"Game Plan" by Redcandle17

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and elements from the Harry Potter series belong to J.K Rowling. No copyright infringement is intended.

"Marcus, you do know that your shirt's open, right?" Malfoy called as Marcus stormed into the Slytherin common room. Well, that explained why he was so cold. Marcus ignored Malfoy and all the others as he made his way to his dormitory. He pulled the bedcurtains shut and laid on his back, staring into the darkness.

Katie kept insisting she loved him, the patronizing little Gryffindor bitch. But she could not believe that he loved her. She probably didn't believe he was capable of love or any other emotion. Right now, he wished he was as heartless she thought he was. How could she believe the last five months was all a charade? He could have one hell of a career in muggle theater if he was that good an actor. He'd thought of lots of things to say to her while they'd stood in that dark hallway. But he'd restrained himself because he knew she would take his justified anger as a sign that he was a heartless bastard. He'd restrained himself so much, and made himself do and say things he'd never imagined himself doing these past five months for her. He laughed bitterly. Marcus Flint had made a fool of himself for a girl, for a Gryffindor girl. It was pathetic. He must have been out of his mind. Yes, it must have been some sort of temporary insanity. He should thank Bell for ending it.

Marcus waited for Katie to walk by on her way to her first class of the morning. He yanked her into the alcove without caring who saw them. "Are you over whatever madness clouded your brain last night?" he demanded.

Katie snatched her arm away from him. "It's over, Marcus," she said tiredly. Her eyes were red and puffy. "I don't know what you're planning to do to me and the rest of the team, but get it over with soon. The waiting is killing me."

"I'm not planning to do anything to you," Marcus said. "I don't know where you got that paranoid idea." He made sure to enunciate each word slowly and carefully, "I love you."

"You," she pointed at him, "are Marcus Flint. You are a Slytherin. You are the captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team." She pointed at herself, "I am Katie Bell. I am a Gryffindor. I am a Gryffindor Quidditch player. You can't possibly be in love with me."

Marcus felt like banging his head against the wall. "I know who I am and I know who you are. Stop talking to me like I'm stupid. You have to know that I love you. What the hell do you think I've be doing these last five months?"

"Playing with me," Katie replied. "You've been planning some psychological tactic to throw us off our game. Maybe you enjoyed it, but I know why you did it." She folded her arms under her chest. "Points for persistence, by the way," she added. "I expected you to give up once you knew I knew."

Part of him was proud of her for being aware and downright suspicious. It was very Slytherin of her. Mostly he wanted to shake her until she stopped babbling about games. "Katie, please," he said. "You said the same thing last night. Let's not go over this again."

Katie opened her mouth to argue and Marcus kissed her. It was just last night that he'd last kissed her, but it felt like years. He could taste the bacon she'd eaten for breakfast; he hated bacon but he loved kissing her. She was kissing him back like it'd been years for her too. Marcus's hands were on her hips, about to pick her up and pin her to the wall when the bell rang. Like she'd snapped out of a spell, Katie placed both palms on Marcus's chest and shoved him away. Marcus stumbled and regained his balance before he fell. She was stronger than she looked.

"Now we're both late to class. Making me get detention isn't going to make me gullible enough to believe you, Marcus." She was breathing heavily and her face was flushed.

"Skip class and let's go somewhere private. I'll show you just how much I love you," Marcus suggested.

Katie's lips curved but she forced the smile away. She sighed. "Marcus, leave me alone. I have to warn you, Oliver and the twins will probably do something unpleasant to you if they see you harassing me like this." She walked away and Marcus didn't try to stop her.

"I know about you and Katie," Oliver Wood said quietly. Marcus looked at him in surprise. They usually ignored each other's existence in History of Magic, but today Wood had sat next to him.

"What are you babbling about?" Marcus asked, in case Wood didn't know what he implied he knew.

Wood chuckled humorlessly. "At least you're being discreet. So far it seems public humiliation isn't what you planned."

"I repeat, what are you talking about?" Professor Binns was droning on about Dumbledore's defeat of Grindelwald, and Marcus needed to take notes because that was one of the questions he'd missed on the N.E.W.T.s. Instead, he was restraining himself from strangling the Gryffindor Quidditch captain. It was Wood's fault. He must have said something to Katie to make her doubt Marcus's sincerity.

