Hey guys! Sorry for the delay between chapters, I've been busy and for some inexplicable reason getting past chapter number three has always been a problem for me. In every fic I've ever written.
...So really, you should all be overjoyed and incredibly proud of me for breaking the 'Curse of Chapter Three' for the first time EVER. Because I'm proud of me. This is kind of a big deal!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter
Enjoy!
"What is this."
Percy stared, blinking owlishly at the piece of paper that was being angrily thrust in front of his face as the man holding it practically shook with rage. He hadn't expected this when he opened his door. But evidently the soft, polite knock had been a ruse, because he had been expecting anything- anything- other than this. The man in front of him was emitting a tangible charge of emotion and anger towards the redhead, and it rippled down the bond, slamming into the smaller man with an undertone of hurt. Percy could only stare with a confused look on his tear-stained face.
"Percy. Answer me." Marcus growled, his red eyes gleaming."Now."
"I-I-" He stuttered, eyes wide and full of an innocent bewilderment. "Marcus? W-what are you doing here?"
"What am I...?" The words dissolved into a furious growl. "How can you ask that?! You know exactly why I am here!"
"I do?"
Marcus growled. And Percy flinched back in response, dropping eye contact and staring fixedly at a random point on the floor by his feet. As his gaze was locked onto the floor in front of him Marcus moved forwards, scooping Percy up and depositing him out of the way as the larger man angrily slammed the door shut behind him. Locking it with a muttered spell.
"Yes! You do! Its because of this Percy!" He thrust a crumpled piece of parchment in the redhead's face, shaking it harshly. "This!"
Percy quietly reached out and grasped the hand in front of him, stilling it long enough to get a good look at the crumpled parchment before blinking up at the furious and hurt face looming above him. "This… this is my letter."
"Wow. Your observation skills are astonishing."
"I don't-" Percy halted his words, gasping slightly as realization overcame him. "Oh! I'm so sorry! I should have been more clear! You didn't need to come here to deliver anything, and there was no rush for any of the information. I believe I said 'upon your convenience' in my letter, and I truly meant it! Its not your fault that you're confused, I know that, trust me I do. And that's why I'm handling this, all of it, and I will fix it. I promise! This is just the product of a stupid prank and I think I know who's responsible… but that doesn't matter because I can figure out how to end it without breaking our- without disturbing them." He took a breath, nervously meeting the taller man's still-red eyes. "But I will go talk to them first… If you want me to, I mean. Because you're involved in this too and its my fault so I'll do whatever it is you want me to in order to-"
His ramble cut itself off as he took in Marcus' disbelieving look. Confusion and a hint of understanding were rushing through the bond. Mock-bond. Percy forcibly reminded himself as he watched the red slowly drain from the large vampire's irises. Realization came through moments later and the redhead could feel the beginning of anger trailing behind it, but this anger was different from what had bombarded him when Marcus had first arrived. This anger seemed to be directed at someone, or someones, else.
Percy opened his mouth to speak but he was silenced when the man before him pressed a finger to his lips. The vampire was quiet for what seemed like endless moments, his red-tinged orbs slowly scanning the redhead's messy flat. Observing the scattered papers and disheveled piles before fixating on the overflowing desk. Percy shifted nervously, desperately wanting to run over and hold his book protectively to his chest, but he could feel soft warnings stating stay, don't move, stay coming from Marcus' end of the bond. Mock-bond. It took a long time for the larger man to turn back to him, and when he did Percy felt the unreasonable urge to reach out and hold him, to be held. He pushed the urges down, focusing on Marcus as the man began to speak.
"You-" He swallowed, "you have absolutely no idea why I'm so angry. Do you."
It wasn't a question, but Percy answered it anyways. "Of course I do! You're mad because you've been pulled into this and… because I bothered you."
"Oh, Percy… No. That's not-" He shook his head, cutting himself off before raising his suddenly sad eyes to meet Percy's. "That's not it at all." Enveloped in his confusion over that statement the lithe redhead didn't noticed that he had moved until Marcus was only a few devastating inches from him. Blue eyes wide he started to move away, only to be quickly pulled back into the brunette's strong arms. He gasped, pushing away slightly in a futile struggle as Marcus pulled him in even closer, cradling him in an unbearably sweet and addictive embrace. His heart was pounding wildly as his body automatically relaxed into the muscular form holding him, his hands were still pressed against that broad chest, feeling powerful muscles ripple beneath them. One of the vampire's large hands was slowly rubbing up and down his back, sending comforting vibes and too-warm feelings rushing to overwhelm him.
