held her in his lap, drawing a blanket up around them both. She laid her head down on his shoulder and closed her eyes, murmuring "I don't want to be alone."
Marcus rubbed her back lightly and placed a kiss on her forehead. "You won't be Katie...I'm not gonna leave you...just rest." He held her close and helped her fall to sleep, and once she was, his mind began to wander. He thought back to the day he had learned that he had been accepted as a Death Eater, and how proud and pleased he had been that day. And then he thought about why Katie was here in the first place. Just what in the world was he doing, holding her in his lap like this? Why was he allowing this sort of intimacy between the two of them? He brushed a strand of hair back off her cheek, and then stopped himself. He was a Death Eater, and she was his spy. He frowned, listening to the storm rage outside. It matched his mood at the moment, for there was a storm raging inside him as well. He had some thinking to do, some decisions to make, and the soft, trusting girl in his lap was not making that easy for him. He gathered her closer in his arms, closing his eyes. Why was this happening right now? Why couldn't this have started back when they were both at Hogwarts, back before he was so deep into Voldemorts world, when he could have had a chance to deal with this? He was going to have to set her down and leave her be, and stay away. He stood to do just that, and Katie nuzzled her cheek against his chest, snuggling into his embrace, murmuring softly, sound asleep. With the bruises of exhaustion smudged beneath her eyes, he could tell it had been a while since she had gotten a decent rest. He sat back down, smoothing her hair back. He would put her down, just...later.
*************** Katie woke up an hour or so later, still wrapped in Marcus' arms. She looked up to see that he had also dozed off. She smiled weakly and removed herself from his embrace, being careful not to wake him. She felt a little bit rested, which was a relief. She had stayed with her grandparents for a few days and had to be given a sleeping potion just to make it through the night. Since she had been back at Hogwarts, though, she hardly slept at all. People were constantly talked in murmurs around her, and she found all the quiet murmurs deafening. She was tired of peoples condolences and words of encouragement. She wanted to yell at them, but found that she lacked the strength.
The one person she did want comfort from, though, had not called for her in nearly two weeks. Katie was beginning to think that Marcus had lost interest in her and found another spy. During one of her many sleepless nights she found herself irrationally angry at the thought that he didn't want her to spy for him anymore. She should have felt relief at the burden of sneaking behind her friends' backs being lifted, but she had felt rejected and upset. She needed Marcus in her life at the present time, and the idea of him not wanting her anymore had been almost too much for her to handle.
She sat in a chair by the window and watched the rain fall. The house elf had warmed up the tea for her and she sipped it slowly while listening to the thunder and the sound of the rain against the windowpane. The sound was soothing and she found herself crying silently. It was all just too much. She missed her father and Natalie so much. She hated the Death Eaters who had killed them, but also hated Dumbledore for letting it happen. Where was his spy? Why didn't his spy tell him what was about to happen? If Dumbledore was supposed to be this fantastic wizard, why couldn't he save her parents? It all made her so angry that she sometimes found herself glaring at him in the Great Hall at mealtimes.
Marcus shifted on the couch as if he was waking up. Katie looked away from the window to watch him, but he didn't wake. She frowned, wishing he would just wake up so she could have some company. She toyed with the idea of shaking him awake, but decided against it. She placed her tea cup on a nearby table and placed it so it was just barely on the table top. She took a deep breath, prayed that the tea cup wasn't some Flint family heirloom and "accidently" kicked the table while crossing her legs. The tea cup crashed on the floor and Marcus jumped out of his sleep.
"Oh my goodness, Marcus!" Katie cried in mock shock. "I'm so sorry!"
Marcus stretched and walked over to the window, smiling. "Don't worry about it, Katie. It's a quick fix." He pulled out his wand and muttered a spell, sending the broken china back to its original form.
"How've you been Katie?" He asked gently. She shrugged and looked out the window again.
"As well as can be expected, I suppose," she mumbled. He nodded in agreement but could think of nothing to say.
"Don't you have NEWTS coming up?" He asked, desperate to make conversation.
Katie laughed and faced him again, "NEWTS are really the farthest thing from my mind right now, but yeah, I guess they're coming up. Now, we can stop with the small chat, Marcus. Didn't you bring me here to ask for some information?"
He nodded. "Well," she began, "I'm sorry. I haven't really been very attentive to what's been going on. But if you give me a few days, I promise I'll come up with something."
Katie did not want him to be punished again, so she hoped and prayed that Voldemort didn't want the information for a few days. Marcus saw the worry on her face and moved towards her. He kissed the top of her head.
"Don't worry, Katie. I don't have to report to the Dark Lord for another week," he lied, briefly hoping that a pain-dulling potion would be undetected by Voldemort.
Katie sat on the steps leading into the castle, her head resting on her folded arms. It all seemed surreal today, the memorial service that had been held for her parents. She lifted her face at the first crack of thunder, and almost instantly, rain was pouring down over her face. She was soaked within seconds. A large owl landed beside her, a note tied to its leg. She didn't have to even look at the writing to know who it was from. Calmly, she took the letter, walked back up to Gryffindor Tower, threw a handful of floo powder into the fire, and disappeared.
Marcus stood by the window, watching the rain fall down outside, his mood dark. It had been nearly two weeks since he had called to Katie, wanting to give her some privacy. For being a Slytherin, he sure was feeling an awful lot of guilt and remorse for this whole ordeal. He had waited as long as he could to get the information from Katie, and now it was time. Voldemort wanted to see him tomorrow with news, and the Dark Lord was not pleased. Marcus had a feeling not many people had ever told Voldemort that he had to wait. But he had, and he had done so for Katie's sake. It had been hard for him, a lot harder than he had expected it to be. He couldn't get that kiss out of his mind. Nothing could distract him from it. Even when he was involved deeply in something else, the memory stayed with him. He had to see her, and he had to see her now, not only just for Voldemort, but for himself.
When he heard her arrive, he turned to look at her and frowned. "Katie, you're soaked," he said as he crossed over to her. He put his hands on her shoulders and felt her trembling, noticed her teeth chattering and how pale she seemed. He didn't like the look of her, so he called to his house elves to bring a set of dry clothes, some blankets and some hot tea while he rubbed her arms, trying to bring some warmth back into her. When the elf with the dry clothes appeared, he put her in the care of the elf, and crossed back to the window. Once there he let his worry show. She was completely soaked, and just not there. He had expected to find himself more worried about the info, but was surprised to find he was more worried about her than what would happen to him. It was then that he knew what he was going to do. He found her in the next room, now changed into one of his shirts and a pair of pants, her hair now dry and tied back, her eyes staring off into space. He dismissed the elf, and bent down, drawing her up into his arms, cradled protectively against his chest. He carried her back to the sitting room and found the tea and the blankets waiting for them on the couch before the fire. Gently, he tried to set her down, but when he did, Katie wouldn't release her hold on his neck. He sat down and held her in his lap, drawing a blanket up around them both. She laid her head down on his shoulder and closed her eyes, murmuring "I don't want to be alone."
Marcus rubbed her back lightly and placed a kiss on her forehead. "You won't be Katie...I'm not gonna leave you...just rest." He held her close and helped her fall to sleep, and once she was, his mind began to wander. He thought back to the day he had learned that he had been accepted as a Death Eater, and how proud and pleased he had been that day. And then he thought about why Katie was here in the first place. Just what in the world was he doing, holding her in his lap like this? Why was he allowing this sort of intimacy between the two of them? He brushed a strand of hair back off her cheek, and then stopped himself. He was a Death Eater, and she was his spy. He frowned, listening to the storm rage outside. It matched his mood at the moment, for there was a storm raging inside him as well. He had some thinking to do, some decisions to make, and the soft, trusting girl in his lap was not making that easy for him. He gathered her closer in his arms, closing his eyes. Why was this happening right now? Why couldn't this have started back when they were both at Hogwarts, back before he was so deep into Voldemorts world, when he could have had a chance to deal with this? He was going to have to set her down and leave her be, and stay away. He stood to do just that, and Katie nuzzled her cheek against his chest, snuggling into his embrace, murmuring softly, sound asleep. With the bruises of exhaustion smudged beneath her eyes, he could tell it had been a while since she had gotten a decent rest. He sat back down, smoothing her hair back. He would put her down, just...later.
