[flatline-fabian]

[d-aine]

For a moment, Dorcas was concerned by the reaction she saw cross Fabian’s face. She hadn’t known him very personally in her previous life, but it wasn’t hard to recognize the change in him. Part of her felt pity, the other part worry. It seemed everything she encountered these days...

[d-aine]

With the lighter expression on his face, Dorcas felt a little pressure lift off of her chest. At least he had some sort of humor still. "Of course they don't, they're not THAT thick," she replied, shaking her head slightly. "You would be shocked what they say in passing while walking to a meeting or eating their lunch, though. After a while, you catch enough pieces to put a decent picture together."

His question was weighted with unspoken concerns, and Dorcas truly felt sympathetic. "I don't know how long it's been since the last person came through, but I do know they don't believe it's finished. All of us died during the war, but we're not the only ones that did." She was sure she didn't have to remind him of that. "There's been no change in the magic levels around the veil, according to one of the aurors monitoring it. I'd say that's a good indicator that more will be joining us soon." She wasn't as sure as she sounded, but was hoping to give him some sort of peace.

[rising-lestrange-deactivated201]

"There are roads which must not be followed, armies which must be not attacked, towns which must not be besieged, positions which must not be contested, commands of the sovereign which must not be obeyed." Rabastan quoted aloud, a small smile twitching at the corners of his lips as he closed the…

[d-aine]

It was safe to assume that Dorcas Meadowes was NOT in the mood for a party, and the look on her face was one even the dimmest of wits in the Malfoy Manor couldn’t mistake. Though her attendance was deemed mandatory, she’d planned on putting up a nasty fight. If anyone had gotten to her before Amelia, that’s exactly what would have happened, and she was almost positive her friend purposely sought her out before it could play out. Dorcas almost wished she hadn’t; it would have been the perfect excuse to lash out at the organization she had once been proud to serve, and now found borderline intolerable.

A few drinks had her blood warmed, but hadn’t improved her mood much. Dorcas spent most of her time attached to Amelia’s side, watching the others she knew mingle casually with their eyes darting around. Even with the war complete, Order members and Death Eaters wouldn’t leave their guard down. The groups milling about were plainly segregated, making the whole point of the party seen pointless. Why bring them together when they wanted, and needed, to stay apart? It was a stupid, silly attempt to make everything appear alright, and not a single person was buying it.

After hearing the same stiff jokes and shallow compliments for two hours, Dorcas was ready to claw at the walls to get away. She slipped from Amelia’s side, grabbing another drink and walking away from the noise quickly. The decor in the Malfoy home was far from her taste, but interesting nonetheless. She peaked her head through doors and sipped her champagne, pausing when heard a voice after pushing the next door open. When he turned to her and spoke, she tried to place the face, but couldn’t. “Who wants to know?” She replied with an eyebrow quirked, taking a long drink from her glass.

[flatline-fabian]

[d-aine]

“That’s the magic question, isn’t it?” Dorcas glanced at Fabian’s paper again, grateful that the front page didn’t seem to mention the Re-Animated for once. The more aware the magical community was, the harder it was to stay under the radar with some of the people she wasn’t ready to...

[d-aine]

For a moment, Dorcas was concerned by the reaction she saw cross Fabian's face. She hadn't known him very personally in her previous life, but it wasn't hard to recognize the change in him. Part of her felt pity, the other part worry. It seemed everything she encountered these days related back to her returning to her norm, and what might impede that opportunity. Finding herself more concerned with her own potential future than Fabian's rocky present, she wondered if she'd taken a negative turn herself, but wrote it off as desperation. "I know things because I don't go to bed when the Ministry tells me it's time for grown up talk. You can pick up a lot just by wandering around."

[the-brightstar-deactivated20141]

Young and Cold | Sirius (+ Harry) + Dorcas

[the-brightstar-deactivated20141]

It sounded like a good plan to him; company was well-appreciated these days and company that was willing to find something to entertain Harry was even better. Not to mention the fact that he hadn’t spoken to Dorcas in a long time, even if it might have been significantly less time for her. He didn’t know exactly how recently they’d seen one another before she died, but he imagined it couldn’t have been all that recent. Either way; they had a lot to catch up on. “I’m liking the sound of that,” he said.

