Knowing Me, Knowing You

Watch for the signs

That lead in the right direction

Not to heed them is a bad reflection

They'll show you the way

To what you have been seeking

To ignore them you're only cheating

“Getaway” by Earth, Wind & Fire, 1967

Wednesday 6th October 1976

September had blown by. Most of her lessons went well, except potions of course which she had to share with Meadowes. Who now wasn't speaking to her or even looking her way - no sweat off Marlene's back. James couldn’t wait for Quidditch season. The first match was on the 7th of November so the training schedule was being ramped up, weekly. James insisted that they went on runs together, weekly! Marlene hated it, the burning in her lungs, the sick feeling and the sweat. James always ran way ahead with Sirius and Marlene leagues behind. Most evenings, the group would sit by the fire. Peter and Mary were on the chair with James, Sirius, Remus and Lily on the sofa. Marlene was usually pulled to sit on Sirius' lap when they ran out of room. Every day had the same rhythm, it was peaceful and flowed into each other. At the weekends they would go to Hogsmeade and visit all the shops. It was repetitive but she enjoyed it anyway.  

Marlene had potions twice every Wednesday and she was stuck with Meadowes yet again after Defence Against the Dark Arts. Today they started preparing the Polyjuice. The full moon was failing on Friday so they had to pick the fluxweed. “Students by Monday you will have completed the first half of this potion. Today we will be collecting knotgrass from the greenhouses.” The entire class walked down to the greenhouses to pull out bundles of knotgrass. Marlene went with Mary and Lily while Dorcas skulked around in the back quietly. When they got back to the potions classroom and Marlene weighed up the knotgrass. Then Marlene sat and watched Dorcas do all the work: she washed it carefully in the tap to soften it, then she divided it into equal halves and plaited each half into bundles while saying an incantation. Each group had a crate full of their supplies in the cupboard. Dorcas stored away the grass and sat back down. The two girls wrote the notes off the board for collecting the fluxweed on Friday. 

Friday 8th October 1976

After dinner the class waited for the full moon to rise and headed down to the forbidden forest, escorted by Hagrid the assistant gamekeeper. They met outside the brim of the forest. Marlene came down with Lily and Mary. Peter had been left to go and visit his Hufflepuff friends. Remus had apparently had some kind of accident that day and hit his head, James chose to stay with him and Sirius went nowhere without James. Marlene could swear that boy was falling apart, he was constantly fighting some form of ailment. Everyone squirmed and jumped when they heard a movement, twig snap or bird screech. Dorcas looked so bored she could die as they walked through the forest, there was something so different about her. The groups were told to split off and try to find patches of the plants. “I’m going with them,” Marlene stated gesturing to Mary and Lily who were heading in the opposite direction.

“You do that, but they’re going the wrong way,” she droned.

Marlene tutted. Dorcas was so full of herself. “Because y' just know everythin', yeah?”

Dorcas didn’t respond she just started walking away. The forest was thick, dense and dark; by the time Marlene turned around to follow her friends they had nearly disappeared. She was forced to catch up to Dorcas and her wandlight. “Want to step back a bit there McKinnon? I can feel you breathing on me.”

“Bite me,” Marlene snarled before taking a step away. It was only a minute or two before the girls reached a clearing. The full moon was being blocked by the pristine white clouds overhead. Marlene stepped into the clearing to see bugger all. “This the right place? Yeah?” Marlene snapped. Dorcas said nothing she just stood head up, gazing at the moon. “Oi bitch I’m talkin’ to y’. Hey!” Dorcas was silent and ignored her. Suddenly Dorcas was bathed in a bright white illuminating glow. The plants all around her started suddenly blooming. Each one had beautiful purple flowers which blossomed in every space on the clearing. Dorcas smiled at the moon, not at Marlene. “Shit.”

Dorcas turned and knelt to the ground where she started using a small knife to cut the very bottom of the stems. “Hurry up and start picking, we need 16 scruples.” Fuck Marlene could never remember the wizard measurements. Pounds and ounces just didn’t exist at Hogwarts. Their system was so confusing. How many grams were in a grain? And how many grains in a scruple?

“Conversion. I don’t know the apothecary shit.”

“320 grains”

“Okay.” She still couldn’t remember but rolled her eyes and started pulling up the plants. Dorcas knew what she meant, she just chose to be difficult. 

After about 20 minutes Dorcas stood. “That’s enough I think.” Marlene got up too and looked around the area. She peered into one gap in the trees where something was moving. Marlene edged towards the gap. “Where are you going?” Dorcas queried. Marlene waved an arm to shut her up and kept going. “There are werewolves!”

