19
The Blood, the Bleak, and the Black:
Joining the Order of the Phoenix was the right thing to do. Doe knew that. It was one of those things, like becoming an auror, that she knew she had to do, but it took an exceptionally large amount of time.
Moody had not only bogged them down with work at the office but he had taken to calling them into his office at lunch to discuss possible Death Eaters.
All of her time was accounted for now. She spent ridiculous hours at the office and then after had Order Meetings and was so exhausted she fell asleep as soon as she got back.
Everyone else was experiencing the same thing she was. The Order had given them yet another to thing to worry about in addition to their jobs. Lily and Remus had accepted that most of their time together was very quick moments during lunch breaks and before Order meetings.
At work. Moody had Sirius and Doe exclusively going through the Death Eaters again. He wanted them to look for patterns and try to predict any other families he might be after. It was hard work. Voldemort must have some sort of plan, some of these deaths could not be random. They just had to figure out the pattern.
One night, Sirius and Doe had stayed so late trying to figure out the connections between two deaths that they were late to the Order meeting.
They apparated to the Diggle Manor and the door opened, revealing Moody's harsh face blocking the door.
" What was the first thing I said to you at your father's funeral?" Moody asked her, testing her.
This was a common practice at Order meetings. Moody, paranoid that they were either under the influence of the Imperius curse or the use of Polyjuice Potion.
" That anyone who believed in a better place was as thick as Goblin blood" she told him.
Satisfied with her answer, Moody turned to Sirius, " And who did you tell me could be involved with Death Eaters?"
" My brother Regulus" Sirius said unwaveringly.
Doe looked to him, this was new to her. Sirius shook his head letting her know he'd talk about it later.
Moody opened the door wider and let them in. The meeting had already started so Sirius and Doe sat down at the end of the table.
Remus smiled warmly at her from the other side, beside James. Doe winked back at him. Remus grinned.
Sirius rolled his eyes at them.
"... so to catch you two up" Dumbledore said, " the Abbotts have recently done an interview urging the wizarding community to speak out about Lord Voldemort and this had made them significant targets to Voldemort. In effort to protect them, we will be standing guards at their home in Hogsmeade when available and we were trying to hammer down two people to patrol on Saturday night, and it seems we are having difficulty finding someone who is free"
Saturday was Valentine's Day. It was also a full moon, which meant Doe wouldn't be able to spend it with Remus anyway.
" Im free, Dumbledore. I can do it" she told him. From across the table, Moody nodded slightly at her. Obviously happy that his auror was taking the initiative.
He eyed Sirius. Sirius noticed.
" I think Moody would like me to do it also" Sirius said noticing Moody's practically murderous gaze.
" As aurors, they're the most skilled at dueling, Albus, it's a good fit" Moody said.
" Okay so Ms. Meadowes and Mr. Black for Saturday night, you'll take over for Arabella and Deadleus, and should any problems occur, Minerva and I will be at Hogwarts and close enough to come"
Sirius and Doe nodded.
Dumbledore continued talking, " Our next order of business is to inform you all that is suspected that the most prominent Slytherin families have almost entirely pledged their allegiance to Lord Voldemort. Meaning that those including the Malfoy's, Lestrange's, Black's, and the Merlin's will have joined, though they will not admit it. They will most likely be keeping a low profile, but they are spotted doing anything even slightly sinister, report it to us"
The meeting continued for a little longer, discussing some suspicious occurrences and details before they finally dismissed it. It was almost ten.
" So you two can come spring us around six on saturday, okay?" Arabella said to Sirius and Doe on their way out.
" Yes, sounds good" Doe told her.
Arabella smiled. She was quite the old witch. Almost as old as Dumbledore but she was one of the most gifted and talented witches I'd ever met. She could easily duel a Death Eater and win.
Doe left the room and found Remus waiting for her. Lily was staying over at James' tonight, so Remus and Doe were taking advantage of the empty flat so he could stay over.
Both work and the Order had kept them so busy that they saw far too little of each other.
" I'm really sorry that we can't do anything on Valentines day" Remus said quickly when they got back to the apartment, " I really wish we could, I do"
" Remus it's fine. I don't mind, we can do something else the next night" she told him.
He frowned slightly, " I feel as though you are constantly making sacrifices for me and my condition"
" This is not a sacrifice" she told him intently, " and I'm not, you're the one who constantly has to put up with my ridiculous work hours"
" But that's your job" Remus said, " you chose that"
" Exactly!" she told him, " I chose it, and yet you still don't blame me. Why would I blame you for something you didn't choose at all?"
Remus' expression softened, " I don't know"
She walked over and wrapped her arms around him, " I love you, Remus Lupin"
He kissed the top of her head, " I love you too, Doe".
Doe smiled mischievously at him and grabbed his hand, pulling him behind her into the bedroom.
The week passed by quickly. They seemed to do that lately. All of her time was spent trying to combat Death Eaters, it would probably be easier to become one. Before she knew it, it was Saturday and she decided that they were running so low on everything that a trip to Diagon Alley was well worth it, seeing as she'd be spending most of her night in Hogsmeade.
The evidence of Valentine's day was everywhere. All of the muggles she passed on the street were carrying large boxes of chocolate of violent looking stuffed animals.
There was only one person she passed, on an empty street that wasn't carrying anything and it took her a minute to realize who it was.
Severus Snape was walking towards her in the street. Both of them had noticed the other but were both too prideful to turn around or apparate.
" Snape" she said curtly as they passed.
" Dorcas" his tone dripping with anger.
" Here to laugh at the inconveniences of muggle life?" she asked arms crossed.
" Here to join them?" he asked venomously.
Suddenly a thought occurred to her. It was mad. Moody was going to kill her.
She reached for Severus' left arm, sliding up the sleeve of his sweater. She hoped it would be bare.
Severus tried to stop her, but it was too late. She had already seen the black Dark Mark outline on his forearm.
Severus was livid. He grabbed her wrist and shoved her against the nearest wall. Wand pointed at her throat.
" You insolent little nosy blood traitor" he snapped at her. She had never heard him so angry. He prodded his wand harder against her throat, and gripped her wrist so hard she thought he was going to break it. She couldn't reach her wand and she was starting to panic. She really hadn't thought this through.
" I ought to kill you" Snape said dangerously low, " But why should I? When I can allow the Dark Lord the pleasure?"
She didn't have time to react. She did the only thing she could remember from the ridiculously long hours of training. She brought my knee up and kicked Severus between his legs. His grip on her wrist faltered momentarily and his wand shifted off her neck. She instantly disapparrated into the atrium of the Ministry.
She could barely breath, but she started to run. Diving into the nearest elevator and pushing the level two button as hard as she could.
She got several looks from the ministry officials in the elevator.
Aurors almost never came in on the weekends, and she wasn't wearing my robes. She looked like she was still in Hogwarts, dressed in her jeans and sneakers.
The elevator opened again and she ran through Level two, almost bumping into several Magical Law Enforcement officers.
She burst into the Aurors Headquarters office and ran through the line of cubicles, ignoring one of the senior aurors who had asked her what she was doing here on a Saturday.
Knowing Moody would be there, she stopped at his office and knocked on the door.
Moody opened the door quickly, wand drawn.
" Meadowes?" Moody asked taking in her strange appearance. She tucked a piece of her hair behind her hair.
" What are you doing here? What's wrong?" Moody asked quickly.
" I need to talk to you," She said trying to catch her breath, her hands on her knees.
" Why isn't Remus Lupin patrolling with you tonight?" Moody asked testing to see if it was really her.
Doe knew Dumbledore had informed key Order members about Remus' condition, to explain his absences and Moody was one of them.
" It's a full moon" Doe said quietly.
Moody opened the door and let her in. He closed it firmly behind him and locked it.
" Alright Meadowes what is it?" Moody asked.
" Severus Snape is a Death Eater" she said firmly.
Moody raised an eyebrow, " And how do you know this?"
She paused, not sure if telling Moody how she had come across this information was a good idea or not.
In the end she told him what had just happened and she wished she hadn't.
" ARE YOU BARKING MAD!?" he roared, " He could've killed you, Voldemort could have. I'm starting to think you have a death wish, Meadowes"
" I don't know what came over me" Doe told him, " But I got the information, didn't I?"
Moody sat down in the chair behind his desk, " You were bloody stupid about it" he said and then sighed, " But any Death Eater Identification is necessary right now"
" I really hoped he wasn't going to be" Doe said to him.
" There are very few people you should be trusting right now" Moody said sternly, " If you are not positive you can, then don't"
Doe nodded, " I've got to go, I have to meet Sirius soon to patrol, but I figured you would want to know"
Moody nodded, " I did. and how much is it going to take for you to remember Constant Vigilance!"
Doe smiled, " Well if this has taught me anything, it's that"
Moody nodded, " You're doing well here, Meadowes. Keep it up and try not get yourself killed"
" Aye Aye captain" She told him and left his office.