*************** Katie woke up an hour or so later, still wrapped in Marcus' arms. She looked up to see that he had also dozed off. She smiled weakly and removed herself from his embrace, being careful not to wake him. She felt a little bit rested, which was a relief. She had stayed with her grandparents for a few days and had to be given a sleeping potion just to make it through the night. Since she had been back at Hogwarts, though, she hardly slept at all. People were constantly talked in murmurs around her, and she found all the quiet murmurs deafening. She was tired of peoples condolences and words of encouragement. She wanted to yell at them, but found that she lacked the strength.
The one person she did want comfort from, though, had not called for her in nearly two weeks. Katie was beginning to think that Marcus had lost interest in her and found another spy. During one of her many sleepless nights she found herself irrationally angry at the thought that he didn't want her to spy for him anymore. She should have felt relief at the burden of sneaking behind her friends' backs being lifted, but she had felt rejected and upset. She needed Marcus in her life at the present time, and the idea of him not wanting her anymore had been almost too much for her to handle.
She sat in a chair by the window and watched the rain fall. The house elf had warmed up the tea for her and she sipped it slowly while listening to the thunder and the sound of the rain against the windowpane. The sound was soothing and she found herself crying silently. It was all just too much. She missed her father and Natalie so much. She hated the Death Eaters who had killed them, but also hated Dumbledore for letting it happen. Where was his spy? Why didn't his spy tell him what was about to happen? If Dumbledore was supposed to be this fantastic wizard, why couldn't he save her parents? It all made her so angry that she sometimes found herself glaring at him in the Great Hall at mealtimes.
Marcus shifted on the couch as if he was waking up. Katie looked away from the window to watch him, but he didn't wake. She frowned, wishing he would just wake up so she could have some company. She toyed with the idea of shaking him awake, but decided against it. She placed her tea cup on a nearby table and placed it so it was just barely on the table top. She took a deep breath, prayed that the tea cup wasn't some Flint family heirloom and "accidently" kicked the table while crossing her legs. The tea cup crashed on the floor and Marcus jumped out of his sleep.
"Oh my goodness, Marcus!" Katie cried in mock shock. "I'm so sorry!"
Marcus stretched and walked over to the window, smiling. "Don't worry about it, Katie. It's a quick fix." He pulled out his wand and muttered a spell, sending the broken china back to its original form.
"How've you been Katie?" He asked gently. She shrugged and looked out the window again.
"As well as can be expected, I suppose," she mumbled. He nodded in agreement but could think of nothing to say.
"Don't you have NEWTS coming up?" He asked, desperate to make conversation.
Katie laughed and faced him again, "NEWTS are really the farthest thing from my mind right now, but yeah, I guess they're coming up. Now, we can stop with the small chat, Marcus. Didn't you bring me here to ask for some information?"
He nodded. "Well," she began, "I'm sorry. I haven't really been very attentive to what's been going on. But if you give me a few days, I promise I'll come up with something."
Katie did not want him to be punished again, so she hoped and prayed that Voldemort didn't want the information for a few days. Marcus saw the worry on her face and moved towards her. He kissed the top of her head.
"Don't worry, Katie. I don't have to report to the Dark Lord for another week," he lied, briefly hoping that a pain-dulling potion would be undetected by Voldemort.