Sirius looked down at Harry, raising his eyebrows. “What do you say?” he asked, knowing full well that the final decision rested with him as the adult, but wanting to give Harry a say in it too. “Want to go looks at the animals?” Harry contemplated the idea for a few moments, before asking, “Can I bring my hot choc?” When Sirius nodded, his lips formed a bright smile and he nodded his head.

Sirius looked back at Dorcas, the smile on his face big enough to match Harry’s. “Well there’s your answer,” he told her, reaching out with his free hand to ruffle Harry’s unruly hair. “Mr Potter has decided that we can proceed. Lead the way - you need any help with those?” He motioned to the bags that she was carrying.

[d-aine]

Once Sirius and Harry agreed to the plan, Dorcas's face split into a genuine grin. “Fantastic!” Even though it had only been a few weeks since returning, she was all too familiar with feeling like a burden on those she wanted to interact with. It was so refreshing to have someone (other than Amelia) treat her normally, and actually seem excited at the prospect of her company. It lightened her heart, and she wondered if Sirius understood exactly how grateful she was.

“Thanks, Harry,” she said, turning her smile on the boy before looking at her bags again. It was a ridiculous heap, especially for her, and her arm was beginning to ache. “If you want to, I won't say no.” Dorcas passed a bag to Sirius, shifting the rest of them to her other arm. “Thank you.”

Starting back toward the pet shop, her pace indicated she was in no hurry, but figured they'd be rushed by Harry soon enough if he was like most children anticipating playing with animals. “It has to be so much fun with him,” she said to Sirius, motioning to Harry. “They're always so entertaining when they're big enough to understand but small enough to have questions.” Dorcas always had a soft spot for kids, especially the intelligent ones like Harry. “Are James and Lily...” She stopped, realizing the Potters taking Harry back might not be an open topic. “Have they been by to see him?”

[flatline-fabian]

Some Other Guy // Fabian & Dorcas

[flatline-fabian]

Fabian tilted his head and took a moment to examine her. Somehow he doubted he would have made out with someone like her. Then again, there were a lot of things he had done in his past life that he would never consider doing now. It didn’t matter.

His thoughts turned to his resurrection and the brief moment of consciousness he’d had in the Ministry right after he’d woken up. There hadn’t exactly been time for him to look around when he opened his eyes. He mostly remembered a dark room, hitting the floor… hard, and then waking up in a cell. “Not very well,” he admitted. It was something he had wondered about but the Ministry workers hadn’t been very keen on telling him how he got her or whether it was intentional or not. “How did it do that?”

[d-aine]

“That's the magic question, isn't it?” Dorcas glanced at Fabian's paper again, grateful that the front page didn't seem to mention the Re-Animated for once. The more aware the magical community was, the harder it was to stay under the radar with some of the people she wasn't ready to reintroduce herself to. “Apparently there was some crazy happenings in the Department of Mysteries, and then all of a sudden we started rising from the dead through the veil. At least, that's what the Ministry says.”

[flatline-fabian]

Some Other Guy // Fabian & Dorcas

[flatline-fabian]

Fabian stood suddenly, pushing the chair slightly backwards and causing it to scrape angrily across the floor. He didn’t like to be so far beneath her, preferring to be on a more even level. “I have a sense of humour, it’s just not awful.” It wasn’t meant as an insult, despite the way it came out. “What the fuck is ‘the veil’? I’m not married to you, am I?” His pre-death memory wasn’t the best, but he was certain that was something he would remember. Right?

[d-aine]

The thought caused Dorcas to laugh, even though it really wasn't that funny. She knew that Fabian had been different since coming back, but hadn't really spoken with him directly before now. Hopefully Gideon would show up soon and balance would be restored between them. "God, no," she replied, making a face. "We're nowhere near married, but I think we snogged once or twice possibly. Who knows. The veil is the mystical object that somehow brought us back to life. Do you remember when you came through and were suddenly in the Ministry?"

[d-aine]

[d-aine]

With her attempt to have him get a drink and talk about himself shot down, Dorcas was almost ready to concede defeat. There was only so much she could do to drag the interaction out, and she wasn’t cruel enough to keep him there too long when he didn’t want to be. “I can imagine...

