To Love a Gryffindor Part Three: Chasing Forever.
A/N: This is the last segment of the TLAG series and the longest at 13 pages. I hope you enjoy. I dedicate this chapter to Annie who did my beta work this time around. Gracias!
Kathryn Bell was a fifth year when Marcus Flint first made an impact on her life. It was his last year (again) and they were both Chasers on their respective Quidditch teams. She had certain ideas on how her future life was going to be at that time. She was going to graduate from Hogwarts, marry Oliver Wood, become a professional Quidditch player, retire at a good age and then teach flying at Hogwarts. She was going to have three children: two girls, and a boy who would be like Oliver in every way. Her parents were quite happy with that plan. Morrigan and Beathan Bell thought Oliver was a nice boy and indulged their daughter on her dreams otherwise.
However, her fifth year put a stop to any plans she may have had. Oliver was more than usually obsessed with his sport and Katie was not a focus at all, which was discouraging as far as marrying him went. It was the last year she spent mooning over him. With O.W.L.s and Sirius Black on the loose, she had no time to spend following as Oliver Wood's shadow. Quidditch was still one of her main priorities but she also found a love for the healing arts and started researching into taking some courses after O.W.L.s and looking forward to her N.E.W.T.s. Madame Pomfry was quite helpful on that topic. However, the biggest change in her life during fifth year was that finally a guy noticed her beyond Quidditch. Unfortunately, that boy was Marcus Flint.
It wasn't obvious at first to many people but she had noticed it. He would watch her at meals but she assumed that it was because he was her opponent and he was measuring her up for a game strategy. Occasionally he would smile at her when he caught her looking back at him. She didn't think much of it at the time.
However when they actually came within talking distance he would make certain comments directed at her that would make her turn red in embarrassment. They weren't words meant to hurt but she was unused to this attention. After that Marcus started calling her Katie Scarlet because of it and due to seeing the movie Gone with the Wind with his cousin Blaise Zabini when they were younger, although that was their teenage rebellion against their Muggle-hating parents she later found out. Blaise's parents would be rolling over in their graves if they knew that their only son was married to a Muggleborn Witch and lived much like a Muggle. And loved it.
When Valentines Day came around that year, she received a single rose from an anonymous person. At first she thought it was Oliver, her true (or so she thought) love, but when she went to thank him he told her that it wasn't. Marcus tended to leave her alone after that except for the glances across the hall and the usual beating during the Quidditch games she had grown used to getting from him and his follow Chasers. After he graduated, she saw nothing of him for two years.
When she graduated and joined the Order of the Phoenix as a trainee healer, she was shocked to find Marcus Flint as a member. She was even more shocked, as time went by, as she found he had changed in more ways then just one. Physically, he had changed for the better. His teeth had been fixed, and he was finally finished growing, looking less like a troll and more like a built Quidditch player. He had grinned at her that first day and that was the start of her fall.
Of course, their relationship was very slow at first. Luckily for them, the war had ended during Katie's final year at Hogwarts. Harry had defeated Voldemort in front of the school and the following summer had been a crazy one. While she was training, Marcus was out catching the remaining Death Eaters. When they weren't doing that, they spent many days together while working on assignments for the Order itself. She had gotten to know him as something other then the Slytherin who liked to tease her in school. He still called her Katie Scarlet at times since she still seemed to blush every time he made a compliment or got her angry. She started to call him Marc, trying to find something to call him that was different as well but he would just smile at her.
It was two years before Marcus finally asked her out on a date. She had been shocked at first but later agreed to having dinner with him. It was also that night she got her first kiss. She could still remember the night in vivid detail. The red dress she wore, his hunter green robes, the restaurant, the carriage ride home, and finally the amazing kiss on her doorstep. It had been everything her romantic heart had dreamed of when she was younger.
