Chapter 13: Vigilante shit
Summary:
Flashback to celebrating Harry's first birthday and then flashback to Dorcas finds out about Marlene's death shortly after Harry's birthday
Notes:
In honour of no post November we are updating but focusing on other ships so enjoy the flashbacks of Macevans and Dorlene.
TW: torture (of death eaters)
TW: death
TW: grief
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Lily July 31st 1981
Lily's eyes fluttered open her arms around James. They had been broken up since before she had even given birth to their son but he lived with her still and they shared a bed for comfort. Of course he spent nights at his boyfriend's house tonight would be no different for it wasn't just her son Harry's birthday but there was also the looming heartache for James of it being the anniversary of his first son's death, the day Atlantis had been born. Lily gave James a tight squeeze and a kiss on the temple as he awoke. She wasn't in love with him anymore. She hadn't been since a few months after Harry was born. It was hard to stay in love with someone who never really loved you in the first place, not in a romantic way at least she did accept by now that James absolutely adored her in other ways. Though she had spent her pregnancy heartbroken, once Harry came she had a new love to focus on.
"One today!" Lily said happily in James' ear she couldn't quite believe their son was one already, she had spent so long in hiding that the days felt really long but still there was something making her feel that his birthday had come too quick.
"Four years today," James grumbled. Lily's heart sank, she could never imagine what James was going through, she knew he carried that hurt with him forever it was something he assured her he would never quite get over. She ran his fingers through his hair because what could she say? What could she possibly say that would make him feel better? She offered comfort instead, "Shall I get Harry up and bring us up some tea and toast in bed then?" she cooed
"Yeah, alright. I am going to see Regulus by the way, I am going after we cut Harry's cake so let's not put that off too long I don't want him alone too long. I'll probably stay for a week but when I am back I'll make sure to pull my weight with you know, looking after Haz," James eased into her fingers in his hair.
"Don't worry about it James honestly, you always pull your weight with Harry," Lily gave his shoulders a tight squeeze and went into Harry's room which contained a little chubby, brown skinned one year old in a white baby grow playing with a stuffed giraffe, "Is my special boy awake already?" Lily's mouth fell open in fake shock and she brought her hands to either side of her mouth, this earned a giggle from baby Harry. "Shall we take the giraffe with us then?" she asked, smiling Harry mumbled something that faintly sounded like 'gaff' she swooped down into the crib and lifted Harry who held tightly his stuffed giraffe. She walked down the stairs and put on the radio and popped in a cd that played Nursery rhymes and sang Mary had a little lamb along with it while smiling at Harry and boiling the kettle. She used Accio to get the bread over and then popped it in the toaster still singing for Harry's benefit. Something quite like nerves withered around in her stomach every time the song said 'Mary' she thought of soft lips, chocolate eyes and silky dark skin. She thought mostly of Mary's full breasts as the song ended and felt rather embarrassed with herself.
Lily and Mary, Mary and Lily, they were something? They weren't nothing, make out sessions that lasted hours when making their way through bottles of white wine when Harry was sleeping. Then it did go further than just kissing? In school it never did they would kiss but they would kiss for hours on end but nothing further would happen now though? 21 year
old Lily and Mary so much happened. They even kissed sober now that had all started in February of this year. Lily wore a disguise of blonde wig and a pair of James' old glasses she charmed so that she could still see out of it and they went to Hogsmeade. It was a big risk but Lily was going out of her mind being stuck within the same walls of the house. James got to dip out often to see Regulus, Lily was stuck so she carefully went out of the house though it didn't last long it ended up resulting in Mary and Lily moving from drunken kisses to sober ones too. Lily felt things for Mary, she was warm and she was good with Harry and she always let Lily vent no matter what. She took an interest in Harry and she could tell she really cared about him and not just Lily. For the record Lily thought it was self destructive letting herself fall for someone this hard after what happened with James, she was aware of it all too aware. For the record while she spread hazelnut chocolate spread over her and James' toast she was picturing Mary's body draped over the sofa wearing nothing but red heels. She made a cup of tetley for herself and cup of chai for James and grabbed her wand and placed a charm to hover the tea and toast above her head as she carried Harry back up the stairs. Thankfully she had left their bedroom door open so she just eased on through and gave Harry to James
"Hello Haz," James tried to sound bright but he sounded hurt.
