Who | Marcus, Katie, & Lexi When | Wednesday, Late Evening Where | St. Mungo's What | Katie's awake! Rating | Some swearing, but that's it. Statis | Log. Complete.
Katie woke up feeling a splitting pain through her head. A wave of nausea hit her as she tried to adjust to the dim lighting in the room. Everything was a little blurry and the aches and pains of whatever happens shot through her. A small groan of pain escaped her when she lifted her arm, shoulder exploding with fire. The tubes running into her arms explained where she was but she couldn't remember why. Her eyes blinked as she began to adjust, the nausea still there followed by a wave of panic when she spotted the hospital boards in the room. She nearly lost control of her stomach when she spotted dark hair sitting in the corner. The face looked familiar but she couldn't quite place it and that made her uncomfortable.
She glanced down, the blurry image of purple marring her arms. What had happened? Trying to remember hurt her head and she started feeling a little panicked that she couldn't remember. She'd been flying... that sounded right. Maybe. Or perhaps she'd been in an auto... or bus?
The figure in the corner moved and she glanced up, meeting a piercing set of blue eyes. He looked... angry and she shrunk back in her bed, wondering who he was and why he was there. When she spoke, the words barely came out, days of silence having causes a roughness to her voice. She didn't recognize it.
"Who're you?" she asked, nervously, still seeing just blurry edges of the figure in front of her. "Are you the Healer?"
----
It had been a long bloody week and it wasn't even over yet. The puddlemere/falmouth game had finally rolled around and, as expected, it had been brutal. Marcus had declared open season for his team. For the most part it had been due to the fact that he wasn't going to loose to a bunch of half-arsed players again, but another part of him said "fuck it" because he was pissed off. He had not, however, expected it to play out the way it had. They'd been headed toward Puddlemere's goal posts when Bell had tried to intercept Clint, who responded with a sharp elbow to the side of her head. He had barely blinked at that, as it was par for the course as far as the game went. The action, however, had thrown Bell off and into the path of a freshly hit bludger. He had not missed the sickening crunch of impact. That was a sound most Quidditch players had a hard time ignoring.
Glancing back, he'd caught sight of Bell falling and had stupidly reacted without thinking. Leaving Clint to score the goal, he had instinctively moved to Stop Bell's fall. Unfortunately, he hadn't taken his speed and Katie's dead weight into consideration and was unable to keep his broom balanced, sending them both to the ground, Katie landing heavily on top of him. Thankfully, the snitch had been caught shortly there after and he could escape the surprised looks he kept getting from his teammates and hers. It wasn't like he had just sprouted a third arm from his forehead or anything.
By the time they'd made it out of the almost silent locker room, Marcus had been livid. He didn't want to hear one bloody word about him or Katie and he certainly didn't want to see Clint looking at him like he wasn't recognizable. For fuck sake. Things had not gotten any better in the days to come. Bell remained at St, Mungo's, unconscious from what he was told, and he had had to sub in a reserve for the national team. Clint, the ass that he was had accepted a position with the French team, which left him unable to call up a suitable replacement. After five days, Marcus had grown impatient and had finally given in and visited the hospital. Arriving to a sleeping Bell had not helped his irritation, but left him with little option but to sit and wait.
He'd been just about to head home when she finally stirred. Her greeting, however, was less than spectacular. Shooting her an irritated look, he rolled his eyes. "The fucking Easter bunny." Now was clearly not the time to be asking stupid question. "Five days, Bell. Five days! It's not like you've never taken a bludger before. Do you know what the reserves are doing for a chances to win Nationals? Absolutely fucking nothing."
----
Katie's eyes widened in surprise at the sheer sarcasm that came spilling from the man in front of her. Her head was pounding and he was all but yelling at her. The anxiety was beginning to be overwhelming and she was starting to panic. The beeps of her heart monitor echoed in her head like a reverberating drum that wouldn't stop. They increased as her anxiety spiked and Katie swallowed, nervously. Everything this man was saying was... Foreign. Bludgers? Those were for Quidditch. Why would she get hit by one of those? And why was this stranger, who, evidently knew her. Unless, of course, he was an unstable mental patient who'd been roaming the halls.
She stared at him, a blank expression on her face. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she said hoarsely. "Could you please tell me your name?" Every word was laced with uncomfortable pain as she tried to figure out why he was so astoundingly annoyed with her. Nationals? Reserves? All the words felt so familiar to her but she couldn't seem to find the strand in her mind to grasp on to.
Shifting slightly and wincing with pain, Katie glanced around, really wanting some water. "Also," she managed to get out. "If you're not a healer, can you please get one? I'm confused..." Her head felt like it'd been smashed and she trying to fight against the black wall that seemed to house any of her more recent memories was beginning to make her feel frustrated and nauseous. And whoever this was and his sarcasm wasn't helping.
----
Marcus looked at her, his expression nothing but deadpan. "Marcus," he gritted out. Honestly, he couldn't really blame her for playing dumb. Hell, if it'd been him missing five days of practice and risking his spot on the National team, he'd want to forget it to. The fact that she may actually not recall any of that didn't factor into his schedule. They both had certain responsibilities and it was unacceptable for either one of them not to live up to them. Injury or not. "Nationals! You know, those ridiculously significant tournament that only comes around every four years and is a bloody honour to be a part of?"
Her blank stare was all he got in return and he wasn't entirely sure if he wanted to shake her because she didn't remember him or didn't remember the game. Both seemed like monumental failures on her part. He thought he might actually shake her, had it not been her request for a healer. Biting back the irritated growl that had started to rise in his chest, he moved to the door and barked at some passing St. Mungo's orderly that a healer was needed, before stalking back into Bell's room.
Clearly there was no point in talking to her if she was going to keep up this "i can't remember" nonsense. What sort of Quidditch player forgot they were playing in the Nationals? Standing at the foot of her bed, arms crossed, and scowl permanently fixed to his features, he waited for her healer ... who turned out to be some short little Asian. For whatever reasons, Marcus was affronted by this too. "Apparently she can't remember shit," he muttered, nodding toward Bell.
----
Marcus. Marcus. She just stared at him, feeling a flash if recognition but it was gone before she could grab onto it. She rubbed her temple, wincing in pain as he continued to yell and exclaim over everything. She lifted her hazel eyes to his gaze, feeling like a failure. It was a strange feeling. "I'm sorry but I have no idea who you are or what you're talking about," she managed to get out, voice going hoarse.
