Let Me Go:

A/N: This is the third in my little Slytherin/Gryffindor saga… hope you enjoy…

Summary: He'd always known it wouldn't last. Or rather, he'd always known he wasn't supposed to let it. He was too dangerous; a cold-blooded Slytherin, and she was just too good, a perfect Gryffindor. He has to leave her now, before it's too late… before he falls in love…

Pairing: Marcus Flint/Katie Bell.

Warning: Guys, you ought to know me by now… when do my stories ever have happy endings… yes, you guessed it, almost always never… and this one is no exception.

Marcus Flint sat, gazing into the black depths of the Great Lake. He'd done it. He'd done what everyone knew he had to do. But still, their whispers had followed him as soon as he'd left her, crying helplessly, in the Astronomy Tower…

"Ohhhh, look, it's Marcus…"

"Do you reckon he just did it?"

"Must have, I mean, see the look on his face."

"Oh, poor Katie! She must be heartbroken…"

/ One more kiss could be the best thing
One more lie could be the worst
And all these thoughts are never resting
And you're not something I deserve.

Marcus had resisted the urge to spin around and punch the daylights out of whomever it was muttering behind him. Instead, he curbed his anger, and concentrated solely of getting down to the lake.

You know they're right, the voice in his head had hissed to him. You're absolutely terrible… you've broken poor little Katie Bell's heart. I hope you're feeling very proud of yourself…

/ In my head there's only you now
This world falls on me
In this world, there's real and make-believe
This seems real to me.

"Shutup!" Marcus had screamed at the voice. His sudden outburst had caused several, scared looking, Second Year Hufflepuff's to literally sprint down the Marble Staircase to get out of his way. Marcus had come across Draco Malfoy at the bottom of the stairs. Draco had smirked pointedly at him, his lip curled, as he said, "I guess you've broken up with the Gryffinwhore then?" Marcus had punched him.

/ You love me but you don't know who I am
I'm tore in between this life I lead and where I stand
You love me but you don't know who I am
So let me go
Let me go.

Marcus had ignored Draco's scream of pain as his nose was broken my Marcus's fist. Instead he left the Malfoy Heir bleeding on the Entrance Hall floor, and had hurried out the doors towards the lake. Once he'd arrived there he'd frightened away a bunch of Fifth Years just by glaring at them, and had settled himself on the bank. The approaching twilight had found him there, hours later, staring with unseeing eyes into the opaque water.

/I dream ahead to what I hope for
And I turn my back on loving you
How can this love be a good thing?
I now know where I'm going through.

As he sat and stared gloomily, his mind began replay what had happened earlier, with Katie, and he no idea how to stop it… it all came flooding back…

He'd slowly opened the door to the highest room of the Tower. When he glanced out the window he could see the sun, blazing a brilliant orange against the marbled pink, purple and red sky. Katie had turned to face him, and she'd looked almost like an angel, as she'd stood framed by the window. She'd shrieked and ran towards him and clung onto him as though she hadn't seen him in months, when really it had only been an hour or two. Her eyes had been sparkling, before, but as he opened his mouth and spoke, the joy slowly faded.

/ In my head there's only you now
This world falls on me
In this world, there's real and make-believe
This seems real to me.

"Katie, we need to talk…"

"What about?" She'd asked, so blissfully unaware.

"I really don't know how to say this… Katie I'm breaking up with you."

"What…Marcus, what are you talking about." Her voice was shaky and she tried to smile, but she failed and tears quickly filled her eyes. "Marcus you can't possibly be serious!"

"I'm sorry."

"No… Come now, Marcus…stop fooling around!" She tried to laugh, but she failed, again.

"I'm sorry."

"But…but I don't understand… did I do something wrong? Did offend you in some way? Marcus… what did I do… tell me please…what did I do wrong?" The tears were falling now. She grasped the front of his robes and her eyes showed him that she was trying to understand.

But she could never understand.

