Chapter 9:

Our Friend Mr. Rosier

A woman ducked into an alleyway and quickly pulled out an eight-inch, thin stick of wood and pointed it toward herself. Her long, honey colored hair began to shorten and darken to a light brown just at her shoulders. The cloak she wore wrapped around her torso like a cocoon and then morphed into a hooded blue jacket, and strangely enough, she almost appeared to grow an inch taller. She slipped the stick up her left sleeve, counted the potions in her messenger bag—one blood replenishing potion, one poison, an antidote to common poisons, and one of her standard pepper up potions—and took a deep breath. Then, she stepped back out onto the main street. The whole process took just over thirty seconds. Stopping at a shop window, her bright green eyes followed the reflection of a man on the opposite side of the street. He was now going into a little café.

"Odd," Lily said, eyebrows furrowed. She walked briskly across the street, wary of the traffic around her. This whole day, Lily had felt like she had been followed. Perhaps it was because she hadn't been out in a field mission for the Order in a while. Or perhaps it was because she was alone today—Marlene had owled and canceled last minute.

But something felt off.

Edward Knapton seemed perfectly normal. As per his schedule, he came into his office at the Department of Magical Transportation at 8:00am and worked almost without speaking till noon. Then, though cold and distant when they invited him, he went to lunch with his coworkers, listening to their portkey puns with a stiff smile. He left early from lunch though, and Lily had tracked him from Magical London to Muggle London, to this cafe in Covent Garden. And it was in this tracking that Lily started to feel watched. She had changed her appearance three times already; it had nearly made her lose track of him. In the vibrant magical world, he stuck out. Everything about him was grey—his hair, his clothes, his shoes. In the muggle world, this tended to make him blend in. But, whether it was her luck or his design, she always managed to spot him again.

Lily started to turn the corner, when suddenly she was grabbed and pulled back into an alleyway. Her face scraped against rough brick, her wand arm was twisted and pinned behind her back. She couldn't move, she couldn't see who held her.

"Who the hell are you? I know you're a witch, so you can stop the whole muggle act. I've seen you lurking around everywhere today," The voice was female, but rough and raspy. Bellatrix, perhaps? Lily said nothing. The pressure on her back increased, and Lily felt her assailant's hot breath on the back of her neck."I don't have time for this. I can easily use the Cruciatus Curse and be on my way. So start talking." Her wand was ripped out of her crushed fingers. Was one of them broken now? A moment passed as Lily tested wiggling her pointer finger.

Then, she was roughly flipped around, an elbow pressed against her throat, a wand in her face, and Lily closed her eyes. The best thing was to say nothing. Say nothing and die in this alleyway. The Order would realize what happened if she didn't come back. The mission would continue. But Petunia. Maybe Petunia would never know. Maybe one day she'd try to reach out again, and find her gone, just like their parents.

She didn't have a wand, but her hands were free. And her messenger bag was still hanging across her body. If she was careful now, she could maybe reach into the bag and get one of the glass vials without her assailant noticing. She opened her eyes, and inched her right hand to the top of the bag.

"Shit. Lily? Is that you?" Lily kept her face blank, and managed to slip her hand into the bag.

Of course it is, and I'm an effing idiot. It's me, Dorcas."

The woman immediately dropped her wand to the ground and stepped back once she said her name. Her mouth kept moving, but Lily's brain felt like everything was in slow motion. She found a vial in her bag, and pulled it out. She tried to hide it against her side. She didn't dare look down to check what color it was. Whatever it was, it would cause a distraction, and a distraction would give Lily an opportunity.

"...Lily? Are you okay? Did you get hurt? If you don't trust me, you can pick up both of our wands."

The woman didn't look like Dorcas, but then, Lily didn't look much like herself either. Dorcas was a year older than Lily, but this woman seemed to be in her forties, grey streaking through her brown hair. She had bright pink lipstick and a matching purse. She was much shorter than Dorcas's usual towering height. She also lacked Dorcas's no-nonsense ponytail, sharp nose, and dark eyes. Lily didn't move to pick up the wands—what if that too was just a distraction? A way to trick her into admitting to her real identity?

