When Music Meets Doubt
Dorcas POV
September 1982
Dorcas sat with Marlene on her bed. All the girls were gathered there, along with Remus. It was something they apparently did often. It felt as though he was more a part of their friendship than the other lads were, but that made sense—Dorcas would have chosen Remus too.
As for Remus, he was an absolute dream. He wasn’t as over-the-top or attention-seeking as James and Sirius, and he had a certain understanding of… everything. He was so accepting and knowledgeable that it barely made sense in Dorcas’ mind. At that moment, he sat with his fingers stretched out in front of him while Mary painted his nails a bright red. They were perched at the foot of Marlene’s bed, and if Dorcas really tried, she could just about touch them with her toes.
To be fair, the red shade suited Remus’ skin tone beautifully, though she was sure he could pull off any colour. He was one of the most stunning people she’d ever seen. If it weren’t for the fact that she was a lesbian, she might have fallen for someone like Remus—intelligent, gorgeous, and calm. Not that he seemed particularly interested in relationships, which Dorcas respected.
Mary, as usual, was in the middle of some wild gossip. It was amazing how she always had a new story every time they met.
“And do you know what she said when she came home and found her boyfriend in bed with another woman?” Mary asked excitedly. Everyone, including Dorcas, shook their heads, and Mary’s face lit up with that enchanting expression she got when she was about to spill some tea.
“Amos Diggory offered Emmeline to join him and Emma Vanity. And she said yes! I know it’s true because Emmeline told me herself. Apparently, she’d always had a little fantasy about threesomes, so instead of getting angry that her boyfriend of three years was cheating on her with her best fucking friend, she decided to give it a go!”
Dorcas glanced around at the others, who sat open-mouthed. Lily looked the most shocked, even though she’d known Mary for twelve years. Dorcas often thought Lily stared a bit too long at the dark-haired girl, but she’d always asked her outright if there was more to it. As far as she knew, Mary was 100% heterosexual, so it probably wasn’t a great idea to give Lily false hope by telling her Mary touched her a lot more than friends usually did.
“So… how long had Amos and Emma been carrying on?” asked Remus. “We all know Emmeline well, maybe except for Dorcas, but I’d never have seen that coming. Loyalty is important to her, so the fact that both her best friend and her boyfriend betrayed her like that must mean something, no matter how many fantasies she’s had about threesomes!” said the ever-wise Remus.
Mary seemed to ponder this for a moment. “I think it was the first time it happened, but Emmeline seemed a bit embarrassed about the whole thing, understandably, so I didn’t get all the details.”
Marlene turned her head, so beautifully nestled in Dorcas’ lap, to look up at her with big eyes.
“I could never share like that. I like knowing I’m the only one who gets that sort of access to my partner!” she said, wiggling her eyebrows at Dorcas, who simply rolled her eyes.
Remus coughed. “Marlene, as much as I adore you, I don’t want to hear any more about your sex life tonight! It’s enough hearing about others’ who aren’t in the room, but I won’t be able to look at you normally for the rest of the evening if you keep on like this!” he said seriously. Dorcas couldn’t agree more; she didn’t need to share all the details with anyone except Marlene.
Marlene simply grunted and reached up to play with Dorcas’ braids. By now, Dorcas was used to this—Marlene playing with her hair. Something about it always made Dorcas want to kiss her senseless.
“But I don’t understand. Are they just together, all three of them?” Lily asked, still stuck on the topic. Everyone else seemed to have moved past the shock.
“Yes, or at least according to Emmeline’s words,” Mary said thoughtfully.
“Weren’t we all agreed to drop this subject?” Remus groaned, nearly smudging his nail polish, but Mary stopped him just in time.
“Alright, alright. What would you rather talk about?” she asked instead, picking up a clear polish from her makeup bag and beginning to apply it while Remus thought.
“Have you heard that Sirius and James are moving out? They’ve rented a flat and are moving in October!” he said finally, looking around.
“No way, really?” Marlene sat up immediately. “I never thought they’d move out! Why would they? Effie and Monty let them stay!” she said, surprised. Dorcas agreed. She hadn’t thought much about why those two still lived at home as nearly 23-year-olds, but it made sense they’d finally move out.
“What about your band practices? Will you still be able to use the Potters’ place?” Lily asked worriedly, and Dorcas could see her point. If James and Sirius didn’t live at home, it would make it more difficult to practice at their parents’ house. Everyone fell silent, clearly considering the same thing.
“Well… they’ll obviously let us keep using the garage. It is James’ parents we’re talking about, but it might be a bit inconvenient,” Marlene said after a moment. The others nodded slowly.