The look he gave her could scare the shit out of anyone but there wasn't a flash of fear. She just stared at him before he stomped towards the door and barked orders at some poor hospital personnel. Katie sank back into her pillows, eyes closing as she tried to stave off some of the pain that was radiating through her skull. She felt like it was just going to explode. The pressure was unreal.
With the arrival of her healer and Marcus's statement, she opened then and looked up. The healer went over her vitals while Marcus continued to glare at her as though she'd done something wrong. "Youcan stop glaring," she muttered.
The healer smiled and ran a couple of tears before looking at her. "What's your name?" He asked.
"Katie Bell..."
"And your birthday?" He asked, nodding.
"February 22," she said, staring at him like he was an idiot.
"What do you do for a living?"
She opened her mouth the speak but nothing came out as her brow furrowed. "I... Don't know..." She said, panic filling her. She looked at Marcus for some sort of reassurance and she wasn't even sure why.
----
Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Fucking Christ. Could things possibly get any worse? His starting chaser for the nationals was sitting about in a Hospital room completely useless and they were far too close to the start of the season for comfort. He was going to fucking kill Clint for this. Absolutely murder him. He couldn't bloody wait till after Nationals to scramble Bell's brains, oh no. That would be too convenient. When she told him to stop glaring, Marcus did not feel inclined to listen. His glaring only continued, if not a little stronger than before. Perhaps they had some little pill or a potion to correct this mess.
He listened grumpily as she listed off her name and her birthday. No surprise there. It wasn't like anyone even remotely interested in Quiddtich was unaware of that. Basic info. The fact that she couldn't remember what she did for a living was pretty much the equivalent of a punch in the face when you weren't looking. "Quidditch," he responded woodenly, doing his best to keep his voice even, even if he was sure he was loosing his battle with it. "Quidditch. You're a chaser. The single most important thing you're likely to do with your life and you can't remember it. That's perfect. Absolutely perfect." How someone forgot Quidditch simply baffled him. You don't forget something like that.
Luckily for Katie and her healer, Lexi had chosen that moment to arrive at the hospital herself. She had not been impressed with Clint for landing Katie in the hospital. She allowed that it wasn't entirely his fault, but she was pretty sure an elbow to the temple wasn't exactly sporting behaviour. For the past few days, whenever he had gotten her alone, she'd left to go and see Katie. It was his punishment ... at least until Katie woke up and was fine. So far Katie had not yet woken up.
As she neared Katie's room she heard a very familiar voice raised in agitation. Hurrying down the rest of the hallway, she slid into Katie's room to find Marcus, the Healer, and Katie. "Marcus! Shut the hell up about Quidditch! Jesus!" she glared at him, shoving him back and into one of the chairs beside the bed. "She's only just opened her eyes!" Returning his glare with one of her own for good measure, Lexi turned to face Katie. "Thank god. I was afraid Bludger's going to eat me out of house and home before you woke up."
----
Katie kept her eyes on Marcus, watching his expressions while trying desperately to remember anything. She remembered her parents and what she supposed was her earlier life. His wooden tone as he spouted off her current life story had her brow furrowing. He looks like he might be sick and a memory sprouted up. "I played in school..." She said, staring at him. "You used to kick me and make fun of me." She tilted her head, messy blonde hair spilling down. "You don't like me," she stated, fairly certain if this fact.
The healer looked her over and sighed. "I'd say it's temporary amnesia," he said. "She suffered some hemorrhaging and the contusions will probably interfere with her memory's for a while." He looked at Marcus, voice low. "It's not a guarantee she'll get it back and I would recommend not trying to force it. It could make things worse."
Katie glanced up when another blonde girl came in, looking annoyed and worried. Her statement had Katie frowning. "Why would a piece of Quidditch equipment eat you?" She asked, confused. "Do you play Quidditch. Too?"
----
"We all played in school," he commented dryly, rolling his eyes at the comment about disliking her. "We play on rival teams, kicking and competition is the name of the game. It's not like you're innocent or anything." He had no idea why he was even having this ridiculous conversation with her. Fucking amnesia. For all the things magic was useful for, it sure picked the shittiest things not to be able to fix. He would have continued to point out all the reasons her statements were stupid, but there was an irritating little squeak of a voice digging into the back of his head. Turning his narrowed eyes to the healer, he snapped. "The only thing I'm going to force is your nose into the back of your skull."
More than a little affronted, the healer turned to make his leave, but Marcus couldn't really care any less. Lexi had shown up and she was shoving him into a bloody chair. What the fuck did he need a chair for? He needed to find a new chaser who could actually remember the bloody game. More importantly, he needed to find a chaser who could keep up with the rest of the team. Marcus was good, but he didn't want to fucking do everything on his own.
Lexi, meanwhile, was a bit thrown by Katie's comment. "What?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Equipment? "You know, that horse you call a dog?" Glancing to Marcus, she shot him an expectant look.
"Amnesia. I apparently dislike her and she can't remember quidditch!!" Why he expected Lexi to understand the seriousness of this, he didn't know, but she'd spent enough time around them to know by now. If not, Clint was doing a shitty job training her.
"Really?" she asked, turning back to study Katie. After a moment, she laughed. "You can't remember the game, huh? I'm going to be a little selfish here and say that's bloody hilarious. Marcus is having kittens over it, clearly." The whole thing was a bit ridiculous, but she shouldn't be surprised. This group couldn't do anything without a healthy dose of drama. "You'll be pleased to know the eater of children's souls over here does not dislike you. Or at least not when you're having sex."
----
Katie listened, watching him talk, recognizing that she hadn't liked him in the past but she didn't feel that way now. Or, at least, it seemed like she didn't. Of course, she couldn't tell how he felt because he was kind of an ass. She did remember that correctly, at least she hoped. Sighing, Katie's whole body hurt and the bruises that marred her pale skin were visible against the strain she was feeling as she tried to recall anything. "Stop threatening the healer," she said, hoarsely, shooting a glare at Marcus. "It's not his fault."
Glancing at the other blonde girl, she tried to place her. "I have a dog?" she asked. "And it's a horse. And wait... who are you? I'm sorry. It's like it's right there..." Katie tried to focus, vaguely remembering her from school. "Lexi!" The relief she felt at remembering her friend was palpable and Katie exhaled. "Friends. Seventh year."
However, at Lexi's next words, Katie was glancing back at Marcus, looking even more confused and pale then before. She was dating Marcus? How was that even possible. All she remembered was that they'd hated one another. "So..." she started, running a finger over her lip. "You're my boyfriend? If we're dating... why are you being so mean to me?" The genuine puzzlement and confusion on her face was true and honest. He seemed ridiculously mad at her. Like she'd done this on purpose.
