Chapter One

It all started with a letter. Slightly burnt at the edges, written with what seemed to be an ink pen. Large eyes filled with childish innocence stared at it with intense curiosity, hands smearing down the parchment. My name. It says my name. A flash of red hair and she disappeared, leaving the small barn owl perched on the mailbox behind her.

"Mommy, look! Look what came for me!" she yelled, a bright smile broadening across her face. As the front door swung open and a young Dorcas tripped down the hardwood flooring, a taller woman with auburn hair entered the scene. Yellow latex gloves stretched to her elbows and the palm was covered in dishwashing soap.

Holding her arms high above her head, the woman beamed down at her child and made sure not to cover her in soap.

"A letter? Well, your eleventh birthday recently passed, didn't it? That means…" The color drained from her face. Mrs. Meadowes was a muggle and had wanted her child to leave the normal muggle life. A muggle is a person who doesn't possess magical capabilities. A muggle is a person who will never experience the finer things in love and would have to do manual labor for as long as they live. Mrs. Meadowes adored this living. She believed that it built true, lasting character. Her child mustn't be made into a fool by being…a witch. Her heart pounded and the fury inside her grew. She loved her husband, this much was true, but had married him without knowing he was a wizard. After their wedding, he confided it to her and everything fell apart. She remembered the night like it had happened the day before:

"You didn't think this would be important to tell me before?" Mrs. Meadowes sobbed, her arms flailing about her head as she frantically paced the room. The dress had been ripped in many places due to her fury and constant worry for her husband's mental health. How could this be true? A wizard?

"Darling, dear, please. I didn't think it necessary! I thought it better to wait and see if you loved me for, well, me! Once we were wed, I knew I could tell you!" Mr. Meadowes' eyes studied her, pain pulsing through his body, "I still love you every bit as strong as I did before. Can't you say the same?"

"I am not magical in any way, Charles! I don't – I can't understand! This isn't something you keep hidden until a wedding night! How dare you!" Mrs. Meadowes had tears spilling down her cheeks as she yelled, her tiny hands balling into fists, "You kept this hidden! You lied to me all these years, and you expect to stay here with you and continue being your wife? Of course, I love you. I will…I will always love you…" The tension fled her body when she noticed how weak he seemed. Her shoulders sank as the stress fluttered away and she realized that they could move through this. It would be difficult for her to forgive him, but she couldn't deny that the man that stood in front of her was the only man she'd ever love. Her legs moved towards him against her will and she wrapped her frail arms around him, her auburn hair billowing down her shoulders, "I will always love you, Charles. Always." For one blissful moment, her hazel eyes stared into his burning blue ones and he stroked her cheek lovingly. At the sensational touch of his thumb on her skin, her eyes closed and her lips parted as an uncontrollable reflex, "Promise me one thing…" she whispered, her hands clasping his gently.

"Anything."

"If we ever have a child…she will grow up like any child in my – the muggle – world would. Please, Charles. I want…I want a normal life…" she muttered, squeezing his hands tightly and opening her eyes. She searched his for the response she desired.

Charles had a sweeping pain pass through his body. He imagined what he had promised his parents: the grandchild who would attend his alma mater, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy, and become someone who would affect the Wizarding World and be written down in the history books. He brought his wife's hand to his rosy lips and kissed the back before bringing his lips to hers. They stayed connected for one minute before he pulled away, "I promise."

Dorcas Meadowes was born a few years later. Her father had held in her in the tiny pink blanket and cooed at her bright blue eyes, her giggles, her everything. He tapped her on the nose with his finger and held her tightly to his chest only to have her pried from him by the nurses and handed to his dear wife, laying in the Hospital Bed. A father should never be parted from his daughter. Charles entered the room and nestled himself beside his wife, gently stroking her pale arm as he watched his daughter, Dorcas, glow in the low lighting of the hospital. He had never seen any girl so beautiful in his entire life, nor did he want to.

There. In the hallway, now, stood Dorcas of eleven years. Her bright red hair, a mixture of her father's and mother's, flowed downwards to the middle of her back. Her blue eyes shown brightly as hands clasped one another tightly and her knees bent as she jumped up and down, "Mommy! Can I go? They have wands and you're allowed to have a pet, but not a broomstick because it's your first year, and, and, please, can I go?"

Her mother felt the sudden urge to tear the letter in half and throw it in the garbage. How dare the Owl Post allow a minor to grab the post? All her life, well, ever since Charles had told her about Hogwarts, she had vowed to stow the letter away or have Charles reply to the headmaster and inform him that Dorcas would not and would never attend Hogwarts. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, Dumbledore. Mrs. Meadowes immediately ran to the telephone and called up her husband, Charles, to tell him the news.

King's Cross station was crowded with people as Dorcas stumbled on the platform, trolley in front of her. Her trunk was a deep scarlet and perched on top was a birdcage with a small gray owl inside. She hadn't given a name yet; couldn't decide between two, but that didn't matter. Unlike most of the other students that she could identify AS students, she wasn't accompanied by her parents. Her father had to work and her mother flat out refused to come inside the station and associate with the other people of the 'magic realm of bullshit' as she had mumbled under her breath on the drive over. So, Dorcas walked alone on the platform as she frantically searched for 9 and ¾. She stopped in the middle of the station and held her breath trying to remember what her father had told her as she sat down at the table for breakfast.

"Remember, run straight at the wall that holds the two signs Platform 9 and 10. If you run straight at it, you should fall through the barrier and be on the platform! Understand?"

Dorcas had simply slurped her orange juice and pulled her hat off the stand, placing it on her head. Her mother then proceeded to drag her out of the kitchen, flashing her father one of the dirtiest looks she had ever seen, and drove her to the station.

"Seems easy enough, doesn't it?" a deep voice rumbled behind her head.

Dorcas turned quickly, falling back onto the bar of her trolley, "Sorry, you scared me…" Her cheeks flushed a shade of rosy pink as she stared at the tall, blonde male. He couldn't be more than two years older than her which made him either twelve or thirteen, "What are you, err, what are you talking about?"

"The platform. Seems easy to get on there, doesn't it?" he repeated, a hint of mockery in his voice. The corner of his lip twisted into a cruel smile.

"I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about and I'm not sure I want to," Dorcas replied, forcing her chin a little too high upwards, "If you will excuse me, I'll -" she gestured to the wall between platforms nine and 10, before she was rudely interrupted.

"Oh, you're excused. I'm Lucius. Lucius Malfoy," he grinned down at her and she could tell he was not the sort she wanted to become friends with. He had a terrible, dark aura around him. Her lips pursed against her will and she crossed her arms. He simply laughed at her and studied her up and down, "I hope you're sorted into Slytherin…"

And, just like that, the boy was gone and off towards the wall where the two platforms meet. He disappeared before her eyes in a rush of overwhelming fury that developed in Dorcas' stomach.

"Jerk. Lucius Malfoy, remember that name, Athena." She whispered to her owl as she pushed her trolley towards the wall to disappear like the boy had, to find her new home….

The sensation was absolutely awful. Her limbs twisted in every which way and she almost lost control of her trolley as she toppled through air, space, and time. The need to scream burned at her throat, but before the sound could form beyond her lips, she was already on the platform. Her knuckles were pale white from her vicegrip on her trolley, her chest heaving as if she had undergone a huge exercise routine. Once she regained control of her body, she pushed her hat further back on her head and trudged off towards the Hogwarts Express, her eyes widening just as they had when she had stared at the burnt parchment of which her letter was written apart. She closed her eyes and gave in to the immense feelings that rushed around her. The sound of the engine, the steam spinning round the platform, the sounds of all the students and their parents giggling and laughing before a new year. Dorcas pushed towards the engine as fast she possibly could, overwhelmed with a mixture of joy and excitement. She packed her trolley's belongings on the engine and stowed herself away in a compartment, in a seat by the window, where she could gaze as they rode past fields aplenty. The world she was about to enter was unbelievably fascinating; one she would never forget.

