Title: Let It Go
Fandom: Harry Potter
Characters: Katie Bell, Marcus Flint
Prompt:
Word Count: 700 words
Rating: GEN
Summary: Katie has a little accident. Thankfully, Marcus is there to save the day.
Disclaimer: HP is not mine, so don't sue.
Notes: Not betaed or proofread. No adult content whatsoever.

Ten-year-old Marcus wasn't sure if ought to feel sorry for Katie or not. She looked as miserable as he felt, which on a higher level was all kinds of sad since it was her seventh birthday party. And Merlin did it show.

Numerous festoons and balloons drowned the Bell's some living room in bubblegum pink. Mrs Bell had charmed the ceiling to make it look as if silver glitter rained down on the gaggle of girls running around the table laden with presents, a gigantic pink cake, and pink fizzy drinks. The echoes of their piercing shrill shrieks bounced off the walls and amplified to deafening proportions. Charmed toy unicorns galloped happily between the girls' legs, stopping now and then so they could be pet and be fed straw and water.

Instead of joining the shrieking little harpies as one would accept, Katie stood sadly in a corner, her paper birthday crown askew on her head. She looked pale, clinging to her mother's skirt who was trying to push her into the crowd.

Marcus didn't blame her for staying put. He, too, preferred to stay in his corner of the small room and read the new copy of Quidditch International his grandfather had bought him as a bribe to go to the party. Because his grandad understood that such a party wasn’t the place for a boy his age, something his mother refused to accept.

"Go on, love, go play with your friends," Marcus heard Mrs Bell say to Katie whilst trying to detangle her from her skirt.

"Mum, no-ho," Katie whined in return and tried to hide behind her mother. She said something else, but Marcus couldn't hear her over the screaming of one of the girls running past him.

Marcus shook his head and focussed on his magazine, reading the biography of Ludo Bagman as told by himself. He had just reached the part where Bagman won the World Cup single-handedly when Marcus felt the need to look up again.

It was a sweet turn of event where everything came together. Mrs Bell finally got cross with Katie and roughly pushed her towards the other girls. Right in that moment, the gaggle of hyperactive girls had decided to take a deep breath at the same time, shrouding the room in an awkward silence. And right as that became too much, a loud, tearing sound that seemed to last for minutes ripped through the thick fog of quiet.

It was quite clear that it had been Katie that had let one go, and Marcus nodded in awe. That was one for the record books as his nan would say.

Katie, however, seemed to have a different idea about it. Her face turned beet red. Tears sprang to her eyes as the first 'ews' and 'ughs' and gagging sounds rose from the other girls. It didn't help that a foul smell filled the room. Mrs Bell looked mortified and guilty.

Marcus wanted to hide behind his magazine again, pretend that it hadn't happened like they usually did at home. But a brilliant idea to get him out of this pink and glitter coloured prison popped up. So, before Mrs Bell could ruin his plan, he said without a care in the world,

"Sorry, 'bout that. Better out than in, eh? Phew, what a stinker!" he exclaimed and turned around, pretending to sniff the air.

The girls broke out in shrieks of disgust and ran away from him as fast as they could, complaining about smelly boys ruining everything. His mother grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and sternly ordered him to go home without cake (she whispered in his ear that she'd bring a piece home for being such a sweet boy). And as Mrs Bell made good use of the distraction and quickly ushered little Katie out the room through the door on their end - to the loo, no doubt, the red-faced birthday girl offered him a small smile and a faint wave of her hand.

Only when he got home, Marcus realised that his selfish plan had actually helped Katie out of an embarrassing situation. What a shame that he'd already bought her a present.