Past is Prologue

Part One: Harriet's Fall

A/N- I just can't leave these two alone. Fem!Harry x DarkVeela!Marcus Flint. No Voldemort AU. The Year headings include the school year, and the summer following that school year.

A/N #2- There's a lot of angst in this first part. I promise you it is much less angsty from here on out, and there is a happy ending in store.

Thank you to my beta-reader and friend Omega_Mak. Your help and friendship is greatly appreciated.

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First Year

It happened on the Hogwarts Express, of course.

Heir Marcus Flint was sitting in a corner seat of a nearly empty compartment. He was tall, with broad shoulders, and dark hair. His eyes were blue like a raging sea as Heiress Harriet Potter-Black walked towards him.

He looked different than anyone she'd ever seen. She and her cousins had fine features, aristocratic even, with gray eyes, and practiced grace. He, however, looked like he could knock someone over with a glare, and that intrigued her.

He looked up as he realized a wide eyed First Year was staring at him. She was incredibly small, with wide gray eyes, and jet black hair. She looked incredibly well put together, in her steely gray dress and matching hair ribbons. Most likely a Pureblood then. He waited a moment for her to introduce herself, but it seemed she was frozen in place.

"Are you alright?"

"Sorry." She dropped into a curtsy belatedly, "I'm Heiress Harriet Potter-Black."

"Heir Marcus Flint," he returned. "Would you like to sit?"

Harriet smiled as she slid into the seat across from him. She fiddled with a piece of her long black hair, though she knew it was a terrible habit. But something about the boy across from her made her feel excited and nervous all at once, and she couldn't help it.

A blonde boy rushed up to their table with a panicked air and chastised Harriet. "Harriet, you can't just run off. Do you know what the family would do to me if something happened to you?!"

"I'm not some porcelain doll that will shatter, Draco. I'm perfectly capable of picking a seat on my own."

Draco glared at her as he took the seat next to her. Whether or not she was capable was not the point. She was the only girl born in their circle in this generation. The Malfoy's had Draco, the Potter's had Harriet, the Longbottom's had Neville, and the Lupin's had Teddy. It had made them all over-protective of her, much to her chagrin.

"That argument won't save me if Uncle James or Uncle Regulus comes after me," he whispered furiously.

Harriet shook her head at her cousin, annoyed by his panic. When she looked back up she was reminded that Heir Flint was there, along with what appeared to be his friend. They were both watching the young cousins with blatant amusement.

Harriet just blinked at Heir Flint dumbly, as her train of thought came to a grinding halt. Draco looked at his cousin with utter bewilderment. When she didn't respond to his elbowing her, he decided to introduce himself.

"I'm Heir Malfoy, and you are?"

Heir Flint smiled, and Harriet was startled to feel her stomach do flips at the sight.

"Heir Marcus Flint, and this is Master Terrence Higgs."

"How'd we end up sitting with First Years?" Terrence asked.

Marcus shrugged, "She just sat down here, and he came after her. I think she's shy."

Draco narrowed his gaze at his cousin. He'd never seen her this quiet unless it was a particularly formal family event, and even then they usually ended up escaping the main event so they could yell and run to their heart's content. Uncle Sirius and Uncle James were always happy to supervise their shenanigans so they could get out of stuff as well.