6.

Authors note - I'm taking creative liberties with this chapter - it is set during PoA, and while the Dementors caused Harry to fall during the game with Hufflepuff in the book, I'm changing it so that Harry falls during the Slytherin game. Malfoy didn't get scratched by Buckbeak, so the game wasn't changed, even with the shocking weather. It sets it up for future chapters, so sit back, and enjoy. xx

The crack of thunder that split the sky was deafening loud, and the Slytherin team as a whole looked upwards as the lanterns swayed dangerously. Marcus shook his head, and then glanced at his team when Draco muttered under his breath about the weather.

"What was that, Malfoy?" he asked pleasantly, and when Draco shrank back in his seat under Marcus' knowing look, the rest of the team snickered.

"We've got Dementors surrounding Hogwarts, and you're worried about a little rain?" he asked, and when Draco's mouth tightened, Marcus snorted.

Another crack of thunder split the air, causing Draco to jump in his seat, and Marcus to exchange amused looks with Adrian.

"Buck up, Malfoy. A little rain never killed anyone," he said dryly, and he hid his own grin when the rest of the team snickered again at the younger boy.

Looking over his play sheets slowly, Marcus finally nodded and then looked up.

"Right then, lads, you all know what I expect of you today."

Marcus looked at each of his players, and saw that they were nodding. His eyebrows rose in challenge when he looked at Draco, and when the younger man gulped and then nodded frantically, Marcus smirked. Glancing down at his play sheets and then at the Gryffindor team roster that was pinned to the wall, he narrowed his eyes and then looked at his fellow Chasers.

"One more thing. Graham, I want you and Adrian to take out Spinnet. Use the abbreviated version of the Parkin's Pincer, and knock her out of the game. It's worked before, it'll work again."

Adrian Pucey nodded, but Graham Montague looked momentarily confused, and he voiced his concerns in a quiet voice.

"But... Johnson's the better aim, Marcus. Wouldn't it be better to take her out? Or to even take Wood out, like you did when you slammed him through the goals with the Bludger?"

Marcus shook his head even as he grinned at the memory, and he gestured to Gryffindor's roster.

"Nope. If we take Wood out, it's no contest, unless of course, Malfoy cock's up catching the Snitch... again," he said with a dark scowl at Draco. "We can only afford one real penalty in this game, and I'd rather it be for taking out a Chaser, than for taking out the Keeper. You take out Spinnet. As for Johnson? She's going to be too worried about Bell."

Grahams face twisted, but beside him, Adrian chuckled.

"You're a right bastard, Marcus. Brilliant plan, mate."

"I don't get it," Graham said, and Adrian snickered.

"We take Spinnet out, mate, and that leaves Bell and Johnson. Those two are as thick as thieves. Johnson's got a real Mummy's complex when it comes to Bell - if we take Spinnet out, and then make it look like we are going to focus on Bell, Johnson's going to be too worried about her mate, to concentrate on scoring. It is Bell's first game back since last year. Besides," he said, nodding towards James Derrick and Anton Bole who were the teams Beaters, "Those two are going to keep Johnson and Bell busy dodging Bludgers while you, me and Marcus keep scoring."

Graham smirked then, and nodded.

"Nice... It'll probably only take me ten minutes of shadowing Bell for her to fall again anyway... Game won!"

Marcus shook his head slowly, and leveled his players with a dark look.

"Just stick to the plan, lads. Once Spinnet is out of commission, you concentrate on putting as many Quaffel's through the hoops as you can."

"But Bell's hellfire on a broom, Marcus, you've said so yourself," Graham argued, and Marcus snorted.

"You leave Bell to me," he said quietly, and pinned a dark look on Graham when it looked like he was going to argue again. "I mean it, Montague. Just stick to the game plan."

When his team-mates nodded again, Marcus sat back and blew out a silent breath as he waited for the warning whistle to blow. A quick glance at his team allowed him finally to relax. He hadn't been sorted into Slytherin for nothing, but his house mates would knock him clean off his throne if they knew the truth. A sharp thud on the changing room's door proceeded Madam Hooch, and she told the other players to head to the mounting stand; she wanted a quiet word with the Captain. And once the room was clear, she looked at Marcus silently for a moment, before she nodded once.

