"That's Dorcas Meadowes, Voldemort killed her personally."
Chapter 1: Yellow
Things people knew about Dorcas Meadowes:
She was Head Girl with Lucius Malfoy. She punched him in the face in their second year. She was a Hufflepuff.
When her hair was straight, which was a very rare occasion, it fell just above her shoulders. Normally, her hair was at her jaw and so tightly wound into spirals that they bounced when she walked and had a habit of falling into her face. When this happened, her hand would shoot out suddenly to brush it away causing anyone close enough to her to be in danger of her rather pointy elbows.
Everything about her was pointed. Her nose, her chin, her fingernails, her knees, the boots she always wore. Even her personality was a bit pointy. She never got close to anyone.
Her partner in the Order was Emmeline. Most suspected that there was a secret romance there.
Things people didn't know about Dorcas Meadowes:
Her favorite colour was yellow. The bright obnoxious yellow that gave her a headache to look at. She loved it.
She loved stories but hated reading.
She played piano and didn't know how she felt about it.
She came from a big family. She had a mother and father. 6 brothers and sisters. She was the youngest of the Meadowes.
She had once had a best friend. A muggle named Florence Peck.
Like most people who fought wars, she had nightmares every night. The difference between them and hers is that when she opened her eyes her nightmares didn't end.
She'd wake up every morning and see their graves because for some ridiculous reason her parents had bought a house next to a graveyard.
Every morning, she'd turn the kettle on, feed her cat, and pick nine flowers from her garden. (White daisies. She hated them.) She'd walk down to the graveyard and place one flower on eight graves.
One flower for Atarah Meadowes, beloved wife and mother. One flower for Thomas Meadowes, beloved husband and father. One flower for Adriel Meadowes. Bethany Meadowes. Dinah Meadowes. One for Esau Meadowes. Jairus Meadowes. And one for the unmarked grave. (It should have said Micah Meadowes. She hated that it didn't.)
The last flower was for Florence. Dorcas didn't know where she was buried so she compromised. She plucked each petal off each with a hope that Florence was well, wherever she was. The stem she'd bury under the tree that guarded the graveyard.
Then she'd make her way home, prepare herself for the day, and fly to headquarters to make her morning report.
There was nothing between her and Emmeline Vance, not even friendship. She made sure of it.
Sure, she tried but that was just Emmeline.
Em was friendly. Dorcas like that she was. Her talking calmed her nerves when they went on missions together.
They were usually stakeouts. Tonight was the Lestranges. They were to "watch, see who comes and goes. Do not interfere unless absolutely necessary."
That was the hardest part. The Lestranges were sick fucks. They were also rich fucks with some serious security. One wrong step on the pavement and you'll have forgotten what country you're in. The brick wall that lined their estate was electrified. The touch it and you die kind. That's how they lost Tommy O'Donoghue. Even if you do make it over the wall, the ground beneath it only looks like dirt. It's a moat. Not the kind with alligators. The kind so horrific that if you do fall down it no one will ever know what happened to you. There were rumours that the grass beyond the moat came alive and dragged you down beneath the earth. Of course no one ever made it that far.
"Dorcas," Emmeline whispered, shaking her shoulder startling her back to the present.
"Sorry," she muttered, shifting her stiff legs. They were knelt behind the trees in front of the Lestranges' estate. It had been hours with nothing more than a squirrel crossing the gates. R.I.P squirrel.
"Where do you go when you do that?" Emmeline smiled a curious sort of smile and she looked at her as if trying to read her mind.
"'To a long time ago, in a galaxy far far away'," she smirked. Emmeline was Star Wars obsessed. She chuckled and shook her head having been long acquainted with her deflections she didn't press it. It would only get worse.
An hour more passed. Not even a bird flew across the grounds. It was worthless and mundane work but for some reason Dumbledore was convinced this is where the Death Eaters' headquarters was.
"Dorcas, I was thinking. After this you wanna grab a bite to eat? Maybe see a movie?" Emmaline asked, not bothering to whisper anymore.
"Why?" she asked, maybe a bit more aggressively that was intended.
"Because we've known each other since Hogwarts and I know nothing about you." She answered her question as if she rehearsed it. "I'd like to be friends."
Dorcas took in a sharp breath. Friends. What an awful, terrifying word.
"I've never been very good at friends," she said coldly, feeling the need to distance herself.
"For starters, it helps if you get to know the person," Emmeline said, kindly. She always did that. Counteract Dorcas's callous with becoming sweeter than before. "I don't know anything about you except that you're stubborn and you kick ass in a fight."
"That about sums me up," Dorcas shrugged and turned her body away from her.
"Nah, there's more than just don't wanna tell me," she said, laughing.
"I told you. I'm not good-"
"See, Dorcas, the whole friendship thing requires you to tell each other the… the deep stuff," Emmeline said.
"The deep stuff?" Dorcas returned, laughing now. "Like what? You wanna know how often I change my pants?"
"No," she laughed. "Like um… what's your favourite colour?"
"That's way too personal," Dorcas said in a serious tone but with a smile on her face. Emmeline laughed.
"Come on what is it? I'll tell you mine, if you tell me yours," Emmeline sang, poking her side.
It would have been easy to just say yellow. It was only two syllables. It would have made Emmeline happy. Dorcas simply couldn't afford to make people happy. She couldn't afford to do friends.