/ You love me but you don't know who I am.

He turned away from her tears, unable to withstand what he was seeing and started for the door.

"Marcus!" She sobbed, "Marcus stop! Wait, please! I don't understand… Marcus I don't understand…!"
He turned back and tried to tell her that it wasn't her fault; that she'd done nothing wrong… but all that could come out was… "I'm sorry."

He strode to the door, and snapped it close upon her broken sob. He ignored the cry of, "Marcus please!" He ignored her friends, as they raced past him, to Katie. He ignored the glares and the comments and the whispers and he ran, because he didn't deserve anything else.

/ I'm tore in between this life I lead and where I stand
You love me but you don't know who I am
So let me go
Just let me go
Let me go.\

Earlier, after he'd been sitting and brooding for about an hour, he'd hear footsteps, and the form of Harry Potter had emerged in front of him.

Marcus stared at the boy in shock, "What the bloody hell are you doing here?" he'd demanded.

Potter had stared at him through sad green eyes, "That wasn't fair."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he had snapped.

"Yes you do."

"Piss off, boy, I've not the patience to deal with you," Marcus looked away.

"She loved you."

"So she sent you to tell me that did she?" That one had hurt the both of them.

"No, I came because I just thought you should hear it. Katie loves you."

Marcus scowled at the ground. "Go away," he said simply.

Harry had left and Marcus had put his head in his hands. He hadn't needed Potter to tell him that Katie loved him… he knew it well enough already.

/ And no matter how hard I try
I can't escape these things inside
I know, I know
When all the pieces fall apart
You will be the only one who knows
Who knows.

And even now, as he sat wallowing in self-pity, hatred and heartbreak, he knew it. Katie loved him. But she shouldn't. He was a Death Eater. And there was no way he could tell her that. 'What was that old muggle saying,' he wondered. 'Oh yeah, better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.'

"Absolute bullshit. Stupid muggles…"

No good had come of Katie loving him. Only heartbreak, and how could that possibly be good?

/ You love me but you don't know who I am
I'm tore in between this life I lead and where I stand
You love me but you don't know who I am
So let me go
Just let me go.

"Katie I'm sorry…" He muttered, even though she couldn't hear him.

"I'm sorry…" His voice echoed around him. Maybe she could…

A faint rustling caught his attention. At first he though it was Potter again, but then he saw it was her.

She stared down at him, eyes filled with a storm of hatred, grief and pain but strangely, also understanding.

"I know, Marcus. You're right… you did the right thing. There was no other choice. I forgive you. I just hope you can forgive me… for being stupid enough to fall in love with you…"

"There's nothing to forgive," he said firmly, looking her in the eye.

She smiled sadly, and then walked away into the gathering darkness.

/ You love me but you don't
You love me but you don't
You love me but you don't know who I am
You love me but you don't
You love me but you don't
You love me but you don't know me.

Marcus sighed and settled back down onto the grass. As he lay there and stared up into the sky, something occurred to him.

He was a Death eater, but, if he somehow encountered Katie at some stage in the War, he would let her go. There was no way he would ever kill her. Not ever.

And later, years after the war was over, and Harry had won, (because when did Evil ever win? Never, that's when), Marcus would think back on why he'd let her run.

And he'd tell himself the following; it was because she'd been an old schoolmate, an old rival, an opposition Chaser… almost a friend.

It was not, of course, because he loved her.

Marcus didn't know how to love, and he didn't want to.

So that was what he told himself... but who's to know if he believed it...

Well, what did you think?

If you liked it… then be a pal and review and tell me why 

If you didn't… then be a pal and review and tell me why 

Oh, and I would greatly appreciate any more ideas for Slytherin/Gryffindor pairings… as a re-cap, so far we've had Draco/Ginny, Angelina/Pucey (Adrian), and Katie/Flint… and ideas would be welcomed! (Note: I'm not and never will be as slash writer…)

Luv ya! Adios, Starsight52 