Protector {Completed}

Chapter 1

Hestia Potter was walking towards her Defense class when she heard them, the older boys from the sixth year had started to pick on her recently, of course only when Ron and Hermione had gone on their way due prefect duties. Normally she would fight back, but after such a terrible Summer, and the fact that the first semester was coming to an end in a few weeks, Hestia felt her spirit was already broken, she was going back to her abusive family, and to top it all off, her cousin and his friends were starting to watch her very predatorily and she knew she was in for a terrible break. "Hey scarface, why is it you always look so dazed?" said Adrian Pucey, the boy had been her main tormentor, along with Draco Malfoy who decided to join the boy in his antics, she hid behind her long brown hair, "You aren't any fun anymore Potter." Draco spat out, they had her cornered by then, she stuck in the corner of the wall, gripping her textbooks tightly to her chest, "Think we can make her cry out a bit louder this time Draco?" Adrian asked with a smirk as he pulled out his wand, "Well not too loud Adrian, this may be an abandoned corridor but they might hear her." Draco said smiling as he and the other boys followed Adrian's lead, Hestia shut her eyes and kept them tightly closed, even when she heard Draco scream, even when she heard the thumps of the bodies falling as an effect of Petrificus Totalus. "Potter....open up your eyes." Came a rough voice from above her, she shook her head till a hand gently touched her cheek, she recoiled a bit, and a huff of someone's breath hit her face, when she finally opened her eyes, she came face to chest with a rather tall boy, wearing Slytherin clothing. The boy chuckled, "My eyes are up here Potter." he said softly and lifted her chin, she stared at him wide-eyed when she realised that it was Marcus Flint, the chaser and captain, and two years her senior. "Come on let me see your face properly." He said in his rough voice, she moved her hair out of her face and looked up at him, Marcus smiled, well more like smirked before taking her bag and putting it on his shoulder, "D-Don't you have a class now F-Flint?" she said looking behind him at the frozen bodies of her bullies, Marcus shrugged and looked down at her, "What do you have now?" He asked her as they walked, she held her textbooks tighter to her chest before mumbling Defense, Marcus nodded walking her right into the class, Umbridge took note at the girl walking in late, till she also saw the rather fearsome, and towering man walking behind her. "I apologise Professor for her being late, it was my fault." He said, looking down at the woman, she knew she could not say anything because the boy came from a very influential ministry family as well as the fact that this boy was over 17 and would not care if he was sent to Azkaban for he would be released in just a day of holding. She begrudgingly nodded and went back to teaching as Marcus left Hestia by her place near Hermione, the girl looked at her questioningly when Marcus leaned down, "I will wait for you outside class, if I am not there you, Granger and Weasley come to Mcgonagall's class and wait, I have some boys I need to use the anti-spells on." That pulled a smile from Hestia as Marcus petted her head before leaving, Hestia all too aware of the eyes that were now on her.

"And that's what happened." She said softly after finishing her story, Hermione rubbed her temples as the two walked towards the Transfiguration classroom after ditching Ron, whom was throwing a fit about the fact that Marcus was 'just another Slimy snake'. He and Hermione had a heated argument which ended with Hermione telling Ron he was a biased and prejudiced idiot who couldn't see that other's could change before pulling Hestia away. "So he is just going to protect you all year?" Hermione asked her as Hestia pulled on one of her strands of hair as they walked, "He has one more year till he finishes next year Hermione, I don't want him to get into trouble. I mean he hexed Malfoy! The git probably already told his dad who is going to tell Flint's dad..." She trailed off as they stood outside Mcgonagall's class waiting for it to end. "Never mind all that, Flint can take care of himself, I am more worried about you. Are you coming to the Burrow for the Holidays?" Hermione asked, looking hopefully at her best friend, Hestia shook her head while looking down, making Hermione's eyes widen, "Dumbledore cannot possibly be thinking of sending you back there! Not after last time Hestia. When you came to the train station you were almost-" "She was almost what Granger?" Came a gruff voice from behind the girls, Marcus was leaning against the doorframe as other Slytherins and Hufflepuffs walked past them, whispering as they saw the three of them together, "It's nothing Flint." Hestia said softly as he took her bag and started walking with them to lunch, "It didn't sound like nothing since it put Granger in a mood." he looked over at Hermione who huffed before shaking her head, "Don't worry about it Flint." She said her voice coming out small, "What's wrong, you seem upset." he pointed out before Hestia spoke, "We are just a bit confused, normally you would be tormenting me and Hermione, calling her that....derogatory word and me a faker and a liar and such." Marcus rubbed the side of his head before talking, "Well I just think things need to change, and you Potter, need protecting, you don't always have to protect everyone around you." he said with finality before dropping her off at the table with Hermione, everyone was openly looking at the odd sight, the 6'1 or 6'2, gruff, tempermental, and rather violent young man whom exuded dominance with his muscles and stare, was walking the 5'3 young woman, who everyone knew was demure and shy, even though she was the Girl-who-lived. "Nobody is going to believe you are just protecting me Marcus." Hestia said softly before mentally hitting herself for using the boy's first name, however a smirk formed on Marcus's face as he lifted her chin to make her look at him, his dark eyes boring into hers, "Why Hestia, you think I haven't planned this out." He whispered to her before kissing the side of her head and walking off, leaving a rather red looking young woman, and her open mouthed best friend.

Four days later, after successfully walking Hestia to all her classes and leaving her as red as a beet, Marcus triumphantly sat down at dinner, he was aware that most of the people moved away from him as well as the fact that Malfoy and Pucey were staring daggers at him but he didn't care, he found a place to sit that put him right across Hestia, his brow was furrowing as he watched her pick at her food, before he could get up to make sure she ate, an owl carrying a Howler flew in, the owl flew directly to Marcus and dropped the letter in front of him, the entirety of the hall turned to look at the boy, the senders address was from his father, luckily for him the teachers were not present, he looked up, his eyes locking with Hestia's who had fear in hers, he sent her his signature smirk before opening the letter,

MARCUS FLINT!

I have raised you better than for you to rub shoulders with mudbloods, halfbloods and blood traitors, what has gotten into your head? When Lucius Malfoy sent me a letter from his son telling him what you did, I thought maybe you just did it so your friends would not be getting in trouble, but now I am getting multiple letters from parents of your friends telling me their concerns that MY SON IS POSSIBLY DATING A GRYFFINDOR, AND A POTTER NO LESS. What is worse, they also tell me you have been seen on multiple occasions with her and her mudblood friend as well as the blood traitors. When you come home this break you will be getting-"

Hestia burned the letter before it could finish, making the hall all let out a collective gasp, she turned to look at Marcus, the boy had his jaw locked in place as his body trembled in anger, she tugged at his shirt sleeve, and he allowed her to direct him away from the Hall, which burst into conversation after they left and down into a passageway he had not seen before. She then put his hand to her cheek nuzzling it in an attempt to calm him down, finally he just pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly, his face buried in her neck. "I am not going back home for break...or ever I think." He finally said as Hestia nuzzled into his chest, "Where are you going to stay then?" He shrugged, "I will think of something, what about you?" He noticed how she went silent before actually answering him, "I will be staying with my muggle relatives actually...I was supposed to go to the Burrow but with Voldemort back and everything, Dumbledore said that place would be safer." She mumbled into him as they stayed locked in each other's embrace, Marcus had many questions he needed answers to and he knew exactly who to ask.