Running in the dark

Chapter 74

"Where's Dorcas and Marlene?" Sirius asked Lily as they sat down at the Order table but she just shrugged.

Dumbledore was not at this meeting but Moody seemed to be unsure of himself drumming his finger on the side of the table. "Dumbledore gave me some news, two nights ago the McKinnon house was searched by Aurors and the McKinnons were found dead, this included our member Marlene McKinnon," he told them.

It was deadly silent. James had lost his breath, Sirius had grabbed Remus' arm, Mary had let out a squeak of a noise, Lily had paled, Peter's hands flew to cover his eyes and Remus was frozen.

"We have tried to contact Dorcas Meadowes but have had no luck, if she contacts you, you alert me immediately, all that we know about the situation is that it was death eaters who killed them," he told them.

Mary was crying, her best friend was dead, Marlene had been there for her since first year and now she is gone.

The Order meeting was short, only a couple of assignments were given.

They all apparated home from there and it seemed many of them fell to tears from then.

Grief was a horrible thing and experiencing it was sickening.

Lily Evans cried with the grief of losing Marlene of losing her friend, the friend she had laughed and cried with, the girl who helped her pick outfits out and gave her heels and lipsticks.

Mary McDonald sobbed in her lover's arms, she had lost her best friend the person who had to listen to her about every rant about Lily, who had made jokes that made her roar with laughter and make her smile when everything else was shit.

Peter sat alone, his childhood friend was gone and she would never be back. There was nothing he could do now not to change what had been done.

Sirius Black curled up beside his moon as he cried, the funny chaser who he had had a small rivalry with that bloomed into an awesome friendship was gone. No longer there to bring light to even the darkest of moments.

Remus Lupin cried beside his love, trying to picture the last time he had spoken with her, trying not to think about how she was engaged and her fiance was nowhere to be found. The girl who smiled and hugged him was gone.

James cried and then yelled, yelled out at a star in the dark sky about how shit he was feeling about how losing his friend since his youth was breaking him, that he wasn't ready for any more loss.

...

"You're the reason she's dead" Dorcas yelled her wand pointed at Voldemort, she'd been tracking him down and now here she was, face to face with him.

"That is what happens to those that work against me," he said back not at all bothered by her, but his wand was raised back at her.

''You're going to die a cold and brutal death," she spat. She could imagine it, imagine killing the man who had stolen her love and watching him bleed out.

"Child, you are stricken with grief you are in no composure to kill me, but I shall let you live if you tell me everything about your spy Remus Lupin," he said to her, still calm.

"I would rather die," she hissed. She would never sell out one of her friends.

"So be it," he said softly and then before she could do anything he was yelling.

"Avada kedabra!"

Dorcas Meadowes left the cold world and went elsewhere, she was greeted again by something familiar, something she had mourned.

...

'Lord Voldemort killed Dorcas Meadowes,' was the one-line letter written to all Order members.

No one had seen her, a whole month had passed since the death of Marlene and now here was the news of Dorcas.

Tears that had barely begun to dry away from before came back

Lily Evans sobbed for the girl she did study groups with, the one who would chuckle with her as Mary and Marlene would dance on tables and who defended her against Snape again and again.

Mary McDonald cried for the girl who smiled at her and told her that being comfortable in her own skin would help even when some weren't comfortable with her.

Peter Pettigrew did not sleep. The losses were starting to pile up and losing people was not something he liked.

Sirius Black cried for the girl who made his brother happy, the girl who would lend him eyeliner and chuckle at his jokes, to the girl who was too cool for this world but should have had more time in it.

Remus Lupin sobbed for his friend, one he would study with and throw sarcastic comments at people with. For the girl who had been in so much grief that she had shut herself out and opened death's door without flinching.

James Potter cried and found himself talking to that star in the sky again, the one belonging to the Leo constellation, telling it of how he wasn't sure he could survive another death of a friend.

...

"It's been a year Reg," James said softly sitting on the pavement and looking up at the sky. It was three months since Dorcas' death and four since Marlene's.

"I fucking miss you," he mumbled. "Sirius does too, he's just not as good at expressing it, but he does, we all do," James told the star.

...

"Barty what the fuck did I say!" Pandora yelled.

"Ok, merlin I'm sorry, this is the last one though right?" He asked and she nodded.

"Then we must celebrate when this is all over, we're all going out for drinks, Evan's paying," Barty announced.

"No thanks Crouch, pay for your own drinks," Evan told him but he smiled. "This plan fucking worked, just one last thing to do," he said still smiling.

"Of course it worked, all thanks to Reggie," Barty chuckled.