No Turning Back

Marcus couldn't hold it in anymore. The hurt. The pain that haunted him for everyday of his life. It was awful and he needed it to stop.

During the Battle of Hogwarts, Marcus' brother had been killed by a Confringo shot by a Death Eater. From that day, Marcus has made an unbreakable vow with his other brother, Peter, to both hunt down the murderer and kill him to avenge their brother. A day hasn't passed by that Marcus didn't have his mind replay the smithereens of his brother scattering across the ground. He had to live with the sadness. And now it had to end.

He walked into Khaat's office and sat down. He had to confide this in someone and he trusted Khaat deeply.

"Khaat, I'm stepping down from my position. I have to hunt a former Death Eater that killed my brother years ago. I know he has been cleared of his crimes but I don't care if it's illegal. I need to kill him. My brother Lucas and I are going to hunt him down," Marcus said suddenly. He had been waiting for this for a long time. To let it out to someone other than his family.

"I know you want nothing to do with this but...." He trailed off. "You're the only one I can trust.. As soon as the murder is commited, you can turn us in but.. for now, I need you to keep my secret. Please...." Marcus sounded really desperate. Hopefully she agreed.

She looked at Dakota. "You're welcome to step down if you choose to, but...do consider this. There is no moratorium on murder. If you know who killed your brother, wold you not be farther ahead to give me the evidence that you have enough for me to issue a warrant? If I can issue a warrant for a murderer, as an auror you have considerably more autonomy to capture your brother's killer than without my help.

"Look, you're a good auror. I don't particularly want to lose you. But, believe me, I do know exactly what it feels like to want the murderer of a loved ones...out of your life. I do get it." She paused a moment, knowing that what she was saying would not generally be approved by the more chaste members of her circle of friends, but, some of them hadn't been through that much of real life.

"Just between us? If you do decide you need to do this your own way, besides keeping my mouth shut, how can I help you? I have no intention of just letting you set yourself on the fast track to Azkaban unless its what you really want."

Marcus sighed. "It's not that easy. Se..... My brother and I made an unbreakble vow to kill him. Arresting him won't cut it. So it's either he dies or I do...." Marcus said dully. "After the murder is commited, send me through the system if you want. I don't care but I have to do this. My brother, Lucas, and I aren't gonna risk losing our lives because we didn't kill our borther's murderer."

He lightened up a little bit when she called him a good auror but his task was still in his mind. Never stopping

You have to kill him.
You have to kill him.
You have to kill him.
You have to kill him.
You have to kill him.

That is the only thing that Marcus has seriously thought for the last six years. "You do?" he asked, surprised. He didn't know Khaat had lost a loved one to a Dark Wizard. "I need you to instate a new head. I trust Nemo Omara the most but Angus or Brian would make good heads. Actually see if Brian is interested. Second, I need you to not inform the Ministry of my reason for leaving or any of my wearabouts." Marcus knew Khaat would keep his secret. He could really trust Khaat.

"Unbreakable vows," Khaat said with a quiet smile. "You would do well not to make any more of those. We never know what time is going to do to us and whether you'll be able to keep that vow or not."

She knew a piece of history Dakota didn't. A man who had survived breaking an unbreakable vow--with her father's help. It had been very carefully orchestrated. Calculated well in advance. She understood very well the price of an unbreakable vow. But she also knew that they could be outwitted. It was information that she did not believe would help Dakota at the moment. The fear of death didn't seem to be Dakota's issue. His issue was the desire for revenge, and she knew what that craving tasted like. She had had to learn to tame her own, and it had taken years.

"There is very little reason that your whereabouts would need to be public knowledge," Khaat agreed. "But, I would prefer to deal with your absence as simply a vacation or a leave of absence, at least for now. It will not cause as much suspicion. A sudden resignation and then a disappearance would cause more drama than that, and I presume that you would rather not put a spotlight on yourself right now."