Chapter Twenty-Five: Through My Veins

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

Katie looked up from her book as Marcus stormed into their room. She had just gotten Emily to fall asleep and did not need him waking her up.

"What is your problem?" Katie asked.

Marcus sat down on the bed next to her. "I pretty much just got blackmailed into funding the Death Eaters."

Katie closed her book and looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"I went to Malfoy Manor because the idiots summoned me. I thought it was a meeting of some sort, but when I got there it was just Lucius and Bellatrix."

Katie eyed him. "Lucius blackmailed you?" She was really surprised at that one. She always thought that the Malfoys liked Marcus.

Marcus shook his head. "It was Bellatrix. I think , no I know, she's on to me."

"How can you tell?"

"Just the way she acts around me." Marcus looked at his hands. "She sees me more as a threat than anything. It's not really about me, but who I'm related to."

"What has that got to anything?"

"Well, when your grandfather was the Minister of Magic during the last Dark War, it kind of creates a grudge."

Katie smiled. He did have a really good point. "You can play the "I don't talk to them" card."

"I tried it and she's not buying it." Marcus sighed. "I don't know what to do."

"I don't either."

Marcus looked up at Katie. "And I haven't even told you how she got me to agree to this. She told me that if I didn't say yes, then she would kill you and Emily."

Katie sucked in a deep breath. "How did they find out about Emily?"
"I haven't figured that one out."

Katie took Marcus's hand into hers. She was trying to appear as calm as possible, but it was just too much. She could bare someone threatening her and Marcus, but Emily was a different story. Emily was just a child and had nothing to do with any of this; she was an innocent.

"We have to do something," Katie admitted.

"I know. I'm sure Nathanial would let her stay with him in Canada."

Katie nodded. "How we get her out of England?"

"That's something we need to figure out."

"Great," Katie muttered. She looked over at Emily's sleeping form. This was just going too far.

"Yeah, great," Marcus echoed.

Katie lowered Marcus's head down onto her lap and stroked his dark hair. Even though, she appeared calm, her mind was racing. There was just simply no way they could get out of the country. She looked around the room. Maybe the answer wasn't as difficult as she thought.

The box they had found in Natalia's shop had to be around here somewhere.

She looked down at Marcus, who looked like he was going to fall asleep at any time. She would wait until he was out, then go on a little journey or she could just ask Brad and Jasmine. They probably would have no problem with her using the box to get Emily out of the country.

Katie wasn't sure how she knew the box would help them with their problems. It was just a feeling racing through her veins.

Marcus looked up at her. "What?"

"Nothing." Katie wished he would just hurry up and asleep.

Marcus tried to sit up, but Katie held him down. He gave her a puzzled look.

"What?" She was starting to wonder if she could knock him out.

"You're acting strange."

"You need to rest."

"I'm fine."

Katie put her hand on his chest. "I say you to sleep, so sleep."

Marcus eyed her.

"Now." Katie didn't blink. As soon as she had said the word, Marcus was out.

Katie lifted his head from her lap and put it on the pillow. Frowning, she walked across the room toward the door. What had just happened? She hadn't done anything different. She looked down at her hands. She hadn't met to put a spell on him.

She looked back at Marcus's limp from and went out into the hallway. She sunk down onto the floor and stared at the empty wall. What was wrong with her? What if the Dark Lord wasn't the threat to her family?

She got to her feet; she didn't have time to sit here and worry about that. If she was the threat, the safest thing would be to get them away from her.

She wondered if she should go back and check on Marcus. She wasn't sure if she hurt him or now, but when she had left, he had been breathing. It was all good. He played Quidditch for a living, so he had been through worse.

Katie headed toward the west wing, which seemed to be the place where the elder members of the Flints spent most of their time. Unable to shake the guilty feeling, she walked through the manor with head down. She really didn't know why she was being so secretive around Marcus; it really didn't matter if he knew what she was up to.

But still, there was just something holding her back from telling him her plan.

Maybe it because she wasn't willing to chance it. For all they knew, the Death Eaters could be reading him mind or worse. They all knew what the Death Eaters were capable of.

Katie closed her eyes and went into Jasmine's study. Unlike her husband, Jasmine had more of an open door policy.

"Marcus, I already told you I no idea," Jasmine said as Katie stepped into the room.

Katie's heart skipped a beat. What was Marcus doing in here? Jasmine emerged from the book shelves without looking up.

"Um..." Katie started in.

Jasmine looked up from her book. "Oh, I thought you were Marcus."