----
His comment about certain healers having irritating fucking voices went unanswered, as Lexi was far more interested in Katie's process of recalling. She looked a bit stressed, which probably wasn't helped by the gaps she was trying to fill. "You have two dogs. Bludger and Snitch. Both eat an elephants weight in food. Seriously." She grinned, feeling a little bit of satisfaction that Katie remembered her but was having a difficult time placing Marcus. Of course, it might have helped if he wasn't sitting at the end of the bed scowling at them as tough they were the reason for every bad thing to ever happen in his life.
As far as Marcus was concerned, they were. He wasn't entirely sure why he was still sitting there. He'd gotten the information he'd come looking for, so why bother stay? That question seemed all the more relevant as the term "boyfriend" started to be tossed around. Groaning, he ran a hand over his face and shot Lexi a dark glare as the room filled with her laughter. Peels of laughter, to be exact. Picking up a magazine from the table beside him, he rolled it up and threw it at her, watching it bounce off the back of her head.
"God. That is the question of the day, isn't it?" Lexi laughed, tossing Marcus' weapon onto an empty chair. Leaning down she grabbed the bag she'd brought of Katie's things, having thought she might like them when she woke. In the bag, she'd stuck a copy of Quidditch Weekly. Grinning, she tossed the magazine on the blankets in Katie's lap. "Personally, I think that picture really shows off his eyes."
Marcus swore under his breath. He didn't need to look to know what fucking magazine that was or what fucking picture was on the front of it. It was taken a moment after they'd crashed on the pitch and had captured a brief flash of "tender concern" as the ridiculous article had announced. Bloody ridiculous. Of course, the article to accompany it had a million other ridiculous things crammed in there right along side it. Not that he was overly surprised.
----
Two dogs. Wow. "That's a lot of dogs," she said, realizing that she must still love Quidditch. "So I have two dogs. Bludger and Snitch. They eat a lot of food." She rubbed her forehead. "I play Quidditch. Professionally. For the National team... which, is... England? and for Puddlemere?" She glanced at Marcus, raising a brow, which, made her head hurt. "I assume you're not half Australian. Oh! I'm half Australian! I still play Chaser..." Katie felt ill. The nausea was rolling through her and everything hurt so bad. A nurse came through and dosed her with some muscle relaxers and something for her headache. The effect was instant and she relaxed, some of the pain ebbing away.
She watched as a magazine went flying across the room, hitting Lexi in the head. She stared at Marcus, confused as hell as he looked completely put out. If that was the case, then why was he even here? "So... Marcus is maybe my boyfriend and I have sex with him," she asked, the incredulity practically dripping off her hoarse voice. "I don't think I have sex with people who I don't like... Or do I?" Maybe she was a slut... She didn't think so but it was possible.
Lexi's laughter had her wincing and she glanced down at the magazine thrown into her lap. The cover showed a very concerned Marcus Flint holding her in his arms and looking slightly horrified, scared, and, well, tenderly concerned. "Is this why you're so upset?" she asked, glancing up at him. "Were you scared or something?" She glanced at Lexi, trusting her to fill her in on whatever it was she was missing.
----
Perhaps she shouldn't find so much amusement in all of this, but it wasn't often Marcus was put on the spot like this. He was usually very careful to keep his emotions hidden from everyone. It was such a rare thing that a camera be focused on him when they slipped past his iron walls. Since he was usually an ass about other people's emotions, she felt like she was getting a little of her own back, which she didn't feel guilty about at all. Listening to Katie's deductions, it took all of her willpower not to dissolve into laughter and remain there. Plopping down into one of the vacant chairs, she grinned and glanced between the two of them. She felt like she should have popcorn. Clint was going to be so mad he missed this.
Were you scared or something? Marcus felt a bit of heat rise up at that. "I wasn't afraid of anything," he glared, knuckles white as he gripped the arm rest of the chair. He was beyond uncomfortable with this line of conversation. EXTREMELY uncomfortable. "God forbid I be a little concerned when you took a bludger to the bloody head. Next time I'll just let you crash." God, and that was the problem, wasn't it? He hadn't been able to just let her crash. He'd fucking flown into a stupid gryffindor moment without even thinking about it. Fuck. Standing, Marcus moved to the window to glare out that for a while.
Lexi watched him move with a shake of his head. Oh sure, they weren't dating. Not at all. Marcus looked like he was going to throw up and she wasn't entirely convinced that it was the suggestion that he was afraid. "Don't worry, Katie, you don't have sex with people you don't like. It's not your thing." Let them both ponder over that for a little while. Marcus, however, didn't miss what she was trying to do and shot her a glare, before turning his attention back to the window.
----
Katie's eyes widened slightly as she watched the anger and... embarrassment flush Marcus's face. At the moment, she felt nothing for him other than interested awareness. He was very attractive but all she could remember was that they'd hated each other and now, apparently, they were together. If Lexi's reaction to this was anything, it was clearly difficult. She watched his back, brow furrowed, as he moved away and stared out the window. This was... strange. "Well," she said, quietly. "Thanks for uh... not letting me crash." She rubbed her shoulder, wondering if the impact into him was what was causing the pain. More than likely.
She looked at Lexi, uncertainty on her face. "Are he and I fighting?" she asked, lowering her voice, slightly nervous about setting Marcus off. He seemed... tense. "Because it doesn't really seem like he's all that happy if he's my boyfriend." Katie looked slightly horrified for a moment. "Do I make him that miserable?" She was pretty sure Marcus could hear her. It wasn't like her was that far away but she really was just trying to understand what the hell was going on.
"He looks like he might be sick," she whispered, glancing worriedly at Lexi. She didn't understand why. Lexi's affirmation that she didn't sleep with people she wasn't interested in had her nodding. "I didn't think so... so, I guess, wow. Really? Marcus Flint is my boyfriend?" she asked, shaking her head. "I must really be missing some major puzzle pieces because I can't see how that happened. Not even a little bit." How had her friends reacted? Ange and George and Ali? And she'd had feelings for Oliver but those seemed to be gone. She vaguely remembered a snog. Huh. "This is very frustrating," she sighed. "He's not much of a comforter, is he?"
----
Marcus could hear everything they were saying. It wasn't all that difficult. They weren't exactly the quietest people he knew. He refused to acknowledge any of the ridiculous statements and/or questions that they were coming up with. The only reason he was there was in a Captain position. That was it. Why else would he be there? It wasn't like they were shagging anymore. Fuck, she barely recalled him anyway, so there was no point in Lexi even looking in that direction. She was seeing things that weren't there and encouraging Bell to think them too. He was sure that would work out splendidly when Bell finally did get all her ducks in a row, so to speak. Keeping his eyes out the window, he did his best to ignore the entire conversation.