"Please use the utmost of care today, Mr. Flint. I realize that there has always been a dangerous level of hostility between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and to me, that is what makes Quidditch so exciting. But it wasn't all that long ago that Madam Pomfrey was re-growing your spine. I have double checked the Bludgers myself - there will be no rouges on my pitch today."

Her statement was a double message, and Marcus was left with no doubt as to what she truly meant. He nodded and murmured his thanks as Madam Hooch swept from the room. Picking his broom up he left the change rooms, and set the wards to stop anyone else entering the rooms while the team was in the air. As he entered the tunnel that would lead to the Slytherin mounting stand, he felt the first fissure of excitement when the noise from the crowded stands either side of him echoed loudly. Marcus was so caught up in the anticipation, that he didn't pay attention to anything else, and when he collided with a warm body, the scowl that broke out over his face would have frightened Voldemort himself. A soft exclamation rang out, and the scowl on his face slowly faded when he realized who it was that he had bumped into.

"Flint."

Her voice was soft in the darkened corridor; Marcus watched as she brushed a stray strand of hair from her cheek, and then cursed silently when his fingers itched to repeat the gesture.

"Bell."

Katie nodded once, and she stepped around him. But as her shoulder brushed against him, Marcus spoke again.

"Did you get some sleep, Katie?"

Katie stopped when his voice slid through the dim light like a purr, and as Katie tilted her head back to look up at him, Marcus took a single step towards her. Katie immediately took one in retreat, even as her eyes locked with his. There was no fear in those blue eyes when Marcus looked into them, but there, lingering across the height of her cheekbones, was the faintest stain of color. Salazar be damned... If she wasn't afraid of him, it could only mean one thing. Marcus was unable to hide the grin that teased his lips, and to test his theory, he took another step towards Katie. She took a step back, and Marcus openly smirked.

"Are you sure you won't fall asleep in the air today?" he asked quietly, and when Katie shook her head, Marcus chuckled softly.

Glancing quickly over his shoulder, Marcus saw that they were totally alone in the darkened corridor; this game of step and retreat was fast becoming a favorite of his, and as Katie took another step away from him, Marcus slowly licked the corner of his lips. It only took another few steps to maneuver Katie backwards, before the draperies that surrounded the Slytherin stands parted at her back. Katie narrowed her eyes, and she tossed the long braid her hair was woven into over her shoulder. Her chin lifted, and even as her lips parted to speak, Marcus was taking the final step that he needed. Katie stepped backwards again, and the draperies swung shut behind Marcus, concealing them from prying eyes and affording them some privacy beneath the Slytherin stand.

"Flint, what in Godric's name are you doing?" Katie asked, and Marcus couldn't help grinning at the suspicion in her voice.

"We can't have anyone think we're trading team secrets now, can we?"he asked and Katie snorted.

"Please," she said, "like I'd trade team secrets with you. Not even Veritaserum could loosen my tongue, Flint," Katie scoffed, and Marcus snickered softly.

"And how do you know I didn't spike this morning's pumpkin juice?" he asked, and Katie wrinkled her nose.

"I can't see you stooping that low, Flint. Besides, Veritaserum is controlled by the Ministry, and how would you get hold of it?" she asked, and Marcus solemnly tapped the Slytherin emblem on his chest in answer.

His face remained serious when Katie's jaw dropped; her eyes flew to his, and when he finally winked at her, she started laughing. Marcus' lower rumble joined hers a moment later, and he was rewarded with a blinding smile as Katie leaned against the wooden beams of the stand, and shook her head.

"Prat," she said, but there was no real heat in her voice, and Marcus shrugged.

"You were the one who believed me, Bell; you left yourself wide open for me to take the piss out of you - Slytherin, remember?" Marcus asked, and Katie snorted.

"Are you excited about flying today?" Katie asked, and Marcus shrugged.

"Yeah, it'll be good to play again," he murmured. "And you?"

Katie bit the corner of her mouth, before she looked up at him.

"It's been a while," she admitted slowly. "And add in the Dementors, and the weather and this game is going to be one for the Quidditch History books."

Marcus felt the muscle in his jaw twitch as Katie crossed her arms and shook her head.

"They aren't allowed to enter the school, Bell," he said quietly, and Katie shook her head again.

"It's not that, Flint," she said finally, and when she looked up at him, her mouth twisted wryly before she looked away from him. "The Dementors, while as scary as anything, are there to protect us. Besides, Professor Dumbledore told us to stay away from them, and I'm not stupid enough to go looking for one."

