Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 1
The Graduation
"Ow!" Sirius Black cried out annoyed when Dorcas Meadowes had bumped straight into him as he was turning a corner, on his way back to the Gryffindor common room from breakfast to grab his school robes so he would be ready for the graduation ceremony by the lake.
Dorcas sighed heavily as she pulled herself up from the floor; she had a tendency to bump into people, but always be the one left on the floor.
"I'm sorry Sirius." She apologized politely to the handsome boy she'd knocked over. He growled something under his breath, but she wasn't surprised, it wasn't exactly the first time they'd met like this.
"Sure Meadowes." Sirius replied when he was done swearing over his bruised shoulder, and as she got on her feet he, almost as a habit, looked over the girl in front of him. She could nearly match him in height, and he dropped his eyes to her feet only, to his surprise, to find out she wasn't wearing platform sandals, but regular white sneakers.
Her hair was a deep a shade of brown, as her eyes, and it reached her shoulders. It was straight, but Sirius thought it looked like she'd possibly forgotten to comb it today. He rolled his grey eyes at that, but did notice the mint green headband she was wearing, matching the short sleeved bulky sweater she'd put on over her white dress with a complicated red pattern printed on it. The dress looked like a long shirt stopping just below her knees, with small white buttons up the front. Sirius almost rolled his eyes again; she was just so nerdy.
He loved her mouth though. The lips were deliciously plumb and a perfect red colour. However it didn't matter as he'd a long time ago decided Dorcas Meadowes was too virginal and studious for him. He continued to walk to the Gryffindor common room without another word and Dorcas headed for the lake, not caring.
0o0
"Can you believe we're actually about to graduate?" Marlene McKinnon whispered to Dorcas, her blonde curls bouncing when she turned to look at Dorcas, as they were standing next to each other in line to the magically built podium on which every graduating student received their diploma and a single rose from Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts.
"Not really." Dorcas replied, but she could. This moment was what she had been working so hard towards for seven years. Blood, sweat, tears and a personal life had been sacrificed so she could be among the top five students of all her classes, the top student of Charms actually.
Her father was sitting somewhere out in the sea of people, students and parents, and soon he would get to watch her with proud eyes achieve her goal. The thought filled Dorcas with warmth and on a sudden impulse she leaned forward, throwing her arms around Marlene's neck and hugging her from behind.
After many years of getting thrown together because of a few letters in their surname, the girls had become friends and Marlene proudly told those who would listen, that she took full credit for being the reason that Dorcas actually left the library from time to time.
"Okay calm down now Joy McJoysen, we're not liberated yet." Marlene said as she released herself from Dorcas' arms who giggled before they shuffled forward when Alice Quinn from Ravenclaw was receiving her diploma. Soon there would be no more Ravenclaws left, and it would finally be time for the Gryffindor students.
As it was about to be Remus Lupin's turn to graduate Marlene had grown even more impatient "How long can this take? They should've just released a couple hundreds owls and have it over and done with." she huffed.
Her pout lasted until finally Potions Professor Horace Slughorn, who'd previously performed a Sonorus charm, called "Marlene McKinnon." and she smiled broadly when Dumbledore handed her a diploma and rose while saying "Congratulations." and when Marlene replied "At last." his blue eyes seemed to be twinkling just a bit more than usual.
Meanwhile Dorcas was standing by the wooden stairs leading to the podium where every single one of her professors stood, waiting for her name to be called out, her heart beating strong in her chest. It was hard to believe it was actually happening.
"Dorcas Meadowes." Slughorn's voice roared and out of the corner of her eye Dorcas watched her father stand up from his seat, proudly clapping. She smiled and finally there were no more steps and she was up on the podium, headed towards Dumbledore when suddenly Professor Slughorn appeared before her, shaking her hand hard "You'll be sorely missed in my class Miss Meadowes. And in the Slug Club. I might just retire." the man laughed before finally he released her hand.