"What muggle movie did you make me come with you to see ten times in the theater?" Lily asked, watching the woman's face for any uncertainty or flicker of emotion.

"Monty Python and the Holy Grail," She answered grinning, showing one canine longer than the rest—and then Lily could see Dorcas peeking out of her disguise. She took a deep shaking breath and leaned back on the grimy wall.

" What are you doing here, Dorrie?"

"What're you?"

"I'm following Edward Knapton—picking up with what Frank, Alice and Moody were working on. What gave me away?" asked Lily.

"You forgot to transfigure your eyes, you troll," said Dorcas, smirking.

"Were you really going to use an Unforgivable on me?"

"Were you really going to splash some potion at me? I'm not blind you know—I saw what was in your hand. What were you thinking?"

"You didn't answer my question. Either of them."

"Well, I don't think we really have time for that, do we? Grab your wand, straighten your clothes, and let's go. We can't lose Knapton now, especially after all this." Dorcas grabbed Lily's wrist, pulled her out of the alleyway, and looped their arms together. "Now we won't look so weird. Let's pretend I'm your mum." Dorcas said, patting Lily's arm in a motherly way as they walked into the cafe. She nattered on to the waiter about how her lovely daughter was treating her to lunch, and oh—was he single? Lily's nerves were buzzing, and she was having a hard time getting her heart rate to a normal level. But she tried to play along and rolled her eyes exasperatedly at her "mother's" antics. Quickly scanning the room, she looked for Edward Knapton. She spotted him at a back table, near the doors of the kitchen. He wasn't alone. Across Edward Knapton, wearing leather gloves, a cloak fastened tightly around his throat, and a grimace, was Evan Roiser. Lily's stomach lurched. The last time she had saw him, he had successfully cast the Cruciatus Curse on her. She felt self-conscious about her eyes—hers was a face he would recognize. He didn't pass for a muggle as well as Knapton. But maybe that was purposeful.

"How about a booth near the window?"

"Actually, my mother is very sensitive to the sun. She gets such awful rashes sometimes. Could we go to a table in the back, instead?" This time Dorcas rolled her eyes at Lily, but the waiter led them to a table diagonal from Edward Knapton. Lily took a seat with her back to Evan Rosier. Once he left, Dorcas casually dug around in her purse, and cast a muffliato charm.

"Awful rashes?"

"What? You asked him if he was single!"

"That's what mother's do!"

"Well I needed to get us closer to Edward Knapton. Did you see who he is with?"

"Yes—Roiser. Not their usual meeting spot."

"Usual? Have you been keeping tabs on Knapton for a while?."

"Well, not so much Knapton. He's a bit of a small fry. But I have been tracking Roiser. He tends to keep his pureblood hands very clean."

They stopped chatting as their waiter came closer to take their order, fixing on smiles as they ordered some sandwiches.

"How long have you been back in London?"

"Just a week. I'm bloody exhausted; I've been sleeping when I can in the office. It's made me miss our little flat—how is it?"

"It's good! I slept in your bed a couple weeks ago, so it shouldn't be too dusty. I haven't had time to—" Lily stopped as Dorcas suddenly stiffened, her hand going to the purse on the table. Heart racing, Lily pretended to brush her hair off her face, and turned toward the pair several feet away, keenly aware of her own wand's weight pressing on her wrist. She saw Rosier draw a white handkerchief from his pocket. He wiped the rim of his glass slowly, and left it lying on the table as he lifted the water to his lips.

"Jumpy, Dorcas? You nearly gave me a heart attack," The former redhead let out a shallow chuckle as she turned back around. Dorcas rubbed her face tiredly.

