Chapter Twenty-Four: Parasite

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Marcus looked at the wide hole in his head and realized how lucky they actually were. No one had been hurt or killed. A window could be replaced.

Brad knelt down next to a dead raven. "Again?"

Marcus nodded.

Katie shot Marcus a look. He quickly realized that he had never told about what had happened over the summer. He guessed that he would hear about that later.

Brad got up. "We really do need to look into the significant of the ravens. Even though it's not usual for Death Eaters to work in patterns, the fact that this has happened in the same place twice gives me a red flag."

Marcus nodded as he took out his wand. "We should get to work."

Brad and Katie took out their own wands.

As they put the window back together, Marcus stared at the faint outline of the Dark Mark. Even though it was faded, it was still there, watching and daring them to come closer. Marcus felt chills race down his spin. If the sign could cause so much fear and damage at a great difference, what was it like to be right under the Mark?
"I think that's as good as it gets," Brad said.

Marcus looked at the window. Besides a few cracks here and there, the window looked untouched.

"Now, what about the ravens?" Katie asked. "We aren't keeping them in here so they can stink up the place or is that evidence and we can't do anything about it?"
"No, we don't need them," Brad said. "We took some samples for the other ravens."
"Are you sure it's not different?" Marcus asked and got another dirty look from Katie.

Brad nodded. "Yeah, if look close enough, you can see that the breaks are exactly in the same place."
Marcus looked at the raven at his feet and saw that his dad was right.

"Good, now get them out of here," Katie commanded.

Marcus smiled at her. "Are you sure you don't want to keep one and put it on the wall?"

"Positive." Katie started toward the stairs. "You two take care of that while I go get some clothes and things."

Marcus watched her disappear.

"You'd better do what she tells you or you'll be spending a lot of nights on the couch," Brad advised.

"Have you had some experience with that?"

"Shut up."

Brad pulled out his wand and the ravens disappeared. "So, you have, then? You really do need to learn."
Marcus didn't answer.

Katie came back downstairs and threw a duffle at Marcus. "Here, see if you want anything else."

Marcus ignored the looks his dad was giving him as he peered into the bag. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to be looking for. "Looks good." He put the over his shoulder.

"Ready, then?" Brad asked.

Katie nodded. "Yep."
Later that night, Marcus found himself unable to sleep. The attack had just been too much for him. He needed to convince Katie to leave to the country, but he wasn't sure how to do it. She didn't want to go, but he really didn't want her to see how these days were going to pay out. Tonight they had been lucky, but they may not be so lucky next time.

He closed his eyes. He didn't want to see how these days would play out and would gladly join her if given the chance.

There was always the Death Eaters. If he left the country, then they were sure to come after everyone he loved and cared about. Marcus couldn't let that happen.

Marcus opened his eyes and saw Emily staring at him. He carefully got out of bed and went over to her crib.

"Why are you awake?" he whispered.

Emily stretched her arms up to him. Smiling, Marcus bent down and picked her up. She buried her face in the fabric of his shirt. It always amazed him how much Emily loved and trusted him. He never really thought that he would be a father at twenty-one, but now that he was, he wasn't going to take it back.

Marcus carefully opened the door and went out into the hall. "Let me show you something," he said as he went up toward the attic. "Whenever my family used to visit England, I would come up here."

Marcus pushed open the attic door and stepped it. He found the old light switch and turned it on. The room looked pretty much untouched. Marcus sat down in the rocking chair and looked around. Toys were scattered on the floor, most of them belonged to his nieces and nephews, but Marcus recognized a few of his own.

He used to spend hours up here as a child. He supposed his parents had let him and his brothers up here because it was hidden. During Marcus's childhood, his family really didn't live in England, but had this manor as a place to stay. Marcus never really did understand why they didn't live in England, but he now knew it was because of the Dark War.

Marcus bent down, picked up Curious George, and gave it to Emily. Emily's eyes lit up and got big as she looked at the monkey.

"You like him too," Marcus said as he started to rock.

Emily just smiled.

Marcus slowly rocked Emily until she fell asleep. The moon shone in on them creating. Marcus didn't know why the moon made him feel warm inside.

Sighing he got his feet and went back downstairs. Katie would be waking up soon and wondering where they were.

A few days later, Marcus rushed across the vast lands of Malfoy Manor. Swearing, he looked down at his watch. He was ten minutes late and hated to think what was going to happen.