[d-aine]

Aimless Wandering | Amelia + Dorcas

[breakherbones]

Dorcas didn’t look happy or rested, Amelia observed, but she could be excused on the basis of the stress of returning to life and all that entailed, not to mention apparently having nothing to do on Christmas.  She was glad for more than one reason that she had invited Dorcas.  Amelia was no pickier about what she selected, although she added considerably more to her plate.  There was steak and kidney pie today and it was one of her favorites.

Amelia more or less inhaled her food but she had time to notice that Dorcas picked at hers.  “I plan to be up early, cooking, so you are welcome to come around breakfast if you like.  I’m so excited that you and Edgar and Maria are back, Dorcas, you just can’t imagine.  I’ve got a ton of things for Maria.  She may be until mid-afternoon opening packages.”

She stopped before overwhelming Dorcas with details of all her plans for the holiday.  Christmas was a big celebration in the Bones household.  It would be smaller this year but not as small as Amelia had expected just a few weeks ago.  Nathan had even agreed that he and Susan would visit for part of the day and eat with them. 

Could she do anything to get Dorcas back to work as an Auror?  Not likely.  She sighed and placed her fork on her plate, reaching across the table to place her hand on Dorcas’ smaller, fine-boned one.  It had always amazed Amelia at how much a punch from that delicate fist could hurt in sparring sessions.  “Dorcas, you know I never lied to you, not even when the truth hurt both of us.  Right now, there’s no way you can rejoin the Aurors.  This is all too new and the Ministry is still trying to get its collective mind wrapped around it.  I could really use your help, though.  There’s space available in my office and happily, we have more to do than we imagined.  It’s not just paperwork and reports, although there’s enough of that to suit anyone.  There’s a ton of things to do.”  She lowered her voice to a whisper and added, “There are Death Eaters back, you know, and they’re walking about scot-free.  If I need help dealing with them, I want someone like you.  I trust you with my back.”

[d-aine]

Listening to Amelia's Christmas chatter brought a genuine smile to Dorcas's face. She'd always loved listening to her friend when she got going on something that excited her. Normally, Dorcas would be just as animated as Amelia, explaining everything she'd planned with her own family enthusiastically. She was still happy to feel the Christmas cheer vicariously. “I'll happily be there as early as you'll have me, and will help with the cooking, too.” She took another bite, chewing for longer than needed before swallowing. She was full already.

“I really can't imagine how excited you are, in all honesty. It has to be an insane feeling.” Amelia was getting what most people wished for every year and knew they would never get – at least one more holiday with their family. “Talk about a Christmas miracle. I'm really glad I'm going to be there. It'll be fun to watch the girls open their piles of presents.”

When Amelia placed her hand on top of her own, Dorcas laced their fingers and gave a little squeeze. Hearing that Amelia couldn't get her into her old position wasn't the ideal answer, but it was the anticipated one, so it wasn't too hard to hear. The following news, however, was a bit of a surprise. “Are you serious?” Her response was hushed, but clearly conveyed the excitement she instantly felt. Anything would be better than wandering around the Ministry all day, but working in the Revival department with her best friend was probably the best deal she would be offered anytime soon. “Mia, I would love that. I might have to stab my pudding cup with this plastic fork a few times if you're joking.”

[flatline-fabian]

Some Other Guy // Fabian & Dorcas

[flatline-fabian]

"Right," Fabian nodded slowly, folding his paper as if her reading over his shoulder made him uncomfortable. He leaned away from Dorcas ever so slightly. Considering the hypocrisy he resisted the urge to inquire about her mental state. "If you say so."

[d-aine]

“Oh, come on, Fabian,” Dorcas exclaimed, moving to stand in front of his chair instead of behind. “I know it was lame, but it was at least a little bit funny. You can't tell me the veil left your sense of humor behind.”

[the-brightstar-deactivated20141]

Young and Cold | Sirius (+ Harry) + Dorcas

[the-brightstar-deactivated20141]

The hug surprised him, jarred him for a moment, and in the end he didn’t even have time to reach up and return the gesture. He tried to make up for it by giving her a blinding smile. “It’s good to be seen.” He watched vague amusement as she crouched down to speak to Harry, and he readied himself for whatever Harry’s reaction was going to be. He never knew how the kid was going to interact with people, but his responses had varied from enthusiasm to general disinterest. Sirius’ momentarily thought of James, and his chest felt heavy in response.