"I'm not good at friends, Vance," she said softly, shaking her head.
"O-okay."
Dorcas flinched. She could practically hear Emmeline's heart strings breaking. This is what happens when you get close to people. They get hurt.
"You know what, it's not okay!" Emmeline yelled. She actually yelled while they were out on a stake out. They hadn't seen anyone for hours but still it was stupid.
"Emmeline-"
"No! I need to say this," she said, turning completely away from the scene in front of her so she could look squarely at Dorcas. "You push people away and your mean and…."
Dorcas blocked her voice out and looked above her head. It would be just her luck for one of them to turn up now when Emmeline was being reckless and emotional.
"All people wanna do is get to know you! And all you do…."
And She heard it. Crack! The sound of someone apparating in front of the gate, their feet landing on the gravel with a crunch. Emmeline didn't. The Death Eater spun around at the sound of her voice. Their wand was pointed directly at them, lit with the threat of a deadly curse.
"Yeah, I get that war is scary and we could be dead any minute but bonding with you would-"
Dorcas pulled Emmeline to the ground and placed her body on top of hers. The green light flew over them both. The Death Eather strode forward. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.
Dorcas pulled Emmeline to her feet. They couldn't disapparate yet. They had to get out of the forest.
They ran as fast as they could, dodging apparating Death Eaters and curses coming at them from every direction. They shot spells over their shoulder in a vain attempt to slow them down. The truth of it all slowly began to sink in. They were outnumbered, 20 to one, by Death Eaters who were not only willing to kill them but would take pleasure in doing so. And Dorcas Meadowes had been afraid of making friends. In good news: they had found Headquarters. All they had to do was get back to Dumbledore.
"Dorcas, I heard the road!" Emmeline shouted over the sound of a spell hitting the dirt. She grabbed her hand and pulled her through. The odd fluorescent lighting of a streetlamps marked the edge of the forest. Dorcas let go of her hand. They could run faster separately. She jumped over a fallen tree and stumbled. Emmeline was ahead of her. She could feel the Death Eaters closing in. Emmeline didn't notice. She spun around. Dodged a spell. Pointed her wand and shouted:
"Fragor Magnus!"
The effects of the spell sent a wave of power straight through the first line of Death Eaters knocking them on their arse. Giving Dorcas enough time to make it to the road.
She turned around and ran but she couldn't see Emmeline. There was no way she would have made it to the road by then.
"Em!" she screamed. It sounded girlish, childish even but she was scared. Not much could scare her. "EM!"
A bloody hand shot into the air not three feet from where she was. She dashed forward faster than she ever thought she could.
She was covered in blood with new cuts forming by the second. She hooked her arms under Emmeline's and dragged her toward the road. The Death Eaters had stopped shooting spells at them. They had stopped running. They were creeping slowly toward them an eerie smile on their faces. They believed that they won. They probably had but Dorcas wasn't giving up. "Never stop fighting." rang the painfully familiar voice of her mother through her head pushing her forward.
"Dor-"
"Shut up! I'm not leaving you," she grunted.
Laughter rippled throughout the crowd of Death Eaters as they watched them struggle. Dorcas caught a gleam of excitement in the eyes of the nearest one. He raised his wand, his lips formed to say a curse as the heel of Dorcas's boot met asphalt. With all of her might she threw Emmeline out of the way, waved her wand to deflect the spell, took a firm hold on Emmeline, and disapparated. They landed in the living room of the Order's healer, Althea O'Donnell.
Emmeline was bleeding profusely. She was paler than anything Dorcas had ever seen. Her consciousness was fading. She pressed her hands into the deepest cut, hoping to ebb the flow.
"ALTHEA!" she screamed for the witch who was nowhere in sight. "Em, stay with me. Don't close your eyes. Don't fall asleep."
Emmeline's eyes flew open, wider as if in shock. She nodded quickly and grasped Dorcas's arm, her nails digging into her flesh.
"Yellow. My favorite colour's yellow," Dorcas breathed. She didn't know why but she just needed to say it. Emmeline smiled, her teeth stained with blood.
"Mine's green." Her voice was weak and barely above a whisper. Dorcas chuckled.
"Should have been a Slytherin then, aye?"
Emmeline made a noise, as if she was about to laugh but instead erupted into a horrible cough. She keeled over, blood spewing from her mouth.
"ALTHEA!" Dorcas screamed again. She carefully moved Emmeline onto her side so she wouldn't choke and tightened her hold on her gaping wound. She only did it so Emmeline wouldn't be alone. She was bleeding so much Dorcas could no longer see skin. Dorcas was sure she was going to die. "Okay, it's okay. You're okay. Just breath. Slowly. In and out. In…. Out."
She heard the back door creak open and footsteps fall across a tiled floor.
"Althea! Come quick," Dorcas yelled. She could hear Althea running. Emmeline's breath grew ragged and quick, the grip on her arm was slipping. "Althea! Hurry please!" she cried as Emmeline's eyes rolled back into her head. Althea slid on her knees next to her and pushed her out of the way. Her eyes flashed quickly over Emmeline's form then she set her wand to work, waving in odd fluid movement as she muttered words Dorcas had never heard before.
"Meadowes, get my potions kit," she ordered and she did.