Marcus tilted his head slightly, before he spoke again.

"Believe me, Bell, I know what's bothering you."

It was the darker tone that his voice had taken on that had Katie's lips parting slightly as she looked back up at him. Goddess, he was tall, and the knowing look in his eyes froze Katie to the spot. His hand rose, and when the calloused skin of his fingertips brushed across her cheek, Katie felt a chill skate down her spine as he slowly tucked a loose section of her hair behind her ear.

"You won't fall today, Bell."

His voice was rich with promise, a deep whisper that brushed over her like a caress. Katie's breath stuttered out slowly as Marcus' thumb brushed slowly down the carotid artery in her throat. Her breath hitched, a sound that was deafeningly loud to her ears as her pulse danced erratically under his touch. It was the weight of the heavy leather wrist guard as it brushed her chin that brought Katie back to her senses, and she twisted away from Marcus with a small gasp. Marcus simply smiled, and Katie blushed at the knowledge she saw flicker across his face.

"See you out there," he murmured, and the green and silver drapes behind him parted, and he was gone.

XxXxXxX

"Welcome to Quidditch! I'm your commentator, Lee Jordan! The Quidditch pitch has three goals at each end. The Chasers throw the Quaffle and try to put it through the hoops to score. Watch out for the Bludgers! These are charmed balls that can knock you off your broomstick! Two Beaters on each team try to keep them away. Remember, when the Snitch appears, it releases Speed Rings that will help the Seeker fly faster. Today, we're watching Gryffindor vs. Slytherin, in a rematch of last year's Quidditch House Cup! So who will win? Let's sit back and see!"

Katie smiled as Lee's voice echoed across the pitch, and when she glanced up at the Gryffindor stands, she could only just make him out through the driving rain. Adjusting the goggles that covered her eyes, Katie slowly rolled her shoulders, and then grinned up at George when he nudged her shoulder with his. She mounted her broom and when she felt it vibrate with magic beneath her, Katie exhaled once, a single, shuddering breath that calmed the rest of her nerves, and gave her the boost of courage she needed to lightly kick off the ground and hover as she waited for Madam Hooch to start the game. The rain was cold against her face, and as it soaked into her Quidditch uniform, Katie firmly told herself that the chill on her skin due to the rain, and not the fact that Marcus was watching her through lowered lashes. It was only when he lowered his own goggles that Katie could finally relax, and as Madam Hooch strode across the pitch, Katie took a final deep breath.

"Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you… on my mark," Madam Hooch said, and she crouched beside the box that housed the balls.

She released the Bludgers first, and as they darted back and forth within the circle of players, Katie's eyes flew towards Marcus before she could help herself. His eyes were on her again, and as the Bludgers flew upwards, Katie's attention was dragged back into the game as Madam Hooch held up the Snitch on the palm of her hand. The Snitch's golden wings unfurled, and the ball hovered for a moment before disappearing into the gloom. But Katie's attention was on Madam Hooch and as she held up the Quaffle, Katie tightened her grip on her broom. Madam Hooch threw the Quaffle into the air, and Katie kicked off hard, as the players darted into the circle to try to grab the Quaffle. Game on.

The driving wind and rain, coupled with playing against Slytherin made the game brutal from the onset. The Slytherin team scored first, followed by two goals from Gryffindor. Back and forth it went, until they were level again - fifty all. And when Katie caught the Quaffle and flew towards the goal, she ducked Graham Montague's hand, and threw the Quaffle as hard as she could. A brilliant smile split her face when it went through the hoops, and she flew back towards the center of the pitch as Slytherin's Keeper Miles Bletchley shouted out to Montague. Katie's attention was on the hand signals from Oliver, and she nodded once to her Captain, and flew towards Angelina. But as she turned her broom into the formation Oliver had signaled, Katie's jaw dropped in shock as she watched Adrian Pucey fly up beside Alicia on the left, while Montague flew beside her on the right. Before Alicia could do fly upwards to get away from them, she was forced to fly into the side of Gryffindor's Quidditch stand, where she became tangled within the red and gold drapes. The crowd gasped as Alicia fell to the cushioning sand below, where she lay gasping for breath. Her arm was obviously broken, considering the angle it was bent at.

"You won't fall today, Bell."

