[2] Cupid's Side Project ✓ | MORCAS AU

• Chapter 4 •

"Hey Dorcas, where are you off to?" Sirius called from the sofa in my flat that him and James seemed to have taken up permanent residence on.

"... Out." I should have realised instantly the suspicion that this would cause but I was too busy being excited about having my own secret scheme. It wasn't so much a scheme really but it was a secret as I knew that if Sirius and James knew I was going to talk to Marlene, they wouldn't be able to help themselves and would meddle.

"Out where?" Sirius said, peering over the back of my sofa.

"Out to... Tescos."

"Tescos, huh? To buy what? You went for your weekly shop there yesterday..." Sirius said in a mystical voice.

"How could you possibly know that?" I asked, shaking my head at him as I grabbed my jacket. Sirius wiggled his eyebrows but refused to give me an answer which raised even more questions.

"But seriously, Dorcas where are you going?" James asked.

"I told you Tescos." I said quickly trying to hide the fact that their questioning was making me slightly flustered, "I'm buying... more Oreos."

"Okay, that checks out." James said, turning back around, "We'll be here when you get back?"

"Since when did my house become a public hangout?"

"Since we became friends. We switch between houses, Dorcas, we've all got to take our turn." James said with a grin. I was tempted to point out that he had never taken his turn in letting us stay at his house but I wanted to be out of the door as soon as possible. Sirius and James looked like they still had endless questions in them but I was out of the door quickly and slammed it behind me so that even if they did ask more, I was out of earshot.

I felt a strange sense of excitment as I dashed down the familiar grey streets. I could see how Sirius had got so excited about his scheme. I didn't even have a scheme with Marlene, just a plan to talk to her and for it not to be a trainwreck and I was already hyped.

I was on such a rush from the adrenaline that I opened the door with such force that everyone in the whole damn café turned to look at me which lessened my adrenaline just a little bit. I wasn't going to let it deter me though, I had come to the café with a purpose and damn it, I was going to fulfil that purpose. I walked purposefully towards Marlene, preparing exactly what to say.

I had my opener perfectly planned out which was unfortunately ruined by Marlene speaking first, something that I'd completely forgot to take into account.

"Dramatic entrance there, Dorks." Marlene said with a grin. Part of me wanted to tell her I hated the nickname Dorks but I wasn't about to correct my crush who had spoken to me first and basically made me slightly speechless. All my plans relied on me opening the conversation but I wasn't going to let this fail, I'd have to use my remaining confidence to get through this.

"Well, that's me. Dorks the Dramatic." I said with a confident smile even though inside I was cursing myself for reinforcing the awful nickname. Knowing my luck, she'd be calling me Dorks all the time and it would catch on until people forget that my name was Dorcas not Dorks. I decided not to think about it too much and focus on the current task. I could focus on the awful nickname later, one problem at a time.

"Really? I thought Sirius was the Drama Queen in your trio, you always seemed a lot quieter and understated." I wasn't quite sure how to respond to that but a small voice at the back of my head was telling me to keep the conversation alive with a question. There were so many things I could have asked her in response to that but of course the only thing that sprung to mind was this: