Twice Defeated:
It seemed like Doe's life was moving very quickly. She was so consumed by everything happening that she didn't seem to notice the gradual slip from adolescence to adulthood. All of her time was accounted for.
If she wasn't at work or an order meeting, She was spending time with Remus, planning their wedding, or with everyone else trying to distract themselves from the burgeoning war that was erupting around them.
It seemed like the effortless years at Hogwarts were a lifetime ago. I guess that's what war does, it forces you to grow up.
All of the wizarding world was becoming much more nervous. Voldemort and his supporters had gained too much support lately. It was making even the most high ranking ministry officials nervous.
They had taken to sending out warning pamphlets. The violently pink fliers were meant to warn and prepare people for what to do, but Sirius and Doe had read through them at work one day and decided that Defense Against the Dark Arts: Grade 5 would do more to prepare people against Voldemort.
Even the Order meetings seemed to be getting more serious. The high death rates and amounts of missing witches and wizards had several Order members questioning whether what they were doing was really working.
" What even is the point, Dumbledore?" Hestia Jones asked at the Order meeting one morning " what we are doing isn't working"
" Well it's working better than doing nothing" Sirius pointed out from the other side of the table.
Hestia eyed him darkly and turned to whisper something to Emmeline Vance.
Dumbledore looked especially defeated this meeting. Doe couldn't blame him. He had formed this Order in order to combat Voldemort. He had done this without any benefits, and even though the work they were doing was helping, people were always ready to criticize it.
All of their attempts were somewhat successful, but it always seemed like somehow. Voldemort and his supporters seemed to know what they were doing.
It seemed whoever the mole in the Order was, they were keeping the other side well informed.
Moody had suggested to Dumbledore earlier in the meeting that they force feed all members a drop of Veritaserum, but Dumbledore had refused. Saying that force and coercion were agents that the other side used, and he didn't want to resort to those kinds of tactics. He claimed that the mole would reveal itself after a while.
" As for our next mission," Dumbledore said to the group, ignoring Hestia's comment, " we must gain more support. I would like to move to trying to gain the full support of the ministry of magic. Seeing as many of our members are currently employed there, it should be fairly easy to try and convince a few of the officials to support our cause"
" And how do you suggest we do that?" Emmeline asked.
Dumbledore's expression became more hard, " Well Ms. Vance, I suggest you use some of your stored Gryffindor courage and speak to them"
A few members blinked in surprise. No one had ever heard Dumbledore sound quite so annoyed.
" I think that that is it for tonight" Dumbledore said getting up from the table, " You all know what needs to be done"
Dumbledore stepped off to the side of the room with Professor McGonagall, and Professor Slughorn and disappeared.
Doe turned to Lily who was sitting beside me, " Dumbledore seemed quite upset, didn't he?"
Lily nodded, " I've never seen him like that"
" Well wouldn't you be?" Sirius said joining their conversation, " If everyone was always trying to question what you were doing all the time"
It made sense, Dumbledore had every right to be annoyed. It was just strange to see him like that. He was always so reserved.
" He's so stoic all the time" Remus pointed out, " He is human, he does have feelings"
Doe nodded, still thinking how strange it was to see.
" Listen" Lily said clutching James hand, " James and I were going to shopping for things for the baby, and you are all welcome to come if you want, we could lunch after"
" I'd love too" Doe told her. Remus nodded in agreement.
Sirius looked like he would rather duel a Death Eater than go shopping for onesies, but not wanting to be left out he said " Sure, I'll go, if we get food"
" I can't" Peter said quickly, " I have plans"
James looked quite surprised that Peter had plans that didn't revolve around the marauders but nodded at him and said, " Okay"
So the rest of them got up from the table and left Headquarters, apparating to the Leaky Cauldron.
" I'm been dying to go to that new little baby shop next to Quality Quidditch Supplies!" Lily said as they walked through the opening to Diagon Alley.
" I'd love to go to Quality Quidditch Supplies" Sirius said quietly under his breath.
Doe elbowed him in the ribs, so Lily didn't hear him.
" You didn't have to come Padfoot" Remus said.
Sirius shrugged, " You were all going"
They followed Lily and James into the small baby store and watched as they shopped for everything from jumpers to socks.
