"He was disrespecting you?" The tall, muscled, twenty-year-old man asked him tightly.
"Yes, he was and you can bet that if someone talks to me like that then they're going to end up regretting it!"
Flint nodded and he looked out over the garden, standing next to where Harry was sitting. "I hear from the rumours spreading tonight that you have the carrier's gene."
Harry blinked at the topic change and calmed down. "That's right. I tested positive at Saint Mungo's."
"You went to the hospital to be tested?" Marcus said, looking pleased.
Harry nodded. "I didn't believe the home test that Lucius administered, so he took me to the hospital to have it done professionally."
"You would have the papers signed by the healers then?"
Harry scrunched up his face in confusion. "Yes. Lucius keeps them in his study for me. What are you getting at here, Flint?"
"Marcus. I was working my way up to asking you to go for a walk."
Harry finally clicked on to what Marcus was getting at. "You were making sure that I could carry your heirs before wasting any time on me."
Marcus grimaced. "That's one way of phrasing it. A blunt, very negative way of putting it, but still, would you like to go for a walk, or perhaps you'd like a drink."
"A walk sounds nice." Harry replied. "If I go back in there now then Rowle won't ever be getting back up."
He moved to turn around and slip off of the stone bannister, but he was overall confused and oddly pleased when Marcus slipped a strong, muscled arm under his knees and behind his back and picked him up easily, turning around to face the lawn. The arm under his knees slid away and Harry stretched his legs down to touch the wooden decking as the arm around his back squeezed tight to support him before falling away once he was back on the ground. It was a small thing. A nice gesture and it hadn't lasted for longer than Harry felt comfortable with and he found himself smiling at the move. It had been completely unnecessary, of course, but he appreciated the gesture all the same as he and Marcus started their walk, keeping to a winding path that had been laid out for the occasion through the trees and bushes, and he found, much to his surprise, that he was very much enjoying himself in Marcus' company.
"Are you still playing Quidditch?" Marcus asked.
Harry bobbed his head. "Yes, I got made Captain too. I made a new team, they're mostly young. I kept Katie Bell as a Chaser and paired her with a fifth-year named Demelza and a second-year named Sarah. Both of my Beaters are third-years and my Keeper is a second-year called Pauley."
"You made a young team." Marcus told him, looking at him like he was mad. "I did and I've worked with them all personally, even one-on-one when it was needed. I've built up their skills, their courage, and their defiance and their confidence too, and as a result of that we slaughtered Slytherin in November." He said proudly.
"I knew leaving Urquhart as Captain was a mistake."
"He's a gormless worm." Harry agreed with a grin. "That team is going to be my legacy, all my reserves are young too, but I might switch a few of them in or out next year, depending on what the new second years who try out are like. My reserves have reserves." He joked. "That team is mine and they'll last for the next four, five years at least! Long after I've graduated."
"Are you still the star Seeker?"
Harry grinned. "You know that I am."
"I hated playing Quidditch against Gryffindor when you became the Seeker. I knew I didn't have anyone to beat you unless it was by lucky chance, like the chance that Diggory got in my last year."
They wandered around the little path in the beautiful garden and Harry didn't really feel anything and he wasn't sure if Marcus did either. They weren't walking close together or hand in hand as he'd done with Rabastan. It always came back to Rabastan. Perhaps it was because he was still in love with Rabastan, despite being angry with him, that was causing him problems with seeing Marcus as anything more than a familial acquaintance.
"Draco said that you worked with Runes?" He said.
Marcus truly smiled then. "Yes. They've always been a special passion of mine. You never took Runes, did you?"
Harry grinned. "Actually, I am taking Runes now. Lucius changed my electives when I told him that I was unhappy with the ones I'd chosen. I'm doing Runes and Arithmancy now."
"I could help you with Runes if you'd like." Marcus offered and Harry all but bit his hand off at the offer. Someone who had been scouted out at fifteen for a top job was going to be a massive help and asset to him.
"Please! I even asked for extra homework just to try and help myself get more used to Runes. I have a good basic understanding, but I definitely get confused still over some of the things that my other classmates would find easy."
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