#marcus coventry

“Mr. Coventry..” Marcus snapped out of his nightmare of a daydream and looked up at the Professor standing in front of his desk. “Answer the question.” It had been a week since Nikolai had dumped him and he still spent every moment agonizing over it. It was really starting to affect his schooling, his social life, and even Quidditch.

“I don’t know the answer,” He replied quickly, looking anywhere but at the disappointed teacher. She sighed, and he imagined that she probably shook her head at him. The Gryffindor didn’t care. He just turned his head to look out the window for the rest of the class.

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“You should come.” Marcus dropped his fork and looked up to meet the worried gaze of his best friend. 

“What?” He hadn’t heard what Aiden had said. Too busy stabbing his green beans to death and pushing food around his plate to make it seem like he was eating something. 

Aiden rolled his eyes and huffed. He slid a folded up piece of paper and Marcus opened it to see a party invitation. “It’s in the forest?” His brow lifted as his eyes scanned over the details. 

“I think it’ll do you some good, Marcus. You’re walking around here like a ghost and it’s starting to worry a lot of people. I know you really liked Korolenko but haven’t you moped enough?” 

Aiden didn’t get it and Marcus couldn’t fault him for it. What he and Nikolai had was different. It was real and raw. Pure. What Marcus had felt was beyond love. There wasn’t a word to describe it and now that Nikolai was gone it felt like Marcus was missing half of himself. These were the things he wanted to explain to explain to Aiden but it was too difficult and too exhausting. “Okay, I’ll go.” 

Marcus grabbed the invitation and left the Great Hall. 

He rounded a corner and stopped so suddenly his shoes squeaked against the floor. 

“Don’t tell me you’re going to that.” Marcus closed his eyes and inhaled. It had only been a week but he had forgotten just how good Nikolai Korolenko smelled. 

“I don’t see how that’s any of your concern,” The Gryffindor snapped back and raised his head to meet Nik’s gaze, unwavering. 

“It’s in the forest.” Nikolai always had such an aversion to the forest. Marcus had asked plenty of times before but had never gotten a straight answer.

“So?” He jutted his hip out and placed his hand on it, clearly stating his annoyance with his ex. “I’m not scared of the forest.” 

“It’s forbidden and you’re a prefect.” 

“Not anymore,” Marcus answered through gritted teeth. He was pleased when Nikolai’s face went from a neutral expression to that of surprise. He felt a wave of victory ripple through his body. “And quite frankly what I do is none of your business. You dumped me, remember?” 

Marcus shook his head and brushed past Nikolai. Their shoulders brushed and he bit the inside of his cheek to keep from breaking down right there in the hallway. 

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He clenched his fist and sighed. The tip of his wand illuminated the map to the party but finding the actual party was proving to be harder than Marcus had expected. It had been stupid of him to tell Aiden to go on without him. Now he was lost in the Forbidden Forest at night. 

“Are you lost?” 

At first, Marcus thought it was Nikolai speaking to him. The man had a thick russian accent that didn’t quite match his ex’s. He moved his wand and squinted to look at the other. He seemed too old to be a student but the castle was warded so there was no way he’d be here if he wasn’t trusted.

“You’re looking for that party, aren’t you?” The man leaned against a tree and looked down at his nails, a bored expression on his face. “I just came from there. I can show you the way.” 

Something in his gut told him not to trust this man but what choice did he really have? His only options were to wander the forest until he either stumbled upon the party, the forest line, or continue to walk deeper into the forest itself. 

“C’mon. I won’t bite.” Marcus frowned, unconvinced, and the man nodded up to the darkened sky. “Well at least not until the moon is at the highest point.” Marcus’ brows furrowed in confusion at the comment. Was he making a werewolf joke because it was the night of the full moon. How original. He rolled his eyes. 

“Fine,” He stepped towards the man, ready to get this all over with. “But just know my father is Head Auror and if you hurt a hair on me there will be a lot of people who will hunt you down to the end of the world.” He tucked the map in his pocket and gestured towards the forest. “Lead the way…” 

They walked and walked and walked. He was getting tired and had lost track of time. There was no way the party was this far out into the woods. The top of his foot caught on a root and Marcus stumbled forward but sudden arms around his waist caught him from falling. Sharp nails dug into his sides and Marcus turned his head to look at the other but he was caught off guard by the yellow glowing eyes staring back at him. 

“Got ya,” He snarled and the Gryffindor tried to pull himself out of the man’s grasp. He felt wetness against his cheek and Marcus realized the man was drooling out of the corner of his mouth. He was horrified and the other laughed harshly, a cruel smile placed on his face. “Didn’t Korolenko teach you to never go off with strangers during the full moon?” 

The man shoved Marcus out of his group and the Gryffindor went flying until his chest hit the ground. His forehead caught a rock with a sickening crack and Marcus cried out in pain. His hands shot up to feel the bump already forming. “I-I don’t understand…” 

“You’re a loose end, Marcus Coventry. I told Korolenko that it wasn’t a good idea to get close to anyone but he just couldn’t help himself when it came to you. I understand why…” The man leaped forward until he was hovering above Marcus. “You’re mouthwatering and your magic is just…” He watched as the man inhaled dramatically and slowly. Marcus felt his head pound. “Out of this world. It’ll be a shame that I have to kill you. I would give anything to turn you and place you within my pack. But I need Nikolai to be focused and I need him to do his job. He can’t do that with you alive.”

“Kill me?” The hair on the back of neck stood up and Marcus shook his head. “I wasn’t kidding about my dad. He works for the Ministry and he won’t stop. He has money and he’ll pay you whatever you want. Nik broke up with me. I’m not a problem and I’m not a distraction to him anymore. I don’t understand what you are to him. He didn’t tell me anything.” He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to choke back the sob threatening to spill. “Just let me go and I’ll leave Hogwarts. I’ll do anything just d-don’t hurt me. Please.” 

A finger traced along his cheek, wiping away a couple stray tears. He felt the hot breath of the man on his face and he tried to turn away but a hand was at his throat, forcing him to look at the half man, half beast above him. “He didn’t tell you a damn thing, did he?” The man laughed and then Marcus watched as a shiver ran through his body. His laughed turned into a howl and he watched as the man’s face turned into...a beast. 

“Just in time, Nikolai.” The voice was barely human and Marcus couldn’t believe his eyes as he watched the transformation. He turned his head just in time to see a snarling white wolf step into the clearing where they were. And suddenly, it all came together. The nights when Nikolai was nowhere to be found. The secrets. The off handed comments that Marcus shook off. Nikolai running off to ‘meetings’. Every question about the transfer student was now answered. “But you’re too late.” 

“It’s okay,” Marcus whispered to Nik and he tried to be brave in his final moments. The hand around his neck squeezed harder and the corner of his sight started to blacken. Nikolai was whimpering and trying to move forward but an invisible force seemed to be holding him in place. “It’s….”

Marcus felt another hand grip his head and his head was crudely forced to the side with a sickening snap. 

A painful howl was bellowed towards the night sky.