A girl, who went by the name of Alice Prewett, pushed the compartment door open and nearly fell over. Her blonde hair was shoulder length and her smile bright. With her, she brought friends, both brunette, and all three ignored Dorcas' existence. Dorcas' teeth grazed over the top of her bottom lip as she watched the three jump on the seats across from her, pointing and laughing at people outside the window. Her eyes darted around the compartment, wishing they would notice her because this was sincerely becoming more and more awkward. Suddenly, the blonde one was down on her knees and grasping Dorcas'.

"Hi! My name's Alice! These are my friends, Marlie and Mary!" she yelped, as one of the brunette girls pulled on a couple strands of her blonde hair. Dorcas watched, one eyebrow lifting in amusement. Alice leaned forward and whispered, so only she could hear, "I know. They're weird. We'll lose them. They're bound to Puffs or Claws."

Dorcas tilted her head, running her fingers through her red hair as she watched the blondie, named Alice, curiously, "Whatever do you mean? Someone told me they hoped I was in Slytherin. Now, you're off about Puffs and Claws. What is all this…all this rubbish?" Mary and Marlie snickered when Alice told them to hush and took a seat beside the naïve Dorcas. The two brunettes glared at the redhead, with judgmental eyes, as they sat across and whispered amongst themselves. Dorcas ignored them because, all in all, it didn't matter what the likes of them thought. Her head shifted to Alice and she smiled, trying to figure out why this blonde girl aligned herself with such irritating people.

Alice sighed, "Puffs are Hufflepuffs. Claws are Ravenclaws. And whoever told you you're meant to be in Slytherin, or that they hope you're in Slytherin…whatever, same diff. don't look at me that way…well, they're barking. You wouldn't be in Slytherin if you're bloody life depended on it. Know why?" Alice turned to her friends who were rolling their eyes and rising to leave the compartment, "Oh, and if you two want to scuttle off, go for it! Not like you're going to get with Sirius Black! He's bound to be a Slytherin, if what I've heard's correct! Anyway, where was I? Oh, right. Know why?"

Dorcas' left eye twitched as she watched Alice Prewett, thoroughly confused, "I'm not quite sure I understand any of this at all. I don't know why I wouldn't be in Slytherin. Frankly, I don't know why any of that matters…"

Alice leaped from the chair and spun around the room in, what Dorcas assumed to be, a fit of frustration, "YOU'RE BARKING! You're coming to a school and you know absolutely nothing about it! Barking, I say! Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Hufflepuff are the four Houses at Hogwarts. Every student is sorted into a House upon arrival! And, since you're curious, the reason you won't be in Slytherin is obvious. You're not an evil nitwit." Alice said all of this with the highest amount of pride, but it didn't end there, "I know I'll be in Gryffindor. My family, the Prewetts, we are the truest of the true Gryffindors. That, we are. My elder brothers, Gid and Fay, they're in Gryffindor. The Sorting Hat has to put me there, or I'll fall dead on my face for everyone to see and Hogwarts will be closed."

"You have an overactive imagination, Alice. Anyone ever told you that?" Dorcas replied, a grin on her face and laughter spewing from her mouth, "Do you think…do you think I'll be in Gryffindor?" she asked, her voice suddenly sounding small, worried, and childlike.

"How could you not be?" Alice replied, waving her hand like this was clear from the moment she set eyes on Dorcas. She cupped her hands under her new, and soon-to-be best friend's chin and made a puffer fish face, "You are the epitome of Gryffindor, my deary, dear, dear! You wouldn't fit anywhere else. Especially in Ravenclaw, what with your lack of knowledge!"

The two laughed together at that and glued themselves to the window as they both stared out into the vast sceneries, hoping and dreaming that their years at Hogwarts would be shared. They talked about love and romances, pranks and jokes, the feast and the sorting, everything. By the time the train arrived at its destination, the two had their arms hooked and their hips stuck to one another. It was a friendship that would never be matched or duplicated. The friendship that everyone dreams about.

Dorcas and Alice sat in the boat as it rocked back and forth over the lake. They had lost Marlie and Mary, but neither of them had bothered to look for the two anyway. Instead, their hands were clasping one another's as they stared at the deep, dark waters alongside their small boat. The fear hitched itself in the midst of their stomach acid and they yelled whenever a bubble appeared in the lake, presumably made from the creatures in the lake's depths. A couple of the kids were giggling and sharing rumors that they had heard on the train. Dorcas couldn't imagine how anything could have been so dramatic on a train ride, but apparently some of the people were easily entertained. So, she gave up on eavesdropping and clung to Alice's arm, praying that their arrival would come soon and that Hogwarts would be all they had imagined it to be. Alice's head rested upon hers and sent a wave of comfort throughout her frame, giving her confidence.

When they arrived at the banks of the castle, Dorcas and Alice jumped to their feet, becoming the first off the boats. As they had made their descent, their bodies wiggled from side to side as the boat played a game of seesaw. Dorcas collapsed on her knees, followed by a very scared Alice who began kissing the ground beneath her and muttering a hundred words a minute about how she would never ride a boat again. Dorcas helped her poor friend to her feet and they followed the horde of first year's up to the castle. For a split second, Dorcas remembered the pale, handsome blonde boy who she had met on the platform. Her neck twisted, wondering if he was her age or not, but then she remembered what he had told her and realized that he could not possibly be one. He wouldn't be in the crowd of newcomers that were storming the stairs of the castle. Why she felt her heart drop, Dorcas didn't know, and it was a foreign feeling. She swallowed it as best she could and forced herself onward until the doors of the Great Hall swung open. Alice and Dorcas were shoved down the middle of the aisles between the two tables nearest the center. They refused to pay attention to their destination because the two were fascinated by the ceiling that rose above their heads. Dorcas had never seen anything so beautiful. How could her mother despise a world as wonderful as this one? Before she could compute an answer to the question, she was brought to a quick halt and nearly fell into the person who stood in front of her.

This is it. The Sorting….

Worry trembled throughout her and she needed to urinate. How dreadful. She should have done that on the train, she knew it, but she hadn't had to go then! Her shoulders rose high with stress and she wondered what the Sorting would be like. Oh, God, if she had to do a spell she wouldn't be sorted at all. Her parents had taught her absolutely nothing! They couldn't possibly – her thoughts were silenced when Professor McGonagall's mouth opened and the first names were called.

"Black, Sirius!"

That was the first name Dorcas could comprehend after her mind had blackened into a hole of frantic worry. Her hand squeezed Alice's tightly and Alice squeezed harder in return. The situation was absolutely frightening. A hat placed on your head. It delved into your mind and figured out, based on personality, where you belonged! Oh, God, what if she and Alice were separated? She couldn't bear it. Wouldn't allow it!

"…Gryffindor!"

The boy, Sirius Black, climbed off the stool looking very upset. Dorcas had thought he was very handsome, being as young as he was, but after his fate had been determined, disappointment had fallen over his face. What could be wrong with his sorting? In fact, he had received the ultimate verdict, if you asked her. Her eyes followed him as he stepped away from the front of the hall and made his way to the Gryffindor table. He sat down near the back of the table, mumbling to himself. Dorcas didn't possess the gift of supersonic hearing and, thus, couldn't hear what he was mumbling. She didn't have enough time to think about it because more names were called and she realized: it would be better if she paid attention. Marlie and Mary were called and sorted in Hufflepuff, accompanied with a super silly look from Alice, who didn't appear worried or nervous at all for her sorting anymore. Once it seemed like all you had to do was wear a hat, Alice had become more hyper and excited. A bloke named Remus Lupin had been sorted into Gryffindor and he made his way over, sitting beside the dark and sad one. Funny. Dorcas turned her attention back to the professor, closing her eyes. Her name was coming up. She knew it.