"Sorry. I'm a bit trigger-happy. I've been waiting for weeks for him to do something to warrant me casting Avada Kedavra . Oh don't look at me like that. I know what Moody says about Crouch's new policy. Come on, you of all people know how rotten and twisted Evan Roiser is. But, let's change the subject, shall we? I think we look a little too grim for a mother and daughter lunch date," Dorcas said, forcing a smile. She cleared her throat and said: "Tell me, how are my plants?"

"Well—your orchids have decided to stop blooming. The petals are all gone, and they look like sticks. I've kept watering them, like you said, but still, just sticks." Lily let Dorcas change the subject, and tried to get herself to relax into the conversation.

"And my succulent?"

"Remus told me it's gone into hibernation, whatever that means. I've still kept watering it, but it hasn't changed except for looking more droopy."

"Herbology was never really your thing, was it?" Dorcas said, a little nastily.

"I don't think it was ever yours either! I still remember when you came back into the common room one time, reeking of stink sap. Didn't the smell stay with you for at least a month after?" Lily shot back, smiling this time for real.

"The stink sap had nothing to do with my plant tending abilities! Didn't you get detention in Herbology for accidentally setting all of the asphodels on fire and knocking everyone out because of it?"

"Not everyone! Just the people who couldn't get out of the greenhouse in time." At this they both laughed. And even though this conversation was mainly to help them fit in, and Dorcas almost cast the Cruciatus Curse on her, and there were Death Eaters in the table to the right of them, Lily let herself really laugh for a moment. She let herself enjoy the delight of having her friend back.

Dorcas opened her mouth to speak, but a sudden loud clatter and shrill scream caused all conversation to cease. The whole café fell silent and turned to look for the source of the panicked noise. A server had, for some reason, dropped a tray carrying a salad and a bowl of soup on the floor. The server stared at the mess of food in horror, face white, slowly backing away.

"What is it?" Someone asked, his voice carrying through in the silence. The server glanced up in the direction of the person, shook her head, and let out a final wordless shriek before rushing to the kitchen doors. The closest to the food spill eyed it warily. Then, conversation slowly resumed.

"Could that be our friend's work?" Lily asked quietly.

"I-,"

"Get it off me! Get it off me! Get it off me!" A woman, only a table away from theirs stood up suddenly, and began to desperately brush her clothes off.

"Harold! Help me! Get these off me!" She cried at the man seated across from her, who reluctantly stood also. The room fell silent again.

"Can't you see them? They won't get off!" Tears now streamed down her face as she fisted her shirt.

"No, I can't," He stood a foot away from her, hesitant to touch her. She grasped his hand and placed it on the edge of her shirt. "Nothing's there, I feel nothing," He said in a calming tone. Then much softer, "Sit down, your making a scene,"

"But I can feel them!" Lily felt sick at the woman's sheer terror. That was answer enough. This wasn't normal; it was magical. The tip of her wand slipped to the center of her left palm. Biting her lip, she considered her options as she scanned the room. It hadn't looked like either Knapton or Roiser had drawn their wands. They both had eyes on the woman. Roiser was sipping his water glass, watching her like he would a mildly interesting television show. Knapton was completely still, not smiling or smirking, barely breathing. His hands were empty, the one holding a spoon frozen above a bowl. Two muggles had been attacked. Were they being used as a distraction, or was this just the beginning of something bigger? Lily looked at the two men again—she didn't know what was happening, but she was sure one or both of them were causing it. The blasting curse could take them both out in one attempt. Stop whatever this was.

"Lily, wait," She looked back at Dorcas.

"You almost cursed him for drawing out a napkin," She challenged, trying to check her temper.

"Just wait. We don't have evidence yet. If you do something now, our covers are blown, and the mission is blown. Wait," Lily gritted her teeth and slid her wand back up her sleeve to the top of her wrist. Harold dragged his partner away and exited the café. She was still yelling when the door shut.

