The minute Lily entered her bedroom, she burst into tears. Glad that she had her own room, she crumpled into a ball on her bed. She didn't move until morning.
"They actually…broke up?" Peter asked; completely dumbfounded. The three Marauders who still lived in Gryffindor tower were sitting in the common room; Dorcas at Sirius' side. They had their Charms notes spread out on the table in front of them, but they had studied for about five minutes before Sirius had brought up James and Lily's split.
"Yeah," Sirius nodded gravely. "James is bloody devastated."
"Well, wouldn't you be?" Remus rested his chin on his fist. "He spends three years trying to get her and then he finally does. Then, suddenly, bam! It's over; just like that."
Dorcas was looking to the side; her crossed arms resting on the table. Sirius looked over at her.
"What do you say, Dorcas?" he asked.
She looked at him as if he had torn her from some sort of thought. "I understand Lily," she said quietly.
"What do you mean?" he asked; feeling a little betrayed.
"I mean," she took a breath; looking down and uncrossing her arms. "She doesn't want to be there to watch someone she cares about get hurt." She intertwined her fingers; watching them intently. "She's afraid of what it might do to her. She's scared."
Sirius reacted by dropping his arms and pursing his lips in thought.
"Will you talk to her, Dorcas?" Remus asked. "James is truly unbearable and she won't listen to me."
Smiling sadly at Sirius, she nodded.
"I know how you feel Lily," Dorcas said in the middle of Potions one day. "I don't blame you."
"Did he ask you to talk to me?" she scowled, dumping salamander eggs into her cauldron.
"No," Dorcas said.
"If you understand, then why didn't you drop Sirius right away?" Lily was quickly working herself into a tizzy.
Dorcas shrugged; turning back to her potion.
"And you think that I need James Potter, is that it?" Lily spat, "I don't need him. I don't need anyone. I can take care of myself."
"And I can't?" Dorcas asked; not looking at her. "I'm even better at being independent than you Lily. I don't need Sirius to survive. I just…It's a lot easier with him around."
Lily was taken aback. "You really care about him, don't you?"
Dorcas was suddenly very interested in her potion.
Lily smiled slightly; placing a hand on her shoulder. "You do."
Dorcas turned her head back to Lily. "Make up with James."
Lily dropped her hand and shook her head. "No. If you can handle an idiot who doesn't care about his own well-being, let alone anyone else's, then I'm happy for you. But I can't. I don't want to spend all my time worrying about whether or not he's going to be ok."
"Aren't you doing that anyway?"
Lily turned back to her potion very quickly. "I am not making up with him."
"Why don't you talk to her, James?" Remus asked. The Marauders were all sitting in the Gryffindor common room like old times.
"I've tried," he sighed; a hand brushing through his hair. "She won't listen to me."
He had a horribly melancholy aura around him. Even his recent Quidditch victory over the Hufflepuffs didn't cheer him up.
"Why don't you just give up on the pranks," he continued. "Without the map, it's not like we can do a whole lot anyway."
James rubbed his forehead. "Why does she have to make me promise that. I mean, that's what we've always done."
"She's just worried," Sirius said. Remus glanced at him; a little surprised at this comment.
"I know," James sighed. "But she doesn't need to be. I'll be fine. I'm not a complete idiot."
"You did get yourself in quite a mess," Remus shrugged; turning back to James. "What would you do if she did that?"
"I wouldn't break up with her," he frowned; crossing his arms and leaning back as he let out a lot of air.
"Dorcas reckons that Lily's terrified of what being close to someone who does rather stupid things could do to her," Sirius said.
"Dorcas would know about that," Remus said flatly. Sirius gave him a rather annoyed look.
"Do you think you'll get back together?" Peter asked.
"I don't know, Wormtail," James took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. "Merlin, I hope so."
The month of November was fraught with attack after attack. The question on everyone's mind as they read The Daily Prophet each morning was not if there had been an attack, but who had been attacked. Clementine Cauldwell had lost a brother, Bertram Aubrey had three uncles at St. Mungo's, Colin Quirke had been orphaned. Stephen Madley's aunt had been put under the Imperius curse and attempted to kill his mother. Eric Whitby's cousin had suffered under the Cruciatus Curse.
"Alright?" Sirius asked, as he stroked Dorcas' hair where she lay next to him on his bed. She smiled at him and he kissed her on the forehead. "So, someone has a birthday coming up."
"Yes, someone does," she chuckled a little.
"How do you feel about a party?" he smirked.
"I think we all could use a party," she said.
"Honestly," he exhaled, lying back down. "Any luck with Evans."
"No," she said simply.
"Right," Sirius said, but his mind was occupied elsewhere. "Dorcas…do …do I scare you?"
She took a deep breath and then sighed. "You bloody terrify me."
"Look," he said, propping himself back up on his side. "I'll be more careful, I promise. James and I know what we're doing…most of the time."