"Alright the hazelnut chocolate spread toast is ours and the little bits of toast covered in butter is for our little lion." Lily began setting the plate on the bed with her wand. "The tetley is for me." she charmed the tea down and grabbed the handle of the cup, "And the chai for you," she muttered as James reached out for the handle of his cup too. "Harry do you know its your birthday today?" she said in false shock taking a sip of her tea.
"You are one today!" James gasped kissing Harry's cheek and reaching for the toast,
"Ten years and you will be leaving us for Hogwarts!" Lily pouted.
"And aunt Mary is going to drag your mum travelling so she'll miss you but you know she won't be too sad," James smirked. Lily shot him a look.
"Big party today for Harry because he is a big one years old," Lily told him tickling his sides he laughed.
"Uncle Pads will be here,"
"Oh," Harry said and then laughed again.
"Always fun to see uncle Pads," James kissed Harry again.
"I mean we'll probably murder uncle Pads at some point considering he is threatening to buy you firewhiskey when you ask him to get it,"
"He did say as long as it wasn't before we started drinking. He also won't actually do it because Moony would help us murder him,"
"I started drinking at 13 you started drinking at what, 15? and Sirius was having alcohol with dinner at Grimmauld place since he was nine," Lily said testily.
"Yeah, fuck Walburga Black," James' face twisted to distain.
"But to clarify I know Sirius would never actually get alcohol for Harry."
"No, he'd probably lecture Harry about why he shouldn't be drinking while drinking straight tequila himself," James mused.
"Oh is that a smile?" Lily beamed,
"The power of Sirius," James smiled back a genuine smile while popping some toast into his mouth. James, Lily and Harry stayed in bed until 11am they took turns telling Harry fairytales mixture of both muggle and magical world. Then Lily got Harry dressed in a suit with raspberries stitched all over it for his 'Berry first birthday' James kept himself busy blowing up balloons and they had a strawberry and cream cake. A punch bowl filled with Blackberry lemonade and James and Lily wore blueberry badges on their tshirts. There was many actual berries for the guests to eat as well. They sat down as a family to watch sleeping beauty before the guests arrived. Sirius and Remus arrived 20 minutes before the film ended so they watched the ending with them and Harry moved from Lily's lap to Remus' the little traitor. Lily made sure Sirius was aware that there could be no alcohol consumed until six pm and very limited drinks until Harry goes to bed at seven thirty pm. Sirius agreed and around ten minutes after the film ended Mary had arrived wearing a pink dress with strawberry jewellery and her afro twisted into buns. Lily thought she looked like the fairy princess she always played with in her imagination when was six had came to life. Dorcas came dressed in a cranberry costume and Marlene in a banana costume,
"Bananas are technically berries," was the first thing she said when she came through the floo network.
"You are an idiot," Lily chuckled,
"I love you both more than anything right now." James giggled. James was smiling again he hadn't genuinely smiled since they were bantering about Sirius in the room just little false ones for Harry to pretend he was okay for him. He hadn't even smiled when Sirius and Remus arrived. Lily knew this was a hard day for him, she accepted though it was her son's birthday James was bound to be in pain on this day every year for the rest of his life. He put on a brave face for Harry which she respected him for because she was guessing he would rather crawl up in bed and weep.
"Shall we get some photos then?" Lily asked happily. Everyone nodded and she went for her camera they set it up on a tripod and took three group photos. Then James got one on his own with Harry, Lily got one with Harry but called Mary to be in it with her which made Mary delighted. She caught James giving Mary the thumbs up. Remus and Sirius took a picture with Harry and then James and Sirius took one with Harry. The final photo Marlene and Dorcas with Harry, Harry was crying in because he had become fussy with having to take so much photos. Lily understood it must be a lot for a one year old. Malrene was laughing
"I am going to show this photo at his wedding," she declared.
"I think it's more embarrassing for you in a banana costume than it is for Harry crying," Lily commented.