"M-Marcus stop! This- this is because of a spell!"
"No its not."
Percy sputtered, "Yes it is!" His body finally began to listen and he tried to pull away from the other man's warmth. "Marcus! Let me go!"
There was a pause, then. "No, I don't think that I will."
"I- Excuse me?"
"No. The last time I did that you managed to convince yourself that everything about this bond is because of a prank. You were so scared that you managed to force yourself to believe that you don't deserve something like this. And then you tried to tell me that I was wrong and that I should just calmly back off and allow you to try and pick apart our bond! So no Percy. I'm not letting you go."
"You can't just hold onto me!"
"Mmm…" Marcus shifted slightly, pulling Percy up off the ground- smirking at his indignant squeak- and burying his face in the smaller man's neck. Inhaling his scent. "And why's that?"
"Because I'm a person! Not a pet!" He shouted, squirming against the arms wrapped around him and simultaneously fighting against the parts of his brain that were urging him to snuggle deeper into the embrace. His arms moved without his approval, reaching up and snaking around his mate's neck.
A triumphant feeling of satisfaction and a touch or relief came through their link at both Percy's movement and his unintentional use of the word 'mate' to identify Marcus. Although their thoughts were their own and inaccessible by one another, the bond allowed Marcus to get the gist of what had been running through Percy's mind. "No, not a pet. But you are mine Percy, just as I am yours. And I am not going to let you forget that." He inhaled deeply, tugging the redhead in just a little bit closer for a moment before reluctantly putting him back on his feet, although his arms remained around the shorter man.
"I- this is because of-"
"Finish that statement. I dare you."
Percy gasped, shuddering softly at the deep growl in which the words were uttered, they carried an underlying sense of strength and dominance that- he was ashamed to admit- caused the beginnings of arousal to make themselves present. At Marcus' laugh the ginger pushed away from him, trying to keep the shock off his face as the stronger man let him. He glared at him, his blue eyes narrowed and dark, before setting his jaw and starting to speak. "We are both feeling this way because of some kind of prank. The sooner you understand that the sooner we can-"
"Well. Looks like I'm taking you home with me today." Marcus interrupted once again.
Percy blinked, "Pardon?"
"I'm taking you home with me." He pronounced each word slowly, his mouth turning up into a devilish smirk. "Start packing, or I will."
"I'm sorry…. but I think you're confused, and potentially delusional…" Bewilderment over the sudden, and unexpectedly random topic change stilted his thoughts for a moment as he tried to wrap his head around the deceptively cheerful smirk on the vampire's face. "How, exactly, did you go from me re-informing you of the nature of our predicament… to you deciding that I should just pack up and go with you?!"
The larger man was ignoring him, walking through the flat towards Percy's bedroom. Leaving the flustered redhead to stare after him in shock.
"Marcus!" He quickly hurried after him, entering his bedroom to find the prat pulling a duffel bag from the top of his closet and placing it on his bed. Percy stared. Watching as he started opening drawers and rifling through them, occasionally pulling out an article of clothing and placing it inside the bag before moving on to the closet. Grabbing and folding Percy's ministry uniform before carefully placing the robes in the bag. "What are you doing?"
Marcus rolled his eyes, placing a few pairs of socks in a pocket of the bag. "I'm packing."
"I can see that but-"
"Then why ask?"
"Why ask?" He gaped, "because I want to know why!"
"Because I told you I would, weren't you listening?"
"You-! You are being deliberately obtuse! Stop it! Why are you packing my things?!"
Marcus moved to the bathroom and started gathering Percy's toiletries.
"Marcus! Answer me!"
The larger man returned to the bag resting on Percy's bed and placed the toiletries bag inside it before purposefully zipping it up. "I've already told you why babe. I'm taking you home with me."
"You are not."
"Am too."
"Are not!"
"Am too."
"Are not!" Percy sputtered.
"Am too."
"This- this is childish!"
Marcus laughed, "Yes, yes it is." Then he looked Percy up and down, taking in the oversized shirt that swamped his thin frame and the comfy sweats he wore. He smiled softly- ignoring Percy's scowl- and grabbed a pile of folded clothes from the bed. "Here." He placed them in the redhead's hands. "You'd better change."