She left the ministry in a much less hurried exit than she had when she got there. She caught the elevator just before it closed. But when she saw who was in it, she wanted to leave immediately.
Nestled between Otto Bagman and the Head of the Department of Mysteries was Rabastan Lestrange.
He grinned widely at her.
" Ah, Doe. You look exceptionally lovely without those charming auror robes, don't you?" he said.
She wanted to say something vicious, but there were other people in the elevator. She looked at him and her eyes traveled to the sleeve covering his left arm.
She knew what was under there.
His gaze followed hers. A smile appeared on his face. They both knew what he was. She turned away from him.
There was nothing she could do here. Only the Order knew about the Dark Marks. Exposing him would prove nothing.
" Women love powerful men, Doe" Rabastan whispered in her ear from behind her.
The door of the elevator opened and she practically jumped out of it and into the atrium. Apparating as soon as she could.
She apparated outside of the door to the Marauder's apartment.
It was almost six. Remus and James had already left for the cottage, but Sirius was waiting for her so they could apparate to Hogsmeade together.
When he answered the door, Sirius was clutching something silvery in his hands. James' invisibility cloak.
" You ready, Meadowes?" Sirius asked from the doorway.
" Yeah" Doe told him.
" Alright Wormtail, I'm leaving be back later" Sirius called inside to Peter and shut the door behind him.
Sirius took Doe's arm and apparated. She hated side-along apparition, But Moody liked it because it ensured you arrived with the same person you left with.
They landed on the Main Street of Hogsmeade. In between the Three Broomsticks and Zonkos.
The Abbots had a small house that was off one of Hogsmeades side streets, it was clearly visible from the roof of the Hogs Head pub, which is where they would be patrolling.
They walked through the Hogs Head. It was a very grimy pub. They had never before been in it. She followed Sirius up the stairs and all the way to the top to the roof.
" Arabella, Deadleus? It's Sirius and Doe" Sirius said.
Something rippled in front of them and Arabella took an invisibility cloak off her and Deadleus.
" Thank Merlin, I was getting bored up here" Arabella said walking out back through the door.
" Thank you" Deadleus said to them before disappearing after her.
" Cheery aren't they?" Sirius said sitting wiping snow away from a spot closest to the edge of the building and sitting down.
Doe sat down next to him. And he threw the invisibility cloak over them.
" I had to cancel a date with that cute blonde from the Misuse of Magic Office to be here" Sirius said grumpily.
" Somehow I think combatting Voldemort is more important" Doe said shivering slightly from the cold.
"Yes, but have you seen Sally? You might change your answer then" Sirius said.
" Well, I'm sure she will be more than happy to bed the infamous Sirius Black tomorrow night" she said bitterly.
Sirius eyed her curiously, " What's wrong with you?"
She sighed, " I've got tell you something but you've got to promise me you won't tell Remus, or I'll tell every girl in the ministry about the time in third year when you almost fell off the astronomy tower and cried"
Doe told him about Rabastan Lestrange and the elevator. He listened intently until she finished.
" He seems to like you" Sirius said.
" It's scary" Doe said quickly, " It's the way he looks at me sometimes, like he's waiting for the perfect opportunity to attack. And he saw me look at his left arm, and that's why he said the thing about powerful wizards, he knows that I know he's a Death Eater"
Sirius brows furrowed, " Well you can't prove it and he knows it, I spect that's why he's towing with you"
" Well it's irritating as hell" She snapped, " I'm not a pureblood, why is he even bothering"
" It's probably a game to him, try and get the Gryffindor with the dirty blood to want him, despite her blatant objections to everything he stand for" Sirius said.
" Thats twisted, Who does that?" she said shaking her head.
Sirius shrugged, " Hang on, why were you at the ministry today".
Doe bit her lip. She had wanted to leave Severus out of this story. She knew how Sirius was going to react.
Sighing she told him what happened with Severus and what she had told Moody.
" MOODY'S RIGHT, YOU'RE CRAZY" Sirius practically yelled.
She looked down at the Abbotts house, to make sure they hadn't heard Sirius' loud comment.
" I know, it was stupid alright?" she told him.
Sirius made a face, " I don't want to seem immature, but I TOLD YOU SNAPE WAS A NO GOOD DARK EVIL WIZARD"
Doe sighed, " I know, and he almost killed me today so point made"
Sirius shook his head, " How could you be responsible for the death of someone who used to be you're friend?"
" I couldn't" she told him, " I'd die first"
" So would I" Sirius agreed.
And they sat watching the Abbott's house to make sure no harm came upon them.