"But look at his little face its gone from brown to red in the photo," Dorcas mused,
"Leave my brave little lion alone, he sat nice for many photos," Mary scolded. Lily flashed her a grin. Everyone then gave Harry toys. Sirius' seemed to be the favourite, a toy broom which had beat out James and Lily's collections of blocks and animal hospital playset they'd bought for him. Mary reckoned her bath toys were the best because the toy broom was dangerous for a one year old. That didn't stop James and Sirius taking Harry to kitchen and and letting him zoom while they both walked on either side of him. Lily flashed a few pictures. Bathilda Bagshot came in for dinner. They all had pizza and then nibbled at the berries at half four they sang happy birthday to Harry who cried again. Straight after they cut the cake and James mumbled his goodbyes and went through the floo to his lover's flat.
"I was over with him before I came here. He's not in a good way," Sirius admitted.
"Nor is James, he was just putting on a brave face for Harry," Lily explained gently,
"I would feel no remorse in killing my mother for what she did to my nephew. I mean I'd kill her for many things but I got to say that is top of my list," Sirius looked at the ground. Remus took him in his arms and pulled him to the corner of the room where he began whispering to him.
"Are you alright?" Mary asked.
"Yeah I am. I just feel for everyone related to Atlantis," Lily's eyes were sad,
"It's awful," was all Mary could muster.
"I'm going to get Harry out of that suit, I've had to put cooling charms around him all day because of it. I am going to put him in some light pjs," Lily explained.
"I'll come with you," Mary told her and lifted Harry off the ground and handed him to Lily, "Oh my god he has the suit covered in cake," Mary giggled.
"I'll Scorgify it later," Lily chuckled happily making her way up the stairs with Mary.
"I can't believe he is one lils,"
"I know so much time has passed even when I feel like the days are dragging,"
"I hope all this ends soon," Mary commented while Lilu popped Harry onto his changing unit.
"You know if the prophecy is true, if Harry, my Harry is the one to stop Voldemort, or one of them have to kill each other whatever the fuck it says, I might be in hiding until he's grown up. I might never get to take my son to the park or to a fun fair or on holiday," Lily breathed out, getting Harry out of his suit.
"Well, hopefully we'll kill him before any of that has to happen," Mary said, rubbing Lily's shoulder.
"I would like another child at some point, but not like this, not shut off in hiding," Lily told her.
"Really?"
"Yeah, though labour was awful, maybe you could carry the baby for us?" it was a bold thing to say when Lily hadn't put a label on their relationship but Mary just smiled and said,
"For you anything," and kissed her shoulder.
"You are one in a million, do you know that?" Lily smiled.
"No, that's you my winter fire,"
"It is summer," Lily wrinkled her nose.
"I am trying to be romantic and failing it seems," Mary breathed out, "My summer bonfire then," she huffed out a laugh,
"My honeypot," Lily turned and kissed Mary full force. It was short lived because Harry was there. "Ok so when he goes to bed how long should we wait before we kick everyone out so I can ravish you for a week?"
"A week?" Mary mused.
"I mean if you wanted to stay help out with Harry during the day then shag like rabbits all right while James is gone you can stay here for a week," Lily batted her eyelashes grabbing Harry and leaving the room.
"We'll chuck them all out at nine and then a week sounds like heaven," Mary was feeling giddy as she followed Lily down the stairs.
Dorcas August 1981
When Dorcas received the news that Marlene had been killed, she entered into what could be described as a fury filled psychosis. The world had felt empty. Cold. Dorcas doesn't even think she was able to shed a tear with the anger that filled her body. She needed to do something, she needed to make them pay, and by Merlin she was going to find any death eater she could and make sure they paid in full.
Dorcas had wasted a minute as soon as her world had been ripped about she had grabbed her wand and apprated to the first death eater she could think of. Wilkes. Dorcas' breathing was ragged as she stood outside his massive black gates. She let out a blood curdling scream as she blew the gates open and stormed her way up to the doors, not even knocking as she blasted those open too and made her way inside.