It was strange being in here. Everything was so small. It was hard to believe that in a few weeks, Lily and James would have a baby that would be able to wear all of this.
Remus and Sirius stood near the back of the store talking about Puddlemore United's recent win, so Doe wandered through the shelves and stopped at a little infant t shirt.
She ran it through her hands, amazed at how tiny it was.
" That's cute" James said popping out from behind one of the shelves.
" Very" she said placing it back on the shelf.
James was eyeing her strangely, with one eyebrow raised.
" James why are you looking at me like that?" Doe asked. The sheepish grin on his face was making her uncomfortable.
" Well," James said still grinning, " You aren't shopping here are you?" he asked his eyes dropping to her stomach.
" I am not Pregnant, James" she snapped.
James' smile widened and he burst into laughter, " It was a legitimate question, you and Moony are engaged"
" I am not pregnant" she repeated to him firmly.
" Alright, alright" James said holding his arms up in surrender, " one marauder baby at a time"
" One is enough for now" she told him.
James smiled, " Dorcas are you implying that my child will be troublesome?" he asked with a wide smile.
" That's exactly what I'm implying" she told him with a laugh.
James burst into loud laughter and ruffled the top of her hair, " Good one, Doe"
He smiled again and turned to Lily, who was asking what color of socks James liked better.
Doe decided to step away from the infant clothes and walk back over to where Remus and Sirius were.
They were still heavily engaged in Quidditch talk, but the lightened up slightly when she came over.
" Baby shopping become too much for you?" Sirius asked with a grin.
" I'm sick of the Potter's thinking I am pregnant" she complained.
Remus started coughing. She took his hand.
" You aren't though right" Sirius asked wide eyed.
" For the hundredth time, no" she said crossing her arms.
Remus coughing fit seemed to subside at her words.
" Good" Sirius said eyeing Remus and Doe seriously, " you two better not start that right away, I cannot deal with that right now. I already have to deal with Prongs getting all googly eyed over baby bottles"
Remus laughed, and Dpe smiled.
James had taken to being a father well. He was almost as excited as Lily was. Sirius was excited for them too. but Doe thought a part of him just missed the James who got more excited about the Comet two sixty then a pacifier.
Doe started to notice it had gotten extremely quiet. The chatter and laughter of people that had filled the street out Diagon Alley outside a moment ago was now gone.
Dpe turned around quickly and looked out of the shop window. There was nobody on the street now, and it looked much darker and there was a gray fog settling over it that had not been there before.
" Remus" Doe said tugging on the sleeve of his sweater, so he could see what she was seeing outside.
Sirius had noticed it too. He was peering out the window, just like Remus and Doe.
" Did you notice, it's gotten quiet?" she asked.
" And dark" Remus added.
" Maybe it's just-" Sirius started but his words were cut off by a loud bang.
The door to the shop door had just been burst through with an explosion. The glass at both the door and the window shattered.
Sirius grabbed both her and Remus by the shoulders and pulled them down to the floor.
Doe grabbed her wand out of her pocket, fearing the worst.
Doe couldn't see Lily or James. Sirius, Remus and Doe stood up quickly in just enough time to see several cloaked people enter through the whole of the shop, where the door used to be.
They were Death Eaters. Three of them, flanked by someone else who was cloaked but not masked.
Doe jumped backwards almost knocking Sirius over.
It was Voldemort.
All of them had their wands drawn and were approaching Lily and James.
" If it isn't just the couple I wanted to see" Voldemort said in his cold drawling voice, " Lily and James Potter"
They all had their wands drawn now, including Lily and James, but in one quick swoop. Voldemort disappeared and had both of Lily and James wands.
" Meven!" He shouted the anti-apparition spell at both Lily and James.
Sirius, Remus and Doe moved very fast towards them.
" Crucio!" One of the death eaters shot the cruciatus curse at Remus. Doe watched him fall to the floor, screaming in pain.
Watching him go down had distracted her long enough for one of the Death Eaters to grab her from behind, pocketing her wand.
Doe turned around in just enough time to watch, Sirius get taken down as well, inched from Voldemort.
Voldemort let out a low, cruel laugh.