"Meadowes, Dorcas!"

There it was. The room fell silent as she slowly stepped up to the stool and sat down. She winced once the floppy hat was on her head and lifted the brim in order to see Alice's smiling face. Alice gave her a nice thumbs up and Dorcas decided that she wasn't becoming more cheery at all by that.

"Hm. Interesting…" the hat said to her, causing Dorcas to leap nearly out of the seat.

"What's interesting?" she squeaked, in response, her hands clutching onto the stool.

"Your mind."

"Oh, thanks, that sounds wonderful." she whispered, sarcastically, her eyes darting around the room. She remembered now the boy with the blonde hair and she began to search frantically. He hadn't said his House, but she assumed Slytherin since he had told her –

There he was.

"Slytherin?"

"What? No. No, I don't – no." Dorcas said, beginning to hyperventilate.

"But…you were just looking over there. Are you sure?"

"Yes, you stupid hat, I am certain that I am not fit for Slytherin. Thank you, very much!" Dorcas huffed, crossing her arms. She had forgotten that this was not a private conversation.

"Well, suit yourself. If you think you're a better Sorter than I am…GRYFFINDOR!"

Dorcas sighed in relief and pure utter joy as she leapt off the stool, throwing the shabby hat behind her and racing to the Gryffindor table. She sat in the back beside the Remus Lupin bloke, trying to overhear his conversation with the sad and dark one. From what she was able to hear, Sirius Black had a silly, pureblood supremacist family that held a tradition of being sorted into Slytherin, not Gryffindor. She couldn't hear much else because –

"Potter, James!"

The minute that name was shouted the two went completely silent and stared off towards the front of the room. Ah, bugger, Dorcas thought to herself and her chin fell into her hand as she rested her elbow on the table. The Potter bloke was sent to the Gryffindor table and was welcomed by the Sirius feller. Dorcas adored observing other people's drama and having none for herself. She stretched her arms across the table, looking at the strewn empty platters. Today had been an overly exhausting today and she didn't want to deal with it any longer.

"Prewett, Alice!"

Her head snapped to the front of the room in an instant. How could she have forgotten Alice? Well, she certainly had her undivided attention now! Alice sat on the stool, with a smug look on her face. The hat barely sat on her head before it yelled out, loud enough for China to hear, Dorcas assumed:

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Two very, very attractive boys stood up near the front of the Gryffindor table and began hooting and hollering. She noticed the slight resemblance they had to Alice and realized that they were most likely 'Gid and Fay', her two brothers. As Alice neared the back of the table where Dorcas had situated herself, Dorcas patted the seat beside her and immediately the two began jabbering away about how excited it was to be in the same House and how much fun they would have in their dorms together. They completely ignored the other students being sorted (except for those sorted into Gryffindor. They received a quiet golf clap before the two returned to their insane rambling). Once the Sorting ended, the Feast commenced. Right before their eyes, the food appeared on the empty platters. Dorcas hadn't realized how hungry she had been and her mouth instantly began to water. She pried the food off the platters and stuffed her face full of all the delicacies that Hogwarts had to offer. As Dorcas and Alice fed their appetites, the one named Lucius, the blonde, semi-pale male that Dorcas had met, stood up from the Slytherin table and left the room. What Dorcas didn't know was that she wouldn't ever interact with this boy again until mid-second year….

Lucius. Lucius Malfoy stared into his reflection. Two hours ago he had awakened to the morning of his departure to his third year Hogwarts. King's Cross wasn't that far away, but he enjoyed waking up early and delighting himself in his appearance. Even though he was only at the age of thirteen, he prided himself on his charms, flirtatious manner, and his cunning ways of earning the love of the ladies. He smeared one hand through his blonde hair and then turned on his heel, leaving the washroom. He took long strides down to the kitchen for his breakfast where his mother brought delightful foods and the house elves set the table. Ah, the finer living, he thought to himself. He took a green apple from the fruit basket and closed his eyes, relishing in the satisfying crunch that echoed in his ears from the first bite.

"Lucius, is your trunk ready? I want the house elves to gather your belongings now," his mother said, setting a hot cup of coffee in front of his father, "You packed last week, didn't you?"

"Yes, mother, I did. My trunk is in the study. Would you like me to fetch it for them, or do you want them to get it themselves?" Lucius replied with a smirk, biting into his apple once more.

"Oh, no, my son. I'll have the house elves grab your things for you. Do not burden yourself with the labor of lower beings." His mother walked to him and kissed him once on top of the head before she yelled for some of their house elves to run to the study and grab his belongings. Lucius truly adored his style of living. Once he finished his breakfast, he pushed the chair back and stood up, ready to leave his luxurious manor. He wore a fine suit that his father had bought him, used only for this occasion, and left to King's Cross with their chauffeur. Lucius wasn't the type who wanted to travel by Floo Powder or by Portkey. Those middle class ways of traveling did not appeal to him in the least bit and he refused to imagine himself taking the Knight Bus. How barbaric! The only way of travel that pleased him was being driven by a chauffeur.

And so, that was how it was done.

Lucius rested his head on the black leather backing of the seat and let himself drift off into slumber, but not before reminding the driver to wake him up exactly fifteen minutes before their arrival. These fifteen minutes were used for the proper fixing required to ensure that Lucius looked his best. If Lucius didn't approve of his appearance when they arrived, the driver would be forced to drive around the block again and the gas money would be taken from his paycheck. Sometimes, Lucius pretended his appearance wasn't at his high standards, only to see the driver lose money and suffer driving him around for another ten to fifteen minutes.

This time, Lucius didn't want to torture the driver and left the car immediately when the door was opened. The driver held out his hand, as habit, but no tip was given, also as habit. Lucius breezed past the other people and stormed the station with remarkably good looks for a thirteen year old and an amazingly long stride. Once on the platform, he directed his weakling of a house elf to the platform and watched the pathetic worker run to Platform 9 and ¾ while he remained in the Muggle world, people watching. He enjoyed watching the first years come to King's Cross and see the confusion plain on their faces ever since second year. His hands fisted themselves into his suit pockets as he flashed a grin to a first year blonde girl who gave him that look. The look of attraction. It was too bad that Lucius rather liked a challenge and didn't find this one interesting. She wasn't leaving much for him to figure out. He ran his hand through his hair and winked in her direction before taking another stroll down the platform. He froze when he saw a first year – he assumed she was first year because she looked too lost to be any year older – with long red hair and bright blue eyes. She had poked her finger at the owl, resting inside a birdcage on top of trolley, and a smile had brightened her entire appearance. He didn't realize he had been staring at her until he noticed a group of Muggle girls giggling. He rounded on them and shot them a fierce, threatening look causing them to scamper off. When he turned back to see the red haired beauty, she had disappeared nearer to the wall. Shit, he thought.

Instantly, he ran up behind her and said the first thing he could think of:

"Seems easy enough, doesn't it?"

Second year. Dorcas sits cross-legged on her bed with Alice as they play with products from Zonko's and munch on candies from Honeyduke's. Lucky for them, they had met plenty of elder children who had decided that, on their trips to Hogsmeade, they'd bring back delicious treats! Dorcas didn't mind one bit! It only meant that she and Alice would have a wide range of activities to do, now that they had the proper equipment. Thanks to Alice's relation with the Prewett brothers, Pranksters Extraordinaire, they were easily becoming the girl pranksters. The Marauders weren't at all bad themselves and, in fact, were their major competition. Dorcas hadn't planned on making this type of pranking a career though; it was merely there as something to do with her best friend. They continued to sit and laugh, tossing Acid Pops at one another and diving away to miss being burned. She swiped one off her sheets and screamed when Alice went through with the dare and fried her tongue by shoving one in her mouth. Instead of running to the Hospital Wing, she grabbed Dorcas and shoved a Blood Pop into her mouth. It tasted absolutely disgusting. Horrendous. Dorcas shoved her friend away from her and gagged up the taste as best she could while choking on her fits of laughter. Her stomach began to ache as it shook with the laughter that continued, almost as if it would never cease. All of a sudden, the door slammed open and there, there stood their worst nightmare.

