Dorcas Meadowes

Rabastan had managed to glimpse the other side of the magazine before she smacked it shut, his mind already whirling. Those witches at the magazine had never told him what the layout was going to be and there he was, right next to the spread on helpful sex tips for young women trying to get their men to play more in the bedroom. He should probably be honored, especially considering how many members of the staff he’d gone through in that place, but he also felt a little embarrassed, knowing full well that Narcissa probably would not have agreed if she had known that this would be included in the issue.

Whack!

“What the hell, Doe?!” Rabastan yelped in surprise, rubbing the spot on his arm that she hit before listening to her rant. He eyed the rolled up glossy paper in her hand, wary of another strike, but his ears caught her plight. Werewolves? This wasn’t even about his naughty pictures, really? Rabastan relaxed his shoulders, shaking his head as he walked around the sofa and made to snatch the magazine with little effort. Of all the reasons to attack him, the fact that he appeared in the same issue as a derogatory werewolf piece was not what he expected.

“You act as if I planned out the issue myself. Honestly, Dorcas, do remember I cannot edit things I appear in.” He reopened the booklet, skimming through it with expertise. Rabastan wrinkled his nose at the werewolf piece - indeed absolutely uneducated and containing little fact of any of the last twenty years of research or personal experience - but then caught sight of his pages, pleased that his earlier observation had been correct. His face was next to a bunch of sex tips. He held up to magazine with ease, a smirk on his face.

“Besides, I would have thought you would have considered demeaning to my person of all things, love,” he offered, eyebrow arched as the small image of his stood proudly in his swim trunks and leaned against the beach chair, seemingly unaware of the naughty words splayed on the page beside him.

Dorcas had seen plenty of Rab over the years. Whether she wanted to or not most times, it seemed. She at least had a little decency when it came to most things, but the opposite could be said about the two men boys that she spent most of her time around. Her mother had been right all along on the matter of boys and their decency or lack thereof.

Shaking her head to get her mind back on track to what the real issue was here, Dorcas quickly steamed up again as Rab looked over the article on werewolves. The inaccuracies were horrendous and she didn’t know how much of an idiot a person had to be to come out with such writing. It didn’t seem at all possible to her and yet there it was in print for half of the bloody nation to read. She fumed at the thoughts of what this would do to the werewolf community, she was getting there slowly with her work, but articles like this would only slow her down in her need to change the legislation set by the Ministry.

     “Don’t you even ask what they’re going to have in there? Why would you want      your face featured in the same pages as… as that? It’s awful. They’ve got it      all wrong and too many people are going to believe this. It’s not right.”

As for the photographs being shown to her, Dorcas made no indication she had seen or shown any knowledge of them other than the faint reddening of her cheeks. If he mentioned it then she could simply hit him again, not needing a magazine to get her point across if needs be. Of course she had noticed the way he looked before, how could she not when he flaunted it every single day of the year?

     “Anyway what are you even doing here? It’s the middle of the day and Fab is      at work... It shouldn’t be that surprising as he does have a job, even if he does      like sneaking out more often than not to do something else. One day I might get      him to do paperwork at his own desk, but that’s not the point. What are you doing      here? Don’t you have something you’re supposed to be doing that’s not appearing      in magazines filled with horrible so called articles about werewolves?”

Getting herself worked up about the article once more, Dorcas purposely flicked back to the pages the article was spread across. As she frowned, the telltale signs appeared on her face of another speech coming on, including the small creases at the top of her nose. Eyes flitted across the wrong facts on the pages, frown increasing at a steady rate.

“This could work well.”

“Or, it can be an absolute disaster.”

“Just one day. Or a few. With a fresh eye and different angle, we can hit this exactly how we need to.”

“Bones-”

“I’ve already invited her for lunch anyway.”

“Dammit, Bones. Go. Do what you want. Get the proper paperwork done, make sure she has her wand on her at all times and please, for the love of Merlin, do not allow her to get hurt or cause trouble.”

“Miss Meadowes? Trouble? Oh please.”

“Well then. You must not know who you asked to assist with your case, Auror Bones.” With an amused smirk and a brisk flip of the hand, Edgar was very obviously dismissed by his supervisor.