She had been charmed by him, and most people commented that she must have been under a spell to ever imagine herself in love with him. Oliver and the twins were the most vocal about it, filling their overprotective roles perfectly. How could their Katie fall in love with a monster? She loved those three, but at times they went a bit overboard with it. She didn't see him that way. Some of the girls just smiled at her, knowing what she was going through. She hadn't been the only girl to find herself imagining "forever" with a Slytherin. Angelina had been seen Charles Montague although nothing was serious yet and Alicia was engaged to Christian Warrington.
The boys nearly had heart attacks when she told them she was moving in with Marcus about five months before the mission. They had claimed that Marcus must have corrupted their little Princess. They didn't realize that this was what Katie wanted. Alicia had been happy for her, although she wasn't really paying attention, more interested in the planning of her wedding to Chris. Angelina had smiled, hugged her and then managed to convince the twins he wouldn't do anything to her. Oliver still hadn't trusted him, never really did.
Her parents had been surprised, but were actually accepting of the arrangement. They had met Marcus soon after the pair had started to see each other and Beathan had thought him to be an "upstanding young gentlemen." Morrigan had thought it was slightly romantic that she was being whisked away to a castle in Ireland. Katie didn't know if she would consider Flint Manor a castle, but it certainly looked as if it were trying to gain that title. The only difference was the homey appeal the inside had. While Marcus' parents had been Death Eaters, they had still treasured their home as that, a home. It was not like Malfoy Manor and used as a symbol of great wealth. Katie had always felt sorry for Narcissa and Draco having to live in that place for so long. Flint Manor was a great improvement from her cramped apartment and she enjoyed the luxury of the place.
She had been living in a love-induced paradise. She was in her own home that was almost a castle, loved (or so she hoped) by a wonderful man and possibly a wonderful future. But "the mission" had ruined all that.
While the war had been over since Harry Potter's seventh year there were still much work being done to return the wizarding world back to its normal way of life. There was a crack down on former Death Eaters and every lead on them was taken seriously. Oliver, Marcus, and George were being sent to investigate a local riot that may have turned into a Death Eater summit. Katie had had a strange feeling about this during the days before they were due to leave and begged Marcus to turn it down, but he thought she was over reacting. Since Voldemort was gone, Death Eater's had no power. Katie wasn't so sure of the weakness of his followers.
That simple mission turned out to be much more than they anticipated. Katie nearly made herself sick during the days after Marcus lost contact with her. George had been found severely beaten a month later, which both relieved Katie yet made her worry even more for the other two. A day afterwards, Katie knew she was pregnant, with Marcus and Oliver still missing in action.
Seven months later, Marcia Olivia Flint was born. It had taken her awhile to finally settle on the name for the baby girl, deciding to name it after both her father and the man who would have been an honorary uncle to her. The baby seemed to take after Marcus in looks, having dark brown hair and eyes although Angelina claimed she had Katie's face.
Katie's parents hadn't been too happy about their little girl giving birth out of wedlock, but they hadn't said anything out loud. They welcomed their little grandchild with open arms. They didn't understand why she wouldn't move in with them. After all, Marcus was dead wasn't he? Katie refused to believe that.
Blaise had tried to be a surrogate father for his cousin's daughter and had done a wonderful job. But Marcia knew he wasn't her father and now that Blaise had his own family to care for, he was over less often. Draco and Ginny also helped, often watching Marcia whenever she needed someone to watch her. Because of that, Blair had become a sister to Marcia, the two growing to be inseparable.
Marcus Flint was still missing on his daughter's eighth birthday. He never got to see her first words, her first steps, and her first tooth. He never got to see her say with such pride that she was going to be a Slytherin Chaser just like her Daddy. He never even knew that his daughter existed. The world in large pronounced him and Oliver Wood dead. But Katie Bell and her friends still held on to the small hope that he was still alive and would one day return to the family that waited for him. But even they had a hard time believing that would happen after so many years.