"You're always fighting," she laughed, watching Marcus' rigid form. So much denial for something so simple. Not that he was alone in it. She was sure that once Katie's memories began to trickle in, she'd be just as defensive of the idea and they could both go back to pretending that they didn't have some feelings for the other. It was all very juvenile in the end, which made her appreciate this openness all the more. "Let's just say that you two are ... coming to terms with things."
He wanted very much to exclaim his appreciation for the sound of surprise in her tone, but if he did that he would be supporting the idea of being her boyfriend and that was far too out there to even consider. He didn't date. He hadn't dated since fucking Hannah and he had no intention of going back to it either. Too much effort and ultimately a waste of his precious time.
Lexi snorted at her speculation on Marcus. "No," she grinned, "he's a pureblood." Typically speaking, they weren't the feel good sort.
----
Katie nodded, assured that was a correct statement. Her eyes drifted back to Marcus, the heavy weight of the potions settling over her. "I suppose I could see why he's appealing," she murmured. "Opposites and all." She remembered the fighting but it was hard to believe that they'd had sex. She felt she knew herself well enough to know that she wouldn't be with him if she didn't care about him. It was interesting. How had it come to that. She glanced back down at the magazine in her hand, the words blurring on the page but it was the picture she focused on. Her fingers traced over his concern, the sheer amount of emotion in that one look was... shocking, really. In her head, she and Marcus Flint didn't like one another and yet, it was so easy to see in that one, shuttered moment.
Opening the magazine, she flipped to the pages, watching her entire accident play out over and over. Marcus stopped what he was doing and hurtled himself towards her. In the middle of what looked to be a play. She didn't bother attempting to read the words.They'd' probably send her into a vomiting fit but if a picture was worth a thousand words... well, then. Everything she needed to know was right there in those few images. "I think my favorite part is the shock of everyones' faces," she said, tiredly, showing it to Lexi.
Glancing at Marcus, Katie frowned. "That's another thing that doesn't make sense," she said, warily. "He's a pureblood... I'm... not. And I'm a Gryffindor. He's Slytherin. I play for Puddlemere and he plays for Falmouth." She shook her head, wondering why she couldn't remember anything about him. It had to be because it was recent. "When did we start dating? Where do we go on dates? I didn't think I even liked to date..."
----
"Oh, I'm sure it has absolutely nothing to do with how he looks naked," she responded cheerily, inwardly delighted by the hilarity of the situation. It was just ... these things didn't happen. Or at least, they didn't happen outside of novels. She simply couldn't pass up the novelty of it. Of course, Katie's comment about everyone's shock earned a laugh from Lexi. She didn't need to look again, as she'd memorized the photo, but it never got old. "You should have seen Clint's face when he went to toss Marcus the quaffle and he wasn't there. It was hilarious. I swear, he was still in shock the next morning."
"A man does one decent fucking thing," Marcus muttered under his breath, still scowling out the window.
"Marcus, be a dear and grab us some coffee?"
Turning his head, he stared at her incredulously. "Do I look like a house elf? Besides, you fucking bitch about hospital coffee every time you're here." Which, in all fairness, was a lot. The three boys were in here at least twice a year and that was in an uneventful year.
"Please?" Lexi grinned, knowing he'd take the opportunity to escape the room. "I don't think the glass can take much more of your scowl before it breaks just to spite you."
Rolling his eyes, he relented and wandered out. If he was lucky he'd get lost and someone would mistake him for a patient and give him narcotics. He'd much rather be in a hospital bed daydreaming than listening to what was going on in the other room. What he should do was leave, but he felt like he should probably stay. He wasn't entirely sure why, but he chalked it up to being her Captain for the National team. Captains were suppose to do that sort of thing, right?
Once Marcus was out of the room, Lexi turned back to Katie with a light grin. "Well, technically, you are. You found out not too long ago that You and Adrian share a father. Big scandal and what have you ... or at least it will be when the media gets a hold of it. I'm surprised Adrian's managed to keep it quiet since it was announced at the Will reading." Thinking on that for a moment, she shrugged. "As for dates, well, You two keep saying their not dates, but after you two go to this fancy restaurant in Knockturn Alley all the time and once Clint and I found you cuddling on his couch with him, while wearing his Falmouth jersey."
----
It was a log of information to take in and Katie watched Marcus leave the room, his anger and frustration practically rolling off of him. She rubbed her forehead, head aching something fierce. Closing her eyes, katie relaxed into the pillow and nodded and Lexi talked. She remembered that she trusted Lexi and having someone there who wasn't yelling at her was more helpful then she cared to admit. A sense of underlying panic was there but she couldn't remember why. All she knew was that she wanted nothing more than to leave the hospital.
At Lexi's next revelation, Katie's eyes flew open in shock. "What?" She asked thoroughly confused. Adrian Pucey was her half brother? "Oh my God..." She wasn't sure she could take much more. "I think that's enough," she murmured, hand trembling. "I don't think I can take much more." For some reason, she wanted Marcus to come back. And maybe George. Where was George? She frowned, missing her friend greatly.
It was easier to focus on the Marcus fiasco and not everything else, perhaps because it was so completely absurd that it was kind of hilarious. "So we eat out... Together and cuddle in his couch?" She shook her head slightly stunned.
"Wait... I wore Falmouth jersey?" She asked, disdain dripping from her words. She'd been a Puddlemere fan since birth... Basically. "Oh hell."
----
"I'm sure it'll all come back sooner or later," Lexi responded, leaning back in her chair and tossing her feet up onto the edge of Katie's bed. She wasn't really all that worried about it. Katie had recalled bits and pieces, so there wasn't anything to say that she wouldn't get the rest of them back. Lexi was content to look toward the positive. It would be different too, when she left the hospital. It was one thing to have someone tell you the details of your life and another thing to get back to it. Lexi was sure things would come back once she was surrounded by the evidence of it.
She laughed at Katie's disdain. "Yes, you did. Quite comfortably in fact. You might be team Puddlemore, but you have a few good things to say about the dark grey and white. Or at least one particular jersey." Lexi shrugged, not finding anything weird about it. They were surprisingly comfortable, then again it was a sports uniform. Make it a bit difficult to play if it wasn't. It helped when they were much too big for you, so perhaps they weren't as comfortable for those who it had been intended to fit.
