she had known dorcas was in her room, ever since she opened the heavy door downstairs. it was something about the air in the house, the feeling that the last puzzle piece had landed and settled –– the feeling of completeness that marlene only ever felt around the girl she shared a soul with. throwing her coat on the sofa in the reception room and stepping out of her heels bare feet soon touch the marble staircase as she walks towards her bedroom. a faint sound of the wind coming into the room greeting her as doe eyes notice that the balcony door is open ( it always was, when dorcas was around ). smile spreading over her lips as her eyes adjust to the room enough for her to reach the lamp on the nightstand table and turns it on. but dorcas’ wasn’t inside the room, brows furrow slightly as right foot hits the other girl’s backpack. documents fly out and land in an array on the soft white carpet and there –– amongst all is a purple note from st mungos. was she ill? surely she would’ve told her, but? suspicious and worry leads slender hand to reach for the note, opening it and as eyes registered what is written on it she hears dorcas ( @inthemeadowes ) open the bathroom door –– ❝ alma, what is this? ❞
no matter where she went, what she did, dorcas always ended up near marlene. there was an unspeakable magnetic pull that made her find comfort in that one place, in those arms especially, and after so long ( god, they spent so much time apart now ) the pull was almost painful. dorcas, as always, made herself at home, deciding to take a long bath in marlene’s bathroom, trying out some of her salts and potions and all those expensive refined things people like marlene put in baths. always alert, something she’d learned from her line of work, the frontdoor being opened meant that someone was home - with any luck, marlene, without, one of her housemates who could not see her there. when she carefully emerged from the bathroom door, clothes from her friend’s closet wet with the hair on top, she didn’t notice the paper and a confused look spread across her face. as such, she was silent when she moved closer, stopping as soon as the symbol of the hospital was obvious. “ well, you’re reading it, aren’t you ? “ a secret. the letter represented a secret, one of many, a SIN in their friendship. “ it was nothing. “