Marcus' voice echoed in her mind, and Katie's eyes snapped towards him where he hovered on the other side of the pitch. His attention was on his Chasers, and as Katie watched him, she saw his hand signals before the other two Chasers nodded and split up. The game continued, but Katie was barely able to concentrate as she ducked a Bludger, and flew towards the goals. Had what Marcus said under the Slytherin stands been meant to reassure her, or had it been a warning? The thought had barely cleared her mind when a foot viciously connected with her ribs. Katie gasped as searing pain radiated across her side. Her broom spun out of control for a moment, causing Katie to drop the Quaffle as she grasped desperately at her broom; sheer will gave Katie the strength to pull her broom back under control. That, and the determination that she wouldn't give Graham bloody Montague the satisfaction of causing her to fall as well. Her broom finally under control, Katie hung on for dear life and lay prone across the smooth wood, as she tried to breathe through the pain of the fresh bruising she could feel blooming along her side. She could see Montague in the corner of her eye, and the smirk of satisfaction that twisted his lips caused her blood to boil.

Nausea fought her growing anger, and Katie slowly straightened up. And as she looked across the pitch, she saw that Marcus was hovering about three feet above her; his jaw was clenched, and as Katie fought back the graying edge of her vision that the pain had caused, Marcus angled his broom away from her. Her anger finally won, and Katie tossed her head and turning her broom, she swooped across the pitch with fire in her belly, and murder in her eyes. It took a further twenty minutes for Katie to come into possession of the Quaffle again, and as she flew towards the goals, she saw Marcus swooping towards her from the left, while Montague was closing in on her right.

The goals were just ahead of her, and Katie made a split second decision. With Montague and Flint trying to pin her in, her chances of making it closer to the goals was slim. Pulling her hand back, she twisted her broom and threw the Quaffle as hard as she could. In the short distance it took to connect to her intended target, the Quaffle hummed with the force of her throw; Montague cried out in pain and grabbed at his face as blood spurted out of his broken nose. Katie let her satisfaction show on her face when she looked at him, and she smirked when his howl of "Bitch!" rang out.

Katie looked to her left and locked eyes with Marcus. For a split second, it looked like Marcus was going to grin at her. However his attention was grabbed by the screams that filled the air. And as Katie looked around wildly, she saw that Marcus was looking upwards. Following his gaze, she saw a body falling through the air, hundreds of feet above the pitch. A body that was tangled in red and gold Quidditch robes. Past and present tangled, and for a long moment Katie thought she was seeing into the past as she swayed on her broom in confusion. But when a hand roughly grabbed hers, she held onto Marcus' hand tightly as she finally made out that it was Harry Potter falling through the clouds towards the ground. And close behind him, closing in for the kill, were twenty odd Dementors.

"Merlin... down, everyone get down!"

Marcus' shout scattered the players nearby, and Katie angled her broom into a dive as a Dementor swooped over her head. If she had thought her skin was chilled due to the rain earlier, she was wrong. Her skin immediately went numb as ice encased the handle of her broom. Fighting to keep her broom level, Katie swung from her broom only to fall straight onto the ground when she was tackled from behind. Her breath left her lungs in a pained whoosh as the body over hers pressed her down into the ground, and a hand that was encased in leather covered her eyes. The howl of a Dementor echoed in her ears as it swooped them, and Katie squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't need to see, however, to know who had tackled her. Broom oils, rain soaked skin and sweat - she knew his scent from when he had tucked her hair behind her ear earlier, and when he abruptly stood up and dragged her up from the ground, Katie didn't question it. She let Marcus pull her after him as he ran towards the Quidditch stands, while the Dementors flew across the pitch.

It was only when she was pulled into the tunnels under the stands that Marcus let go of her hand. And in letting go, Katie was pulled into Angelina's arms and held tightly as the Professors drew their wands and began to cast the Patronus Charm to repel the foul creatures that had interrupted their game. A game that was over. Because standing in front of Marcus was Draco Malfoy. The younger boy was shaking like a leaf; his skin was as white as fresh snow, and his eyes were wide with fear as his breath escaped in icy puffs. He could barely speak through the chattering of his teeth as Marcus held him steady by the shoulders and demanded to know if he was all right. Malfoy was unable to speak, but when he held his hand out to Marcus, Katie shuddered, and silently thanks Morgana that the game was finished. Because there, held tightly in Malfoy's hand, was the Snitch.