Ever since she had realized her feelings for her best friend, Dorcas had been anxious about spending any time with Marlene alone. She was worried she'd slip up, admit her feelings, or that Marlene would read Dorcas like a children's book and guess Dorcas's feelings for her.
But this time was different. This time, Dorcas's had a plan, and her plan was to admit her feelings to Marlene. She couldn't take it anymore. Keeping her feelings a secret from Marlene was driving her insane. And Dorcas was quite sure that Marlene felt the same way, and that, even if she didn't reciprocate, she wouldn't completely cut Dorcas out of her life.
So in the beginning of their summer holidays, Dorcas wrote a letter to Marlene, asking if she was free at any point. Marlene replied that she had no plans for her summer, and that she thought it would be fun if Derek, her older brother closest to her in age, could apparate them to the beach for a day. They planned for a day in July, and Dorcas spent the whole morning before Derek picked her up calming herself down, with tea and her favourite song ("Rhiannon" by Fleetwood Mac) played repeatedly, and perfecting her outfit and the unruly waviness of her hair.
"You'll be fine," Emmeline assured Dorcas from her place on Dorcas's bed. She had laid there for nearly an hour, watching Dorcas pace, mutter to herself, and smooth her skirt.
"You don't know that," Dorcas replied darkly.
"Yes, I do," Emmeline sighed. "And you know why? Because Marls fancies you as well. And before you tell me that I don't know that, yes I do. I do know that, because you two are two of my best friends, and I know you better than you know yourselves." Emmeline jumped up and moved to stand behind Dorcas in front of the mirror. She put her hands on Dorcas's shoulders and peered at Dorcas's reflection.
"You look beautiful, by the way," Emmeline added. She smoothed the shoulders of Dorcas's soft, knit sweater down.
Dorcas relaxed slightly. "Thank you," she said quietly.
"Dorcas!" Caroline Vance's loud voice carried up the stairs and into the second floor of the house. "The McKinnon boy is here to pick you up!"
Dorcas turned back to Emmeline. "Wish me luck, Emme. We're at the point of no return."
"Oh, good luck, Cassie." Emmeline kissed Dorcas's cheeks.
Dorcas smiled nervously, then left Emmeline and jogged down the stairs, her boots echoing throughout the house.
"Hi," Dorcas smiled politely at Derek. He smiled in return.
"Home by breakfast tomorrow morning," said Caroline, pointing a finger at Dorcas.
Dorcas laughed, but her heart was in her throat. "Yes, ma'am." She took hold of Derek's arm, and they disapparated, then reappeared in the backyard of the McKinnons's house, where Marlene sat on the grass. She was leaned back on her elbows, eyes closed, soaking the sun into her pale skin, but she stood when she heard the crack of apparition. Marlene smiled when she saw Dorcas and hugged her briefly, then threw an arm around Dorcas's shoulders.
"Ready for a beach day?" Marlene grinned. Dorcas nodded.
"Right, here we go again," said Derek, before apparating to the beach. Or rather, to a spot near the beach, but not actually on it.
"I'll pick you up here at six o'clock tonight," Derek told Marlene. She nodded once, thanked him, and he disapparated.
Marlene put her arm around Dorcas's shoulders again. "Come on," she said, "let's get our shoes off. The sand awaits."
Dorcas took a deep breath and began to unlace her boots. "Where are we anyway?" she asked.
"Fishguard, in Wales," Marlene informed her. "Now, come on, beach beach beach!" She bounced on her bare toes as she waited for Dorcas.
For hours upon hours, the two girls walked back and forth along the secluded beach, kicking sand and water around. It was nestled between two rocky hills, and the only way out was up a long and narrow flight of stairs. Safe to say there would be no one else with them that day.
"Marley, I –" Dorcas began, before she was interrupted.
"I know," Marlene nodded. "You're worried about sixth year, aren't you?"
"Well, yeah," Dorcas pounding pulse began to slow with the topic change.
"We passed our O.W.L.s. That's the hard part."
"Now we have to decide our N.E.W.T. courses, which means deciding our careers. I have no clue what I want to do or be."
"I know exactly what I'm going to do," Marlene raised her head with pride and smiled. "I'm going to be an auror, like my dad, and like my brothers. Well, not all my brothers. John and Michael and Richard, which you already know, of course."
"Really?" Dorcas turned her head to look at Marlene. "That's quite dangerous."
"War's coming," Marlene replied. "We're going to need all the aurors we can get. You could… come with me. Work with me, I mean. You could be my partner."
"I don't know," Dorcas sighed. "I'll think about it."
Marlene beamed and hugged Dorcas tightly. "We'd be amazing aurors. Unstoppable." Marlene moved back slightly, but kept her hands on Dorcas's shoulders. "With you by my side, I could do anything, Cas."
Dorcas felt a blush rising up from her chest at Marlene's intense look. The blush spread to her neck and face when Marlene's hands slowly moved, one to Dorcas's cheek, the other to Dorcas's neck.
"Cas," Marlene said fondly. "My Cas."
Then Dorcas was intensely aware of Marlene's lips on hers, Marlene's hands on her skin, Marlene's blonde hair blowing in the light wind.
Marlene broke the kiss, and Dorcas gasped quietly.
"Huh," Marlene exhaled. She let her hands drop to her sides.
Dorcas stood still, staring at Marlene with her mouth slightly open.
"Cas, please tell me that I didn't… misread your feelings," Marlene requested nervously.
Dorcas answered by launching herself up on her toes, grasping Marlene's face, and pulling her down for another kiss.
Minutes before Derek was set to pick up Marlene and Dorcas, the two girls stood in the wet sand and let the ocean water rush over their bare feet. Marlene took Dorcas's right hand in her own left hand, and used her right hand to run her short fingernails along the length of Dorcas's right arm.
"This changes everything," Marlene said. Dorcas nodded.
"'Are we willing to risk it?' is the better question," Dorcas replied. "Risk our friendship." Dorcas turned to look at Marlene. "Marley, I can't… I can't live without you. Not functionally anyway. I don't want to lose you."
Marlene turned to Dorcas and took Dorcas's face in her hands. "You won't lose me, Cas. I promise." Marlene smiled. "But I have a feeling," she kissed Dorcas briefly, "that we will be," another kiss, "just fine." She gave Dorcas a longer, slower kiss. They stepped apart when they heard Derek apparate in.
I'm kinda screaming! They're finally together, wooo! I've been waiting ages for this.
And now that this has happened, I can tell you about the tumblr I've set up for Dorcas, the link to which is on my profile. It's set up like Dorcas is actually running it, posting, reblogging, etc. when it's actually me (obvs). With chapter uploads might come personal blog posts, especially later in this fic, which may give a little more insight into Dorcas's mind. Just pretend it's in a universe where tumblr and the internet existed in the 1970s, alright? There's already one post which I made for this chapter, though I posted it ages ago, before I'd even started uploading. Anyway, check it out please.
Also leave a review :)