"I know you can take care of yourself." She smiled her half-smile and rolled over to her side. "That's not what scares me." Then she took his face in her hands, and kissed him. "I'll see you in the morning."
"But Dor…"
"I'll see you in the morning, Sirius."
Dorcas' 18th birthday was on November 30th, which very conveniently fell on a Friday. She and Sirius had planned a big party in the Gryffindor common room. Her birthday was only the excuse they used; really they just wanted to cheer everyone up.
Sirius had gotten Remus and Peter to help him decorate the common room with all sorts of "Happy Birthday Dorcas!" and "Congratulations on Reaching Muggle Drinking Age" banners. There was even one rather ridiculous one that said "Joyeux Aniversaire, la copine de Sirius Black" and was decorated with various glamour shots of Sirius. That one was a surprise.
"Don't think that's a little over-the-top?" Remus asked.
"I think it's funny," Peter laughed.
"She'll love it," Sirius said; smirking. "It does have pictures of me all over it."
"Yeah, but you look like a total prat," Remus laughed.
"Peter," Sirius asked the short boy. "Do I look like a prat?"
Peter looked suspicious. "Um…no?"
Sirius stuck his chin in the air. "I never look like a prat. I always look like a gorgeous hunk of man and every bird always wants to shag me. I must have been created by some amazing alchemist to satisfy the needs of the female species. I am…"
"Try not to get too drunk tonight."
Sirius turned around to see a smirking Dorcas behind him. She was wearing a blue jumper in some sort of nubbly fabric that Sirius couldn't resist running a hand over. Her hair hung long in its natural dark waves to her chest.
"You look nice," he smiled at her.
"Thank you," she rose up on her tiptoes to kiss him. "Remus," she turned to the golden-eyed boy. "Gwendolyn's looking for you."
Remus smiled slightly. "Thanks." He crossed the room to a thin blonde girl and began talking with her. Peter followed him.
"Are they…?" Sirius asked, suddenly very confused.
"No," Dorcas laughed softly and shook her head. "Unlike you, Remus is able to have female friends and not shag them."
"Well what's the point?" Sirius smirked.
Dorcas rolled her eyes.
"Hey," he said; putting his arms on her shoulders and turning her to face the banner. "What do you think? Remus thinks I look like a prat. You don't, do you?"
Dorcas flashed Sirius a half-smile and raised her eyebrows.
"Damn," he said; staring at the poster and tilting his head to get a better look.
James and Lily came up to the party separately. It was stupid really. James left first while Lily hid in her bedroom and ten minutes later, when she was sure she wouldn't run into him, she slipped out.
Entering the Gryffindor common room, she immediately greeted Dorcas; the girls touching both cheeks. She couldn't see James anywhere.
"Happy Birthday!" she had said, trying to sound happy.
"He's upstairs," the taller girl said. "They're getting the firewhiskey."
"Honestly," Lily rolled her eyes. "He's Head Boy. And I wasn't looking for him."
Dorcas raised her eyebrows and Lily scoffed. She walked over to a table where Remus, Gwendolyn, and Peter sat and began talking uninterestedly. James and Sirius came down a few minutes later; each carrying a case of the alcohol. Lily watched as Dorcas showed them where to put it and raised her eyebrows at Sirius when he immediately grabbed a bottle. He shrugged in defiance and then offered the bottle to Dorcas. She didn't take it. James was standing off to the side of the scene and Lily noticed that he was staring at her.
She jerked around; looking away from him. His head dropped.
"O…O..kkk evvreeewooon," an inebriated Sirius had stood up on a table. "I want to wish a v…ver…very happee birrrthday t ..to the mmos. beee ooo tii full girrll heeere." He was bobbing and weaving dangerously. "Dddorrcass." He laughed, "The end of your name sounds like ass," and nearly fell off.
At this point, Dorcas had pulled him down and forced him to sit. He kissed her drunkenly. She, despite herself, smiled. James laughed. Lily rolled her eyes.
Owen Towler stood up over by the fireplace. "I have an announcement to make," he said. He reached for Annabelle, who was sitting next to him. She stood, smiling at him, and wrapped her arms around his middle.
All of the girls suddenly gasped happily.
"Annabelle and I are engaged."
Immediately Gwendolyn burst from the table she was sitting on and ran to her friend; hugging her tightly. Everyone else also moved toward the couple; offering their congratulations.
Sirius brought a bottle of firewhiskey over to Owen. "Hhherre ya go mate," he placed a hand on Owen's shoulder. "Yuuur gonna need it."
Dorcas had rolled her eyes and pushed him along.
When Lily hugged Annabelle, smiling as sincerely as she could, she heard James next to her. She turned her head and saw him shaking Owen's hand. He glanced over at her. They held eyes as Lily continued to hug Annabelle, but then just as quickly, looked away.