"It’s the best," Harry was telling Dorcas, in the meantime. "It’s my favourite." His little eyes went wide with excitement when she handed him the piece of candy, and he nodded at her conspiratorially as he shoved it into the pocket of his jacket, forgetting that Sirius would probably check those when the jacket came off later. "Thank you," he whispered back, remembering his manners.

Sirius tried not to be curious about what was going on down there, but considering that Harry was stilling smiling when Dorcas stood up again, he wasn’t going to ask too  many questions. “You know,” he answered her, looking down at Harry with a mockingly accusing expression. “We’re not actually sure. Pintsize here was given the reigns for today, and the ideas apparently stopped after the hot chocolate.” He looked back at her, grinning. “What are you getting up to?”

[d-aine]

Harry's smile gave Dorcas a kind of joy that only kids could, and she had to resist the urge to ruffle his already unruly hair. It was nice to know she still had her magic touch with children. “I've actually had no plans today,” she told Sirius, glancing down at her shopping bags. “I needed a healthy distraction, something that felt normal and would help me get situated again, so I figured I'd blow some galleons and work on making myself look presentable to the outside world again. Ministry hand-me-downs aren't exactly the most flattering clothing I've adorned.”

Dorcas's eyes quickly looked around, searching for anything that would keep them entertained for a little while. She had no clue if Sirius would actually want to visit, but she figured it couldn't hurt to try and would like to spend time with him and Harry.

Glancing down at Harry again, the owl that had caught her attention earlier came back to mind. “I was actually looking at some owls earlier, in the window of the pet shop down the way. Think Harry would like it? We could let him play with some animals and catch up for a minute.” She almost said she'd missed him, but she'd be lying. It felt like the appropriate thing to say in the situation, but for Dorcas, it'd only been a couple of weeks since the last time she had seen Sirius. 

[flatline-fabian]

Some Other Guy // Fabian & Dorcas

"Two people escape from Azkaban in less than a week? Wish I could say I’m surprised."

[d-aine]

"It's sort of like the apocalypse, if you think about it." Dorcas peered at the paper in Fabian's hands, though she'd seen it herself earlier that day. "People coming back from the dead, breaking out of Azkaban... next thing you know, the giant squid's going to declare himself Minister and ink us all into submission."

[the-brightstar-deactivated20141]

Young and Cold | Sirius (+ Harry) + Dorcas

[the-brightstar-deactivated20141]

Sirius  had been so focused on Harry that he barely registered someone calling his name from down the street. He’d just been about to open his mouth and suggest something (because honestly, you couldn’t trust a three year old to make sound decisions and he was already regretting letting Harry choose today’s activity) when the call registered in his mind and he looked up to find the source. The woman who had called out his name, and was quickly walking towards them, looked very familiar to Sirius. He tried to place her - tried to connect a name to the face - but vague memories were still hard to come by, especially ones from the war. He felt the emotions just as keenly but couldn’t remember why half the time.

But it didn’t take him long to remember her. Of course; Dorcas Meadowes. He couldn’t have forgotten her if he tried, not after the way she’d insisted he call her Dorcas and not Meadowes (violently and without much room for argument). He’d only had the gall to call her Meadowes once or twice after that, with dire consequences. He remembered, with a twinge of pain, when she’d died but that was overcome by the delight he felt as seeing her now. The saga of the Returned continued to throw surprises at him, the good and the bad.

"Dorcas." Sirius greeted her with a smile when she reached them. "It’s - good to see you," he breathed out. He wasn’t about to get emotional in the middle of the street, but he was glad to see her. “Merlin, you look younger than me. That’s hardly fair.” He offered a quick joke, before motioning with his free hand to Harry. “This is Harry. Harry this is Dorcas, an old friend of mine.” Harry looked up at her with blinking eyes, before giving a small wave with the hand that wasn’t holding his drink. “We’re having hot choc.”