She was distracted for a moment as her thoughts wandered, but Marcus' return drew her back. "Thank you," she responded, hiding an amused smirk behind her cup as Marcus handed a cup to Katie, perfectly made the way she liked it ... without having been told. On the plus side, perhaps once Katie regained her missing memories, she'd also realize the rather obvious quality of their relationship. While she had admitted her feelings previously, she still refused to believe that she and Marcus were already in a relationship.
This way, it was kind of hard to dispute. Lexi was looking forward to that.
----
Katie wrinkled her nose in distaste at the thought of wearing a Falmouth jersey. She was sure Lexi wouldn't lie to hr and this wa sjust... well, it was beyond unbelievable but she did have a whole magazine's worth of proof in her hands at Marcus Flint showing concern for her. So, well, maybe it was true. When he returned and handed her her coffee, her eyes widened in surprise and her hand instinctively flew out, catching his before she even realized what she was doing. Her eyes widened and a flush filled her cheeks and she quickly dropped his hand but not before she registered the warmth she felt when she did it.
Swallowing, she muttered her thanks and took a sip, finding it was the exact way she liked it. Black with one sugar. She had to admit, she was a little bit surprised that he knew. Clearly, Lexi hadn't been lying. Marcus Flint knew how she liked her coffee... With Marcus back in the room, she didn't feel quite as panicked as before but she also didn't, for whatever reason, like that she was in the hospital. Glancing at him, brow furrowed, flush still on her cheeks from attempting to hold his hand, she met his gaze, glancing between him and Lexi. "I don't like this hospital," she said, willing her headache to go away. "I want to go home."
The likelihood of that happening was little to none. Especially with amnesia. Of course, her Healer arrived to check on her again and glanced at her. "Any memory return?" he asked, scribbling on his chart.
Katie nodded. "A little," she said, tiredly. "When can I go home? I don't want to stay here. It smells like death and I, apparently, have dogs to feed and a broom to remember how to fly."
----
Marcus froze when she grabbed his hand, more then a little surprised. They certainly had never held hands before and he had no bloody idea what had possessed her to do so now, especially when she couldn't bloody remember anything. Glancing somewhat awkwardly between her hand and his own, he frowned, choosing to ignore the whole bloody thing. Just thinking about it made his head hurt. Hell, at lot of things these past few days had made his head hurt. He was likely developing some sort of brain tumor just having to deal with Gryffindors. Wouldn't surprise him in the least. That was just his sort of luck.
He raised an eyebrow at her announcement that she wanted to go home. He'd heard that a million times before but it had come from a large and more manly figure. Christ. One of them had been bad enough. "Adrian says the same thing," he muttered, taking a drink of his own coffee. "Death doesn't smell like an antiseptic." It made absolutely no sense. Had they been sitting in a fresh tomb or in the morgue on a sunny day when the morgue freezers weren't working. That would smell like death.
Of course, it simply got better when her irritating healer came back in and began to give some long and bullshit story about how she should stay for observations, blah, blah, blah. "You've already said you can do shit about her memory, so what's stopping her from signing herself out," he asked, his irritation clear.
Lexi frowned, glancing between them. "I don't know if signing out is the best thing. You just suffered a serious head injury. You could have died! Who knows what sort of complications might spring up." When Marcus started to argue, she shot him a glare. "Shut the hell up, Marcus!"
----
Katie realized her mistake and that maybe Lexi had been teasing her in regards to Marcus and her cheeks flamed as she pulled her hand away. She wasn't sure why she did it anyway. It made little to no sense. If anyone should be here, it should be Oliver or George. Her head ached and trying to deal with all this information that was being hurled at her wasn't helping. In fact, she was pretty sure it was making everything worse. She hated that some of her memories seemed to be trapped behind a black wall but it didn't seem like forcing it was going to help anything.
Marcus's comment had her glancing up at him, her cheeks still slightly flushed from her mistake. She didn't want to even attempt to process the whole Adrian thing. A brother? That was a level she couldn't even begin to fathom. The recriminations of her mother's potential actions were a blow to her heart. Her father wasn't her father? Fucking hell. It was too hard to even understand. "It does," she muttered, playing with the end of her blanket. "Funeral homes and morgues smell like this. It's awful," she continued, shrugging. Katie hated hospitals. She remembered that.
Marcus's irritation with her Healer had her eyes widening. This was so bloody strange and the fact that she wanted to hold his hand again was even scarier. She was bloody attracted to Marcus Flint. What the hell was going on in her life and why couldn't she remember it?! Well, she knew why. But it was still frustrating!
Her healer looked at Marcus with an annoyed, slightly put out air. "Look, Mr. Flint," he said, standing with his hands on his hips. "I understand that you would like to take your... friend... Chaser, whatever she is, home. But unless you plan on providing assistance by being there for twenty-four hours, it's best if you don't encourage her."
Katie was, personally, in agreement with Marcus. She wanted out and even if she didn't remember her home, she didn't want to be here. She at least knew that. The healer quickly ran scans, checking her out and nodded.
"Everything is normal," he said, jotting notes down. "I recommend you stay. At least until tomorrow afternoon but as you seem fine, minus the memory issue and the bruises, I can't force you to. All your results are normal."
----
Marcus was liking this healer less and less. Surely they had someone more competent in this bloody hospital. "I've been here for five fucking days," he retorted, irritated that this little prick of a man had the nerve to insinuate that he was less than capable of doing such a thing. "And in that time, you've been completely fucking useless, so save your lecture and do your damn job or get the fuck out." Encourage her? For fuck sake. She should be encouraged to get the hell out of here. Bunch of morons working here.
Lexi stood, popping herself between Marcus and the Healer before Marcus could punch him, which he looked about ready to do. No point in have charges dropped on top of everything. Taking the healer by the arm, she escorted him to the door, patting his arm reassuringly. "It's not problem. We'll discuss it. Thank you." Shoving him out into the hallway, she closed the door behind her. "Really? Marcus? Jesus. She has to stay at least a day or two. How else are they going to figure out if there's any lasting damage?"
Marcus shot her an irritated look and moved back to the window.
Lexi rolled her eyes and moved back to Katie. "A day, anyway, just for some check ups and what not. If there's nothing wrong you can come stay with me if you'd like or vice versa."
----
Katie watched in wide-eyed fascination as Marcus went to bat for her. It was... oddly touching and while she still wasn't so sure she believed that they were an item, she definitely registered the attraction she had to him. Worrying her lower lip, her hand instinctively moved to rest on his arm to attempt to calm him down. This time, she didn't notice and it didn't seem he did either as he continued to rant at the poor Healer. Katie wanted more than anything to get out of this damn hospital bed and perhaps her very rational fear of this hospital, no matter what anyone said, she also knew Lexi was probably right.
