It was nearing dusk. The quidditch field was empty, and all of Dorcas’ friends were at dinner. She was finally alone.
Dorcas loved her friends dearly, however, she had been dying for some quiet. Tomorrow’s quidditch match had the entire school buzzing, including her friends. Slytherin vs. Gryffindor. It was all anyone could talk about. Dorcas didn’t care for the rivalry much. She thought it was silly, and considered it to be beneath her. But, she was still going to bury Gryffindor alive when the time came and was more than pleased to do so. Not because she hated Gryffindor, but because she loved winning.
Quidditch was her strong suit. Nobody had expected her to do good when she’d first joined the team. Dorcas was quiet, reserved, and observant. When she stepped on the field, though, Dorcas was a force to be reckoned with.
She stretched for a good while, basking in the last stretch of warmth from the disappearing sun. She was going to take it easy and only fly in laps around the field, being careful not to overwork herself so close to the match. Dorcas had just gotten atop her broom when a noise made her head turn.
Someone was in the stands.
No, not just someone.
Marlene McKinnon.
Dorcas, suddenly embarrassed, hopped off her broom. Of course, just when she thinks she has some peace, Marlene McKinnon is there to prove her otherwise. She could see the blonde girl’s wide grin from down on the field. She had a cigarette between her fingers and was waving at Dorcas with it.
Idiot, Dorcas thought to herself, while doing her best to hold back a smile.
Marlene stood up, suddenly, and cusped her hands over her mouth. “Hey! Meadows! Come here!” She called.
Dorcas looked to her broom and then to Marlene, silently debating her choices. Of course, the smart side of her wanted to ignore Marlene and fly instead, just like she’d intended to. Unfortunately, when your “sports rival”/ hook-up buddy wants to talk to you, flying doesn’t seem so important anymore.
So, Dorcas, against her better judgment, headed up the stands to where Marlene was sitting.
Dorcas was just a few feet away from the other girl when she noticed. She stopped in her tracks, not moving, just observing. Marlene’s grin deepened as if she knew why Dorcas was staring.
“Your hair,” Dorcas murmured. She walked in front of Marlene, only a few inches separating them, and ran her fingers through the blonde strands. “Your hair!” She repeated.
Marlene laughed. “Do you like it?”
Dorcas didn’t like it- she loved it. Marlene’s old long, flat blonde hair seemed like a dream. Her new hair was to her shoulders, rugged, and much shorter in the front than in the back. It was so Marlene.
“It looks great.” Dorcas hummed. She tucked a strayed strand of hair behind Marlene’s ear, loving the way Marlene’s cheeks turned a rosy red.
“Great enough to distract you during the game tomorrow?” Marlene asked, before placing the cigarette between her teeth.
“If you need to use distractions to win, I’m afraid you’ve already lost McKinnon. You’re going to need a lot more than a good haircut to stop me.” Dorcas said while drawing circles on Marlene’s cheekbones.
“Would a tattoo do the trick?” Marlene remarked with a smirk.
Dorcas shoved her shoulder lightly and sat down next to her. She put her chin on her knee and stared as Marlene took another drag of her cigarette. “You’re becoming quite the bad girl, huh? New haircut, cigarettes. First year Marlene would have a heart attack if she saw you now.”
“First year me was a pussy.” Marlene scoffed.
“I thought you were sweet.”
Marlene exhaled a cloud of smoke and looked at Dorcas through narrowed eyes. “Sweet but bloody boring. And if I’m such a bad girl, what does that say about you, Dorcas Meadows? Are you into bad girls?”
Dorcas rolled her eyes. “That would be implying that I’m into you, Marlene McKinnon. And that couldn’t be.”
“No?” Marlene questioned with a raised eyebrow.
Dorcas could feel a smile on her lips despite herself. “No.” She lied.
Marlene took one last drag of her cigarette and tossed it onto the ground, stomping it out with her combat boot. She leaned forward to where she and Dorcas were nose to nose. A warmth spread through Dorcas’ body. She felt Marlene’s breath on her face and desperately wanted more.
She waited for Marlene to close the gap, but seconds felt like hours and she was growing impatient. So, Dorcas leaned in. Only for Marlene to back away.
Dorcas looked Marlene in the eyes and saw the hint of humor behind them. Marlene was playing some kind of game, and Dorcas didn’t like to lose. She leaned forward again, only for Marlene to once again back away. Dorcas scanned Marlene’s face and was annoyed to find a cheeky grin that stretched to her brown eyes.
So, third times the charm, Dorcas leaned in again, this time crawling on top of Marlene to the point she was straddling her. Marlene grabbed Dorcas’ chin, stopping her just before Dorcas could reach her mouth.
Marlene put a finger between Dorcas’ lips. Marlene’s hands were calloused and rough, much like most quidditch players. Marlene’s touch sent chills to every part of Dorcas’ body as her lips parted around the blonde girl’s finger, which signaled to Dorcas to open her mouth. Dorcas wasn’t sure why, but she did. Once her mouth was open, Marlene opened hers too. Cigarette smoke came from between Marlene’s pink lips and into Dorcas’ mouth. Dorcas inhaled it. She hated cigarettes. Still, She inhaled it like it was the last breath of air she would ever get. The pit of her tummy was swirling around and she found herself melting into Marlene completely. She wanted the other girl, every part of her.
Marlene planted a gentle kiss on Dorcas’ lips once there was no smoke left. Dorcas was breathless. Her heart was racing at a million miles an hour, and she felt dizzy.
“Not into me, hm?” Marlene whispered.
Dorcas tried to quip back but nothing came to mind. Marlene moved Dorcas off of her lap by the hips. Before Dorcas could truly comprehend anything, Marlene was walking away, leaving the smell of smoke trailing behind her.
“W-where are you going?” Dorcas questioned when she was able to get a grip on reality.
“Leaving you to practice. You’re gonna need it, Meadows.” Marlene said. Her grin was the biggest Dorcas had seen it all day.
Idiot, Dorcas thought again. I am going to sweep the floor with you tomorrow.