Summer closed in on Hogwarts, and by the last full day, most of the student body were going mad with summer holidays so close. Hogwarts students spent their last full day finishing up exams and assignments, cleaning their dorms, hanging out with the friends they wouldn't be able to see over the summer, etc. Dorcas spent her last full day in a back corner of the library with Amelia. Amelia was finishing up a very late assignment for Potions, and Dorcas was hiding from Marlene. Again.

"Dorcas, you need to spend the summer either learning to hide your feelings for Marlene or getting over them," Amelia told her, bluntly. "I'm sorry, but you're very different without her. And it isn't a good different, it's a sad different."

Dorcas sighed and nodded. "I know. I know. But how? She can't know that I fancy her."

"Fancy who?" Remus and Emmeline came out from behind a near shelf.

Dorcas blushed. "N-no one. What are you two doing back here?"

"Remus needed a book on animagi for a summer project," Emmeline explained, "and I know this library back to front."

"Sometimes I think you should've been a Ravenclaw, Emme," said Amelia.

"Fancy who?" Remus repeated. "You fancy someone?"

Dorcas shook her head. "It's no one."

"Obviously it's someone if you don't want them to know," Emmeline deduced. "And if you don't want the person to know, then it's either a friend or an enemy."

Dorcas's blush grew deeper and overtook her whole face. She looked away from Emmeline and Remus.

"Emme, stop," Amelia ordered.

"I'm going to guess it's a friend," Emmeline continued, "because you're too nice to have any enemies. Now, if we can narrow down your list of friends –"

"Emmeline Vance, stop it," Amelia raised her voice to get her point across.

Dorcas stood up and sprinted out of the library.

"Fantastic," Amelia spat, "now we have to go find her." She gathered her things and took off after Dorcas. Remus and Emmeline followed.

They found Dorcas by the lake, hurling rocks into the water with all of her might. Tears ran down her face. The trio ran over to her. Remus reached her first, then Amelia, then Emmeline.

"Cas, I'm sorry," Emmeline pleaded. "I'm really really sorry, I didn't mean –"

"It's Marlene, alright?!" Dorcas screamed as she spun to face them. "I fancy Marlene bloody McKinnon, and it ruins everything!" She let out a harsh scream, then sunk to the ground, sobbing angrily.

Remus rushed to Dorcas, sat behind her, and hugged her shoulders from behind, attempting to comfort her. Amelia sat in front of Dorcas and brushed Dorcas's hair out of her face. Emmeline sat beside Amelia and rubbed Dorcas's arms.

"Calm down, Dorcas," Remus told her. "You must calm down or you're going to have a panic attack."

"I've ruined everything," Dorcas cried. "It doesn't matter that Marlene and Dearborn split up, because I can't fancy Marlene, and I've gone and ruined our friendship."

"No, you haven't," Remus assured her. "Everything's fine."

"Maybe you should spend the summer away from Marlene," Emmeline suggested. "I'll see if Mum can take us to the beach. Then, we'll come back in September, and maybe your feelings with have changed. Cas, everything's going to be alright."

Dorcas nodded. "Okay. Okay."

Remus pulled Dorcas up and slung an arm around her shoulder. The four of them began walking back to the school. "It's almost summer holidays, Dorcas," said Remus. "You're going to go home and sleep late and have a great time. Emmeline and her mum will take you to the beach, and you'll play in the ocean and walk on the sand and whatever else you do at the beach. Alright?"

Dorcas nodded.

"Everything's going to be alright. Nothing has to change."

Dorcas nodded.

she keeps freaking out and I feel so bad for her, except that I'm the one who wrote this so I'm making her freak out! it's circular logic. hope you enjoyed! leave a review?