"No, he's asleep." Katie looked at the ground, not wanting to say how Marcus fell asleep.

Jasmine smiled. "It's just as well." She set her book down on the desk. "Now, what brings you here?"

"Do you know of the current situation?" Katie asked.

"The one about my son being forced to fund the Death Eaters?"
Katie nodded. "Do you know what they did to get him to agree?"

"Yes."

"Then, you understand why I have to get Emily out of the country."

Jasmine leaned against her desk. "I do. In fact, I was wondering when you or Marcus would be coming to talk about it. I'm really surprised that you two didn't come together."

"We've got our differences."

Jasmine nodded, but didn't ask questions.

"I think the safest way is through the box we found in Natalia's."

"I was wondering about the box myself. The Death Eaters have all of the borders sealed and there's only so many places to hide in Great Britain."

"Do you think it will work?"

Jasmine pointed to her book. "That's what I doing before you came in. I don't think it work." Katie's heart sank. "I know it will work."

Katie nodded. "How hard would it be to move her?"

"Not hard at all." Jasmine looked at Katie. "Do you have a safe place in mind?"

"Marcus said something about Nathanial's."
"That will work."
"He's in British Colombia, right?"

Jasmine nodded.

British Colombia would surely be far enough away from this madness. Katie wished that there was some way to get her parents there, but trying to find them would more than likely just expose them and cost them their lives. She just wouldn't risk it and she knew her parents wouldn't want her to.

"Does it transport that far?" Katie asked.

"It will take you anywhere you want to. It's kind of like a portal. I am going to go over it during the next order meeting in two weeks," Jasmine said. "I do wish I could go over it sooner, but it's not like we can just send a message and ask everyone to come here."

"I know. Will it ever return to normal?" Katie asked.

"I hope so. We just mustn't lose hope."

Katie nodded. "I need to talk to Marcus before we send her through."

"You'd better go wake him, then."

"Yeah." Katie turned to leave. "Thanks."

Jasmine gave Katie a knowing smile and Katie wondered if Jasmine knew what Katie had done to Marcus. However, Katie didn't want to ask.

A few minutes later, Katie found herself staring at Marcus's sleeping form. She really wasn't sure how she was going to word what was going on. Sighing, she reached out and shook him.

Marcus awoke as soon as she touched him. "How long was I out?" He asked as he sat up rubbing his head. "Did I hit my head on something?"

Katie wondered if she had killed some of his brain cells. "Not that I know of. You could've done it in your sleep."

Marcus frowned. "Huh."

Katie sat on the edge of the bed. "I talked to your mum."

"That's not good. It seems like whenever you two talk about something, it usually involves me doing something."

Katie picked at the blanket. "Well, it does, but it's for the best." She paused. "It's about Emily and getting her out of the country."

Marcus looked suddenly more alive."What about it?"

"You remember the box we found at Natalia's?"

Marcus nodded. "And?"

"It's an escape route. If you just focus on where you want to go, it will take you there. You know that Apparition doesn't work over long distances, such as Canada, but this works just like it and will let you travel a long distance in a matter of seconds."

Marcus frowned. "How sure if my mum?"

Katie looked at Marcus. "You know your mum. How often is she wrong?"

"Not often."

"And you know that she would never suggest something unless she was sure it would work."

Marcus put his head down for a few seconds, then raised it. "So, is this what we are going to do?"

Katie nodded. "Yeah and I should be the one go with her. You can't leave the country or the Death Eaters will think you are running."

Marcus nodded. "When?"

"I think the sooner the better."

"Is it ready?"
Katie nodded. "Yeah."
Marcus took out his mobile. "I can talk to Nathanial and see if he's okay with it being so soon."

"You do that and leave the room so you don't want her up."
Nodding, Marcus left the room.

Katie went over to Emily. It was difficult to send her away, but Katie knew it was for the best. Katie bent down at kissed Emily's forehead. "I love you," she whispered with a heavy heart.

Marcus came back into the room a few minutes later. "He said tonight is fine."

Katie nodded. "I guess we should start gathering her stuff up." She turned away from Marcus.

Marcus gently grabbed Katie's arm. "You can stay with her, you know that, right?"

Katie nodded and looked over at Emily. "I don't know where I'm supposed to be."

"I know, but you're not the only one."

"I don't want to be one of those women who runs away."

Marcus looked her in the eye. "But you're not. It's your choice. There is nothing wrong with leaving to protect your child and your family."

Katie did feel like it was the women who did more protecting than the men.

"Katie?" Marcus asked.

"I know," Katie whispered.