“Maybe we should just rent a practice space nearby?” Mary suggested, looking as though she’d finished with Remus’ nails, though only half of them had polish.
“I doubt you’ll find anything closer than the Potters’ house,” said Remus. “But it might also be a good reason for James and Sirius to visit their parents. You’ll manage!” he said optimistically, patting Mary on the shoulder. She shrieked and leapt off the bed, running toward the kitchen. Remus chased after her, leaving the three remaining girls in the room.
Lily sighed but got up too, laughing quietly as she walked out.
Now, it was just Marlene and Dorcas left.
“Should we follow them?” Dorcas asked quietly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind Marlene’s ear. Marlene simply shook her head and leaned forward to kiss Dorcas.
Their mouths connected, and Dorcas placed both hands on Marlene’s hips, pulling her onto her lap. Marlene grunted, straddling Dorcas. She tilted her head, her mouth opening, and slid her tongue teasingly along Dorcas’ lower lip. Dorcas responded immediately, her hand flying up to Marlene’s jaw as her lips parted.
“Just a little while longer,” Marlene murmured against Dorcas’ mouth before licking along the top of it—a slow swipe that sent shivers through them both. Dorcas wholeheartedly agreed.
The sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted them.
Mary.
Of course, it had to be Mary MacDonald. No one else would dare to barge in like that.
“Are you two coming to help with dinner, or would you rather snack on each other for supper?” she asked, blinking innocently.
“Well, now that you mention it—”
“We’ll come help with dinner!” Dorcas quickly cut off Marlene, who had clearly intended to suggest they stay put. Marlene, honestly!
Mary grinned and turned on her heel.
“Why’d you do that, babe? We could’ve had peace for the rest of the night!” Marlene whined, pulling her best pout.
“Because I actually want to spend time with your friends!” Dorcas said, hopping off the bed with ease and starting toward the door. “Come on.” She disappeared into the hall. Dorcas could hear Marlene swearing behind her, but it wasn’t long before a hand clasped hers, and they walked hand in hand to the kitchen.
“What are we making?” Marlene asked, hopping onto the counter the moment they entered. She swung her legs back and forth, watching the others.
“You’re not making anything, but we’re making lasagne!” Mary said, pulling out a fresh bottle of wine.
“Why don’t I get to help?” Marlene pouted, glaring at Mary.
“Because the last time you tried to toast bread, you set the kitchen on fire. You’re like a little destructive bomb waiting to ruin more dishes. But hey, you’re not ruining my dinner, so you get to watch and put new records on when an album ends!” Mary said firmly, and Dorcas couldn’t help admiring her a bit for the way she put Marlene in her place. It was clear they’d known each other for 11 years. Mary knew exactly how to handle Marlene, and something about that was just beautiful. Pure friendship.
Dorcas laughed, helping to set out wine glasses. “Sweetheart, listen to Mary—she’s always so wise.” Dorcas giggled as Marlene jumped off the counter and settled on a chair. She pouted, but as soon as Lily brought her a glass of wine, she seemed to forget everything.
Tasks were quickly divvied up, and the cooking began. Lily and Mary chopped and washed vegetables while Remus worked on the meat sauce. Dorcas soon found herself without much to do, so she wandered between them, chatting. When she reached Remus, she leaned against the counter.
“How’s James doing?” she asked casually, though there was much more weight to her question than she let on.
Remus glanced up from the pan. “He’s doing well. Busy, but you probably know all about that,” he said quietly, studying her. Dorcas knew immediately that Remus was aware of Regulus and James’ little… relationship. Wonderful.
“I saw him the other day when he stopped by. He seemed happy,” she said cautiously, watching Remus intently, as if asking whether James was good enough for Regulus. If he would care for him beyond appearances.
“James is happy. Very happy. In fact, I think he’s happier than he’s been in years,” Remus said, turning his attention back to the sauce.
“It’s because of Regulus!” Mary exclaimed loudly. “That’s why James is so happy.”
Dorcas froze, and so did Remus. They stopped everything, barely breathing, as they turned to look at Mary, who grinned broadly.
“As if I didn’t know. So does Lily and Marlene, right? James even mumbled his name in his sleep while we were playing cards. Remember, Cas?” she said cheerfully, doing a little hop. And she was right. Dorcas did remember James mumbling about Regulus when he fell asleep during a card game, but she hadn’t thought the others picked up on it.
Lily peeked out shyly. “I’ve helped him pick out flowers for Regulus… many times,” she said slowly and carefully. But it didn’t matter because Mary and Marlene both gasped loudly. Even Remus looked up at her sceptically, as if he couldn’t believe she’d said it out loud. James probably hadn’t intended for them to know. Not even Dorcas.