"I know, Flint. I know everything. Katie told me as soon as she noticed you watching her in the library every time she was there. I have to say I'm impressed. I expected you to assign Pucey or one of the others in her year if seducing one of my chasers was the game plan. I guess you won't ask your men to do anything you're not willing to do, huh? Still, I didn't expect you to be able to get Katie to want to play along. You must be less trollish when you're alone with girls."

Marcus had crushed his quill into a little ball while listening to Wood. He gripped the edge of the desk to prevent himself from inflicting bodily harm on Wood, who was continuing with his speech.

"Katie's stopped playing your game and you'd better leave her alone. I'm warning you, Flint: don't touch her," Wood said.

Marcus closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. Opening his eyes, he glowered at Wood. "What goes on between me and my girlfriend is none of your business."

"What goes on between my chaser and the Slytherin captain certainly is my business," Wood retorted. "Katie doesn't love you or want you, Flint. Stay away from her."

Marcus relaxed. Wood didn't know as much as he thought he did after all. Wood didn't know that Katie loved Marcus. And Marcus was sure Katie loved him. He was confident she wasn't the type to have sex with someone, especially someone like him, for months unless she thought she was in love. "You had your chance," Marcus said. "Katie would have done anything for you. Don't blame me if you realized too late what you gave up."

Wood smiled at him nastily. "That's just it, Flint. Katie was willing to pretend she was in love with you because she knows how much I care about winning the Quidditch Cup. She was willing to do anything to counter whatever you were obviously planning."

Fuck. Marcus remembered last night's conversation with Katie and felt doubtful. She had admitted that she was with him originally because she couldn't be with Wood. Marcus ignored Wood for the rest of the class. How did things get so messed up in less than twenty four hours? He shouldn't have stopped and asked Katie what was bothering her last night. Hell, he shouldn't have asked her whether she believed he loved her. Marcus reached the conclusion that it was Montague's fault. Montague shouldn't have reminded him of his plan - his plan that seemed completely stupid and juvenile now.

Montague didn't seem to realize that Marcus was angry with him. He sat right next to Marcus at lunch. "I know how we can best utilize your relationship with Bell," he announced.

"It's none of your business," Marcus snapped.

Montague stared at him and frowned. "But I thought..."

Marcus interrupted him, "Don't think about it. It's my concern."

Across from them, Pucey was watching Marcus avidly. "You're not actually in love with Bell?" he said.

Montague frowned at Pucey. "Don't be silly," he said in Marcus's defense.

"Breathed in funny fumes in Potions, Pucey?" Marcus forced himself to laugh. He turned to Montague, "What's your idea?"

Montague's plan was a good one. It was a plan worthy of a Slytherin. It was utterly ruthless to the point of cruelty. It would destroy Katie and the rest of her team by extension. It would humiliate all of Gryffindor House for at least a couple of weeks. If Marcus allowed Montague to implement his plan, there was no possibility of ever reuniting with Katie. If he did it, she would hate him.

"What would you do if you were...involved with Bell?" Marcus asked Montague.

"Or Johnson," said Pucey, smiling knowingly.

Montague glared at Pucey silently. Finally, he looked at Marcus and said, "I wouldn't do it, of course."

Pucey stopped grinning and leaned closer to Marcus. "Look, we all respect you, Marcus. We're not going to think you're weak if you don't do it."

Marcus stared at him. Pucey looked sincere enough, but Marcus knew that his housemates were even less trustworthy than people in general.

Pucey sighed. "Okay, how about this? We're all too afraid of you to mock you for being infatuated with a Gryffindor. If you ever hear me spreading rumors about you, feel free to throw me off the Astronomy Tower. Or push me off my broom during practice; I'll say it was an accident."

"I was planning to throw you off your broom next practice anyway," Marcus grumbled. "All right. Leave Bell alone. Mind your own business, all of you."

Author's Note: I know I said this would be the final chapter last time I updated, but it's made itself longer than I intended. I mean it this time though, one more chapter.