[d-aine]

“Oh, you know, a couple years in the great beyond will do miracles.” Finally, someone who was not only not phased by seeing her, but seemed happy as well. Amelia had been happy as well, but it'd been hard for her to react in an unbiased fashion as part of the Ministry. Without a second thought, Dorcas reached out to hug Sirius, a wide smile tugging across her face. “It's so good to see you,” she mumbled before breaking away.

Turning her smile downward, she waved back at Harry before squatting down so they were eye to eye. “It's nice to meet you, Harry. You're quite a handsome little man. Is that good?” She motioned to the cup he was holding, trying to shake off the shock she still felt at how James he was, except for Lily's eyes. When she remembered the bag of candy under her arm, Dorcas reached in and grabbed a piece, handing it to Harry with a wink. “Don't tell Sirius,” she whispered. Smiling again, she rose to full height and looked up at Sirius.

“Where are you two off to?” She hoped for even a few minutes of normal conversation, to keep the light feeling inside of her going. Sirius had always been good for her spirits, and running into him on a day where she just wanted her life back must have been a god send. 

[d-aine]

Do You Know Me | Remus + Dorcas

[wolfs-clothing-blog]

For the first time during their meeting, Remus gave a genuine laugh, even if it was a small one. It seemed a bit ridiculous to ask such a question but considering the way she had died perhaps it wasn’t so ridiculous after all. “Yes, we thought of that. I don’t think Dumbledore would let the issue lie if he wasn’t convinced.” He spoke to his hands, rather than Dorcas, weaving them together and pulling them apart repeatedly. “There’s no evidence that suggests you have any reason to worry.” This time he looked up at her, trying his best to give a comforting smile despite the fact that he needed just as much comfort as she did in this moment. 

"Tea?" His thoughts strayed to the money he’d spent on beer, the money he would have to spend on Christmas presents. Shit, now he’d have to buy something for Dorcas too, wouldn’t he? "No, I’m fine, thank you." He wasn’t particularly thirsty anyhow. If anything, he just needed something to hold on to. Perhaps if he stopped fidgeting he would seem more normal. As it was, she probably thought he looked like a right mess.

What about me? Remus licked his lips and thought on the question. Two of my best friends were killed, a third betrayed us, a fourth went to prison. I lost my job half a hundred times, lost my flat, practically lost my mind. Lived on the street, found my mind, found a flat, got my friend back. And now I’m watching all the people I love rise from the dead. It was all a bit much, wasn’t it? Remus looked up at Dorcas, managing to hold her gaze long enough to say, “nothing too interesting, life mostly. Just doing my best to get on, you know?”

[d-aine]

With her attempt to have him get a drink and talk about himself shot down, Dorcas was almost ready to concede defeat. There was only so much she could do to drag the interaction out, and she wasn't cruel enough to keep him there too long when he didn't want to be. “I can imagine it wasn't the easiest transition,” she replied, finishing off her coffee. The ceramic mug was cold between her hands now, and she set it aside for a passing waitress to retrieve. “And now you've got a whole other earth-shattering adjustment to make. I always knew you were strong, but you're impressing me, Lupin.”

Unable to sit any longer, Dorcas stood and stretched. She'd put him through enough hell for one day, and there were probably more tests or counselings or something she was late for at the Ministry. “I appreciate you meeting me, probably more than you can understand.” She tried to hold his gaze, even if just for a second. “I know this was difficult, but I do hope it gets easier with time. Maybe one day we'll be able to talk without you staring at anything but me.” She tried to grin and pass it off as a joke, but couldn't tell if it was successful.

The impulse to hug him was strong, since she'd always done so before with all of her friends, but Dorcas stopped herself before she could reach out to him. If there was one thing that would make the situation worse (eating brains aside,) that would be it. Instead, she gave an awkward little wave after leaving some money on the table, then couldn't help but laugh at herself. “Merlin, this shit is so bloody pathetic. I'll see you around, Remus. Send James my best, if you would.”

[yesterdays-felo-de-se]

On Christmas Eve | Regulus + Dorcas

[yesterdays-felo-de-se]

Regulus barely glanced Dorcas’ way before he burst out, “Nothing!” Which was probably about as reassuring as being told nothing broke after hearing shattered glass. “I had permission.” He added somewhat less quickly as he straightened, pulled his leg up onto the chair and leaned into it. “Rosier told me I could dig up his grave.”