Choosing to reach out to Dorcas Meadowes for assistance had been on just as much on a whim as it had been a meticulously curated choice. Though he’d never really interacted in school with her personally - he was six years her elder and NEWTs had taken his attention before the new students - he’d heard what he had needed to to make the decision. She was oddly intense, creative, from a different department but far from a mere paper pusher like his brother and had a detention sheet from Hogwarts three feet long. That she was close with the Prewett boys had to do with this but also said a lot of her convictions, of how she did drastic things and stood by her decisions no matter the consequences. Anyone who worked with so much care in such a neglected department had the type of substance in their character that he needed.

And Dorcas was an Order member. The newer batch, of course, of the fresh graduates from Hogwarts that Albus seemed to think appropriate to include in adult issues but Dorcas was that much more different than her peers. Auror Moody called it a lack of focus but Edgar considered it the ability to understand the big picture with a different multitude of lenses, even if he agreed about her needing to know when to speak. His own partner, the unfortunate cranky soul, had agreed to seeking her out for this type of assistance but had no idea why Edgar would go so far to make a choice. ‘We can’t have them traced back to the DMLE,’ he’d answered, completely plausible and understandable. ‘I’d use my sister if allowed, to be honest.’ ‘She’s the type of different that can break the case.’ Either way, he’d gotten his way and Edgar was the more happy for it.

Her lunch and his lunch had never really been discussed time-wise but after leaving his supervisor’s office, he had grabbed something quick on the way and brought it with him to his own room so as to not have her wait. Drinking his tea - not coffee like his oddball ‘twin’ sister - by the filing cabinet, he shuffled through the top drawer with one hand. He’d already decided to not show her the classified filed but he did want to brief her on the basic nature of their case and why he figured potential undercover was going to be necessary and why her. Thankfully, his partner wasn’t there so they would be able to speak in peace about such sensitive topics. He’d heard the footsteps and turned back to stare at the door just as she’d knocked on the wall cautiously.

“Hello Miss Meadowes, come in. Close the door if you don’t mind, have a seat,” Edgar greeted, motioning for her to enter with his tea. She seemed a bit harried and that worried him but he wouldn’t let his concern show on his face. Not every young woman was his little sister in a another life, he had already adopted about twenty baby sisters because of his fierce protectiveness and chivalry. Treating Dorcas as such at work when they supposedly didn’t know each other well would just cause questions. Still, maybe she hadn’t had a chance to eat yet. He gestured to the few packaged sweets on his desk before grabbing his own half eaten granola bar. Enhanced, of course, to combat fatigue and provide extra nutrition and a whole bunch of shit that Abbie didn’t believe but he’d already eaten the lunch she’d packed him earlier in the day. “How has your day been?”

While Dorcas’ knowledge of Edgar Bones was not all that high, nor was it lax with no details at all. Order meetings were not times to have heart to hearts with other members, but details did slowly slip through the crack over time. Mentions of family, friends, where they had been that day or were headed to next all popped up occasion- ally when one was paying close enough attention and not distracted by a certain Prewett twin at her side (or under her if seats were running thin). Still, knowledge of Edgar Bones through the Order of the Phoenix was not something which should come up while at the Ministry, not when anyone could hear what was being discussed.

Door closed and stationed in the chair opposite the auror’s desk, Dorcas looked up expectantly as she waited what the true meaning of this meeting was. She knew that it was not to discuss one another’s day, though it did start of in that way. What meeting did not? In one way or another it always did, even if there was no real reason for it.

     “Busy... Lots of paperwork to get through.”

The distaste of the work paperwork made itself clear as the young witch spoke, nose crinkling not at the idea of it, but the reasons behind it. More arrests equated to more paperwork, putting a bad taste in Dorcas’ mouth each time a fresh pile was placed on her desk for her to sort and file. It was as if they were taunting her with it, making it clear to her each day that she was not working fast enough out of work.

     “Though that’s not why you asked me here, is it? Tell me this isn’t about the whole      kneazle thing again. You lot dragged me in here before and didn’t have any evidence      to keep me. It’s been months now and I really think you’d be scraping the bottom of      the barrel if you’re pulling me in again. Just because I’ve been brought in before for      something similar, doesn’t mean I did anything that time.”

