I know not many people are probably reading this, because yes I do understand, Dorcas Meadowes may not be as interesting as reading about a Harry Potter Ginny Weasly love story (or something like that), but to all who do read, thank you very much, and I appreciate comments whether good or bad. I appreciate letting me know what your opinions are on this.

I know last chapter I said it would take me some time to get the next one up, but okay, I lied. I just had the urge to keep on writing, so I did, but now this time I'm serious. My final end on the 15th, and after that there will be MUCH more to come.

I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please note, that I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter 7:

Although Dorcas loved her friend James greatly, in many ways, James Potter was in many ways a complete insufferable git. He constantly exploited his position as head boy to get those he disliked in trouble, deduct points from Slytherin, and even more often flaunted it in front on Remus who was probably more qualified for the position. That itself did not bother Dorcas because she knew full well that if she was in his position, she would do the exact same thing. However, what really bothered her was that James also got the title captain of the Gryffindor quidditch team instead of Dorcas or Sirius and he would never let the two live it down.

Both she and Sirius played beater and were excellent at it too. While Sirius was the brute force behind the duo, Dorcas was the one with the deceptively good aim. Both however were the brains behind their force. While it was clear that Sirius wasn't exactly the leader type due to his brash personality, Dorcas felt that she would have made a damn good captain, but alas, beaters rarely got the position. In fact, she couldn't recall any beater ever given that coveted position. But alas, it was even more of a sore spot, because Dorcas, a stead fast feminist, often got the impression that Quidditch was considered primarily a boys sport, meaning she constantly had to defend her spot on the team, and she had an underlying suspicion that it may have played a role in her failure.

"Excited for quidditch to start up?" Peter asked at breakfast one Sunday.

"Does a duck quack?" Sirius responded for his friend.

"Yes?" Peter said confused.

"Then of course James Potter quidditch fan extraordinaire is excited for quidditch! Not to mention, he is the bloody captain." Sirius said.

"A bloody good captain I'm going to be. The cup is going to be ours this season!" James said grinning like a little boy on Christmas day, about to get his present.

Dorcas, a die heart quidditch fan was unnaturally despondent, still a bit annoyed. "You are trying out? Right Dorcas?" James asked knowing she was still sore about not becoming captain.

"Of course James." Dorcas said giving him a reassuring smile.

"Thank the lord!" Sirius yelled out, raising his hands and stretching them toward the heavens. "I don't know what I'd do if McLaggen was made the second beater." Sirius said.

Robert McLaggen was considered the Sirius of 6th year, a ladies' man and a pompous git, although not quite as funny, (and nowhere near as good looking as Sirius would say) so naturally Sirius loathed him, and so did Dorcas for that matter. With McLaggen constantly challenging her position and right as a female to be a beater, she found him a nuisance.

Done with breakfast, the trio made their way down to the pitch, not having to wait long for other potential players to show up. Figuring now was a good time as ever to start, James said, "Alright! Listen up you lot! Now just because you were on the team last year, does not guarantee you a spot this year. No hard feelings?" When no one responded, James took this as a god sigh. "Okay then. To start off, we'll do a preliminary testing of you flying a couple of laps around the pitch." James ordered using this as a means to rid those who were hopeless and just here for the laughs.

Quite a few gave up before trying, while many others just couldn't make it, reducing the numbers greatly. Satisfied, James said, "Will from all those remaining, Chaser candidates please step forward." James said. Their testing commenced, and in the end, Seth Baker returned to the team, along with Annabelle Smith, a new find. The two worked really well with James, leaving James rather hopeful. Next James tested the keepers, using the new chasers to test them out. In this category, Alexander Wood clearly triumphed blocking the quaffle every time. Will Jones, a fifth year became the new seeker.

Last but not least were beater try outs, with only three hopefuls, for most realized they hardly had a chance with the notoriously good Sirius and Dorcas trying out. Robert McLaggen however was back as usual, feeling he was up to the standards. "No hard feelings when I beat you Meadowes." He said.

"None at all because you're not going to." Dorcas said coolly.

Smirking McLaggen said, "Girls can't compete with boys! We're just the superior gender! Girls aren't as strong as boys, or as fast as us."

Dorcas, an ever so strong feminist, would not stand for that. "You little pig!"She yelled. Raising her beater bat, with full intent to knock him out with it, Dorcas was only stopped by Sirius who grabbed onto her wrist.

