Empty Gold • d.meadowes

-01-

Unlike other students, who occupied the days leading to Christmas either strolling around the corridors or staying in the warmth of the common room, indulging in a mug of hot chocolate stolen from the kitchen, Dorcas Meadowes spent hers in the corner of the Great Hall, huddled among her peers while a sweet melody of a song twinkled through the misty air of the cold December evening.

Professor Flitwick led the choir, professionally instructing the few members who had bothered to leave the comfort of their common rooms in order to pursue the activity they enjoyed doing. Among them was Juliet Dearborn, who was the sole reason Dorcas had dragged herself from underneath the warm blankets and walked all the way down from the Gryffindor tower in the midst of the cold wave that was passing through the castle.

It took about five clearings of the throat before Flitwick was able to drag Dorcas's attention from the golden haired girl who occupied her mind all day, everyday. She looked at him in embarrassment, before clutching her piccolo flute, which lay on her lap, once again between her fingers and bringing it up to her mouth. Juliet, who seemed to have not realised at all the tumult of emotions she was inducing on the girl, has now joined in the small group that was singing the new song Flitwick has been teaching them for over a week now. When absolutely sure that all attention has been turned away from her, Dorcas allowed her eyes to flit over to the girl once more.

Juliet was beautiful, that much has always been clear to Dorcas. Her hazel eyes and long golden curls were enough to take her breath away, and every time she smiled, she made butterflies flutter in her stomach. The only problem was, they were both girls, and Dorcas wasn't ready to give up the sweet pleasures of staring subtly at her in the middle of her choir lessons or Astronomy class, enjoying the way her hair blew in the wind and the way her laughter echoed through the air, in the fear that a confession might not produce a result she would hope for.

She didn't realise that the choir lesson has ended until someone prodded her on the head with her own flute. "What's got your mind today?" She blinked several times and looked up to find one of the choir members, Leigh Marsh, looking down at her questioningly. He too played the flute, and having sat beside each other ever since he first joined the choir had sparked in a rather unusual friendship between them, for he was two years younger than her, and they hardly ever met each other outside of the choir lessons.

"Nothing," she shook her head rapidly. "Just lost in thought." She stood up and gathered her bag, carefully sliding her flute into the pocket of her robes. "Any plans for Christmas?"

Leigh shrugged. "My parents want me to attend muggle gatherings and stuff. As usual."

Dorcas smiled sympathetically. Leigh was a muggleborn, and his parents weren't very happy with their son being a wizard, always fearing they might lose him in the unknown world. "Well, good luck."

They parted ways, Leigh heading towards the Hufflepuff basement, while Dorcas made her way up the spiral staircases to go to the Gryffindor common room.

The common room was pleasantly welcoming, and it was with a smile that Dorcas trotted over to one of the sofas where sat her two best friends, Maeve Burton and Silver Saunders. She plopped down beside Maeve, and laid her head over her shoulder, while she adjusted her glasses and looked questioningly at her.

"Talked to Juliet?"

Dorcas's smile faded and she straightened herself before sending her friend a pointed look. "Stop asking that whenever I'm smiling."

She shrugged. "In my defense, you do look a little lovesick."

With an exaggeratedly long sigh, Dorcas once again rested her head over her shoulder and peered at Silver, who was sitting on the floor and scratching away rapidly in a long piece of parchment, her eyebrows creased into a prominent frown. "What are you doing?" she inquired.

"Ancient runes," answered Silver briskly. "I have to ace the NEWTs if I want to get the job."

Dorcas and Maeve shared an amused look, though both refrained from expressing their amusement out loud, for Silver could become quite dangerous if she wanted to, despite being the most reserved among the three, especially when it came to matters of the academics. While the former two weren't quite so bent on achieving the perfect results, Silver was adamant about it, believing that one less score than desired was going to be the end of the world for her.

Maeve leaned back on the sofa with a long sigh, staring up the ceiling. She looked to be deep in thought. Dorcas asked, "Anything bothering you?"

She shook her head. "Can you believe that one year from now, we'd be established in life and would probably be miles from each other? Especially, Silver. She's going to travel the world, and will most likely forget about us in her search for ancient artifacts. Oh, and she will also end up founding a new school with three other people having alliterated names."

"Speak for yourself," Dorcas interposed. "I'll be far from established. I'll probably end up opening a shop in Diagon Alley and selling goods no one needs."

"No, I'm pretty sure you're going to be a great singer. We'll listen to your songs on the radio, and the upcoming generation will simply idolise you. You'll be successful, I'm telling you."

Dorcas gave a snort, though it didn't turn out the way she had wanted, for that was the kind of future she dreamed about – a successful singer, riches, hundreds of youngsters scrambling to take photos with her. Except, in her fantasies of the future, she would also see another figure by her side, a tall and beautiful girl with long golden hair, whose melodious voice could make her heart stop beating. Suddenly she blushed.

Thankfully, Maeve was too busy gaping at Silver who had abandoned her studies to join the two girls on the sofa. "Did you really stop studying, Silver?" she exclaimed dramatically. "But you're going to fail if you don't put all your heart and soul into it. And I don't want to be on the receiving end of your wrath when you score one less than your target."

Silver either didn't see the sarcasm, or chose not to. Dorcas guessed the latter, for she was usually too done with them to dignify their comments with a witty reply.

"How can I study when you keep talking about such depressing things?" The trio sat side by side on the sofa, Maeve in the middle and the other two's heads rested on each of her shoulders. It wasn't something uncommon among them; Maeve was the mother of the group, and at times when she wasn't spewing sarcastic remarks out of her mouth, she was the one worrying about the grades and healths of the other two.

"If anyone cries, I'm gonna hit something," said Dorcas.

"If anyone cries, it will be you, Dork," said Silver, while Dorcas laughed, never getting tired of her usual nickname.

"Seriously guys," Maeve spoke. "Promise me you'll never forget about us."

"I won't forget," said Silver confidently. "But Dorcas just might. Especially when Juliet realises that she is as straight as a bendable ruler and that Dorcas is just the person for her, and not those boys who keep asking her on dates."

Dorcas was blushing furiously now. "Guys," she protested weakly, but Silver's attention was suddenly attracted by a group of four fifth year boys, the known pranksters of Hogwarts, who were whispering something in each other's ears while a small group of second year girls goggled at the boy who went by the name of Sirius Black. Dorcas found herself rolling her eyes – she never really understood what was so charming about him.

"I wonder," said Silver with a frown, "how do they remain so calm? They have OWLs coming in a few months, and –"

"Ugh, Silver!" Maeve smacked her on the head. "Let them enjoy! Not everyone has a stick up their arses like you do!"

"Excuse me?"

As they began to squabble, Dorcas rolled away from them and slid to the floor, before folding her arms over the sofa and burying her head between them. She had known before, but this was when the realisation actually triggered in her brain, that she was going to graduate in less than a year, and after that her chances of approaching Juliet would be zero.

She only hoped that Juliet wouldn't continue dating the Ravenclaw boy she had gone to Hogsmeade with last weekend.

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thoughts?