Marcy moved her doll over to sit near Mrs. Butterworth, Blair's teddy bear. They were having a tea party to celebrate Blair's baby sister's fourth month birthday. The babies weren't really there, but it was the thought that counted, she surmised. However, she was loosing her illusion when it came to dolls. They weren't as fun anymore. She wanted to have a broom. She wanted to learn how to fly like Uncle Fred and Uncle George. Auntie Ginny had promised to teach her to play the chaser position like her parents had. Uncle Blaise had wanted her to be a keeper like him, but Hermione had told him he couldn't teach her. Auntie Hermione was well loved by her niece but Marcy thought at times she was very dull. At least with two month old Brenton, Hermione was too busy to start on her about starting to read Hogwarts a History in preparation for Hogwarts. After all, she was only eight years old.
"Marcy, what's that?" Marcy turned to where Blair was pointing. There was something on the ground at end of the road that led to Flint manor, her home. She frowned. It was not normal. Nothing was there before. Her curiosity got to her and she took Blair with her to investigate.
It was a long walk to get to the end of the drive, but they didn't care. There was a mystery to be solved. They got to the end quickly since they ran and stopped to catch their breath before looking at what was laying out on the road.
Blair gasped at what she saw. Even as young as a seven year old (almost eight she would say) she knew when something was not right, and a man bleeding on the end of your driveway was not right. She turned to Marcy, who was looking at the man.
"Blair, go get my Mama please. I'll watch him." Blair nodded and ran to get Katie. Marcy knew her mother healed people so perhaps her mother could heal this man. It was obvious from where she stood he was badly hurt. She walked towards the man to examine him closely, but she was careful not to get too close in case he was going to lash out. He was badly beaten, blood coming from many cuts all across his body both dry and wet. He had no shirt on and his pants might as well have been shorts. He had no shoes and his blondish brown hair was worn slightly long and he wore a beard. He was dirty and his hair was tangled. He would have to cut it off; there was no way to untangle that. It looked worse then the time Jordon Warrington blew gum into her hair, and that had made her cut her hair. His skin was very tan and it looked as if he had many scars on his back and stomach.
By this time Blair had managed to get back to the house, find Katie and Hermione and then rush back down. Katie and Hermione went white when they saw the man but proceeded to start to look him over more thoroughly then Marcia had.
"Marcia, Blair. Go alert the medics like I taught you, please. Tell them we have a man who is severely injured and sick and needs immediate medical attention." The two girls nodded at Katie's words and rushed into the house to contact Alicia Warrington, the head doctor at St. Mungos, by floo.
"Do you think he is still alive, Katie?"
"He appears so. He's emaciated though, so obviously he has not been well fed. He looks like he may be dehydrated as well." Katie couldn't help the tears forming in her eyes. This was Oliver Wood, her friend and pseudo big brother. If this is what they did to him, what were they doing to Marcus? It was then that Katie felt the first bit of serious doubt of her boyfriend's survival enter into her heart.
"He's not very healthy. He's skin is really torn up. I was able to heal some of the more recent wounds but he will be heavily scared." Alicia sighed. It was much harder working on people you actually knew. She had done as much as she could, which was more then what she could have done had Katie hadn't started at the scene the healing spells. "His fever is down and I have started to hydrate him. Hopefully he will awake tomorrow morning." Everyone smiled grimly at the somewhat good news and departed.
Alicia felt a pair of arms circle her waist. Her husband pulled her into his chest and let her lean back and close her eyes. He knew she had had a long day and it was even worse with Oliver coming in. Chris Warrington did not like Oliver that much but even he would have had trouble dealing with him. Besides, he was Alicia's friend so that earned him points in Chris' eyes.
"Do you think he will survive this, Cia?" he asked into her hair.
"I'm not at all sure, Chris. I hope he does. If he lives Katie will regain her hope that Marcus is alive. I hope Marcus is all right. This gives me more hope because he was mumbling something about Marcus when he was brought in. Marcy deserves to see her father." Alicia was angry with the lowlifes that did this to a poor little girl. They almost killed George, Oliver may die but his fate wasn't decided yet and Marcus was still missing. It killed her inside to see how much Katie suffered because of Marcus being gone. Alicia understood completely. She didn't know what she would have done if the person missing had been Chris, she was not as strong of a women as Katie Bell. She turned and hugged her husband to her. If she lost her husband she would have gone crazy.