'What is the meaning of this?" Came the scared voice of a woman who had appeared from behind a door. Dorcas didn't even register the words in her head as she lifted her wand and spoke.
"Petrificus Totalus," she spat and the bright coloured spell flew from her and binded the women stiff. Dorcas didn't even look back as she heard the thump of the women hitting the floor behind her. She stormed into a study looking room and was met with the smirking face of the man she had come here for.
"Excuse me? What do you honestly think you are doing?" He snarled as he sat his whiskey glass on the table in front of him. Dorcas just saw red as she lifted her wand and pointed it at him.
"You took her!" She growled and the man looked at her confused.
"Who?" He questioned as he moved his hand behind his back.
"Expelliarmus!" Dorcas shouted and Wilkes' wand was sent flying backwards. He looked at her with anger in his eyes.
"Do you know who I am? Who I follow?" He snarled and Dorcas let out a harsh laugh.
"I know exactly who you are and that's the reason I am here," She barked, wand still pointed at him, "Why her?" She continued. Wilkes stared at her confused again.
"Who are you talking about? You'll have to be a bit more specific," He smirked and Dorcas felt her blood boiling.
"Marlene!" She snapped, "My Marlene, my fiancee, we were to be married this summer and you took that from me," she growled and the man shrugged his shoulders.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," He smiled and Dorcas narrowed her eyes.
"Don't lie to me… I know you all brag about the people you kill," She was breathing heavily as she spoke, "Innocent people." She finished.
"No one who is a blood traitor is innocent you stupid women," He snarled back, his face filled with disgust.
"You killed them all, her and her family" Dorcas repiled.
"Oh I wasn't put on that order, however I do wish I had been… nothing brings me more joy than killing off those that aren't worthy of having magic," He laughed.
"Cruicco!" Dorcas barked and the spell shot from her wand. Wilkes fell to the floor screaming in pain as Dorcas moved forward, her wand not moving in her hand. She meant that spell with her whole soul. Every once of her willing the spell to hurt more and more as she repeatedly called the spell over his screams for her to stop. Dorcas stood over him as the man flung his body to try and get some relief, the smiling face of Marlene flashing through her head.
Dorcas didn't care that she had used an unforgivable curse, it was exactly what this man deserved, Merlin knows he has used it on so many others. Dorcas couldn't even hear his screaming as his body convulsed in front of her, she needed to know exactly who had taken her Marlene, who had taken her life.
"WHO WAS IT!" Dorcas screamed over the top of Wilkes scream, "WHO TOOK HER FROM ME!" Wilkes continued to squirm on the floor.
"I- I- I DON'T KNOW WHO DONE IT!" He stuttered out and Dorcas barked a laugh.
"LIAR!" She screamed and lowered her wand, "tell me or I'll kill you," She whispered dangerously. Wilkes was breathing heavily now that Dorcas had stopped shouting the spell. His breathing ragged as he tried to crawl away from her.
'I swear I don't know who was - who did it," He breathed in winching in pain.
"I'm not here to fuck about… give me the answers I want!" She spat as he looked down her nose at him. Dorcas noticed he was trying to reach for his wand on the floor and she let out a manic giggle as she lifted a heavy silver candlestick, "Oh you want to play do you?" She smirked a she walked over and kicked his wand out of the way and grabbed him by his hair, "Muggles may not have magic but they have some pretty fun ways of killing people slowly and painfully," She smiled a wide grin as she began beating the candlestick off Wilkes head. The blood from the first blow to his head splattered on Dorcas' face and smiled as it landed on her.
Wilkes let out a painful groan as Dorcas continued to hit him hard on the head with the candlestick. The blood flowed freely from his new wounds as Dorcas laughed loudly.
"READY TO TALK?" She screamed as she hit him again, her clothes now covered in blood spatter.
"I don't -" He began with a cry but Dorcas didn't let him finish as she hit him again. Wilkes
tried to bring his hands up to protect his head, but Dorcas kneeled down on to his hands to stop him. She lifted the candlestick high above her head and slammed it down onto Wilkes
head hard and fast for what seemed like hours. Wilkes' breath was ragged and then suddenly it stopped. Wilkes had stopped struggling but Dorcas continued to slam the candlestick down hard, almost leaving a giant hole where his face used to be. She had felt every bone break with every blow.
