#dorcas002

Lily had Floo’d directly into the Healer’s Staff Room, heart hammering, grabbing onto the nearest colleague she could find and demanding directions.She’d had to pretend to be on shift to get them, lying easily as panic drove her on.  Only moments ago, she’d been in Professor Dumbledore’s office at Hogwarts. Not feeling quite safe and secure, still too in upheaval for that, but certainly reassured by the wisdom of the wizard she most trusted. 

“Of course you must do what your conscience tells you to do, Miss Evans. I can understand the pain of divided loyalties. But on the Order’s part, I can only say how much our lot will be improved with a Healer in St Mungo’s on our side. You will be far better placed to assist us there.” She’d been disappointed to have him leave the choice in her hands. It would have been far easier to have it taken away from her, to follow instructions. 

It had not been long before Fawkes had brought him a folded parchment piece that made him look at her more gravely still. “My point is proven all too soon. Miss Meadows has been taken to St. Mungo’s. Gravely injured, from Alastor’s words. I trust you will not mind my asking you to return there, at least once more.” 

Lily had felt her blood turn cold. Her first thought had been Bellatrix. Of course it had been Bellatrix. Marlene had been right, she’d been a stupid, naive girl, a Muggleborn who thought she could play with magic she knew nothing of, and it was Dorcas who’d paid for it. Dorcas who might now be in terrible pain she wouldn’t recover from. Before the Professor could so much as ask her to find out more about his operative’s condition, Lily had moved towards his fireplace and taken a handful of powder.  

Now she hesitated outside the ward, but only for a moment. Her eyes searched for Dorcas to the exclusion of any other patient, rushing to her side. “Are you alright? Has a Healer been by?” Lily rummaged around for her wand in her bag. “I’ll run a diagnostic. And then I’ll try and get you some pain potions.” Her eyes were filling with tears, though, seeing Dorcas look so pale. “What happened? I heard a House Elf was arrested for attacking you.” But that made no sense. It had to have been Bellatrix.  

“—stop apologising, holy shit, it’s okay,” Marlene insisted, shaking her head at the kid who’d managed to knock her over. She supposed exasperation was not the best way to assuage someone’s guilt, but it was relatively fond, and significantly more patient of a reaction than some of her friends’ would have been. Mary was the dorm sweetheart, anyway.

Once the kid finally stopped apologising and was dragged away by his Ravenclaw friend with as little patience as Marlene, she blew some strands of hair out of her face and wiped her jeans down one last time before joining Dorcas where she was examining a shelf of knick knacks for costume-related potential accessories.

“I thought I was going to have to hex his mouth shut,” Marlene grumbled, though largely good-naturedly, before swooping to inspect an owl brooch two shelves down. “Yeah or nah?” she asked, bringing it back up for Dorcas’ attention.