Protector {Completed}

Chapter 11

"So your goal was what exactly? To kidnap my twins?" Hestia asked Norman Crabbe, both Marcus and her had ended up levitating the man to Professor McGonagall's office. The older woman sat at her desk, surveying the situation till Dolores Umbridge entered. "And what is the meaning of this? Two students holding an adult captive! And Professor McGonagall you are allowing such antics to-" "I am allowing nothing Professor Umbridge." McGonagall said as she stood, "I am allowing nothing but Hestia to question the man who attacked not only her, but her fiancé, and her two older friends. So unless you have not been updated by your little spies let me tell you what went on. Lord Voldemort himself sent his death eaters to capture Fred and George Weasley as a way of getting to Ms. Potter. Now if it weren't for her and Mr Flint, we would have had two missing students. Is that something you'd like to explain to the Minister Dolores?" Her face now red, Umbridge gave an undignified huff and walked out, "We shall take this man to Professor Snape, and I shall personally send you the results." Nodding at her Head of House's  request, she was about ready to leave when Professor McGonagall held her hand, "I would also like to congratulate you. Both of you, Mr Flint and Ms Potter. On your engagement. I was quite shocked when I found out, but I am glad you two have found each other. I am glad. Now run along you two. I shall see you in class on Monday."

"Professor McGonagall is much more understanding then I thought she would be." Marcus said as the two walked through the hall to the dorms. Nodding Hestia glanced down, looking at her and his entwined hands. Once they passed the eavesdropping portraits she turned to look at him, "Marcus why are you doing this?" He stopped and looked at her, confused at her statement, "I mean why are you acting so much like you cared about the date? You even took me on an actual date, and you're holding my hand, no one's around, so what's going on?" She was confused, she didn't know what was going on, and she wanted to know why he was being so loving to her. "Isn't it obvious?" He asked her like it was something she should know, "I wanted to...apologize somehow, for not taking your feelings towards me into consideration. I like you Hestia, a lot, I even think I am falling in love with you. And I just...I just think I couldn't accept it. Only after Ron explained everything to me did I realize how stupid I was being. I love you Hestia Potter. I do."

After that revelation, Hestia had a tough time sleeping, she tossed and turned till the early hours of the morning, and she didn't know how to confront Marcus yet so she didn't go to him. "You look like crap Hestia." Hermione said to her best friend as they walked to the Great Hall, looking up sleepily, she explained what happened to Ron and Hermione whom both stared at her in shock. "So that's great! He actually took my speech in stride!" Ron said, excited that something he did worked so well. Hermione was of course shocked, "I am actually proud Ronald, who knew you could do that." As the three walked into the hall, Hestia felt something missing, she couldn't find Marcus, his friends were at the table, but he wasn't. Thinking that maybe he was just late in getting ready, Hestia plated enough for two people and slowly ate. She wasn't worried, till Marcus's roommates tapped her on her shoulder looking worried, "Hestia sorry to bother you man...but have you seen Marcus? He hasn't returned to the dorms since your date yesterday."

Sweating, angry, scared and confused, Hestia searched through the hallways and grounds along with the Professors, Marcus had been missing since he left her at Gryffindor tower the previous night. The portraits had seen him make his way to the dungeon but after that nothing. So he must have been grabbed by then, but how? Hogwarts was safe, secure, how did someone get past all the wards and safety measures? She was scared, scared that Voldemort had probably kidnapped him. But she also felt guilty, this was all her fault, if only Marcus hadn't decided to help her, maybe he'd be okay. The search ended at 6pm that afternoon, although Hestia argued and begged that they needed to find him, she didn't want to eat, much to her friends dismay, and took to sitting up with one of Marcus' shirts that night. Sleep was nothing but a forethought. It went like that for the next 4 days, Hestia was getting to the point of looking sickly, she was wasting away, they had checked everywhere, even Aurors were brought in, and still Marcus was not found. On the fifth morning, as Hestia stared at the food on the plate, a shout was heard when something fell on the table. In front of everyone, Marcus Flint had appeared, battered and bruised. Hestia's eyes widened and and she launched forward holding his face, "Marcus?! Marcus h-hey hey it's me it's me." She mumbled to him over and over.

"I'm afraid, his mind is damaged." The doctor from St. Mungos said to to Hestia and the other Professors. "Damaged? What do you mean?" Snape asked as he looked at his pupil who was staring glassy eyed at the ceiling. "Well from what we have seen, the Cruciatus curse has been used extensively on him, it pushed his mind to the point of madness. At the moment, he is in like a coma, almost as if his mind has tried to keep him safe and sane." Hestia looked down at him, tears forming, "He doesn't know who we are does he?" The doctor shook his head, "We don't know when he will come out of this, and we don't know how long it would be. I can't guarantee that when he does wake up, he will remember you or any part of his life. All we can do is hope." After everyone left the two alone, Hestia cried, she cried and cried for him as she lay next to his arm hugging it for comfort. When Madame Pomphrey came in to tell Hestia visiting hours are over, she sadly smiled, both had fallen asleep, so she draped the blanket on them both, but she didn't fail to notice Hestia's tears streaming down her face.