Chapter Thirty-Four: The Essence of Silence

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

Italics: Dream

Haley looked up as Katie rushed into the room with a small plant in the palm of her hand. "That's it? I thought it would be bigger."
Katie nodded. "I did too, but this is it."
Nathanial jumped to his feet and looked at the Amaranth. "Can I have this? I hate to have to crush up something so beautiful, but there's no other choice."
Katie handed the plant over to Nathanial. "Has there been any change?"

Nathanial shook his head. "But that's a good thing."
Damon, Brad, and Remus stepped into the room.

Brad went over to his son's side and put his hand on Marcus's forehead. "He's still warm."
"But it hasn't changed," Haley said.

"I know."

Haley stared up her brother. Even though Marcus and Brad had their differences, she knew that they both cared for each other.

Nathanial came back into the room a few minutes later, followed by Jasmine and Demi, with a glass of pink liquid. "He has to drink this."
Haley looked at Marcus's limp form. "And how are you going to get him to do that?"
"We have to try to pull him back."
Haley snorted. "That's easier said than done."
Nathanial pulled out his wand as he walked over to Marcus. "But we have to try."
Katie started to move over, but Nathanial stopped her. "You should stay close to him."
Katie nodded.

Jasmine took the glass from Nathanial.

Nathanial placed his wand directly over Marcus's heart and began chanting slowly under his breath. With each word, Marcus started stirring, but his eyes were not opening. It seemed like he was fighting.

Haley leaned in closer. She knew that this was powerful magic, much powerful than anything she could do right now.

Nathanial's focus never went off of Marcus. "Get ready," he said without looking up.

Jasmine came closer to Marcus.

Marcus's dark eyes opened. He looked around the room in panic.

"You're alright," Katie muttered to him.

Marcus closed his eyes, but felt Katie tap his shoulder. He looked up at her, wondering why she was dressed in such heavy clothes.

"You have to drink this," Jasmine said as she handed the glass to Marcus.

Marcus stared at the pink liquid as he tried to ignore the pain that was starting to spread through his body.

"Marcus, now," Jasmine ordered.

Marcus jerked his head up at the sound of his name. He looked once again at the cup in his hand and the funny pink liquid. He didn't like putting pink stuff in his body; it always made him act and feel different.

"If you don't do it, one of us is going to dump it down your throat," Jasmine said.

"I can do it," Haley offered.

Marcus gave Haley a look. He tried to push himself up into a sitting position, but every movement sent pain racing through his body, causing him to feel sick to his stomach. He closed his eyes in order to catch his breath.

"Here," Katie's voice filled his head. She gently put her arm around him and helped him slowly up. It hurt, but not as bad. "Now, drink."

Marcus looked at the liquid in his hand before holding the cup to his lips. The first little sip made him gag. He shoved the glass away as the burning and bitter liquid made its way down his throat. He could feel it spreading through his body.

Katie caught the glass and brought it back to him. "Oh, no, you don't. You have to keep drinking."
Marcus winced as Katie held the glass up to his lips. "Come on," she coaxed.

Marcus was aware of the fact that everyone's eyes was on him, pressuring him to drink the liquid. He didn't like it. It made him feel like he was in the Quidditch stadium again.

Katie grabbed his head and gently turned it back to her. "Marcus, you can do this. You're stronger than this."
He looked at the glass again just before Katie held it up to his lips.

"Drink," she whispered.

Marcus could fell the liquid on his lips, burning them. He dreaded what the rest of the liquid would be like as it went down.

Closing his eyes and bracing himself, he opened his mouth and began to drink. The liquid burned his body, threatening to come back up.

"Just a little bit more," Katie whispered.

Marcus could feel the liquid inside of him. It just wasn't in his stomach, but all over his body. It seemed to rushing to certain areas of him, pushing something out of him.

"One more time," Katie said.

The final drops of the liquid were sent racing down his throat. He couldn't do this anymore. Whatever this thing was, it was poisoning him. He just had to get it out of his body.

Katie handed the glass back to Jasmine.

Nathanial bent over Marcus, pulling his blankets down. Marcus felt the cold air on his body, but couldn't find the strength to snap at Nathanial, who had now started pressing on Marcus's stomach.

Marcus reached out and grabbed his brother's arm as he got closer to the wound. "Don't even think about it."

Nathanial pulled his arm out of Marcus's grip. "You are making this a lot more difficult than it needs to be."

Marcus didn't respond. It just took too much energy.

Nathanial started applying pressure to Marcus's stomach. Marcus tried to move away, but his dad held him down.

