Frigus . Sirius Black (Mortem BOOK 2)

chapter sixty-five

April 20th, 1980 - Hogsmeade 

When Sirius and the rest of the Order had arrived at Hogsmeade, it had been too late. They had found Dorcas sitting on a bench, staring at the two dead bodies of the redheaded twins silently, without moving other than the shallow rise of her chest with each breath she took. 

Marlene ran up to her girlfriend, taking her face in her hands, "Dorcas?" she asked frantically, "Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?" 

Dorcas could only shake her head in the negative. No, she wasn't hurt. She wasn't hurt because she had cowered away, remaining hidden under a disillusionment charm while the Dark Lord killed two of her friends, and took Nephera. There wasn't anything she could've done, she couldn't fight them, not with how many of them were there, not even Nephera attempted that, and making her presence known would only sign her death warrant. 

Still, the young witch should've done something, anything other than watch while Riddle... Oh, Merlin, Nephera. 

Then came the question she didn't want to hear, the question she dreaded most of all, "Dorcas, where's Nephera?" asked Sirius after having scanned the area around him and not finding his witch 

The raven-haired boy could barely focus on Remus next to him, who had run up to Gideon and was shaking him profusely. The two were together in everything but name, Remus being far too scared to make it official with the wizard after what had happened to Tony. 

Merlin, Nephera being missing, and Remus's significant other dead... It all felt like deja-vu to the boy, "Dorcas!" he tried again, "Where is my girlfriend?" 

"Lay off, Sirius," ordered Marlene, not taking her eyes off the witch in front of her 

"Don't fucking tell me to lay off! Where is she?" 

He couldn't do it. Not again. He wouldn't be able to survive another ordeal like the one back in seventh grade. His mind flashed back to that time, to the anxiety of not knowing, to the nightmares that visited him every night, to the way he used to dread waking up just as much as he used to dread falling asleep. 

He couldn't do it. Not again. 

Dorcas only shook her head, unable to answer. She wished Nephera had been kidnapped, she wished it would be as easy as locating her and swooping in to grab her, but it wasn't. She didn't want to tell Sirius, she didn't want to speak the words out loud, anything he came up with in his head would be better than what the truth was. 

"Meadows!" he yelled again, his eyes wide, and frantic 

James placed a hand on his back, stabilizing him while also keeping an eye on Peter, who was trying to keep Remus together, "Sirius," he muttered, trying to keep his own panic at bay, "If he's taken her, we've got the bracelets, we can contact her, and she'll tell us where she is, we'll leave immediately," 

Upon hearing that, Dorcas started crying even further, shaking in Marlene's hands who looked as lost as the rest of them. 

It was then that Dumbledore arrived on the scene, and the raven-haired wizard turned his attention on him, "You!" he yelled, "Where the hell were you?" 

Dumbledore was confused, deeply so. He hadn't gotten a patronus, he hadn't gotten word of anything going astray. All he could see was that the Prewetts were dead, Dorcas was crying, and Nephera was nowhere to be seen, "Mr. Black-" 

"Cut the fucking crap!" Sirius shook James off of him, and went for Dumbledore, but the curly-haired boy managed to restrain him once more 

James had questions of his own, the disappearance of Nephera wasn't easy on him either, but his prime focus was his brother slowly falling apart in his arms, "Drocas, please clam down and explain what happened," ordered Dumbledore, in a strong, yet gentle voice