Lily Evans.

"What in Merlin's name are you doing in here?" Lily snapped, folding her arms and giving them one mean disapproving look. Alice burped, the scent of burnt sugar hanging in the air and causing Dorcas' hand to fly to her mouth, her cheeks puffing with the laughter they contained.

"This isn't funny! You two are insane. You realize that?"

"Look," Alice said, matter-of-factly, falling onto the mattress and kicking her legs up behind her, "We're having fun! You should try it one day instead of, you know, getting your knickers in a twist!"

Lily turned a furious shade of red, "My knickers are NOT in a twist, thank you VERY much!"

"Well, Lils," Dorcas added as she began to braid her hair loosely to the side, "I beg to differ. It is clear as the day sky from over here, as seen by the lack of care you have given your skirt. Your knickers are truly twisted, I am afraid!"

"Rubbish! I would know if my knickers were in a twist. If you two don't – if you two don't stop, I swear I'll…" Lily's voice stammered. It was easier standing up to the Marauders than these two, considering they were roommates and she wanted to be friends with them.

"You'll what?" Dorcas said, one arm dangling over the edge of the bed and the other holding a regular, good ol' lollipop in her mouth, "You'll tell Dumblepants? You know, you've got to stop ratting us out to the authorities. You're making our records reflect very shitty on our youth."

"Quite!" Alice piped up, dangling upside down over the side of the bed, "Lily, we never rat you out to the authorities! It's not very nice to do so to us…"

"I don't need ratting out to the authorities! I don't – I've never done a single bad thing!" Lily stood there, mouth agape, as she watched the two act like hooligans, "How can you compare me to – to YOU TWO?"

"You know, she's right, Al," Dorcas tilted her head, examining Lily with an air magnifying glass, "She's nothing like us. Absence of a sense of humor."

"Ah, you two are imbeciles," Lily muttered glaring off to her four poster, "How do they room me with you? I'm…I'm sick of it."

"If you're sick, you should go to the Hospital Wing, Lily Pilly!" Alice hiccupped. This caused Lily to make a fit of noises that sounded like they could be documented on the Discovery Channel and then, flee the room. Dorcas and Alice turned to one another and shrugged their shoulders in unison before falling into the same terrible fits of laughter.

Later in the night, after Alice had crawled into her own bed and snored off into a deep sleep, Dorcas lay awake. She pushed the covers off her body and moved to the window sill, sitting down to look out the window. She grabbed the rusty handles of the windows and shoved them open with all the strength she had in her, breathing deeply when the cool, night breeze hit her face and lifted her hair off her shoulders. It was calming and helped ease her thoughts. She draped one arm over her knee and rested her head on the wall beside the window, her mind flickering off to the activities she had done throughout the day. She remembered Potions where James pretended not to know the answers to any of the questions and Sirius blushing when Mary's Amortentia scent had 'wet dog'. She didn't understand that, but seeing Sirius blush was all she needed to laugh. Overall, it had been quite the decent day. So…why couldn't she fall asleep? Her fingers picked at a loose thread in her pajama shorts and she frowned, lifting one hand to pull her loose sweatshirt sleeves down over her shoulders. Maybe a walk could properly clear her head and give her what she needed.

She strained her neck to glance at Lily's bed and a smirk spread across her face when she saw her sound asleep. She jumped from the window sill and snuck out of the dorm, grabbing her wand off the nightstand, and fleeing the common room. The Fat Lady yelped at her for a few seconds, but Dorcas had already ran down the hall, her barefeet sending shockwaves of chill up her spine whenever they touched the floors. She hadn't bothered changing clothes or putting on shoes. It didn't feel necessary when no one would be out at night. She trailed her hand along the wall as she stared at all the sleeping paintings, sticking her tongue out at the ones that usually teased her for her bright red locks. Everything seemed less…rushed when the halls were dark and everyone, but the prefects of course, were sleeping. She leaned against a wall, free of paintings, and stared up at the ceiling. How could her mother not have approved of this world? Of this place? Before she could adjust her clothing or speed off back to a hiding spot, footsteps were heard in the distance. Her wand fell from her hand and her light disappeared. She gasped, silently, and lunged for her wand. The darkness enveloped her and she stumbled on a step, falling downwards. She swallowed the instinct to yell or scream, instead using her arms to try and break her fall. Her arms ended up tangled around a figure, and their arms tied themselves around her.

"Well, well, what do I have here?" the figure in the dark muttered, in a mock professor voice that sounded very convincing to Dorcas.

"I'm sorry – I needed to go for a walk! I'll go right back…" Dorcas rambled, taking her arms off of the person. Awkwardly enough, their arms tightened around her and pulled her closer to them, "Excuse me…"

The figure laughed and released her, "Lumos!"

In the newfound light, Dorcas lunged for her wand which lay near the figure's feet, hugging it to her chest. She looked up at the figure, curious as to what professor he could be, "Erm…" Her ability to speak fell away and she blushed when she realized who it was.

The blonde. From the platform. First year.

"I remember you…." Lucius Malfoy said, eyeing her up and down, "You weren't in these pajamas when we met though."

"Shut up!" Dorcas replied as she scrambled up to her feet, "Lucius…" she said, venom falling off her tongue.

"Oooh, looks like someone doesn't like me. Why not, Gryffindor?" He quirked a brow and his finger reached out, making a small circle on her bare shoulder.

She swiped his hand away quickly and glared at him, "My name is Dorcas. Dorcas Meadowes."

"That's unfortunate."

Dorcas couldn't control herself. She lunged for the egotistical Slytherin and they tumbled down the flight of stairs, limbs flying every which way. Her hands grasped at his hips and she tried to hold him down. She tried to hit him, tried to give him a bit of pain for insulting her. "You're. Such. An. Arse!"

Lucius pulled her down on top of him and she stared at him. She was twelve years old. This was weird. He was fourteen. This wasn't allowed. Too young. His eyes found hers and tucked a strand of her perfect red hair behind her ear, his gaze falling to her lips. He ran his thumb over them slowly, teasing her, before she shoved him and pulled away.

"Where are you going, Gryffindor?" he asked, a hint of pleading in his voice as he watched her retreating form head back up the stairs. Her red hair swayed behind her, tied in a loose braid. How could a girl act this way to him? And a twelve year old Gryffindor, nonetheless.

"I told you. My name's Dorcas."

And then she was gone.

The Slytherin table was unusually noisy one morning of Lucius' fifth year as he munched into scrambled eggs and bacon. Ah, the way house elves made food always seemed to escape him. Not even his mother could make food this delicious, but his mother wasn't meant to serve people. Unless you counted his father. He licked the taste of bacon off his fingers as he listened to people like Bellatrix Black chat about the Dark Arts and how Hogwarts should teach more than defense against it. He nodded in agreement while her sister, Narcissa, went off on a tangent about how males who knew the Dark Arts or anything involving strength for that matter, had her in the palm of their hand. She made a point to look at Lucius who gave her an award-winning smile before turning his attention to the Gryffindor table. He remembered an encounter in his previous year with one Dorcas Meadowes. She had been feisty; a sassy girl who had taught him a lesson. A shiver spiraled down the length of his spine when he found her with her dorky friend Alice, bringing a goblet of pumpkin juice to her lips. He watched as she set it down and eased her tongue from her mouth, licking the residue from her lips. His gaze stayed too long on her lips, admiring them as he had done when she lay on top of him last year in the darkness of the night. Her leg had been pressing against his and her breath had hit a sensitive portion of his neck. He could have kissed her. Could have held her. He could have done many things, but she was two years younger. She was thirteen this year and he was…he was fifteen. A boy came up to her and sat beside her and this boy looked at Dorcas with affection. Lucius gripped his fork tightly and watched the boy slip his arm around the perky redhead, kissing her on the cheek. He slammed his fist on the table and the Slytherins turned to gawk at him.

