In
By Izzy

It was six days until Christmas. Marcus was cold. But he was sick of his flat, and he didn't want to see his parents. There was nothing to do but fly in the snow.

It was ridiculous. How could Katie call him immature when she still clung to a rivalry he hadn't been part of for two years? Sure, the rivalry had been fun, but if she really wanted it back she could always join one of the Falcons' opponents. Not that he wanted that at all anymore. He'd much prefer to have her on his own side now, them crushing those opponents together.

Okay, so she was still in Hogwarts for one more year. But he'd been reading the papers, and hadn't she been part of that defense-spell group set up against the Dark Lord? Shouldn't that issue be what she was worrying about? And there they weren't enemies. Just because he'd had a good flyer with a great set of brooms as his Seeker didn't mean he shared his views on Muggle-borns, and he'd made that crystal clear to her.

He was willing to forget about the crap from school. Why wasn't she?

He'd long ago stopped trying to pretend she couldn't hurt him. They'd been in what he thought was a perfectly healty relationship way too long to pretend that. But that pain was numbed in the chill. Come to think of it, why was the snow so thick? It was looking like a blizzard.

Marcus was beginning to feel far more numb and was getting seriously worried about frostbite when he flew over a village he suddenly realized was hers. I won't go, he told himself.

Five minutes later he was coasting down to her window, hoping she and her parents had gone out for the evening.

His hopes were raised when he saw the family car gone. But then he saw a light, and knew the worst was true. They'd gone out, and she was alone.

He flew to the window, suddenly aware he was chattering and shivering violently. When she looked, she had to see a pathetic sight.

She stood there, watching him. She looked perplexed.

Then she sighed and opened the window, yanked him over, and kissed him hard. Her mouth was deliciously warm. "For heaven's sake, Marcus, come in."