He turned to the now frightened and cowering Lily and James, who were bound by magical ropes.
" It seems your friends are brave but unskilled" he said shaking his head.
She struggled against the Death Eater holding her back.
" Get away from us!" James snapped at Voldemort.
Voldemort smiled, " Foolish man"
" Crucio!"
Doe watched as James fell to his knees, screaming. His eyes looked like they were going to roll back in his head.
" STOP!" Lily screamed, " please, stop it!"
Sirius struggled in his Death Eaters grip.
" Be quiet, you foolish woman" Voldemort snapped at Lily.
James was breathing heavily, trying to recover from the curse.
" You have evaded me once" Voldemort said pacing in front of both Lily and James, " you will not do it again"
He raised his wand at them. Doe couldn't let them die. She had to do something. She struggled frantically against the Death Eater holding her there. Beside her Remus and Sirius struggled.
" I'm afraid they will" a voice behind Voldemort said.
Voldemort turned quickly.
Albus Dumbledore was standing in the doorway, wand raised.
His presence had momentarily distracted everyone. Sirius and Doe were trained to use this distraction.
Doe kicked her foot up at the Death Eater holding her. He loosened his grip for a second, it was long enough for her to plunge her hand into his robes and grab her wand, drawing it at him.
" Stupefy!" she shouted, watching him go down.
She spun quickly turning to Remus and Sirius who were both dueling with their own Death Eaters.
Dumbledore was holding off Voldemort, but she knew it wouldn't be for long. She stood in front of Sirius' Death Eater.
" Get Lily and James!" Doe snapped at Sirius, dueling with the Death Eater he had previously been.
Sirius looked momentarily worried but left her and bounded towards James and Lily. She was now standing beside Remus as they dueled the Death Eater's in front of them.
Doe caught his eye and tried to convey how much she loved him in that one look. He nodded slightly, and dodged a killing curse.
Doe sent a stunning spell at the Death Eater in front of her.
She watched as Remus spotted something behind the Death Eaters. A small smile on his face. He lunged to the side, grabbed her wrist and disapparated.
Doe felt the familiar tug behind her navel from side apparition, and a moment later they landed roughly on the stone street in front of headquarters.
" What about Sirius? Lily and James?" Doe asked Remus frantically.
" They got out," Remus said helping her up, " I saw them"
Doe let out a small sigh of relief, as Remus pulled her into a hug.
A moment later there was a pop, and Doe saw Lily, James, and Sirius appear beside them.
Doe threw her arms around Lily. She was crying.
" Are you alright?" Doe asked her.
She nodded, " You?"
Doe nodded and pulled both James and Sirius into a sloppy hug.
" We're fine, Meadowes" James assured her. Sirius patted her head.
Remus rushed over to all of them, double checking that everyone was okay.
" And Dumbledore?" Doe asked.
Sirius nodded, " He's fine, half of the Hogwarts professors showed up behind him, he told us to go"
Doe let out her last sigh of relief. Glad that everyone was okay.
" Come on" she said taking Lily's hand, " let's go inside and get cleaned up"
Everyone was pretty scraped up, with a few wounds, but nothing bad enough to go to St. Mungos.
" Doe, you're the best at healing spells" Remus pointed out.
Doe had had to learn most of the basic healing spells to help Remus after the full moon, so she took out her wand and cleaned up almost all of everyone's injuries.
They all sat quietly in the chairs for a few minutes. They were drained, physically and emotionally.
They had faced Voldemort. Something wizards and witches twenty years their senior hadn't done.
Remus held her hand tightly, stroking her wrist with his hand. She looked up at him. He offered her a small smile. She reached over and placed a quick kiss on his lips, and then sat back down in her own chair.
Neither one of them liked watching the other duel.
It was a few minutes before the other Order members arrived, but when they did. Everyone crammed into the study making sure they were all okay.
Dumbledore strode in last with Professor McGonagall.
He walked straight over to Lily and James.
" Will you please take me up on my offer and go into hiding?" he practically pleaded.
James and Lily exchanged a long look. They were communicating their thoughts silently. In complete agreement.
James shook his head slowly, " Not yet, Dumbledore."
Dumbledore sighed, and conjured another chair, " Then let's at least discuss ways to keep you safe"