"What in Merlin's name, Lucius?" Bellatrix gasped, her hand grazing his arm.

No one could have her before I do. No one. Lucius slapped Bella's hand away and stood up from the table. Narcissa, age fourteen, stood up from the table and rushed after him. Lucius heard her faint footsteps behind him and wanted to drown them out, but it wasn't possible. Seeing Dorcas had aroused him and there wasn't any other way to fix it. He turned once he arrived at the Room of Requirement and pulled Narcissa to him, his hand brushing up against her cheek and her body falling limp against his, "Do you love me, Cissa?" he whispered into her ear, his tongue flicking along her earlobe.

Narcissa's body melted against his and her eyes closed unwillingly as he held her. Easy, he thought to himself, taking her by the hand and pulling her into the room. There was no bed, but there was a couch, and he threw her down upon it.

"Lucius – I don't think I'm ready…" she protested, as he climbed on top of her and placed lusting kisses down her neck. As she said this, he bit into her flesh and left a large marking there. His hand rose upwards and gripped her chin tightly, forcing her to look into his eyes. She looked horribly frightened, but yearned for him to love her, "Do you love me?" she whispered, as he continued his warm assault on her neck.

He paused at this question, his hands already sliding beneath the fabric of her shirt and towards her bra. How does one answer? Being the manipulative on that he is, he decided to answer with a lie.

"I love you, Narcissa."

After he uttered these words, Narcissa gave him everything he desired. Her clothes were torn from her body and strewn on the floor beside his as he hungrily took her virginity. Their bodies were tangled around one another as she cried out in pain and pleasure, his thrusts and her bucking creating an entire new level of intimacy for them. Her nails dug into his back as he continued to thrust inside her and tears fell down her face. He hadn't cared about how she felt during the sex; only that he satisfied his need. Once Narcissa had been used, once Lucius had finished taking his horniness out on her, he pulled away from her and put his clothes on. He left her on the couch and moved towards the doorway, "Goodbye, Cissa."

Lucius moved silently down the hallway, thinking of what he had done to Narcissa. She had avoided him ever since he had taken advantage of her and Barty Crouch, Jr. informed him that Narcissa had gone crying to Bellatrix.

"Barty, she consented." Lucius said, sternly, as they walked to the Potions classroom.

"Doesn't matter, she's still upset about it either way. Maybe you're bad in the sack!" Barty joked, waggling his eyebrows as his tongue flicked from his mouth in a frenzy.

Lucius' only response was a laugh. Him, bad in the sack? Please. He shoved Barty playfully away and continued their stroll down to the Potions room. He thought back to what Barty said and then looked back upon the sounds Narcissa had made, "No, I'm definitely not bad in the sack…" he mumbled to himself, gazing off towards some of the portraits, "Barty."

"Yeah, mate?"

"You ever, you know, get with girls from other Houses?" Lucius whispered, nudging him. Barty was younger, of course, but he happened to get around like a manwhore. A bigger manwhore than Lucius, at this age anyway.

"Only if they're easy. Why?"

"Nevermind." Lucius shouldn't have asked anything. Barty only used people when he was bored and he never actually had feelings for people. Why did he even bother intruding? Lucius was shoved by Barty and he laughed as they neared the doors for the classroom, "We're a bit early, don't you think?"

"Who cares?" Barty yawned and leaned against the wall.

A class began to file out of the room and Lucius jumped to the side to be next to Barty, but closest to the door. He nudged him a few times and pointed to some of the girls, whispering comments into his ear.

"These are things that will get you shot by Bellatrix, mate. You don't date her sister and fuck around!" Barty chuckled, elbowing Lucius in the stomach. Lucius lunged forward, his left arm clutching his gut while his right clung to the wall. He gasped for air and stepped out in front of the doorway, not checking to see if anyone was still coming. With his luck, a person ran straight into him and vials fell crashing to the floor.

"You've got to be kidding me."

That voice. Lucius' breath hitched momentarily and he looked down to see shattered glass from Dorcas' potion vials, "Sorry, Gryffindor!"

Dorcas gathered the glass quickly with a wave of her wand and shuffled it all inside a small coin purse. Her hand grazed Lucius' when he knelt down to try and assist her, and something lurched in her throat, "Back off, Lucius."

"Or what, Dorky?" Lucius teased, extending a finger to twirl a strand of her hair. She shoved him off his balance and he fell backwards onto his bum. He glared up at her as she stood up straight and brushed the dirt off her skirt, "What the hell!"

"You have no right to call me Dorky. " she replied, smug, and she tossed her hair over her shoulder, "You aren't forgiven either, in case you were wondering."

"I wasn't," Lucius muttered, rubbing the back of his neck, "Bloodtraitor bitch."

The crowd fell silent and Dorcas clung onto her schoolbag, glancing between Lucius and Barty. They were the only two Slytherins to arrive for their Potions class early. This meant it probably wasn't a good time to go around and insult a giant class from Gryffindor, "What did you call me?" she growled, her nails digging into the side of her bag.

Lucius brought himself to his feet and glowered down at her before he shoved her against the wall, holding her in place with his knee, "I called you a 'bloodtraitor bitch'," he hissed into her ear, trailing a finger down her arm. Dorcas squirmed and pushed her fists into his chest, struggling to push him away. Her cheeks turned red combined with humiliation and the nervousness that increased whenever Lucius came closer to her. His touch sent sparks through her nervous system and it only fueled the need to get him off her.

"Fuck you, Malfoy."

"Someone's getting feisty," Lucius purred into her ear and laughed along with the crowd, "Your classmates like when you get feisty, Dorky….but then again, so do I."

That's when Dorcas completely lost control. The only way to get him off her was to –

Lucius couldn't believe that she had done it. How could she have done it? Why did she have to do it then? In front of all those people? It was completely and utterly embarrassing.

Bellatrix was going to kill him. He would be dead before morning. Technically, though, it had been Dorcas who pressed her perfect, soft lips on his and pulled him to her. It had been Dorcas who tangled her fingers in his hair and kissed him, long and hard, on the mouth until Lucius flipped and shoved her back against the wall. He took off running down the hallway, ignoring the fact that he had the next class in that room. He ran to the Hospital Wing and demanded cleaning of his tongue because he couldn't bear death by Bellatrix Black, no matter how spectacular a kiss may be.

"Dorcas, you kissed Lucius Malfoy," Alice whispered, curled up at the foot of Dorcas' bed.

"I know…." Dorcas replied, flipping through the pages of a fashion magazine.

"Don't you think Benjy will find out about it? Don't you think he'll care?" Alice threw her hands up in the air and fell back on the bed, looking up at their ceiling, "Benjy likes you, Dorky. Hell, he may even love you judging by the way he looks at you."

Dorcas looked up from her magazine, slowly bringing the covers back to their original meeting place, "I didn't kiss Lucius because I like him, Al. I kissed him to get him off me. You saw what was going on, there was no other way. Malfoy's a persistent wanker."

"Yeah, I may have seen it, but Benjy didn't! He's a Ravenclaw and he totally wasn't there during that class. He's going to flip," Alice stated, tossing an empty candy wrapper at her, "Gonna talk to him at dinner?"