Blue eyes were wide with shock and the redhead could feel an overwhelming sense of helplessness and maybe a little bit of fearful vulnerability rise up in him. His thoughts were scattered, wildly flickering back and forth between a multitude of both related and random subjects. The folded cloth resting in his hands was like a life-line, and Percy gripped them desperately, knuckles white and hands shaking. His lips trembled and he quietly choked down a sob.
Marcus froze. Turning back to the redhead mere heartbeats after the sound reached his ears. Percy watched as he slowly made his way towards him, still clutching the cloth in his hands tightly.
"Percy, are you okay?" The tall man reached for him as he spoke, moving slowly and carefully.
"I-I don't… I don't understand why you're so certain this is real. I don't get it, I really don't. I- how are you so sure Marcus?" He flinched back from the other man's hand, holding the clothes defensively in front of him. "What makes you so sure?"
After hesitantly drawing his outreaching hand back, the vampire spoke. "You make me this sure, the connection between us, your scent, the feeling I had when I grabbed your arm a week ago in the Ministry. The absolute and undoubtable knowing that I felt when I touched you for the first time since I knew my mate was out there. The books and scrolls that I read before finding you, the ones that described the feelings and the scent of one's mate as so perfectly unique and special that it was impossible for me to mistake what you were- are- to me. The lessons and lectures that I sat through, the ones that explained my condition and told me how to handle it and how to understand every known aspect of it. Those lessons and books came straight from the source and I have little reason to doubt the Council's knowledge." He paused, letting his words sink in. "All of that is what makes me so absolutely certain that every part of this bond is real."
"Oh…"
"Yeah, oh." Marcus inched closer, "What makes you so sure it isn't?"
"I don't deserve something like this, and I don't think I ever will… And- and everytime something good does happen to me there is a reason for it, and that reason always leads back to what I owe my- to what I deserve for what I did."
Marcus growled softly, blinking back the red that lingered around his pupil. "We, are going to sit your brothers down and have a nice little chat with them as soon as I get the truth behind this bond through your ridiculously thick skull."
Percy gaped. "I never said anything about my brothers-!"
"Percy." Marcus interrupted. "Don't. Just… don't. I went to Hogwarts with you remember? And somebody would have to have been blind to not notice that you were their favorite target."
"But this is different! I deserve-"
"If you say that you deserve to be punished I will bite you. And not in the fun way."
"Marcus!" Percy cried, flushing a brilliant red.
The man in question just grinned, winking at his flustered ginger before beginning to offer the man a compromise. "How about this; you come with me so that I can keep an eye on you and stop you from convincing yourself of some other half-baked idea on what it is you do and do not deserve and in return-"
" I will come with you, but on one condition." Percy seamlessly broke in.
"Name it."
"I want to talk to my brothers about this. And if-" When. "they admit to our bond being the product of a prank of theirs, you will accept it and you will help me free you from it."
The larger man breathed out a sigh of relief and Percy studiously ignored the light and bubbly feelings of happiness, determination and hope coming from Marcus' end of the bond. "Deal!" He grasped the redhead's hand, shaking it once before pulling him in tightly to his chest with one arm and grasping the fully packed bag with his other. Percy yelped, having only a brief moment to secretly melt into the other man's arms before being enveloped by the beginnings of the familiar pull of side-along apparition. He couldn't bring himself to care as he was somewhat kidnapped from his flat, the warmth of the taller man's body was incredibly efficient at drawing his complete attention. Marcus carefully adjusted his grip, pulling Percy in impossibly close before grinning widely down at the smaller man as he snuggled closer.
The pair vanished seconds later with a subtle 'crack'.
I had originally planned on including a bit of the 'after' part of the apparition... but alas, Percy needed more convincing than I had anticipated. And this chapter would have been wayyy too bloody long had I continued with it. And this seemed like a pretty good place to stop.
I would like to apologize for any and all mistakes present in this chapter. I have no beta and I didn't have the time to be as thorough as I like to be when editing my work. I will come back and review this at a later date, but don't be afraid to point out any annoying grammatical or spelling errors, and if I used the wrong word or spelt one wrong... let me know! It saves me time trying to painstakingly rake through this document trying to find all my bloopers :)
Thanks for reading Peoples! R&R to make my day!