He slowly pushed open the main door and headed toward the dining room. The voices grew louder as he got closer to the door.

"The Order knows," Bellatrix hissed.

Marcus ducked back away from the door.

"You don't have any proof of that," Lucius said.

Marcus heard someone's hand hit the table. "They know. Why else would burn the shop down!"
"It was an old shop. It could have been natural causes."

"You and both know that wasn't the case." Bellatrix paused. "You know as well as I do that boy has a connection to it."

"Again you don't know that."
Marcus was grateful that Lucius was defending him. He may have Bellatrix fooled, but at least he had part of the Death Eaters.

He heard the clicking of heels from inside the dining room. "Don't try to deny it. It's not my fault you can't see what is in front of you. You know as well as I do that he has not abandoned that family of his like he claims to. He's too big of a trust fund for that."

Marcus frowned. He had more than enough money without his trust fund.

"Money has nothing to do with anything of this," Lucius said.

"Money is everything. You know as well I as I do that money is a source of power in this world."

Lucius sighed. "He's not an unwanted parasite, then?"

Bellatrix paused a few minutes before speaking. "No, he does have some value."

Marcus had had enough of this. He pushed open the door and stepped into the room. Bellatrix and Lucius both looked as he entered.

"Don't stop on my account," Marcus said as he swung himself into a chair. "You wanted to see me?"

Bellatrix looked up at the clock. "You're late."

Marcus held her gaze. "I'm a very busy person."

Bellatrix didn't respond.

"We do need to see you," Lucius said. "As you may know, the Dark Lord requires certain funds to keep up our operations."

Marcus looked lazily at them. "What do you mean?" He had a feeling that he wasn't going to like where this was going.

"The Dark Lord needs money and you have it." Bellatrix sat on the edge of the table. "Let me put it in simpler terms: we need more money and you have it. If you don't give it us, we will hurt that wife of yours and the kid."

Marcus paled.

Bellatrix leaned in close to him. "Oh, did you think we really didn't know about that?"

Marcus didn't answer. How much did they know about him?

"Let's make this simple on all of us." Bellatrix put her face into his. "You will just say yes and no one has to get hurt."

Gulping, Marcus found himself nodding.

Bellatrix moved back with a smile on her face. "I knew you would come to see things our way."

Marcus just stared ahead, cursing the stupid parasite.

Lucius was eyeing Marcus.

Bellatrix looked back at Lucius. "With a little pressure, you can make anyone come around to your point of view."

Lucius just nodded. Even though he appeared to be calm, Marcus could see that Lucius's hands were shaking.

"Like hell, they're getting my money!" Marcus was howling to his father a few hours later.

Brad looked up from his desk. "Well, good evening to you too."

Marcus threw himself into a chair. "Those m..."

"Language." Brad took off his reading glasses and put them on the desk. "Now, what's the problem?"
"They pretty much blackmailed me into funding them," Marcus spat.

"So, they're hurting for money? That's good to know."

"That's beside the point." Marcus rubbed an head over his unshaven face. "There's plenty of others to fund them, why me?"

"They're just testing you." Brad looked at his son. "What did you say to them?"

"It's not like I had a choice in the matter."

"What do you mean?"

Marcus looked at the floor. "They threatened to kill Katie and Emily if I didn't."

It was several seconds before Brad said another word. "How did they know about Emily?"

Marcus shrugged. "I don't know."

"Do they know you're here?"

"I don't know that either."

Brad got up and went over the window. "You can't let your guard down at all. That's what they're waiting for you to do."

"I know."

"They won't leave you alone if you give them any reason to question you."

Marcus just nodded.

He needed to win the Death Eaters back over or just Bellatrix. Those who seemed to be on Bellatrix's good side seemed to have an easier time in the circle. Marcus thought that people were afraid of the Dark Lord, but the longer he was around them, the more he saw that people were actually afriad of Bellatrix.

He knew he was and really wasn't ashamed to admit it.

"I have to convince Katie to leave or at least get Emily out of the country," Marcus said after several minutes of silence.

"I think Katie would go for getting Emily out of the country, but I don't see her leaving," Brad said.

"I don't either, but it's too dangerous. With Bellatrix threatening them, I just can't let them stay here."

"I know how you feel and I know you are trying to do what's best, but Katie is also trying to do what's best for you."

Marcus eyed his dad. "What do you mean?"

"She keeps you level headed, that's all."

Marcus frowned. What was that supposed to mean?