-- - --- ---
Oliver opened his eyes slowly, his mind taking in his new surroundings. Everything was blue and white in the medical room he was in. There was a window a few feet away and another bed that was empty. There were flowers on the bed stand next to him as well as several potions in translucent glasses. In a chair next to the bed sat a young girl, maybe eight or nine years old. She had long black hair and grey eyes that were looking at him with an odd, studious look. Her skin was slightly tanned and looked like she played outdoors. She wore jeans and a white shirt with a sweater too large for her. The color around the collar was a faded green and silver. Slytherin.
"Your awake." She said walking up to him. "That is good. Mum should be happy." The little girl reminded him of someone, but nothing was coming to mind.
"Who are you?" His voice was horse due to the fact that he was still slightly dehydrated and his throat was dry and sore.
"Marcia." She leaned her head to the side. "And you are Oliver Wood."
"How did you know?"
"Mum's pictures." He once again looked at the sweater. Slytherin colors. Maybe she was 11.
"What house were you sorted into?"
"I'm only eight, Mr. Wood," she said politely. "I have 3 more years before I go to Hogwarts. This is my dad's." She plucked at the sweater as if to make her point. "He was a Slytherin and I intend on being one too."
"Slytherin is the last house you want to be in." There was no such thing as loyalty in the house except that which furthered your own self. Even Slytherins were victims of other Slytherins. Oliver closed his eyes at the memory of a Slytherin who had been just that.
"Only Gryffindors say that. No one else seems to have a problem with them." She was quite intelligent for an eight year old. However, even her statement that her father was a Slytherin did not connect with him.
"Marcia, I thought I told you to get me when Oliver awoke."
"Sorry, Aunt Alicia. He was asking questions and I was answering them. He thinks Gryffindors are better then Slytherins." Alicia smiled at the little girl and motioned her to go out of the room. Marcia took one more look at Oliver and left to go find her mother who was working with another patient down the hall.
"Who are her parents?" Alicia looked back at Oliver who was reopening his eyes.
"Katie Bell and Marcus Flint."
"Well that explains the whole Slytherin pride thing." He smiled weakly, but he couldn't fool Alicia. She knew he wasn't at all close to being healthy again. She handed him a potion which made him go back to sleep. Sleep was the best healer in her experience. It gave the body time to heal itself.
- - - - -
When Oliver awoke once again, Alicia allowed Chris and Harry to visit. They needed to ask him questions as the arrival of Oliver had reopened the case of the missing Order members. Oliver told all. How George, Oliver and Marcus had been trapped by the Death Eaters. How he and Marcus had been tied to trees and forced to watch the men beat George before throwing him onto the middle of the road.
However, Oliver never got to find out how George faired. He and Marcus had been blindfolded and taken into a carriage where they were driven to a camp that was owned by one of the men; Goyle, he thought, but wasn't sure. They were thrown into a stall in the stables. From there, they were left alone and their Captors did not return for at least three days. After that, Marcus and Oliver only ate once a day with meager servings. It seemed that Marcus was prone to tortures the most. Oliver had his share a little each day, but after Marcus endured his beatings he wouldn't be able to move. When he was just about recovered it would start all over again, beating him till he was almost dead. Although, they didn't want him dead; they wanted him to suffer for betraying the Dark Lord, for being a traitor to pure blood.
Oliver had managed to escape a week before and managed to find his way to a road he recognized as going by the Flint home. He went there hoping that Katie still lived there. Everyone, while horrified, was glad he and Marcus were still alive.
Harry and Chris just hoped they could find Marcus in time to save him.