[d-aine]

Dorcas was positive she heard him wrong. "You...what?" How could anyone dig up a grave, much less tell another about it with a shrug? "What the fuck are you doing digging up graves, regardless of whether you had permission or not?"

[d-aine]

Pickin' Locks | Marlene + Dorcas

[marly-mcbadass]

It wasn’t that Marlene particularly cared what was in the Ministry files like Dorcas did - it was just that she couldn’t resist something so… dangerous. She’d always been a bit reckless, but nothing like she’d been since she’d gotten back from the veil. Her throat still lingered from Rabastan Lestrange’s touch; something that would’ve felt violating before. It was just as if her revival had also come with a reawakening - on who or what was boring, things she no longer cared about, what she wanted to do. She had dreams, both awake and asleep, of stuff that would feel invigorating. A spell from the tip of her wand - blood trailing down the face of the person she cast it on. It wasn’t normal by any means, but these sudden urges felt almost as if she’d done it before; like they were memories.

No, she didn’t care about the files. If a Returned was detrimental, it was nothing they hadn’t gone through with Voldemort. But she sought something dangerous, illegal - even laughed at the potential of getting caught. Of the Ministry pulling out their hair with the idea that two of the Returned were crazy enough to break in and steal sealed files.

They were to meet in a bathroom, something Marlene had thought utterly cliche and rolled her eyes at, and Dorcas wasn’t there yet. She stared at her reflection in the mirror; blond hair wild with curls and falling into her face, the scars from her torture visible from behind the hastily made-up plait down her back. She didn’t look normal - didn’t feel normal, but wasn’t this what the whole thing was about? Chasing the adrenaline that took so much to create these days. Pulling a tube of red lipstick from her pocket (something she’d never bothered with in the past), Marlene spread it across her lips and popped them together. It was the shade of blood and it was perfect.

The door opened and she turned towards the sound. With a smirk, she asked, “How do you even know these things? Tell me you don’t just hang around the Ministry all day, hoping to catch a glimpse or overhear something.” Something told Marlene that might’ve been the case, but she continued anyway, “That would be awfully pathetic.”

It was mean, but she didn’t care. Pointing to the door, she said, “Well, lead the way. Aren’t you supposed to be the ring leader here?”

[d-aine]

Marlene's words might have pissed her off on a bad day, but Dorcas normally didn't mind attitude. That was something she was familiar with handling, seeing as she had plenty herself. “Some of us would like to figure out why the fuck we're alive, and the best way to do that is by spending time in these hallways. Good thing I did too, or we'd both be bored as hell today.” There was a bit of an edge to her words, with the weight of what they were about to attempt settling in her chest. If they were caught – No. Those thoughts would ensure they failed without a doubt, and Dorcas wasn't one to ever accept failure.

“Ring leader?” She smirked before cracking the door, peeking to watch Snape get pulled from his office. It'd been too easy, really, to convince Jeffries there was a last-minute meeting at the farthest conference room from Snape's office. Dorcas remembered him as lacking common sense from her many visits to St. Mungo's as an Auror, and had been all too relieved to find out the fact remained the same. “It's hard to call it a ring when there's only two of us, and this is a one time ordeal.” Pulling the door open fully, she motioned for Marlene to follow. “C'mon.”

Her pace was normal, casual, as she lead the way down the corridor. Almost every employee was familiar with seeing her at all hours by now, making her damn near invisible as they bustled around them. Dorcas couldn't have asked for a better blessing. “Don't snap once the office is open,” she murmured to Marlene, her lips barely moving. “They're used to me, but might not be to you. If you rush or go too slow, they're going to stop and watch.” She figured Marlene would already know that, but it was better to be safe than locked up in the psych ward.

A few more paces and they had arrived, her heart racing. Resisting the urge to look around, Dorcas breathed in deeply and prayed to the gods that she had the right password. Her voice was low, curling her lips around the word as if it pained her to say it. “Always.” It was half a heartbeat before her ears caught the sound of the lock jumping free, and she instantly reached out to turn the knob. With a brief grin at Marlene, Dorcas pushed the door in, blood pounding with elation to the rhythm of her steps.