He didn't seem to realize that the Sonorus charm was still working and many people were hiding their faces behind the back of their hands, trying to cover up their snickering. Dorcas could feel her face burn with embarrassment, but finally Dumbledore took her hand in his wrinkled one, handed her her diploma and flower, and he gave her hand a comforting squeeze as he told her "Congratulations Miss Meadowes."
Dorcas felt her eyes tear up and she wasn't sure her "Thank you Headmaster." could actually be heard so she nodded in thanks as well before glancing out on her father one more time and heading down from the podium, seconds after she was being pulled into Marlene's kind embrace.
0o0
Dorcas walked silently by her father, George Brands, on the path leading to Hogsmeade where she was to pick out her graduation present. Although he'd already told her many times how proud he was, he seemed a bit distant and Dorcas had to admit that she was a little disappointed.
As they finally reached the charming town of Hogsmeade Dorcas stood still, causing her father to stop as well, and turned towards him "Daddy is everything okay?" she asked with concern, her perception beyond her seventeen years.
"Of course sweetie, everything is fine" he squeezed her hand quickly, but could barely manage a smile "it's your graduation day after all. And now you have to pick out your present." He pointed towards the shops, to distract her attention and lead her thoughts to something more cheerful.
"Daddy really, you don't have to get me everything, we're already going to France for a month." Dorcas said, smiling at the thought, she was really looking forward to their vacation this summer.
"Yes I know, but we're staying for free at the Deforgés' châteaux, that is hardly a present from me." George smiled now as he led Dorcas into a small clothing shop. Dorothy and Pierre Deforgés had been neighbours with George and Dorcas when Dorcas was younger and she had been close friends with their daughter Jacqueline.
George held up a pink sweater that even a five year old girl would be unhappy to be seen with "This is nice?" he tried, but let out a little laugh as Dorcas wriggled her nose displeased with the sweater "Okay, I can take a hint." he put it back on the shelf he'd taken it from.
Knowing his daughter's talent with sowing George decided that clothes maybe weren't the way to go "You know what?" he smiled mischievously at his daughter who frowned at him "What?" she asked, interested by his secretive tone.
"I think maybe something to read on our trip would be a good idea for a present?" he suggested as they left the clothing shop again, and he steered Dorcas across the street.
"A book?" Dorcas inquired with another frown; that hadn't exactly been what she had expected to be her present, even though it was better than the sweater.
George held open the door to an antique store "Well I do believe someone" he gave her a pointed look "has been talking about a very rare version of the earliest editions of Hogwarts, A History since her third year?"
Dorcas' loud squeal seemed even louder in the hushed, dusty store and the old lady who owned it, Mrs. Bardwell, looked startled at Dorcas over the top of her glasses as she was helping another costumer "Are you serious? Can I really have it?" Dorcas bit her lip nervously as her father eagerly nodded in respond to her question "But isn't it too expensive?" she asked sensibly.
George laughed "Nothing is too expensive for you sweetie, now go buy it." he happily encouraged her, content to see her smiling and happy, pushing what he'd have to tell her to the back of his mind as he muttered "What kind of thirteen year old even walks into an antique store?"
But Dorcas chose to overhear his remark as she held the delicate, leather bound book between her small hands, admiring the golden writing and soft cover. Despite of her young age Dorcas had always harboured a love for rare, ancient books.
As a child when her father had been working in their study she would be sitting under his large, wooden desk, flipping through the pages of his heavy law books, and even though the many complex words made absolutely no sense to her she could sit for ages in the smell of leather, dust and tobacco from her fathers pipe that she later began to think of as the scent of her home when she was away at Hogwarts.
George worried about the times Dorcas would rather sit in the study with him instead of playing with, for example, Jacqueline Deforgés and he wondered if he was spending too much of his time working and what impact loosing her mother too early would have on Dorcas.
But as he still couldn't deal with the pain himself he concentrated on his work, eventually becoming a very successful and sought after trial lawyer. As Dorcas went off to Hogwarts his work got easier on George's conscience, but this year was for Dorcas and for a month he would be spending time with his daughter who seemed to have grown up without he had noticed it.
