Protector {Completed}

Chapter 2

That opportunity came a week before school closed, Marcus had walked with Hestia to her last quidditch practice that morning because Slytherin had the ground that afternoon. "I don't care if you and Potter are dating Flint, you will not watch us practice." Angelina said angrily, Hestia put her hand gently on Angelina's, making the girl smile at her softly, "He feels anxious if he isn't near me...can he just sit on the bleachers with Hermione." After some considerable amount of begging from Hestia, Marcus was sitting on the bleachers with Hermione, watching intently as Hestia chased the snitch. "She was always a wonderful flyer, ever since I first laid eyes on her, I always thought it was so graceful." He said to Hermione. The girl looked up and smiled, "I love how calm she gets when she flies. Whenever she's upset she goes flying actually." Marcus finally got to broach the subject, "Hermione, what were you talking about when Hestia told you to keep quiet that day." Hermione was silent,"Please Hermione, i just want her to be safe." He said softly. Hermione sighed and shut her book, "You know she stays with muggles right?" Marcus nodded. "Well her aunt and uncle and cousin don't treat her well. When I first met her she was so touch starved that when I hugged her she would cry. As the years went by she hated people touching her till Ron and I found out why,her uncle started beating her...ever since she escaped with Ron and his brothers in second year when they pulled the bars of her window. At the beginning of this year...after she came back from summer, she was broken. She had black and blue marks all over her body,her lip was split and her eye was swollen. When we asked her what happened she told us she was having nightmares about Voldemort returning and her uncle got fed up of her screaming." Hermione mumbled, she noticed Marcus was angry, his jaw locked into place and his grip on Hestia's bag was tight enough to make his knuckles white. "I don't know what is going to happen now. She said her cousin and his friends have been looking at her funnily, I don't know why Dumbledore is still sending her back there. Blood wards be darned she would be safer with Sirius." Marcus managed to speak from between his teeth, "And what did Sirius say about all this." Hermione looked at Hestia, "He was upset all right, made a huge fuss about everything but he knows he can't leave or he will get caught. Hestia warned him not to do anything." Marcus turned his head to the smaller girl and a smile came on his face as she happily waved at him, Hermione noticed this and kept it locked in her memories, she knew she was witnessing the beginning of a great love.

Marcus, Zabini and Nott were all sitting across Ron, Hermione and Hestia in the train compartment, everything was awkwardly quiet till Blaise spoke, "Granger, I heard you are good at Runes." Hermione looked up and nodded, while the two talked about Runes homework, Theodore and Ron were discussing wizarding chess stratergies. Marcus chuckled and patted his lap for Hestia, it became a habit for her to sit on the older boys lap when they were together and she would just read for him, or he would help with her homework or they would sit and talk. The others were used to this behavior by now, as Marcus wrapped his arms around the smaller girls waist, she hid her frown behind her hair, soon she wouldn't see him for almost an entire month, and she was going to come back to him even more broken than she was.

When the train stopped everyone got off and waved goodbye to each other, Hestia saw the Dursleys waiting for her and she turned to wave at everyone, Marcus was watching her as she walked towards them. "Took you long enough girl, let's go, we need you to clean the house spotless for the dinner party with my boss tonight." Vernon said pushing her towards the car, "Yes uncle Vernon." Hestia said softly, her bag accidentally hit against Dudley's leg who exclaimed in pain as he looked at her angrily. They were outside by the car and Vernon angrily raised his hand, "What is wrong with you! What if you hurt him badly!" He was about to slap her when a rather large hand grabbed his, "And what do you think you are doing?" A gruff voice asked him, Hestia looked up in shock to see Marcus, anger very much evident in his eyes. "Marcus what are you doing stop." Hestia said fearfully, "Hermione told me everything Hestia, and I am not letting you leave alone with this filth." Vernon spluttered as he looked at the man,the very tall and imposing man standing in front of his niece,"Who are you calling filth I am-" marcus pushed his wand in the man's gut,"Listen here you fat whale, I know who you are, and frankly I don't care. I turned 17 at the end of December and judging from your face, you know what that means. I can and will kill you for everything you did to her but I won't. So put our bags in the car and lets go." He said pulling Hestia into the car and shutting the door, watching as the man frantically put the bags away. "What are you doing..." Hestia asked him cupping his face, Marcus leaned into her touch, "Keeping my promise and protecting you." He said softly as Vernon got into the car, "Uhm we have no space." He said fearfully as Marcus turned to look at him,"I don't care if you all squash just get in the fucking front."

At the house Hestia was about to take her bag when Marcus grabbed it and walked inside, "Where is your room?" He asked her, she pointed up the stairs, "Second smallest room to the right." After Marcus saw the room, he turned and put the bags in the main room, "Dursley!" He screamed as the man quickly made his way up the stairs, "From today onwards this is her and my room. Rule 1 you aren't allowed in here unless I say so. Rule 2 when Hestia cooks it will be what she likes and wants and she can eat how much she wants. Rule 3 if you even try to lay a hand on her I kill you. Rule 4 if your son lays a hand on her I will kill him. Rule 5 she will wake up at a time she likes and clean when she likes. Rule 6 she can leave this house whenever she wants and come back as well as long I am with her. Got it?"

The supper that night was...odd to say the least, Vernon had to introduce both Hestia,whom was in her dress from The Yule Ball and Marcus whom was in a rather dashing suit, as his niece and her friend. When Marcus corrected him and said boyfriend the boss's daughter went red and sat there fuming, all the while Hestia and Marcus were in the kitchen. Marcus had learned that Hestia was a wonderful cook and took to watching her like he did at Lunch, that night after everything had finished they both lay in bed. Hestia was unsure on how to sleep until Marcus pulled her into his chest, her face was red as the boy slept with no shirt and she nuzzled into him,drifting off to sleep.