It’s with a bite to her tongue that stopped Dorcas now, feeling that their connection with him through the Order would not be enough to stop him pressing charges if she admitted to actually being there that night. Even if they knew she was more than likely there, they just didn’t have the shred of proof to do anything about it.

ALIAS[ES]: Doe

DATE OF BIRTH:  March 17 1958

GENDER | SPECIES:  Female | Half-blood

PLACE OF BIRTH: Her family home in Lancashire

CURRENT LIVING CONDITIONS: A small house just outside of Leeds

SPOKEN LANGUAGES: English

EDUCATION: Seven years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy

OCCUPATION: Junior Assistant to Amos Diggory in the Werewolf Capture Unit at the Ministry of Magic

DRINK | SMOKE | DRUGS: Occasionally | Never | No

LIKE[S]: Animals, fighting for animal rights, Fab, her family, wandlore

DISLIKE[S]: Her job, the unethical treatment of werewolves, the war, Fab, any unjust treatment against any person or creature

FEAR[S]: Dying, losing her family

PERSONALITY TRAITS: strong-willed, obsessive, courageous, adventurous, dedicated, impatient

DISORDERS: None

{ P H Y S I C A L   I N F O R M A T I O N }

HAIR COLOR: Brunette

EYE COLOR: Brown

HEIGHT: 1.57m

TATTOOS:  None

PIERCINGS:  None

{ F A M I L Y   I N F O R M A T I O N }

SIBLING[S]: None

PARENT[S]: Thomas Meadowes and Georgia Meadowes nee Ollivander

CHILDREN:  None

PET[S]: A pet kneazle

{ R E L A T I O N S H I P   I N F O R M A T I O N }

SEXUAL PREFERENCE: Male

It had ben some time since Rabastan had gone to visit Fabian’s home. Both Dorcas and Fabian had the keys to their best friend’s place - times like these ensured that precautions needed to be taken and just in case Molly was to head over with the kids while Fab was at work Rab could get there easily and remove any illegal paraphernalia. Younger than her twin brothers or not, Molly Prewett- erm, Weasley - was a force to be reckoned with and Rabastan had had the good fortune to not have been caught doing horrible things with Fabian and was still in her relative good graces; if good terms meant not getting hexed upon sight for corrupting Fabian or Gideon.

This Monday. however, Rabastan was not headed over to the flat to hide suspicious items from said sister or her growing brood of sticky hands but simply to visit and hopefully get incredibly drunk and high with his friend. The gnawing in his heart over his brother’s absence had grown while he hadn’t been paying attention and though Bellatrix and Cissa always provided distraction and pleasant company, he found himself missing the reckless type of behavior that Luce could not provide. He was to meet with the blond later for a proper night in but with so much time between breakfast and then, a visit to his other favorite male companion was in order. Rabastan made a mental note to send owls to his younger cousins, both Regulus and Evan, and set time to meet with them. It wasn’t as if he was lacking for it and he still had to talk to Reg about some things.

He keyed the door carefully, quiet after apparating a block away had sounded so bloody loud, and edged his way in, the wards allowing him through like water. The former Slytherin had thought of surprising Fabian with a bucket of water or something more pleasurable but the idea was dashed away by the sight of someone sitting in the sofa ahead, their back to him. He would have been alarmed if he hadn’t recognized the bag on the table. With a smirk, he closed the door behind him with a soft snick and peered over the young witch’s shoulder.

Fabian was at work as far as she know, so she was not expecting anyone here until the afternoon at least when Fab would make his way back from work. The copy of Witch Weekly was her own, shockingly enough. She’d noticed it on a sales rack and picked it up when she noticed there was an article on werewolves inside. She wished she had never picked it up. Re- ading the article had only made her fuming with anger at the derogatory c- omments that had been deemed good to published by the makers of the magazine.

Turning away from the page in anger, her eyes soon landed upon a famil- iar face on one of the following pages. Rab. A nearly naked Rab. Eyes re- ad the page, barely taking in any of the information as her eyes kept on d- rifting back to the moving photograph on the page. Eyes still locked on the page, she did not hear the click of the door or the sound of someone appr- oaching from behind. The first she knew of Rabastan’s presence in the ro- om was when she heard him speak, causing her to jump where she was  sitting on the sofa.