The pain was spreading. His body was rejecting whatever they had made him drink. He was trying hard not to be sick, but did not know how much longer he could keep it inside of him.

Nathanial stepped back from Marcus. "All done."
Marcus stared ahead. He couldn't do this anymore. He couldn't keep this inside of him anymore.

"Are you okay?" Katie asked.

The vile was building in the back of his throat. "I think I'm going to be sick."
Someone shoved a bowl underneath Marcus's chin just in time. The pink liquid reformed in his mouth and escaped in a mixture of pink and black, causing Marcus's stomach to turn even more. What was happening to him?

"Right on time," Jasmine muttered. She handed Marcus a cup of water and a washcloth. "Here."
Marcus wiped his mouth off and took a sip of water.

"Your body is fighting to get the poison of you." Jasmine took the bowl of mess away from him. "You should have some strange dreams the next time you sleep, but you'll be alright."
Marcus just nodded as he lowered himself back down into his pillows. He was still aware that all eyes were on him, but no one was saying a word. The essence of silence was a good thing, but he really did wish that someone would say something, anything. It was making him nervous.

Sometimes silence wasn't a good thing.

Katie reached under the covers and gave Marcus's hand a squeeze as Nathanial injected something into Marcus's arm.

"This will help with the pain and sleep," Nathanial said as he walked away.

Marcus just nodded. His body was already feeling heavy.

"Come one, let him sleep," Jasmine whispered.

Marcus felt darkness overtake him as he slipped away into dreamland. Only, he really didn't feel like he was in another world, it felt like it was trying to tell him something, rather than showing.

The elements of this earth balance each other out. They cancel each other. Together they can cause grave damage. Together they can heal the earth.

Fire has a deadly bite, but it can also be a beautiful thing. Fierce it refuses to back down. It burns its way across the lands leaving a blacken world. In this blackened world, new wonderful life is born from the ashes. It feeds the earth, leaving it healthier than ever before.

Water, what can be wrong with water? Water keeps the earth alive. It makes everything green. Nothing can live without water. Sometimes water gets out of control. It comes out of its banks in a rolling wave. It swoops down on towns killing thousands.

Fire and water are both good and evil.

Together they create vapour. Vapour erases things. When it clears, the world looks so much brighter.

When it clears, all is well.

Marcus woke up gasping. He stared wide eyed around the room, not really sure as to why that dream bothered him so much. There wasn't really nothing to it, but it still kind of creeped him out.

Katie closed her book. "Are you okay?"
Marcus closed his eyes. "Yeah."

She handed him a cup of water. "Your mum thought you might want this."

Marcus took a drink. "Where's Emily?"
"Jenna's got her."
Marcus nodded. "Is your dad here?"

Katie's head snapped up. "I don't know where my dad is."

Marcus nodded. "I told him to come here."

Katie looked at him. "Did you see my dad?"

Marcus nodded. The pain killers were threatening to pull him back under. He couldn't go to sleep yet. He had to tell her.

Katie sat closer to Marcus. Her full attention on him. "Did you see my dad?"

Marcus nodded. "I got him out. I don't know what happened to him. The Death Eaters found out," he whispered.

Katie gripped his hand. "My dad's alive," she whispered.

Marcus just nodded. The pain meds were getting stronger. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't bring him with me."
Katie kissed his lips. "It's okay. He's alive and that's all that matters."
Marcus couldn't respond as sleep overtook him once again.

Where was Jim? Was he even still alive? Marcus knew that he had made it out of the Ministry, but wondered if the Death Eaters had chased him and killed him. Were they toying with Jim or was something worse going on?
Marcus stared at the back of his eyelids. He knew what would be telling him. He needed to rest in order to heal, but there were more pressing issues. Marcus still wasn't sure what Jim thought of him or if he even liked him. Running around with the Death Eaters was not going to win him any points in that department. Fathers always scared him and older brothers were even worse, which is why Marcus always took a backseat whenever it came to Haley's dating life.

Or so he hoped.

Marcus just had to believe that Jim was still out there and alive. It was the only thing he had to go on. Maybe Jim had just gotten held up in Great Britain. There were thousands of Muggles hiding out and maybe Jim had come across a group of them. It was too dangerous to send an owl out, so maybe that's why he hadn't contacted them.

Marcus hoped that for Katie and her family's sake that Jim was still alive. He would never be able to keep on living knowing that Jim didn't make it out of the country.

The pain meds were sending Marcus deeper into dreamland. He wanted to keep thinking, but the urge to disappear was much stronger. He allowed the darkness to overtake him as he feel into a much needed sleep.

The world would hopefully still be there when we work up.