-
Marcus had his eyes closed. For a little bit at least he was alone in the stable stall that had been "home" for the last several years. Oliver had been in the same cell for the first three days but then had been moved to one on the other side of the stables.
Nine years. He was surprised he had survived it all. He knew part of the reason is they made sure it was drawn out, but for 9 years? Why not kill him? He would rather die right now than go through it again.
He wanted to see Katie again. Sometimes he would dream about her and it took all the pain he felt away. He loved her more then anything and at times it was all he really had to go on. She had been the light in his life after he betrayed his family by refusing to follow in their footsteps.
He could still remember the last day he had saw her. It had been a sunny day. He had woken only a minute before she did and enjoyed the short time watching her sleep. She was so beautiful sometimes and yet she didn't know it.
She had smiled up at him and they had kissed. It had been a wonderful morning and he wished he could go back to that day and never leave. He should have listened to her when she asked him not to go on this assignment.
He had planned on three days at the most. Then he would have gone home, kissed Katie silly and told her that she had been worrying for no good reason. He then would have taken her to Cellos and asked her to marry him finally. It had taken forever to get his family ring resized for Katie but he had it done before he left on the mission.
But that was all gone now. She no doubt had given up and married someone else. He would have most likely. Well, perhaps not, but she shouldn't have had to wait. He had told Oliver that if she was still waiting for him when Oliver managed to get out, Oliver was to take care of her for him. Love her if necessary. Just make sure she was safe.
He hoped he was doing just that.
- - - -
Gregory Goyle's butler opened the door to find two men standing there. There was one who he did not recognize very well but the other he did. It was hard not to be able to identify Harry J. Potter, Auror. Also with them was a woman the butler could not place. Harry smiled at the elderly man.
"Good Day, Sir. May we see Mr. Goyle please?" The butler nodded and walked down the hall to alert his master of the guests. The three walked into the room and started to look around while they waited.
"Well, Goyle certainly hasn't been living it hard, has he?" The women asked, flipping a strand of her black hair out of the way. "I don't see a single thing in this lobby that's less than 100 pounds. I thought Death Eaters were supposed to pay for their crimes, not live in luxury."
"No one managed to catch Goyle in the act," Chris Warrington commented. "He was at school when Voldemort was killed so everyone assumed that he had nothing to do with DE groups. However he was always suspected of being part of it by those of us who knew him best." He picked up a Ming vase and tossed it up in the air, catching it before it fell to the floor but wishing he had let it go. Goyle was going to pay.
"Ah, Warrington, It's nice to see you, old chap." Chris faked a smile and shook Goyle's hand. The man had not changed since Hogwarts. He was still large and nowhere near thin, only now he had the addition of a goatee and a wife. He felt sorry for the poor girl who was forced to marry that git.
"Same to you, Goyle," he responded, feeling anything but happy at the sight of the man.
"Potter, it is nice to see you and the Mrs." Goyle took Nicole's hand and kissed it, but she did not even pretend to like it. She did not feel at all comfortable with Goyle's leering. She was glad she had worn her most modest robe that day. Harry shook Goyle's hand shortly, resting his other arm around Nicole's shoulders in a possessive way. Goyle would know that Nicole was his and therefore not to be flirted with. Nicole gave him a small smile before turning her attention back to Goyle.
"Goyle, we have had some reports of unusual activity at your home in recent months."
"I haven't seen anything out of the usual. Just raising and breeding my horses."
"Really? Do you mind if we take a look at your stables? Nicole has a friend that is interested in horses."
"Certainly, please follow me."
Nicole and Harry shared a look. Either Oliver was wrong about who owned the place where he was imprisoned or Goyle was incredibly stupid. They tried not to think of the third option, the option that Marcus Flint was dead.
Goyle seemed oblivious to Harry as he continued to chat up Nicole. As time wore on, she became more and more revolted and walked closer to her husband. She was not going to allow this uncomfortable situation to ruin the raid. Goyle was going to pay.