"Cool it Dorcas. He's not worth it. Just beat him on the pitch." Sirius said, and that was exactly what she did, along with Sirius, making them the two returning beaters. Gracefully dismounting her broom, Dorcas laughed. McLaggen was decent, she'd give him that, but no one was a match for hers and Sirius' teamwork. The two were unbeatable.

Robert however was not taking defeat well having consistently lost to Dorcas year after year. Seething, he approached Dorcas and said, trying to put on an unaffected demeanor, "No matter, the spot will be mine next year when you're gone. Besides, we all know you only got the spot because Potter was playing favoritism." Dorcas was not one to take that comment lightly. Someone else however disliked that comment even more. After socking him in the nose, James angrily roared, "How dare you accuse me of favoritism! Get off this pitch now!" James, being the rather intimidating figure he was, sent McLaggen fleeing the pitch.

"Thanks James." Dorcas said smiling halfheartedly.

"Well it's the truth." James said.

"Yeah, we all know you can fly circles around him. McLaggen only wishes he had half your natural talent." Sirius said.

"Aw, guys you flatter me too much." Dorcas said jokingly batting her eye lashes at them.

Both of the guys laughed, only as Sirius laughed he couldn't help but notice how cute Dorcas was when she did that. Of course, they were only friends, but there was nothing wrong with appreciating a woman.

The team then gathered to work at a quidditch practice schedule having to work around Head boy duties possessed by James and Will Jones' prefect duties. The group then had their first real practice consisting of the chasers trying to score on Wood, Sirius and Dorcas trying to knock the quaffle away from everyone, and Jones attempting to weave through the group to catch the snitch. All in all, the practice was rather successful, and they all left with a good feeling about the quidditch season.

Later that night, the marauders were hanging out in the common room discussing the up and coming trip to Hogsmeade or to be more exact, what supplies for pranks they needed. With the invisibility cloak, the map they made, and their knowledge of the hidden passages, sneaking of to Hogsmeade typically would have been a breeze, but they were just so busy now a days.

The plans however were quick to change when Sirius told them he was sorry but intended on going to Hogsmeade, with his new girlfriend, Jenna Browning, a cute sixth year Hufflepuff. The group now numbered four.

However, when James asked Lily for what probably was the nine hundredth and forty second time to go to Hogsmeade with him, which was by no means an exaggeration, and she agreed, and the number dropped to three. Hogsmeade without Sirius and James wouldn't be the same, but not matter. Dorcas could deal with it.

As Dorcas and Lily went up to bed, they could still here James hooting with joy having finally scored a date with the elusive Lily Evans.

"So what's the deal Lily?" Dorcas asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Lily insisted.

"Oh, don't tell me you're going soft on me. You and James? Don't get me wrong, he's my friend, but don't you loath his guts? Or is this another James you're going out on a date with?" Dorcas asked.

"Oh so that kind of what's the deal." Lily said unsure of how to answer.

"You like him don't you?" Dorcas asked now smiling. The two girls didn't have much in common. Lily was a die heart book worm, and Dorcas was the trouble making queen, but that didn't mean they disliked each other. In fact, Dorcas would even go as far as to say that Lily may be her best girl friend, although that wasn't saying much as she typically hung out with the guys. Anyways, because the two were friends, talking about things like this was typical.

"No." Lily said, but when Dorcas gave her a look, she said, "Okay, maybe a little. James can be a bit immature at times, but I don't know. I guess I'm just seeing a sweeter side of him."

"Well, if it means anything, I'm glad the two of you got together already. It's about time." Dorcas said.

The two just laughed it off before going to bed.

What happened the next day however, Dorcas would not be able to deal with. McGonagall had seen how Peter was drowning in the complexity of her class and had asked Remus to help Peter out that weekend which was more specifically the Hogsmeade trip. Perhaps McGonagall had not asked Dorcas, the equally excellent student in Transfiguration, fearing that she would just serve as a distraction, but the fact of the matter was now she was officially abandoned with no one to go to Hogsmeade with and she was annoyed, not that she would ever admit it.

No matter. Someone had to go to Hogsmeade and get supplies for their pranks, and she it would be. Besides, there was nothing wrong with going to Hogsmeade alone. There was no rule against it, but it just wasn't done often.

That Sunday all the students third year and above went off to Hogsmeade, some with friends, some in couples, and some like Dorcas alone. After going to Zonkos and stocking up on supplies for pranks, she decided to head to the Three Broomsticks for a quick drink before heading back to Hogwarts.