"Lasting damage?" she asked, worriedly as Marcus moved back to the window. "What lasting damage?" Oh God. She moved her toes, sighing with relief. She wasn't paralyzed and she wouldn't have to give up her chosen profession. The bright, excitement and love she had for the game began to come back to her as she remembered the thrill of being on a broom as a teenager at Hogwarts.
The healer looked her over, assessing her ability to handle the news. "There are a lot of acute symptoms from a traumatic brain injury," he started, glaring at Marcus. "Blurred vision, headaches, irritability, confusion, difficulty remembering or making decisions, dizziness, balance problems, nausea, loss of smell, mood chan-"
"Okay," Katie interrupted, holding her hand up. "I think I get the picture." She sighed and let her head drop back to the pillow, eyes closed. "A day," she said, looking back up, glancing at Marcus and then back to Lexi. "One day and I don't care if I'm puking and walking into walls. I'm leaving."
"It would be best for Ms. Bell to be in her home," the Healer said, hesitantly. "It, uh, would help her with her memory." The looks he got had him hurrying out of the room, mumbling under his breath.
Katie felt a slight sense of panic that they'd be leaving her and she had no desire to be in the hospital alone. It was juvenile and completely mental but she just remembered the fear and the anxiety and all of it was brought back and the confusion and headache wasn't helping anything. "So, can someone tell me what happened? Like, what was my injury and did Puddlemere win? Because I feel like if I've been here for days... we should've at least won," she pouted.
----
Marcus had already heard this a million times before and he barely flinched as the list continued. He focused instead on blocking out the irritating sound of the Healer's voice as he explained. Of course, it was a bit difficult to do so when he shot down Lexi's offer of assistance. This time it wasn't just Marcus turning to pin him with a dark look. He was not at all sad to see the man go. Relieved would be close to what he felt, but not nearly strong enough.
At her questions about the game, Lexi glanced toward Marcus, who didn't seem at all inclined to explain the details of what had happened. Shooting him a look that clearly said "thanks a lot", she cleared her throat. "It was a close game," she hedged. The whole lot of them were overly concerned with the sport so she wasn't entirely sure how to break it to her without her being all devastated.
"Puddlemere lost." Marcus said, in his usual no nonsense sort of way. Like ripping off a band aid.
Rolling her eyes heavenward, she asked whoever the hell was listening for a bit more patience so she might not hex her friend something fierce. "As I was saying," she continued, shooting Marcus an irritated look. "It was a close game. You were trying to intercept the Quaffle from Clint and he elbowed you at the same time one of the beaters had targeted you. The force of his elbow put you straight into the bludgers path. Though, Clint hadn't been aware of the bludger. It was a horrible accident, really." She felt the need to defend Clint since he wasn't there to do it himself. "He feels terrible. Even brought you flowers," she said, nodding toward the vase on the nightstand where Lexi had put the bouquet.
----
"Oh," Katie said, flatly. They't lost. She should feel something, right? She couldn't quite connect with the disappointment that seemed like it was trying to reach her. Still, she didn't like losing to Marcus. She recognized that. She held up the article in the magazine and looked at Lexi. "So, I was basically used as target practice for a Beater and, more than likely, I deserved the elbow." She crossed her arms in frustration as she tried desperately to remember what had happened. It just would NOT come to her and that was absolutely making her mental.
Glancing at the flowers, Katie raised an eyebrow. That was strange. Clint Warrington sending her flowers was just a little too much for her to handle. With the supposed new brother, her Slytherin boyfriend and now Warrington being nice... Katie felt completely out of sorts. Sitting up, she winced as pain shot through her, sucking in her breath. A wave of nausea hit and she leaned back against the pillows, finding solace in their support. "Well, tell him thank you," she said, slightly worried he'd show up at the hospital to visit and her reaction would be to hex him. Well, if she had her wand, anyway. She and Warrington had NEVER got on.
"Do you mind if I talk to Flint real quick?" she asked, knowing that he'd glare at her and giver her straight answers. Lexi did but she really wanted to know exactly what it was that had happened that had him hanging around here for five days. It was beyond incomprehensible. "I, uh, just need to ask him some National team stuff..." That didn't sound convincing. Not even to her.
----
The corner of Lexi's lips twitched at the thank you. She was sure Clint would rather never again mention his actions. As for him showing up, well it was highly unlikely he'd show up on his own. So there really was no concern about her hexing him. Besides, if his necklace failed to negate the curse, they were already in the hospital. No harm done. She was, however, a little surprised by the request to speak to Marcus alone. The excuse of Nationals was pretty pathetic considering neither one of them had ever been all that bothered about talking shop in front of her. Raising an eyebrow, she glanced toward Marcus' stiff form. Given his attitude, she wasn't sure if she should but she nodded all the same. "Of course, I'll come back later."
Marcus wasn't entirely sure why Katie wanted to talk to him either and he glanced toward Lexi as she left the room. It was different being in here when she'd been unconscious. Now he had to actually face her after his embarrassing moment on the pitch. He prayed to Merlin she didn't ask about that. He was pretty sure that if she did, he'd likely just walk out of the room. Considering how much time he had spent here, that seemed a bit anti-climatic. Not that it really mattered, he supposed. There really wasn't anything he was expecting from this whole thing.
Turning away from the window, he crossed his arms leaned back against the wide ledge at the bottom of the window. "You lie like a twelve year old Hufflepuff," he commented, raising an eyebrow. Whatever this was, it wasn't about Nationals.
----
Katie smiled her thanks to Lexi as she left, the door closing before her attention shifted back to Marcus. She watched him, seeing that he was on the defensive and she wasn't sure, exactly, why she'd wanted to see him alone. Maybe she wanted to see if she could tap that supposed attraction. Well, it wasn't really supposed. He was good looking and there was a dim awareness of feelings that seemed to be pushing against the haze. When he finally decided to look at her, she raised a brow at his comment, amusement flashing across her face at his surly attitude.
She waved his comment away. Not really interested in discussing the merits of her lying capabilities. She was a Gryffindor. "I am curious about Nationals and what your'e going to do with me now but as I'm certain it'll be a bit before I'm cleared to actually get back on the pitch..." That thought was actually depressing. Horribly, horribly depressing. That's something, right?
"Why are you here?" she asked, tilting her head. She didn't understand it. It made no sense. She held up the magazine and made a face. "We're not dating are we?" Katie watched him closely, wondering if he'd even answer any of this. Something inside of her seemed to know that he wouldn't want to talk about this but she really needed to know. The pressure in her head increased and she closed her eyes momentarily.