However, it managed to work out as she noticed a shadow of a man being dragged across the yard from the stables. Apparently Goyle wasn't as stupid as they thought. He was taking Marcus to another location. She smiled warmly at him so he wouldn't know her plan and used her knowledge of wandless magic to cast a long distance paralyzing spell on the two men dragging the body.
Goyle noticed that and started to run back to the house but Chris grabbed the pudgy man's shirt and threw him to the ground. He cast a stupefying charm so that Goyle could not move and moved to follow the other two to the other location. There they found two men who were identified as Vincent Crabbe and Theodore Nott. Chris helped Harry drag them over to Goyle's spot in front of the house and notified an Auror regiment to come and search the house for evidence of other activities.
Nicole stood beside the body and slowly turned it over. Marcus's body was riddled with cuts, bruises, scars and signs that he was hexed unmercifully multiple times. His nose, among many other bones, was broken, his eyes were swollen shut and he lay in an unconscious state. To that, Nicole was thankful for it made her job a little easier. Gently placing her hands upon the damaged body, Nicole closed her eyes and worked a magic only known to her. In seconds she had managed to heal enough to keep him out of the danger of dying before they could get him to Saint Mungos, where more adequate care could be given.
As Alicia and another healer Seamus Finnegan took Marcus' body away, Nicole could only hope he felt no pain and that he could make it through it. Nicole walked over to where her husband and friend stood talking to Alaster Moody, feeling slightly faint after using so much power. Beside them stood Goyle, locked with a pair of magical hand cuffs that were not only locked until a release spell known to the Aurors was given, but also to Harry's voice. He advanced on Nicole, trying to scare her but she didn't move and kicked him in his shins so that he fell to the ground in pain. The three Aurors over looked the occurrence, even though Harry seemed to have a small smirk on his lips.
-
Marcia looked at the man sleeping in the hospital bed. No one knew she was there except Uncle Seamus and he allowed her as long as she didn't touch anything. Her mother, who hadn't had much sleep since Oliver arrived, was now sedated in the other room and forced to get sleep. Marcia had decided to watch over this new man who had everyone interested.
They had cleaned him up, cut his hair considerably and shaved him so he was more like how he had been 9 years before, although he could never be that again. There were too many scars along his body from the abuse it had taken from Goyle and his minions. After a complete search of the premises they had found ten more accomplices, from various Hogwarts Houses. There were also two from Beaubautons and one from Durmstang.
Marcia did not like those men. She had seen them pass by on their way to the prison ward of the hospital to be held until Azkaban Aurors could pick them up and lead them to the island prison. Dementers no longer guarded all of the prison, but only those of the highest cases such as Lucius Malfoy, had he lived. Marcia hoped the first vengeful thought of her life, that those men were worthy of the Dementer guard or maybe even the "kiss".
The man moaned and Marcia moved closer to him. No one had told her who he was. Something made her believe she was connected to this man in some way or another. Perhaps it was Oliver's brother, although she doubted it. They didn't look the same. She walked up to the bed and placed her hand on his. She remembered Aunt Nicole telling her that sending thoughts of healing acted as a wandless healing spell. She concentrated on sending that message though. She had her eyes closed so she did not see the light blue light emitting from where her hand connected with his, but her mother who was walking down the hall after her nap did see it flowing around the man and Marcia. Katie rushed into the room just in time to catch her falling child as the small girl passed out from using too much wandless magic.
There were no longer any marks on Marcus' body.
-
Marcus awoke about two weeks after he arrived, having been kept in a healing sleep by Alicia. The sleep had healed what Marcia and Nicole's healing had not although he still had internal scars from the older beatings. He opened his eyes and nearly cried out in pain as light assaulted them. Having not used them for so long had made them sensitive.