Once Dorcas had finished her frenzied attack she threw herself backwards and landed against the bookcase. The candlestick rolled out of her hand and she began to cry loudly screaming Marlene's name as she remembered their holiday to Blackpool.
"Marlene honestly why have we come here?" Dorcas laughed as they walked down the street towards the peer.
" What do you mean? We are at the seaside … basically," Marlene had laughed.
"Of all the seasides I had given you the option to come to you choose here?" Dorcas replied.
"I like the simplicity of this place… just regular people on a little holiday and I always wanted to come to be fair," Marlene answered as she pointed to an ice-cream stand, "I want mint chocolate!" She announced and ran off, Dorcas took off after her.
"Ello ladies, what can I get for you," Asked the blonde haired muggle behind the counter.
"Mint CHOCOLATE!" Marlene sang loudly and Dorcas laughed.
"I'll have strawberry please," Dorcas answered and the man nodded.
"With sprinkles on both please!" Marlene said quickly.
"You're a child do you know that?" Dorcas laughed.
"Come on Dor, you can't come on holiday and get ice-cream and not get sprinkles,' Marlene answered, wiggling her nose.
"As long as it makes you happy," Dorcas smiled back.
"You make me happy….. You are my happy," Marlene blushed as she spoke and Dorcas felt her heart swell with love.
"You can have all the ice-cream and sprinkles you want after that pick up line," Dorcas laughed and Marlene gave her a light slap on the shoulder.
"You're going to regret telling me that because you're gonna be out a big amount of money for ice-cream now," Marlene giggled as the man handed them their ice-creams and Dorcas paid.
"I'll happily bring you ice-cream every night if that's what you want," Dorcas replied.
"The simple pleasures are the best one," Marlene answered and took a lick of her ice-cream.
Dorcas pulled herself from her memory as she wiped her eyes and stood up, not even bothering to try and clean the blood off herself as she apparated to her next location. Walden Macnair.
Dorcas appeared inside his house, she knew where he lived, she had been watching him herself so finding him wasn't a problem. When she arrived at the house there was nobody home. He was probably at the bar as usual. The house was in darkness so Dorcas took a seat and allowed her brain to envision the love of her life once more.
"Come back to bed, it's the day after we got engaged, spend it with me," Marlene whined as Dorcas got dressed.
"I have to do something today… I won't take long I promise and I'll bring chinese back for you," Dorcas laughed.
"We are supposed to spend all our time together. Is this going to be my life now as a housewife," Marlene laughed as she sat up and pulled the blankets round to hide her naked body.
"You told your mother you would visit today, remember?" Dorcas asked and lifted her eyebrow.
"Fuck I forgot that was today…. You fucked me so good last night I forgot what day it was," Marlene blushed.
"Get ready, go to your mums and then we'll come home and make hot chocolate and eat chinese and watch movies yeah?" Dorcas smiled and Marlene let out a little squeal.
"Replace the hot chocolate with beer and wine and we have a deal… after all we are celebrating," Marlene laughed as she jumped up from the bed and started getting herself ready. Dorcas leaned over and tugged her hair gently, pulling her head back and placed a hard kiss on her lips.
"Whatever you want princess," Dorcas whispered and let her go. Marlene's fingers lingered on her lips as she smiled.
"Be safe, yeah?" She asked.
"I always am and hey! Don't drink too much wine at your moms," Dorcas replied as she pulled on her coat and walked out the door.
"I CAN'T PROMISE THAT!" Marlene called after her with a laugh.
That was the last time Docas saw Marlene. Dorcas was pulled once again from her thoughts as the door clicked open and Eddie Rookwood stumbled in, turning on the lights in the room and giving out a yelp.
"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?" He shouted and pulled his wand out with a hiccup.
"I'm not your marker but I'm here to send you back to him," Dorcas whispered dangerously.
"What the fuck are you talking about? Get out of here before I kill you!" Eddie spat and Dorcas laughed gently.