"If you don't want to talk about then I need you to do one thing," she said, opening her eyes back up. "Because this is so strange and I'm definitely feeling attracted to you so I don't doubt that something happened but if you'd just... kiss me so I can see if this is real or not. It'd help."
----
When she did ask about Nationals, he was a little perplexed. There were only so many things he could do and most of them were shit ideas. It really didn't seem worth the question. "I'm pulling up the reserve and put lighting a fire under his arse, what else can I do?" The only other option he could possible do was petition to bring in Adrian. Until the end of the season he was still an active member of the British league. There was no one else of any use to bring up. Clint had already accepted with the French and the rest had already been taken by other National teams. As for Adrian, Marcus sincerely doubted he'd have the time to devote to Quidditch. That left him with only one option; the reserves. It wasn't a pretty option, but at least it was something.
Her next question, however, had him wishing she'd just stuck with the National talk. She was right that he didn't want to talk about it. He didn't know what to say. Hell, he didn't even fully understand why he'd stayed so long. He'd gone above the role of Captain, leaving his reason nothing but a weak excuse. This was exactly the reason he didn't get involved. "No, we're not," he muttered. They weren't dating. Dating involved emotional investment on both sides and more than just sex, quidditch, and food. He didn't know what the hell the were doing. He didn't answer the question as to why he was there. He didn't have the words for it, so he chose to ignore it.
There was a bit of hope when she acknowledged that he didn't want to talk about it, followed by a sense of wary curiosity. The request for a kiss, earned a bark of laughter. Well, that wasn't what he'd been expecting to say. "That's what most women want when they wake up from a coma," he retorted, a smirk on his lips. It was just too good of a moment to pass up the opportunity to tease her. "Me to snog them. Suppose your brains aren't so scrambled after all."
Considering the idea, he supposed it sure beat discussing things he didn't understand. A snog cost him nothing ... or at least a lot less then laying his thoughts bare for her to pick apart. Her logic behind it didn't make much sense to him, he doubted you suddenly woke up with fake attraction, so it was obviously real. Dropping his arms, he shook his head. This whole situation was absolutely ridiculous. He'd been there to make sure she wasn't going to die and now he was going to snog her. Fucking Gryffindors.
Ignoring whatever retort she was in the process of making, Marcus moved to sit on the edge of her bed and pressed his lips to hers, silencing her. Silence was a good option. Letting the usual passion and heat take over the kiss was an even better option. As he deepened the kiss it carried the same heat, the same urgency, but perhaps less of the pressure. The sound of her skull cracking was a sickening reminder to keep his touch light.
----
Katie nodded in his response to Nationals. It was true, there weren't a lot of options and she'd put him in a very bad bind. "I'm sorry," she apologized, though, she wasn't sure why. It wasn't as though she'd purposely run into a bludger. Katie, however, recognized that her dream had been to play Quidditch in school and if she'd actually achieved that and had been selected for England, than she must be good and she must be hard to replace. That was, for some odd reason, very reassuring. In fact, she was quite proud of herself in that regard. A professional Quidditch player who had two captain. Marcus Flint and Oliver Wood. Huh.
A keen wave of disappointment speared her at his acknowledgement that they weren't involved. Huh. She tried to grasp her memories. They were so close and she was getting supremely annoyed that shouldn't get to them. She just wanted to remember. If she was involved with Marcus Flint, then, logically, on her end, it was emotional and she wasn't forcing his hand. His response urned the requisite eye roll and Katie crossed her arms. "If you're going to be an ass about it instead of just doing it then shut it." She gave him a look. "If anything, it probably means my brains are bloody coming out of my ears because I just asked you to snog me."
"Also-" she managed to get out but that didn't last long as he moved beside her, his lips finding hers. There was an incredibly sense of rightness that washed over her and the heat in the kiss shocked her. Somehow, she thought this might all be fake but it definitely wasn't. He kissed her like he knew her. Like he understood what she liked and what she wanted and it was... intense. Katie's hand found his chest and she sighed. Warmth spread through her entire body and when she pulled away, she stared at him, slightly stunned.
"Right," she murmured, eyes flicking to his lips. "Definitely slept together..."
----
When it came down to just the two of them physically, he did know her. He'd spent plenty of time getting to know exactly what she wanted and what she liked. That wasn't the part of this that he was confused about. Only once they had started to move past the physical did he start to find uncertainty. Perhaps the reason he didn't was a fear of being wrong? Or feeling something that she didn't. He didn't bloody know. He just knew that it was easier to avoid it. His experiences told him that much for certain.
It was likely a good thing that she pulled away. She was still recovering from a fractured skull and what not. He smirked, however, at her comment. "Once or twice," thought he amusement in his tone suggested a whole lot more than once or twice. Which, ultimately, would only confuse her further. They weren't dating, but it hadn't just been a one off, either. Combine that with the fact that he'd been running back and forth between practices and St. Mungo's ... well, it was still a complicated mess. He supposed it might just be easier to bit the bullet, so to speak, and admit that they might be moving toward dating territory, but then he'd have to put a label on it. Eventually there would be a point where he had to, but for right then he was content to let things run as they had.
"I'm almost insulted you don't remember,"he commented, returning to his usual cocky amusement. "You're always rather vocal about it."
----
The sardonic look she shot him spoke volumes at his summation of their past exploits and Katie's head felt like it was on the verge of exploding as she tried to figure it out. Basically, she had feelings for Marcus Flint and he... didn't or maybe did or something. He was so close to her and she found it comforting on a level she didn't understand. The warm pressure of his thigh against her leg was reassuring. "I suppose I could understand why it happened 'once or twice'," she murmured, thoughtfully. The physical attraction was most obviously there.
His words pulled her from her thoughts and she felt the heat rise to her cheeks as she flushed a very unbecoming shade of pink. Katie's fingers were idly tracing patterns on his thigh as she thought over everything that had happened. What she didn't understand was how this had happened. That's the part that didn't make sense. What had led her to bed with Marcus Flint of all people. "Well," she said, raising an eyebrow. "You'll just have to remind me," she said, lips turning up slightly. She couldn't quite figure out why but she knew that she wanted him and she also knew that there was a reason why.
"Marcus," she said, using his first name. "I really don't know why you stuck around or what's going on in your head. I barely know what's going on in mind but I think I'm glad you stuck around. As weird as this is... It feels right so I guess that's something?"