"Here, this should help." He felt someone place something over his eyes and when he opened them again, there was a sun protector that allowed him to see without so much light invading his pupils. They were stronger then sunglasses, yet seemed clearer so he could see things correctly. He looked up to see Nicole standing over him, smiling down as she helped him sit up. He didn't recognize her, as she had not come into the group until a little under 8 years ago. However he was able to guess that she was married to Harry from the label "N. Potter" on her robes. Unless she was some long lost cousin or something, but he doubted that. He smiled weakly at her, still not completely healed. He would have to learn to work his body again and that would take time even with the help of his excellent set of healers.
"I take it that a lot has happened while I was gone." His voice was hoarse from disuse. He hadn't spoken in close to a year. He had written down in the dirt what he wanted Oliver to do. Nicole smiled, understanding what he was going through. She had seen it before when she used to work in the States.
"I guess you can say that. However, right now you have a guest who no doubt can tell you all about the last couple of years. Drink this; it should help with your voice." She handed him a bluish liquid and he managed to drink it all without spitting it out. It was vile, so no doubt it did the most for him. It was always like that it seemed.
Nicole left the room, and shortly afterwards Blaise Zabini walked into the room. Marcus spared a small smile for his cousin as he walked towards the bed.
"Feeling better?"
"Depends on how you define "better". Still feel as if a Hippogriff used me as their personal landing pad. How are you?"
"Better then you, obviously. Draco would be here, but he's caught in a project at work and couldn't make it so basically I am going to have to catch you up myself."
"First, since it's on my mind, who's 'N. Potter'?"
"That would be Harry Potter's wife Nicole. She met him eight years ago. They've been married for about five years now."
"I see you're married too."
"Hermione, about a year and a half ago."
"About damn time, Zabini. You've only been mooning over that girl since school."
"This coming from the man who lusted after Penelope Clearwater yet never made a move because he feared rejection."
"No, I feared the wrath of Weasley. Surely you know of that phenomenon." Blaise chuckled. At least Marcus still had his brand of humor.
"Yeah. You should have seen that particular Weasley when he found out his baby sister was marrying Draco."
"That should have been a sight to see."
"It was, and it was even funnier watching it in replay. Nicole had brought a muggle camcorder with her to the announcement party and caught it all on tape." Marcus weakly smiled. "Let's see….Draco's married to Ginny Weasley and they have a baby named Jordana, I already told you about Hermione and I but not about our son Brent." Blaise paused to think. "Chris Warrington is married to Alicia Spinnet and Angelina Johnson and Charles Montague are still running circles around each other although they recently made a joint business venture into a book shop specializing in out of print and ancient texts."
"Although half the time they fight more then agree on what to do." Both men turned to see Katie standing in the doorway with a smile. Marcus felt as though the breath he did have had left his body when he saw her. She was as beautiful as he remembered, changed a little as she was slightly more curvy and her hair was longer and fuller but in general the same. She walked nervously over to him and took his hand and leaned down to kiss him on the cheek.
What did he expect? After all, he had been gone for almost a decade and she could very well be married with several mini Katies walking about. His suspicions seemed to be verified when a small child walked in and grabbed a hold of Katie's skirt.
"Oh, Marcus, this is Marcia Flint. Marcy, this is your father." The little girl smiled at him but he was in shock. After all he wasn't expecting her at all, let alone to have her climb on the bed and tackle hug him. He slowly put his own arms around the little girl, never loosing eye contact with Katie who was smiling. He was surprised that she had waited for him, that he had a family still.
"I'm glad your back, Dad. Now you can teach me how to fly. I mean Uncle Draco and Uncle Blaise are good teachers but they always keep it too simple. Besides, they are seekers and keepers and you're a chaser, like I want to be so I'm sure you're better at it." Marcus looked down at the little girl who was rattling on about what they could do now. She definitely had her mother's friendly nature but she seemed to take after him quite a bit as well.
"Slow down Marcia. Let me catch up with you first," he said smiling at her. She smiled back and settled onto the bed next him, holding on to him.
"I've been waiting for you to come back." He looked over at Katie who had lost her battle with tears and took her hand with his free one.
"So have I, Munchkin. So have I."