After getting her butter bear and chatting with Rosmerta, Dorcas sat down alone at a table and glanced around at the many Hogwarts students there, two of which were Sirius and Jenna. Dorcas smiled slightly seeing Sirius talking without letting up, and Jenna just sitting there clueless.

"May I sit here?" A voice asked causing Dorcas' eye to shift away from Sirius and to the voice, belonging to one Mr. Malfoy.

"Ah Malfoy. Good to see you again. Deflated your ego any time recently?" She asked.

"Well after my previous encounter with you, yes. It was hard not to." Malfoy answered honestly.

"Well then good. You may sit, although I'm not sure why an old kook would want to sit with an ever so lowly student." Dorcas said sarcastically.

Malfoy shrugged and responded, "Well if I wanted to sit, my options were limited, consisting of sit with this student, or sit with that student."

"Ah, I see what you mean. That is one hell of a predicament." Dorcas said.

"Miss Meadowes, if you don't mind me asking, what was a smart girl like you doing in the ministry that day?" Malfoy asked already knowing the answer, but wanting to start a conversation and be able to lead it in the direction he wanted.

"Well, I kind of obliviated the head mistress of the orphanage I live at." Dorcas said proud of her feat.

"Well that's quite an accomplishment for one your age." Malfoy complimented.

"What can I say, I'm good with charms." Dorcas said.

"An orphanage you said? That must be awful not having any parents." Malfoy said.

"Well the orphanage itself is, but I don't really mind not having parents. You see, you can't miss what you don't know." Dorcas said.

"But if given the chance wouldn't you want to know?" Malfoy asked intrigued.

"Well my mom's been six feet under since my birth, and as for my dad, he may as well be twelve feet under. I know nothing about him." Dorcas said.

Malfoy wanted to speak, but was interrupted by one Jenna Browning, loudly yelling at Sirius, "You jerk!" She threw her drink at Sirius, drenching him, before stomping off.

"Ah, well that's my cue to go console my friend." Dorcas said standing up. "Send Lucy my regards." Dorcas said leaving to go sit across from Sirius.

"Tough break mate." Dorcas said.

"Eh, she was stuck up anyways." Sirius said.

"You one for high standards? Now that's something I would have never thought. You've only gone out with how many girls exactly?" Dorcas said.

"Oh, only almost all of our year, 6th year, and a bunch of 5th years. That is if you don't count Slytherin girls." Sirius said realizing that Dorcas and Mary MacDonald were the only ones in seventh year he hadn't. Even Lily had fallen for his charms once in third year. Mary was creepily quite so that was understandable, but for he and Dorcas to have never been anything more then friends was just odd.

"That's just nasty Sirius. When are you going to settle down?" She teased.

"Never, Sirius Black can't be tamed!" Sirius said.

"Some days you're going to be whipped Sirius Black, and when that happens, I will laugh." Dorcas said.

"Dream on." Sirius said.

"I don't need to, because it will become reality." Dorcas said.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. I'm not a one girl kind of guy." Sirius said.

"Sirius, just shut!" Dorcas said with a hint of anger.

"Gee! There's no need to be rude." Sirius teased.

"Oh I'm sorry. I meant to say Sirius, please shut up. Better?" Dorcas said.

"Much" Sirius said with a smile. "So who was that guy anyways?" Sirius asked.

"That my dear friend was none other than our dear friend Lucy's father." Dorcas said.

"Wait! You mean that was Mr. Malfoy, the father of the devil child? Get right out of town!" Sirius said.

"No thanks. I'd rather stay here." Dorcas said grinning.

"What was going on? You seemed to be on good terms. Dorcas, is there something I don't know about?" Sirius asked jokingly.

"Nah, we're just acquaintances. I met him after my trial this summer." Dorcas admitted.

"Oh." Sirius said because that wasn't really the response he was looking for. Coming from a pure blood family, Sirius knew all about Malfoy's reputation. In fact, just before his family kicked him out, Sirius attended the wedding for his very own cousin Narcissa Black, or should he say Malfoy, and the whole event was living hell. Based off of this, Sirius didn't like this at all.

"Relax Sirius and drop it. It was just a crazy random happenstance. I'll probably never see him again." Dorcas said.

"If you so happen to see him again, do us a favor and give him a telling." Sirius said. "You should know Red that the Malfoys are known as dark wizards."

"It's a deal." Dorcas said with a smile knowing that she would never give up an opportunity to insult a Malfoy. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Let's go back to Hogwarts." Sirius said the mini fight now over.