----
It was strange that he felt so out of balance when the tried to consider the larger picture when the small things between them had become almost natural. He barely noticed the idle patterns she traced on his leg or the reassurance that came with just being in close proximity. They had become things that he'd grown used to and stopped paying attention to. It was something that came without thought. Of course, it could simply be the lifting of some of the weight that had settled over him through the duration of her time unconscious. Either way, he wasn't looking for teeth on a gift horse.
With her comment he smirked, feeling almost like himself again. "I might be able to work something out. I'm a busy bloke." Despite having no recollection of a lot of what had taken place between them, Marcus was somewhat relieved that it hadn't really affected how they acted around each other. His snarky comments still pulled her into quick irritation and she could challenge him, the motion automatic for the sheer sake that they'd been doing so for far too long. Some things just had to remain the same for the world to keep spinning in the right direction.
He tensed a little when she went back to the reason he'd stayed, relaxing when she only claimed to be glad for it. He supposed that was something. If he didn't have a legitimate reason to acknowledge, at least it had appeared to be the right decision. Of course, that brought with it a reminder of who else had been here. "Yeah, well," he responded, rolling his eyes, "I'm not the only one that's been hanging around. There's been a long line of irritating Gryffindors, bitching and whining about us Snakes having put you in here in the first place." How he'd made it through five days without breaking one of their faces, he really didn't know. Sheer willpower, he supposed.
----
She felt herself respond to that smirk and she rolled her eyes at his words. It was hard not understanding but there was the feeling of rightness about the whole situation that was reassuring. Something had happened and she wanted to remember but she was oddly pleased it hadn't affected whatever had happened between them. "I'm sure," she said, sarcastically, lacing her fingers with his before she could really think about what she was doing. All she knew was that she enjoyed the physical contact and it comforted her. "Well, let me know when you can squeeze me in." Her eyes flickered to his, amusement evident. "Maybe I'll have time for you."
At the mention of her other friends, Katie's smile warmed. Both at the thought of Marcus sticking around through that and the fact that they'd come to visit. It was late though, so she wasn't surprised anyone was here. It didn't really bother her too much. Katie's brow furrowed and her brow quirked upward. "What do you mean by that?" she asked, confusion evident. "I mean, I know the Bludger was an accident so why're they all pissy?"
Something didn't make sense and she wanted to know what it was. She'd originally thought that they must've been fighting before all this with what Lexi said but maybe there was more to it? Her eyes narrowed slightly. "What'd you tell your team to do?" she asked, knowing him long enough to know that there was always the usual violence between them but... "What were we fighting about.... before all this?"
----
He snorted, amused. "You're never too busy for me," he commented, sure of himself enough to believe it. He was ridiculously cocky, for obvious reasons, he thought. Still, his amusement took some of the sting from his words. Anyone else saying them and they'd be enough to earn them a slap. For Marcus, well, that was almost sweet in that he was acknowledging an interest in continuing to seek out her company. It was not enough, however, to distract him completely from the feeling of their fingers being laced together. It was a foreign feeling to him. Not one he had never experienced, but one he had chosen not to experience. He'd gone to great lengths to avoid this sort of public display and yet, he didn't fight her on it. Frowning slightly, he brushed aside that thought and chalked it up to her being hospitalized.
He rolled his eyes when her smile brightened at the mention of her friends. He didn't get it. There was absolutely nothing appealing about them and there certainly was no reason for her to look so happy about it either. Of course, he should have shut kept his mouth shut about the idiots as her attention shifted to things he would have preferred she find out through other means ... like listening to her pack of morons shoot their mouths off about it. "I find they don't normally need a reason to act like morons?" he muttered, pulling his hand back and standing. Moving to the door, he glanced out in the hall, half hoping there'd be some Gryffindor sitting there that he could throw into the room with her. Sadly, the chairs were empty.
"The same thing we always fight about," he responded, dryly. Closing the door again, he turned back toward her, irritated that she'd immediately assumed he'd done something. Not just because he was the Captain of the team that had injured her, but because it was his fault. The fact that she wasn't wrong only irritated him further. "I told them to get the lot of you out of our way," he responded, crossing his arms over his chest. "I told the beaters to take out you, the other idiots you fly with, and more specifically, Wood."
----
When he disentangled their hands, she had a feeling she wasn't going to like the answer he provided. The one thing she appreciated was that he wouldn't hedge with her. He wouldn't ease her into it. He'd just flat out say it and while a lot of people preferred their feelings spared, Katie understood the need to get it out. Hell, she got in trouble all the time as a student at school for running her mouth in class. However, she hadn't expected her reaction to his words. There was a moment of surprise and then hurt welled up inside of her and she turned her head, staring out the window Marcus had spent five days glaring at.
It was rather hard to swallow, actually. She didn't think it would be. In fact, she was fairly certain she'd known the answer before he even answered. Katie wasn't an idiot and she assumed if they were actually... involved, then they either fought over her friends... or, well, that was probably it. Or Wood. Definitely Oliver. "Right," she said, slowly. Adjusting in her bed, Katie worried her lower lip.
She tried not to let the disappointment and hurt lace her tone but she wasn't very good at hiding her emotion. "How does that even make sense?" she asked, shaking her head. "I, apparently, play for you. Why would you want me..." Katie shook her head and sighed. She was too tired for all of this. Her head hurt and she wished they could just go back to a a minute ago when they'd been comfortable and holding hands. "I think I should get some rest," she said, not quite able to meet his eyes.
----
Marcus was on edge and he couldn't quite decide whether it was because he had to tell her or because he already knew what was coming. He'd been going over it in his head for almost a week. Despite that, he had not decided how he felt about it. There was a lot of things lately that he couldn't decide on. This was the reason he preferred Quidditch. There was no hard decisions. You wanted to win, you made the decisions you needed to in order to achieve that. There was nothing else to consider. Quick. Simple. Painless.
His eyes narrowed at her insinuation. "If you're assuming I intended to land you in a coma your skull is a lot thicker than I originally thought," he snapped. He shouldn't really be surprised, the lot of those idiots had been saying the same thing for days. What was so different about her thinking the same thing. All cut from the same clothe, weren't they? Well, they'd be happy that they could discuss their appalled response to his actions in one being happy group. Fat lot of good it did them. He didn't give a shit what they thought.
He didn't miss the fact that she didn't bother to find out anything else. Apparently she had her answer. He'd be damned if he was going to explain himself when it was clear that it wasn't wanted. He snorted, a mix of irritation and disgust. Why the hell he'd even bothered waiting around in this bloody hospital was beyond him. Should have just stuck to what he was good at. He didn't say bye or fine or anything else of that kind. He simple turned and walked out without the intent to return in the morning as he had the past few days. Let Lexi deal with it.