"You're not going to get the chance, I promise you that," She smirked and pulled her own wand out, disarming him. Eddie scrambled to find his wand but Dorcas chuckled as she spoke, " Levicorpus" Dorcas had heard this spell being used in school by Snape and thought she could make use of it. Waldin was hoisted upside down by his ankles in the air.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT?" Eddie screamed loudly. Dorcas lifted a dagger off the table and chuckled at him.
"Not so brave now are you?" She laughed as she walked towards him and ripped his shirt off. Eddie gasped.
"You'll not get away with this you bitch," He spat.
"I'm doing a pretty good job getting away with it as it is," She smirked and dragged the blade down his bare chest. Eddie let out a scream of pain.
"ARE YOU FUCKING CRAZY???" He screamed and Dorcas held the knife to her lips.
"I guess you could say that…. People tend to grieve in different ways, right?" She questioned and cut him again. Dorcas' hands were covered in blood as she giggled manically.
"Do you know what I could have done to you?" Eddie whispered in pain.
"Do you know what I am going to do to you?" She snapped back. Dorcas had cut Eddie deep and she could see the colour draining from his face as he hung upside down bleeding, "I'm going to make as many of you pay as I can," She hissed.
"For what? What did any of us do to you?" Eddie choked out.
"You took her from me… you all stole our time," She growled as she cut deeper and deeper into his chest. The blood splattering all over her once again, making a new coat of fresh red on her skin "You ended our story before we had the chance to tell it," She said through gritted teeth, "and now I'm going to make you all feel ' our' wrath… my pain…. My missed time," She cut again and again as Eddie screamed loudly and Dorcas just laughed over the top of him as his blood flowed freely.
By the time Dorcas was finished, she had turned on the record player to drown out Eddie's screams of pain, and was dancing round the room as she quartered him as he hung upside down. Dorcas was now drenched in blood, she didn't feel any better. She felt empty and alone and like the world was hollow. She wanted to go back home and crawl into bed beside Marlene, her wife to be, but she couldn't do that anymore… because of them…. Because they took her, ripped her from their happy ending and there really was nothing more dangerous than someone who lost the love of their life.
"DORCAS OH MERLIN WOULD YOU PLEASE JUST COME INTO THE WATER WITH ME?" Marlene called and Dorcas shook her head.
"I'm reading beautiful," Dorcas called back.
"You can read anytime, come on it's the end of summer and you wouldn't come swimming when James and everyone was here," Marlene huffed.
"That was because Sirius got me drunk on firewhiskey," Dorcas laughed.
"Well… he's not here now, come and swim with me… I'll love you forever," Marlene grinned as she splashed water towards Dorcas on the side.
"Hey you just soaked my book!" Dorcas chuckled, "And wait, there are conditions for loving me forever?" She continued pretending to be hurt.
"Only if you don't get into this water with me… otherwise I will have to steal Sirius from Remus and make him my husband," Marlene laughed.
"That would be a hard sell for Sirius considering he has Lupin and him married and all," Dorcas replied as she stood up and stripped down to her underwear. Marlene clapped her hands together happily.
"YAY! Finally!" Marlene sang as she swam out from the edge. Dorcas watched as Marlene swam in the water and smiled.
"I'm going to marry you someday," Dorcas called and Marlene giggled with a blush.
"I'm going to hold you to that my love!" Marlene called back as Dorcas climbed into the water and swam over to Marlene and pressed her mouth hard on hers.
"I love you," Dorcas whispered and Marlene smiled bashfully.
"I love you more than words can explain," She replied.
"I love you even more than that," Dorcas replied as Marlene splashed water in her face. Dorcas covered her eyes, "Hey you're going to pay for that!" She called.
"Come and make me!" Marlene laughed as she swam away with Dorcas slightly behind her.
"Marlene…. My Marlene. My love, my life, my soul and my heart…. My everything, They took you and I swear to whoever is listening above I'm going to make them pay for it…. My love," Dorcas spoke out loud as she wept slightly and disappeared out of the room on her way to her next target.
Notes:
Marlene died july 1981 but obvs this isn't cannon compliant so I moved it to august 1981 so she could at least be at Harry's birthday.