Protector {Completed}

Chapter 15

It happened again, Hestia felt the out of body experience. Looking out at the hall in front of her, she recognized Malfoy Manor, even though it was so....dark and foreboding. It was the star of many of her nightmares, but now it seemed like she was walking through it into the main room. There sat all the Death Eaters, around the dinner table no less, all watching her. Hestia felt the fear course through her veins, but she did not run, instead she took a seat at the head of the table, and crossed her pale hands in front of her. "Now, shall we get this meeting started." She said, in a voice that was not hers and eerily sounded familiar. "Of course... My lord." Came Lucius's voice, and only once 'her' head turned down, did she realize that she was not her, but Voldemort.

Waking up with a start, almost shooting out of bed, Hestia felt the sweat run down her back, she could still vividly remember her dream, the feeling, the emotions. She didn't like it, not one bit. Next to her Marcus opened his eyes, he didn't move, just looked at her, she seemed to be making sure she was in the same place, looking around the bed, and then down at her hands, she even touched her face, as if she wanted to make sure she was who she was. Reaching out, he gently touched her arm, watching her almost jump out of her skin. She looked back at him, her eyes slightly crazed, Hestia leaned down, her lips firmly placed on his. Marcus didn't react in shock, instead he let her have her way. Hestia straddled his lap, her fingers gently carded in his hair and took small handfuls of it. Marcus groaned, his hands now holding on to her waist, she felt the confidence she had slip away, once he sat up, effectively flipping her over and pinning her arms down at the top of her head. "Don't move them, and don't make a sound." He mumbled before going back to kissing her, his kisses now moving down her jaw, to her neck, where he effectively marked her. He left angry red splotches on her neck, delighting in the fact that she used her one hand to stop the sounds she was making. On any normal day, he would have delighted in listening to her whine for him, but he knew this was only because she was trying to forget something. After he was happy with his work, he moved off and laid down next to Hestia, Marcus's one hand going under her and pulling her tightly against his body. "I'll wait until you're ready to tell me whats going on." He said in to her ear, Hestia took a deep breath and held onto his arm, for what seemed like a long time. Finally after a couple moments of silence she told him everything, and Marcus listened. "I can see...what he sees. I don't think he knows that yet....but I can. It scares me so much Marcus, what if one day, he does the same? Comes into my body, my mind, and sees everything.. Sees us!?" She all but whisper screamed. Marcus could see her worry, and he knew nothing he could say could make her feel better, so he held her closer. "I don't know whats going to happen." He said, "But I do know that no matter what good or bad, I will always be by your side. I will never let anything happen to you Hestia. You're my forever just remember that."

The next few weeks seemed to go by in a flash, and it was time for mid term exams. Marcus was obviously stressed, going over all his notes and lessons rigorously, same went for the Golden Trio, Ron finally realized how deep in to the school year they were and decided to actually study, Hestia on the other hand, was dazed. She would be focusing on studying and then all of a sudden she would space out, almost as if she was not mentally in the situation. Marcus would worry about her, after that night she never had any more nightmares nor out of body experiences, but as the exams drew closer she seemed to be going through it, even though she vehemently denied what was going on. However one day, after their DADA exam, she fainted. To say Marcus was frantic, was an understatement was an understatement in itself, he didn't want anyone to touch her, neither did he want to leave her alone while Madame Pomfrey checked on her. Not even Professor McGonagall could dissuade his behavior, and when it was said she needed to be moved to St. Mungo's for better treatment, Marcus did not leave her side. The doctors at the hospital said Hestia's fainting was due to extreme stress and mental fatigue along with exhaustion. They said she just needed a couple hours of rest and some fluids pumped into her, which Marcus said he would administer himself (nudge nudge wink wink), and took the syringe from the nurse. Gently holding her hand that night, he looked down at the engagement ring on her finger. She never took it off, and she was never seen without it. He kissed her slender fingers, and looked at her sleeping face. Marcus loved her, he knew that much. This was the woman he wanted to spend eternity with, and he would be darned if the Dark Lord took this away from him. So leaning forward, he whispered into her ear, "I don't know if you can hear this, but you leave her alone, stop eavesdropping on her conversations and draining her mental energy. You are putting the woman I love, life in danger, and if you think I am going to stand back while you do this, then you are sorely mistaken. I am going to keep her safe from you Voldemort, if it is the last thing I do."