Dorcas thought about it. If she didn't, he'd hear about it through the grapevine, no doubt. She bit down on her lower lip and sighed, "Don't think I have any other option, so, yes."

Dinner came quickly. Dorcas walked into the Great Hall beside Dorcas and glanced around the room for Benjy. Benjy Fenwick was a good-looking guy with his wits about him, hence the Ravenclaw House. He and Dorcas had met on the first Hogsmeade trip and he had taken her each time since. During Quidditch games, since Dorcas had not yet made the team, they snuck down under the bleachers and snogged for the entirety of the game. Benjy was one year older, fourteen, and he had tried to push her further, but she hadn't let him. Dorcas was protective of herself and was certain that she didn't love Benjy. She wouldn't give herself away unless it was someone she truly loved. His tousled brown hair and simple blue eyes helped him stand out amongst the others quite well….though not as well as some people she had kissed. She walked down the aisle until she found him, tapping him lightly on the shoulder, "Benjy – we…"

He interrupted her by standing up, wrapping his around her narrow waist, and kissed her roughly on the mouth. Dorcas' hands fumbled on his arms as she pushed him off of her and looked around at the fellow students who were now feasting on the drama brewing. The Professors' eyes were burning into her back and she took a deep breath.

"Benjy, I kissed Lu-"

"I know, Dorcas…please don't make this any worse than it has to be." Benjy confessed, his arm slipping around her waist once more, "I know it's not your fault."

"Well, it is, actually. I kissed him. I thought you'd be angry about it." Dorcas replied, wondering how a boy could not be angry at his girlfriend kissing another boy. He was either barking mad or obsessed with the girl.

"Oh, Dorcas," Benjy waved his hand in the air, his voice giving off the air of 'I'm-more-mature' as he picked up his goblet of pumpkin juice, "I know you only did it as an act of defense. Of course, I was angry at first, but I can't be angry if you'd have been violated otherwise, can I?"

Dorcas stared at him as if he checked in to St. Mungo's permanent ward, "I've suddenly realized I'm not that hungry. See you in the morn, Ben," she said with a smile and kissed him on the cheek. She flashed Alice a look and grabbed her hand, dragging her straight back up to the dormitory. They could feed themselves on the snacks in the dormitory because there was no time for dinner.

Lucius watched as Dorcas and Benjy stood in the middle of one of the aisleways. His head tilted to the right when Benjy kissed her, for he had hoped there would be a conflict of some sort. He bit into his roll when it didn't and pulled Narcissa close to him.

"I heard you kissed a Gryffindor girl today, Lucius." Bellatrix's voice sounded like it was holding back fury.

"I kissed no one, Bella. A girl kissed me." Lucius turned his head to the side and grinned, "Ask our good friend, Barty, and he'll confirm."

Bellatrix's black hair spun wildly around her head as she turned to see Barty. Barty, the gangly nerd of the bunch, jumped back and his tongue slithered out of his mouth in one quick flick before falling right back in, "Barty?"

"Yes, she kissed him, Bella. Not the other way around." Barty gulped and glared in Lucius direction. He definitely owed him one.

Bellatrix's hands gripped Lucius shoulders, but Lucius did not freeze or tense up. He simply relaxed in her grasp and continued to eat his dinner. This only infuriated Bellatrix more and she brought her head down next to Lucius' ear, "If you hurt my baby sister, Lucius Malfoy, I will rip your precious baby makers apart. Do you hear me?"

Lucius turned to glare at Bellatrix as he stood up from the table, "I'm finished. Why don't you have a seat, Bella?" He then shoved past her and left. He had no intention of hurting Narcissa, for she was the perfect bride to guarantee his inheritance. Why on earth would he ever mess that up?

It was the first Hogsmeade trip of Dorcas' fourth year and it was unusually placed in the fall and not the weekend before winter vacation. It was of no matter to her as she dressed herself in jeans with an off the shoulder vintage sweatshirt. Her mother had taught her well in how to dress like a Muggle and she took pride in it. She wore her long red hair in a low, side braid with a headband holding back the small wisps of hair that obscured her view. Everything seemed to be alright as Alice busted the windows open and shot her upper body out into the crisp, autumn breeze.

"Alice, are you ready to go?" Dorcas asked, wrapping a scarlet scarf around her neck and smiling in Alice's direction. Alice pulled back away from the window, her hair tousled about her head, and sent back a toothy grin.

"I was born ready, Dorky!" she said in an overly jolly voice, grabbing hold of Dorcas' arm and tugging her out of the dorm room. They entered the common room later than everyone else, she assumed, for Lily Evans was sitting in her regular armchair being pestered by one Mr. James Potter. Dorcas laughed and leaned on the arm of Lily's chair, flicking Potter on the nose.

"Why don't you run along, Potty? Lily's on a date with Kingsley this afternoon." Dorcas smirked at the frown that appeared on his face, taking the opportunity to glance at Potter's friends: Sirius, Remus, and a round-faced, pudgy Peter, "Your friends are waiting for you. Go on."

Potter shot her a cruel look, "Stop thinking you're all that, Dorky. You're – You're.."

"I'm what?" Dorcas folded her arms and glared at him. He always lost the ability to speak around Lily and she was taking full advantage of that. He scampered off towards his friends and Alice hooted with laughter.

"Thanks for that, Dorcas." Lily muttered, setting the book she had been reading aside and giving Dorcas the notice she so deserved, "I owe you one."

"No, you don't!" Alice piped up, her head appearing over Dorcas' left shoulder, "She doesn't need your books!"

"That wasn't what I – oh, nevermind…" Lily propped her book back open on her lap and returned to her habit of ignoring everyone else in the room. It was obvious that this would not cease until Kingsley entered and flew away with her.

Dorcas and Alice left the common room as quickly as they had appeared in it. They waved goodbye to the Fat Lady and strolled down the stairwell, not stopping for anything. Alice continued babbling about their inventory and how they should stock up on more Acid Pops from Honeyduke's and, maybe, some more dungbombs from Zonko's. Dorcas nodded as if she were listening, but she hadn't been quite so interested in pranking this year. Her mind wandered off to the Slytherin male that she had only encountered once every blue moon. Lucius Malfoy. Since he was two years older, they never had any classes together or saw one another unless it was within the Great Hall's walls. The problem was, they were both in relationships and after she had kissed him, they were both on the rocks. He also was an egotistical, sexist pig that didn't deserve any of her attention.

"Dorcas, are you listening to me?" Alice whined, jumping on her best friend's back, "This is clearly not number one in your mind when it should be!"

Dorcas held onto her friend's legs as they wrapped around hips for support during this awkward piggyback ride. A nonconsensual piggyback ride, "I'm listening, I promise! Short on dungbombs and Acid Pops. Need the dungbombs for the Marauders and the Acid Pops for the Slytherins. I hear you, I hear you."

"Had me worried there for a second. Thought you might be daydreaming about Benjy." Alice hopped off her back and elbowed Dorcas' side, winking, "I know he gets you all steamy…"

"He does not! You're completely insane! May I remind you of your obsession with one named Sirius Black?" Dorcas teased, sticking her tongue out. Alice instantly turned bright red and shoved her into the opposite wall of the hallway.

"Shut up! Not so loud. I swear, I'm not afraid to kill you, Dorcas!" Alice whispered, horrified, and then took off down the hall to the entrance of the school.

There stood Mr. Argus Filch, the caretaker, ready to escort the students to Hogsmeade. Dorcas chased after Alice, all the while laughing her arse off, and only came to a halt when her front met Alice's back.

"OW! Dorcas!" Alice shrieked, causing a bunch of the older students to turn 'round and have a look.