"Fine, I won't do anything." Dorcas met her stony gaze calmly. Then, a thump and a girlish scream made Lily's nerves snap. She turned around and saw that a man had collapsed onto the floor. His daughter rushing to kneel beside him.

"Da! Oh someone help! I don't know what's wrong," Lily looked back at Dorcas, and this time Dorcas nodded. Lily pushed her way past the crowd quickly forming around the base of a table in the front of a cafe. The girl was crying now.

"It's alright, I'm a doctor," Lily said, as she crouched down next to the girl, placing her hand on her shoulder. "Everyone needs to back up, now," She said firmly, quickly meeting the eyes of those circling them. She nearly jumped, seeing Dorcas at the forefront. She moved to the other side of the girl, passing Lily her messenger bag that she had left at their table.

"Hey, it will be okay, duckie," The girl shifted slightly to Dorcas, who in turn took her small hand and squeezed it. Lily re-focused on the man in front of her. His eyes were only slits of white. A light red foam gurgled from his mouth, dripping down onto the collar of his shirt. His skin was tinged with blue. Seizure. Caused by some type of allergic reaction perhaps? As far as Lily knew, there wasn't a spell that would automatically cause this reaction. Hives were bubbling up his skin, his jerking becoming more violent. Lily breathed out. One step at a time.

"Does your father have any allergies? What did he eat? " Lily fired off the questions at the trembling girl as she loosened the man's tie, and put a jacket underneath his head. Dorcas rubbed the girl's arms comfortingly.

"He's lactose intolerant, I think. He tried a bite of my salad, but was eating the soup. He loves french onion even though it has cheese. He was going to take me shopping later," Her voice cracked at the end.

"What have you eaten?"

"Just-just my salad. What's wrong with him? Is he going to be okay?" Lily didn't answer as she stood up and grabbed the man's soup bowl. There was a hole in the bread and cheese topping, and the soup was dyed blood red underneath, the onions withered black: Poison. She handed the bowl to Dorcas to examine, and then dropped back down to the floor, rummaging around her messenger bag until she found a flask glowing light blue and a syringe. She had to move quickly.

"He's gonna be okay. He's having a seizure right now, and those normally don't last long. I'm going to give him a shot," Lily said as she filled the syringe," and that should help." His shaking had gotten worse, and Lily didn't dare try to restrain his arm to try and find a vein, so she injected him in his shoulder. When it was over, his movements were still erratic, the red foam still puddled on his shirt and the floor, but his skin looked less blue.

"It'll take a bit for the shot to work, but it will work. He will stop seizing. Just stay here, and be with him through it. Don't try to touch him, but try to talk to him." Lily stood up, and the crowd around them all started to clap. She glanced at their faces—looking for Rosier or Knapton. She couldn't see them.

"Mum," Lily called to Dorcas, "Will you stay with those two? I'm going to try and find a phone to call the hospital." Lily started moving through the crowd, searching for the two Death Eaters when suddenly the lights of the café shut off, the windows shattered, and a loud crack split the air. Sounds of confusion, panic, fear overwhelmed the initial silence. Some people around Lily clung to her; others pushed past her, calling for their friends or family. Lily fought her way back through the seething crowd toward Dorcas.

The man had stopped moving. The foam had stopped bubbling up, and now it dripped off his shirt onto the floor. Lily couldn't tell if he was breathing, but she saw his daughter holding his hand, crying. Shards of glass littered the floor around them from the front windows; it looked like Dorcas had cast a shield charm to protect them.

"I tried to find them, but—"

"I know. I heard it too. They're gone." Dorcas said grimly. Lily turned to the man, pressed her fingers against his damp neck, and checked for a pulse.

She started CPR.

A/N: Dorcas returns! This chapter had a ton of edits from the original: mainly with how Dorcas and Lily reunite. Next chapter is going to be a totally new chapter, so it will take a me a little longer between updates, but I am really excited for the new stuff. Thank you to all who have Favorited and Followed!