Dorcas paid for her book and blissfully clutched the straps of the bag Mrs. Bardwell had handed to her with a kind smile, she had come to know Dorcas quite well over the years as the girl had often visited he store "Have a nice summer Miss Meadowes." she called after her as she was about to step outside with her father.
"I will thank you, and you too Mrs. Bardwell." Dorcas replied politely and George smiled proudly; he couldn't have done a completely terrible job as a parent he thought to console himself and calm his doubts.
"So are we ready to go home now or is there anything else you would want to do?" George asked as he placed an arm around Dorcas' shoulders when she glanced around the still peaceful town of Hogsmeade one last time, memories springing to mind and she considered asking if they could stop for a butterbeer in The Three Broomsticks like she and Marlene had done so many times, but somehow her father wasn't really a part of this particular aspect of her life.
So instead Dorcas turned towards him with a smile "No Daddy, the gift is plenty, I'll appararate us home." she pictured her childhood home, the large, red brick house that could almost be considered a mansion and soon after she and her father were standing in the spacious backyard that wasn't particularly well-kept, aside from the large oak trees Dorcas had climbed from time to time when she was younger.
"I don't think I'll ever get used to this." George grimaced as the uncomfortable feeling of appararation faded and he could concentrate on walking inside the house, naturally headed towards his study.
Dorcas let out a small laugh as she watched her father walk inside on slightly unsteady legs before she took a look around their garden and the back of her home; she hadn't been home since Christmas and now …
Lying down in the grass with a silly smile while staring up into the green crowns of the trees she closed her eyes and couldn't keep more laughter back; now she was a Hogwarts graduate!
Dorcas sat back up again and ran her fingers through her slightly messy hair, only being held in place by her headband, before she walked to her room and restored her Hogwarts trunk to its original size and started to unpack with a small hint of sadness hitting her as she realized she wouldn't be going back.
0o0
After a delicious dinner with Dorcas' favourite meals, oven fried chicken with baked potatoes and carrot cake for dessert, where George had insisted they ate in the dining room even though Dorcas thought it was weird when it was just the two of them; they retired to the living room.
Dorcas curled up in her mother's old armchair she'd used to sit in when she had nursed Dorcas, which was close to the lit fireplace, with her new book as her father sat on the couch, leaning over the coffee table with various important documents spread out, researching his latest case and Dorcas took a moment to think of how quickly they fell back into their usual routines.
As Dorcas was engaged in reading about how it came down to the Sorting Hat choosing houses for new students at Hogwarts she suddenly felt her father's eyes on her and looked up "Daddy are you sure nothing is wrong?" she asked and felt worry in the pit of her stomach as her father put down his Mont Blanc pen on the coffee table before running a hand through his thinning, grey hair.
"Nothing is wrong sweetie, I promise." Dorcas frowned at George's words, he didn't sound very convincing "But I have another present for you."
Dorcas' brown eyes widened "But you already got me the book and the trip to France?" she wondered out loud "I really don't need anything more." she tried to assure her father and finally saw a small smile grace his lips.
"Don't worry sweetie, its fine, this … well it's kind of a family heirloom. But it's in our Gringotts vault so you'll get it when we come home from our vacation okay?" George raised his eyebrows questioningly
Dorcas closed her book after putting her bookmark in between the pages she'd reached "But I'm curious now." she smiled at her father, who simply smiled back "You should go pack dear; we're leaving quite early tomorrow."
Dorcas nodded and got up from her chair, quickly pecking her father on his cheek before leaving the room and she could've sworn she heard a frustrated sigh from George, and she hoped it was just a difficult case he was dealing with as she went into her room to pack things into the Hogwarts trunk she felt like she had just emptied.
When Dorcas was done packing she crawled under the cold, blue covers of her bed, hugging her pillow close to her, expecting to fall asleep immediately, but instead she found she could hardly close her eyes and she lay awake with a feeling like everything was going to be changing soon …
A/N: I hope everyone liked the first chapter. I know that not a lot happens, but we're just getting started, I promise. Please review and let me know what you all think so far!
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