"Sorry, Al, lost track of how fast I was going…" Dorcas bit her lip and maintained her position, staring at Filch and hoping they'd be leaving soon. She yelped when she felt a hand on the small of her back, knowing it couldn't be Alice since she was in front.

"Did I scare you?" Benjy's words were slurred. His friends had to have convinced him to have some firewhiskey before leaving the common room. His arms wrapped around Dorcas' waist and he placed small kisses on her neck, "I didn't mean to, I promise, love."

"Benjy, we're in public, please get off me." Dorcas elbowed him the stomach and laughed silently to herself when he recoiled, glaring at her.

"I thought we could go to Madame Puddifoot's, but seeing your mood…maybe we shouldn't." Benjy tried to stand up straight, as if he were trying to show true leadership qualities, but stumbled over his own feet.

Dorcas was now extremely concerned. She didn't want Benjy to receive any trouble because his friends were stupid and couldn't make the right decisions when it came to alcohol. Her hand found Benjy's and she laced their fingers, leaning forward and kissing him once on the lips, "Madame Puddifoot's sounds fine. I'll be good, I promise!"

Alice rolled her eyes and grabbed Dorcas' arm, pulling her away, "We have a few things to do first, Benjy, but you will have her by four. Alright?"

"Alright," Benjy said, even though he wasn't quite all there. His fingers were moving across his own lips and he watched Dorcas, purely fascinated. Alice and Dorcas giggled at once and sped off after Filch, hoping to lose him.

It was quite the walk to Hogsmeade, but once they arrived their legs didn't feel as sore as you'd think. Dorcas clung to Alice as they stormed into Zonko's, admiring all the new products that were all too expensive for the daughter of Charles Meadowes and Alice wasn't quite the richest pureblood on the planet, so, they stood and watched other Hogwarts students buy these amazing items from a distance. They clasped one another's hands tightly as their bright eyes widened with a desire for these goods. Sirius Black gripped one of the overpriced new goods and flashed Dorcas and Alice a menacing smile.

"Looks like you two won't be getting the updated goods this year, eh?" he said, tossing one of the newer versions of the dungbomb into the air. He caught it in his left hand and rolled it in his palm, checking for anything that could cause it to malfunction. Alice's cheeks puffed outwards, as they normally did with Sirius' teasing, but they now had a hint of pink along the apples. Dorcas couldn't help laughing and she gave her friend the support she needed.

"Black, we don't need updated goods. We're plenty creative with what we already use! Why upgrade?" Dorcas adjusted her headband as Alice continued to cling onto her arm, whispering things to herself. She could only hear a few of the words that were uttered and they ranged from "so stupid" to "need to stop liking him."

"Someone's touchy. Upgrading means you can do upgraded pranks, Dorcas. You two should give up and go back to womanly things. Like….cooking." Sirius received plenty of laughs from his gang that remained behind him. They weren't any threat to Dorcas.

"I'm sorry, what females do you know that cook? I'm pretty sure you probably have house elves do it for you all the time." Dorcas' lips twisted into a smirk and she tugged her arm out of Alice's grasp in order to cross it with the other, "No offense. I know how you – "

Sirius' face had contorted into something that Dorcas had never seen. His hands were clenched tightly into fists and she could hear his teeth grinding. Two of his Marauder friends, Remus and James, lunged forward and grabbed his shoulders.

"You…YOU. DON'T. KNOW. THE. FIRST. THING! ABOUT. MY. FAMILY!" He cursed underneath his breath and tried to attack Dorcas. She took a step back, frightened, and looked towards Alice for help. Alice couldn't think of anything to say and continued watching the scene unfold. Sirius was about ready to murder or send someone into a new dimension with usage of his fist. When Remus and James couldn't hold him back any longer, he tackled Dorcas to the floor and held his fist high in the air, ready to have it collide with her face.

"Black, didn't anyone tell you it's wrong to hit a female?"

Dorcas looked up from her position on the floor, her headband had flown off her head and was two feet away from her. Odd, she thought, but shrugged it off and struggled to see who it could be. The voice sounded oddly familiar and her palms thrust themselves against Sirius' chest, trying to shove him off her. Sirius had paused only for a moment, but he knew not to miss a beat. He pinned her hands above her head and glared over at the man who had spoken to him, teeth bared.

"Fuck off, Malfoy."

Dorcas froze in her spot on the ground and tilted her neck back slightly to see Alice. Why did she always have to meet Lucius Malfoy in the oddest of places? The platform. Late night stroll. The Potions room. Everything seemed to backfire on her when it came to meeting Lucius Malfoy. As she swam about in her many thoughts, Alice could be heard babbling off to the store owners and, apparently, she had struggled many times to pry Sirius Black off of Dorcas only to be shoved backwards into many displays.

Lucius footsteps were slow and steady as he grabbed Sirius Black by the arm and tugged him off of Dorcas in one fell swoop. He pushed him back towards his friends, who watched him with envy, and extended a hand down to help Dorcas back on her feet. Dorcas felt the heat rise into her cheeks as her hand slid perfectly into Lucius' and she moved onto her feet with no trouble at all.

"Are you alright, Gryffindor?" he asked, not showing the least bit of concern, but at least he was trying to sound like it. The Slytherins behind him laughed and Narcissa cooed into his ear, pulling his hand away from Dorcas'.

"She's fine, Lucius. Well, I mean, her health is fine. I don't know if I could say the same about her clothes…" Narcissa ran a hand through Lucius hair and left a long, tantalizing kiss on his cheek all the while her eyes on Dorcas. Dorcas could almost feel the steam buzzing out her ears after hearing Narcissa insult her clothing. How could Slytherins be so unbelievably cruel? She shoved past them, dragging Alice by the hand, and ran out of the store. The bells of the door clanged behind her and her arms fell to her sides. Why was she upset by this? After all, she had Benjy and Benjy loved her and Slytherins were pathetic, ignorant fools anyway. Quickly, she turned on her heel and glared at Alice.

"I'm going to find Benjy and go to Madame Puddifoot's. I'll see you."

Dorcas wandered alone for awhile, waiting until the clock struck four. She had told Alice she would look for Benjy, but that wasn't her intention. She wanted to be alone. The Shrieking Shack, recently named due to the cries that came from within in the pitch darkness of night, seemed vacant enough. Small animals ran into the trees that rested behind the hill, scampering away from Dorcas as she wandered over to the fence. Her fingers wrapped themselves around the metal, gazing at the torn, worn down shack.

"Does it remind you of yourself, Gryffindor?"

Dorcas' heart leaped from her chest and caught in her throat. The thudding in her ears pounded as she quickly turned around to see Lucius Malfoy.

"W-what do you mean?" she stammered, her eyes darting from the path downward to the town and over to the trees. There wasn't any escape from him considering his position right next to the only real exit. Dorcas swallowed, trying to moisten her now dry throat, "It's a shack, Lucius."

"I'm asking if it's impoverished appearance reminds you of yourself. I noted the fact that you aren't wearing…" Lucius moved towards her and pulled a loose thread off her sweatshirt, staring into her eyes the entire time, "…the fanciest of clothes. Dorcas, you don't have much, do you?"

Dorcas tugged her arm away, pushing past him. She checked the time on her watch before stowing it away in her pocket. 3:45. She had only fifteen minutes to meet up with Benjy at Madame Puddifoot's, "I'm proud of where I come from, Malfoy!" she sneered, brushing the whisps of her hair out of her face. How could she have left her headband in Zonko's? She was an absolute mess.

