A snippet from my Dorlene fic :)
This is 'The heresy of loving you' by 'AshAndAnimagus' On AO3
Chapter 3: My Lady Of Whims
Mary turned to Marlene with a dramatic flair.
“Well then,” she said, lifting the serving spoon like a baton, “which shall you have?”
Mary followed her line of sight, across the hall. At the Salazar tables, sat a girl angled slightly away from her circle, head ducked down as she read from her book. Marlene could see that she was not dressed in the standard Salazar attire.
While the other girls wore green-trimmed coats over their pinafores, this one wore a darker dress entirely. High collared, fastened neatly at the throat with a small silver cross.
Her dark braids fell softly around her shoulders. Marlene could not see her face due to the position of her whilst reading, but the thought alone caused her heart to race and her stomach to churn with an unfamiliar excitement.
“Marlene!” Lily had snapped her fingers in front of her face. Causing her to blink as though returning from a long journey.
Mary's grin sharpened. “Ah,” she murmured. “I see pudding is no longer you’re main concern, wild thing?”
Marlene cleared her throat. “I was merely observing.”
“Of course, darling” Mary raised a pointed eyebrow.
“Who...who is she? Is she a prefect like Rosier? Her uniform is...different.” Marlene continued, after taking a bite from her pudding. The girls were not exaggerating. The tart was divine.
Mary sighed. “That would be Meadows. Dorcas Meadows. Student Head of Chapel.”
Lily nodded. Wiping the crumbs off her freckled face with an embroidered napkin.. “Yes, she leads Sunday morning services, volunteers at the infirmary, hosts the annual Christmas festivities. She does quite a lot for the academy’s religious part.”
“I think she was chosen by the lord” Alice drawled, sounding bored of the topic. “The divine right and all. If you would like to speak with her, she’s most likely to be found lingering in the church. Oh...! She also hosts confessions when Father Albus is out of service.”
“Hm, I see.” Marlene finally replied, furrowing her brows together in thought. Her eyes lingered briefly on the silver crucifix at Dorcas’ throat. A symbol she had grown up to spite.
At that exact moment, Dorcas glanced up and their eyes met.
And this time, Marlene saw her properly. Her face.
Her skin held the warm, luminous depth of polished mahogany beneath candlelight.
Her hair was arranged in neat, twists with a few slender coils that framed her temples. Gold claps secured them in place.
Her featured were devastatingly breath-taking without effort.
High cheekbones that caught the light, full, soft lips that curved into a small smile whilst she read. Well...Marlene had imagined them to be soft.
Dark and observant. Fluttering gently beneath long, perfectly curled lashes. They held Marlene's gaze for a beat longer.
She had the look of someone who knew precisely who belonged where in this hall. And had already placed Marlene somewhere she did not approve of.
Dorcas’ eyes dropped briefly. Taking in the looseness of Marlene’s posture, the obvious flustered state of her cheeks, the Godric colours, her company...
Then she looked back up with one perfect dark eyebrow lifted. It was not dramatic nor was it teasing. It was much worse.
It was the quiet expression of someone who had just confirmed an unfortunate suspicion.
And then she looked away. Marlene felt her heart sink. The absence of Dorcas’ gaze felt like a door slamming shut. Reality quickly settling in.
Mary leaned in closer. Her smile ever-comforting. “Try not to take offense to Meadows, honey. She...can be quite the harsh judger. Always jumpin’ to this conclusion and that. She’ll come around. You aint as bad as they say!”
That startled the laugh out of her. What on earth had they been saying prior to her arrival?