Her head swiveled around quickly upon hearing his voice, closing the ma- gazine in an instant.

     “You?... What are you doing here? I wasn’t looking a- I mean I wasn’t r-      eading that... You!”

The hand which was still holding the magazine in her hand reached out, the magazine hitting Rab on the arm as she swung it at him like a bat.

But, well, they both were here and wanted food so she supposed she’d just have to deal with it. She slid into her seat, copying Dorcas’s motions and putting her bag next to her before studying Dorcas for a few seconds. She definitely remembered her being at Marlene’s graduation ceremony and from Marlene pointing her out during her first few weeks at Hogwarts. For some reason both Marlene and Donnell had liked to point out every single person they knew to Alyssa, as if to make up for her not sharing the same house as them. Show her enough Gryffindors and maybe it would rub off.

Alyssa gave a small nod to Dorcas’s question. “I’m the youngest,” she answered. “I know. You were at the graduation ceremony.” She raised an eyebrow at Dorcas’s next words, tilting her head to the side a bit. “How weren’t you like them?” She could sympathize. From being the first non-Gryffindor to bear the McKinnon name in generations to having an eidetic memory, she had grown a bit used to not being like others, though more often than not she wished she was.

This was not something that she was going to admit to the other woman sitting opposite her, Alyssa need not know what it was that Dorcas had gotten herself into while she had been at school. There was definitely far more than her records would ever show. it was always a matter of maki- ng sure that you didn’t get caught, something she failed despite all attem- pts otherwise.

     ❝ No, no, I’m not saying she did. Just others were known to... It was      never really that bad. Just made it a bit more difficult when the profe-      ssors wanted us to work in pairs. Always made things a bit harder      when half the class were afraid that I was going to try and convert them      to thinking animals rights is a real problem. ❞

While extremely strong in her beliefs, Dorcas had quickly learned how to tell when a cause was lost. It did happen all too much at school, the others never understanding where it was that she was coming from. From the pla- tters of dead animals served at meals every day to keeping animals locked up in cages, too many students were still too young to realise what it was exactly they were doing.

Frankie Valli // Grease

Humming a joyful tune as she made her way across the near empty atrium to the lifts, she softly began singing as she pressed the button to call a lift to the atrium so she could finish making her journey to the Werewolf Capture Unit.

“Up. Down.      Flying around.           Looping the loop and defying the ground.                They’re all frightfully keen.                     Those magnificent men in their flying machines.”

Slowly, Remus reached a hand out towards Dorcas’ own and covered her fidgeting fingers with his large scarred hand. "Dorcas." He whispered reassuringly. "Dorcas it is okay." He let silence linger between them, uncertain what exactly he was meant to say in a situation such as this. So for a moment he just sat with her, running his thumb over the back of her hand in a slow back and forth trying to give what little comfort he could. He hoped it helped, even it a little, and he tried to put the comfort he could not express into the touch.

Finally he let out a soft breath and looked up into her eyes. There was a sheen to them, framed by red puffy lids, and Remus could not help but frown. All the usual things he might say in comforting did not seem to apply here. “It wasn’t your fault.” didn’t quite fit, “You did your best” while accurate did not match the situation, and “I’m sorry” just seemed like he had nothing else to say. Remus sighed and squeezed her hand.

“He... He wasn’t one of the muggles.      They were already... gone by the time we arrived.           He was a member of us.                You probably didn’t know him.                     He did go to Hogwarts.”

A part of Dorcas did know that what Remus said was in fact true, even if he had not of been the muggle boy of the family. There had been nothing at all she could do for him, just like how she’d been able to do nothing for the other who had died on her.

Averting her eyes from his face, she looked down at their hands, noting just how small her hand seemed under his. Then again, all of her way always tiny compared to everyone else. She’d drawn the short straw when it came to height, quite literally in fact considering how younger students always quickly shot ahead to be taller than her. It was a fact that had not changed and would never change unless something dramatic occurred.

“I know there wasn’t anything I could do, but it doesn’t stop me thinking that maybe there should have been... 

“It keeps popping up in my mind, different things that I should have done, but I didn’t even try any of it.      I just watched him, only talked to him.