"What's wrong, Dorcas? Trying to impress me?" Lucius' lips spread into a devious smirk and he took another step towards her, "I do like when you try…"

Dorcas couldn't take him anymore. He went around and had Narcissa around his arm, but then he tried to do this. Tried to make Dorcas fall for his idiotic charm. She wouldn't let herself be fooled; not this time. She raced forward before she could stop herself and brought her hand back. Lucius watched her in horror, his eyes large with sudden fear, as her palm met his cheek. The loud crack interrupted the silence of the wilderness around them. The birds fluttered their wings in the distance as they took flight, startled by the loud slap. Lucius was enraged. His hand grabbed Dorcas wrist tightly and he slammed her frail frame against the fence, "You're a tease, Dorcas. A stupid little tease."

Dorcas fought against him; kicking and biting him, trying anything to get him off her. His arms pinned her against the metal, fragments of metal breaking through the sweatshirt and scraping against her skin.

"LUCIUS!" Another male had entered the scene, his brown tousled hair waving in the wind. Lucius' lips curled back, seething with anger. He threw Dorcas against the fence and walked towards Benjy, who was, of course, trying to act like the hero. He drew his wand and pointed it at Lucius.

"We duel, asshole!" Benjy yelled, with the tiniest hint of a squeak in his voice. Dorcas was flattered that he was going to fight for her honor, but wasn't reassured.

"Benjy, your girl isn't worth it."

The look on Benjy's face caused Dorcas' heart to fall out to pieces. Or was that because of what Lucius had said? She didn't have time to figure it out because Lucius was gone and Benjy had already came over to hold her and walk her down to the town. He held her tightly to his side and kissed her along her neck and collarbone, whispering to her that she was safe and that she'd be alright.

Lucius sat in the darkness of the Slytherin Common Room, exiled to the dungeons. Narcissa had gone up to her dormitory for a sleepover with her friends, leaving him alone for the night. He leaned back on the leather couch and stared down at the scrolls laid out on the table. His decent calligraphy spread across every page rambling about the multiple potions that cause sleep or drowsiness. He, honestly, didn't need to turn it until the week after seeing as Professor Slughorn did not care if the Slytherins were behind with their work, but since Narcissa could not satisfy the undying want that burned inside him and his 'friends' were out trying to get back at the Gryffindors for their tiresome pranks, he decided to attempt. He tossed the quill on the table beside his feet of parchment and put his head in his hands, his mind drifting off to the fourteen year old Dorcas Meadowes. What did she see in Benjy Fenwick, the fifteen year old, know-it-all Ravenclaw? This question and many others racked his brain night after night, day after day, whenever he let his mind wander off. That question, along with the many that dealt with the texture of her lips and the warmth of her skin under his fingers, constantly appeared in his mind despite his attempts to block them. Dorcas was a stupid, blood traitor Gryffindor. Without a doubt, she would join forces with Aurors or the weak Ministry. She would become a nothing, a low piece of nothing, whereas he would marry Narcissa Black and own the Malfoy Manor. He would inherit his father's wealth and riches, become a high noble in the Ministry, in society, in everyday life. His life had been mapped out since the day he was born and he had devoted himself to following it.

A noise of ruffling by one of the dormitory entrances brought him back to his senses. The fire in the fireplace had dimmed down and left the room poor quality to get any work done. The few who had been staying in the room, with their whispers of nothing, had fled the room at the sound. Lucius lifted his head from his hands and turned to face whatever had entered the room.

"Narcissa…didn't you have a sleepover, love?" Lucius asked, rubbing his hand over the seat beside him. He studied her figure carefully, his eyes resting on the key essentials that his family had taught him to look out for. Her perfect face, her luxurious blonde hair, her perfect curves that caused tremors to soar through his veins when they collided with his flesh. He held out his hand for her to take, watching as it fit into his as she sat herself beside him. His arm wrapped around her waist and he brought his lips to the soft bud of her neck, kissing and sucking gently, "What happened?" he breathed out, the warmth beating on her skin.

Narcissa tilted her head back, falling under Lucius' spell as he had expected, "I only – " she paused to gasp, her hand clutching his tightly, "I only came because…Bellatrix…she needs to speak to you."

Lucius frowned and pulled away from his beautiful Narcissa. He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it gently. That wasn't what he had expected or hoped for in the slightest. He sighed, lifting himself unwillingly off the couch, "I will go see her then. Where is she?" He brought his hand down to stroke her soft cheeks, smiling down at her.

Narcissa smiled back, sending a wave of guilt into Lucius. No. He mustn't feel guilty. He wasn't weak. She was his, and his alone, "She's down in the Room of Requirement."

"Thank you, Cissa," he whispered, kissing her once on the forehead. He turned to leave, picking up his robes and draping them over his shoulders.

"Lucius?" her voice echoed in the room, no matter how small it had been. He paused at the exit to the common room and merely tilted his head to the side for a second.

"What?" he said, harshly, wanting to run to Bellatrix and find out what she wanted as soon as possible.

"I…I love you."

Lucius froze. Could he lie again? Could he make that mistake and lie to Narcissa again, forcing her to believe what was obviously not true? He closed his eyes and clung onto the wall, breathing deeply. Instead of giving Narcissa an answer…

He left.

The walk to the Room of the Requirement took awhile for Lucius wasn't keen on getting there on time. If Bellatrix wanted to ruin his night, then he would make her wait as long as humanly possible. He wandered the corridors, receiving shouts from the paintings about being out past curfew and to 'put his light out!', but it didn't matter to him. He was Lucius Malfoy and they knew not to anger someone from a family of such nobility. He sighed when he realized it would be time to head back to the Room of Requirement, when he realized it was time to acknowledge the task at hand. He thought of Narcissa in her skimpy pajamas waiting up for him in the common room. Sitting on the couch, ready to do anything for him. Possibly die for him. The faster he and Bellatrix had their conversation, the faster he could get back up to the room and ravish his future wife. He ran down the hallways and pushed through the necessary doors, panting by the time he arrived at the Come and Go room. The door was large and exquisite, staring down at him as if it had been waiting for days and was sufficiently angered to the point where it may crush him. He swallowed his pride, for there was no time to argue with Bellatrix, and gripped the door handles. He pushed the doors open and walked into the room shrouded in darkness.

"Bellatrix?" he called out, coughing from the dust that filtered throughout the room. What could she have possibly wanted, a poor man's hut?

"So, thought you could keep me waiting, did you? Awfully rude, Malfoy." Bellatrix laughed, menacingly, and her wand lit up instantly. She twirled it in both hands, a twisted smirk upon her face as she watched Lucius in amusement, "Tell me, Lucius, why do you think you're here?"

The honest answer that Lucius' usually snarky self would give was: Because you're a crazy person who needs to be checked into the permanent ward at St. Mungo's.

Instead, he said:

"I have no idea, Bellatrix…" He stared around the room, piles of books surrounding them. There was a large cabinet in one area and many birdcages and random things strewn over the floor, "Why did you summon me here?" He yawned, smearing a hand over his face. This wasn't what he had in mind: a guessing game. Why couldn't Bellatrix Black be straight up with him?

"You're here because we're sixteen years old and have one year left at this school."

"What in Merlin's name are you talking about?"

Bellatrix rolled her eyes and used her wand to twirl a strand of curly black hair, "Lord Voldemort, as you've potentially heard about….he's recruiting, Lucius."

His parents had warned him about this day. Had told him that if he was asked to become a member of the Death Eaters that he was required to accept if he wanted to remain part of the family. He swallowed, looking around the room without pausing. He hadn't expected it to come so quickly.

"Aw, look at wittle Lucius. Didn't expect it come so soon? Poor baby," Bellatrix teased. She extended her hand and cupped it under his chin, sticking her tongue out between her teeth, "Don't you realize what glory he'll bring?" She let go of his face and the palm of her hand rested on his chest, moving to his shoulder as she walked around him. She paused when she stood exactly behind him and leaned over his left shoulder, whispering in his ear, "What do you say, Malfoy?"