The door shut and locked behind them, the breath finally escaped her lungs, and relief was quickly replaced with their new purpose: reading the files as quickly as possible. “They're somewhere in this corner, but I'm not exactly sure where,” Dorcas gestured to the area. “He's hidden the cabinet as something else. Help me think.”

[the-brightstar-deactivated20141]

Young and Cold | Sirius (+ Harry) + Open

Sirius hadn’t been planning to leave the flat the day after Christmas. He’d been sporting a nice Christmas drink hangover, had let Harry stay up way later than usual to play with all his new toys, and had been planning to sleep in as long as the toddler would let him. Which turned out to be earlier than he would have liked, but he couldn’t blame the little guy for still being excited about Christmas. But of course, getting up early hadn’t been enough excitement for Harry. Sirius knew he would have been lucky to have had a quiet, peaceful morning, but he still groaned when Harry reminded him that he’d promised after-Christmas “hot choc” at the place that Harry liked.

So they’d clumsily gotten dressed, pulling on boots and coats to keep themselves warm in the outside chill. Sirius even made sure to place a little scar around Harry’s neck; he didn’t want the kid catching a cold, mostly because he didn’t know how to deal with a kid who had a cold, and then they set out into the chill, making their way to Diagon Alley. They slipped into the tiny little cafe, squeezed between two larger shops and barely visible. Sirius ordered them both hot chocolates, but gave Harry the coins so that he could push them across the counter. Once they had their drinks they stepped outside again, standing there as they tried to decided where to go.

"This was your idea," Sirius told Harry, as Harry held his drink up. Sirius chuckled and bent over to blow on the drink, as if that would make it cool enough to drink, and then stood back up. "You dragged us out here. You decide where to go."

[d-aine]

A day away from the hype was something Dorcas knew she'd probably needed a week ago, but hadn't been able to break herself away. The day before had been a nice change of pace, spending time at Amelia's with her family instead of healers and counselors. It'd been the first time Dorcas really felt normal since coming through the veil, eating a home-cooked meal with people she loved and enjoying company without the pressure of her returned state weighing on the conversation. She'd felt the love, but it was hard to relax with so much going on. So she vowed that today would be a day for herself, where she wouldn't worry about being Re-Animated.

With new robes, the latest edition of Witch Weekly, and an assortment of candies tucked in a bag under her arm, there was a noticeable bounce in Dorcas's step as she made her way down Diagon Alley. An owl with particularly vibrant golden eyes caught her attention, causing her to pause in front of the window and stare at it longingly. She had no need of an owl, honestly, with the Ministry's so readily available to her. She also couldn't justify spending the galleons after splurging in Madam Makin's. (After wearing Ministry over-sized hand-me-downs for weeks, Dorcas was tempted to buy every set of velvet robes they had in her size.) “Maybe next month,” she muttered to herself, waving at the owl in a silly sort of goodbye while turning to head down the alley once more.

Her mind was still on the owl when her eyes focused on a man and small boy ahead, gripping their steaming cups and glancing at the shops around them. She recognized Sirius immediately, having spent quite a bit of time with him at Order meetings during the war. She was shocked as her gaze moved down to the boy, a miniature replica of James Potter himself. Without hesitation, Dorcas quickened her pace, calling out ahead. “Sirius!”

[yesterdays-felo-de-se]

On Christmas Eve | Open | Regulus +

"This is such a bunch of bullshit." Regulus grumped, slumping back in the uncomfortable hospital chair and kicking his feet out in front of himself. "Evan gave permission. He was there.”

There was no good reason for the Ministry to be involved. Even less of a one to leave him for an over night stay at St. Mungo’s. It was hardly a sign of mental magical injury to attempt to dig up a body with the grave owner’s permission.

[d-aine]

The closer the holiday got, the antsier Dorcas became. Every nook and cranny of St. Mungo's was on its way to being discovered by the brunette, which she rationalized by assuring herself it would come in handy some day. 

She was about to turn a corner when she heard Regulus's voice pushing from a nearby doorway. With piqued curiosity, especially at hearing the name Evan, she took a few steps back and poked her head around the door frame just as a healer was walking out. Giving Regulus a puzzled look, she spoke. "What did you do?"