Marlene brushed her off, “That’s a myth.” Through the gap, she saw a small group of grey baldy creatures running across the ground. She followed them into the brush and leaves, Dorcas trying desperately to call her back. Just as she came close to get a proper look, she tripped and fell on her face. At first, she thought it was a root. Fucking imps, should have known better. Marlene could hear Dorcas behind her cackling. She started laughing too, it was quite stupid of her, Imps were notorious for luring and tripping up unsuspecting passersby. Nobody really knows why, they just get a kick out of it. “Thanks for all the help!”

Dorcas was still laughing but had managed to somewhat console herself. “Shouldn’t have wandered off in the first place.” Dorcas moved over the Marlene and extended a hand. Marlene accepted it and pulled herself off the ground. They almost had a genuine moment of fun before Dorcas ruined it. “Let’s go, we need to get back to the castle.” Such a joy kill.

They were the first ones back, everyone else was stuck wandering the woods for hours. They were back so early, Dorcas insisted on beginning the potion that very night - by early, it was just before 1 am. It was quite exciting after all that waffle for the past month. Marlene retrieved the crate of ingredients and then sat on the worktop swinging her legs while Dorcas did the rest.

“You’re welcome to go if you like,” Dorcas stated. “It's not like you’re doing anything, anyway.”

Marlene retorted, “Y’ ‘aven’t asked me to!” Dorcas ignored her, too busy levelling off three measures of fluxweed and adding them to the cauldron. “Let me do somethin’.” Dorcas chucked in the bundles of knotgrass.

“Stir. Four times.” Marlene reached her hand to the spoon but it was intercepted. Dorcas gripped her wrist tightly. Her hand was neither hot nor cold. It was perfectly room temperature, very strange. “Clockwise.” 

“Okay!” Marlene shook her off and stirred, still disturbed by the feeling of Dorcas’ skin on hers. It left an ongoing buzzing sensation. “How- how long does it take to brew?”

Dorcas folded her arms anxiously. “An hour, roughly. But we’re not doing that tonight. I’ve got places to be.” Like that Dorcas was gone. Rushing off out of the dungeons. 

Marlene didn’t see Dorcas about the castle, even once, that weekend. But sure enough, she was in potions first thing on Monday morning. Dorcas waved her wand with an accompanied spell, the potion began to bubble and brew. After one hour exactly Dorcas knocked off the heat and left the classroom promptly. No words were exchanged with Marlene. 

At 3 pm it was potions again and more silence. 

Tuesday - silence.

Wednesday - silence.

Thursday - silence.

That Saturday, Marlene finally got a chance to speak to her. And by a chance to speak to her, she abruptly accosted her in a corridor. “What are you up to?” Marlene asked jogging up beside Dorcas.

“None of your business,” Dorcas replied dryly. That exact phrase meant it was now entirely Marlene’s business. “Marlene I know your pig-headed and all but that was your cue to leave.”

Marlene ignore Dorcas’ remarks and asked, “Where are you off to?”

“Fuck off,” Dorcas said, entirely serious.

Marlene was taken aback a little at the harsh tone. “What’s up with you?”

Dorcas, growing more agitated, hissed, “What’s up with you? Why are you being so clingy?” 

Touché, Marlene supposed. “You’ve ignored me all week.”

“You didn’t speak to me either.” This was true, she couldn’t exactly argue. 

Dorcas

She just could not shake Marlene. The girl followed her all over the castle. All the way to the greenhouses. “Can you please leave?”

“I’m just exercising my right to freely roam the castle on a Saturday,” she smiled.

Inside the greenhouse, Pandora sat on a stool behind a potting table with two metal lunchboxes in front of her. One 'Sesame Street' and one 'Peanuts'. “Hello Dorcas,” Pandora beamed.

In return, she greeted her, “Hi Pandora. How are you?”

“You’ve brought her,” Pandora said. It wasn’t inherently negative but she didn’t sound best pleased. Pandora usually loved everyone.

“Believe me, it was not intentional,” she announced openly while making eye contact with Marlene.

The tall girl chose to change the subject. “What have you got in there?” She asked curious.

Pandora went to speak and Dorcas cut her off. “None of your business!” Marlene looked taken aback but it was true. Truthfully, in the tins, Pandora kept her and Dorcas’ stash. One was a bright yellow depicting: Bert, Ernie, the cookie monster and Betty Lou. The other: Charlie, Lucy, Linus, Schroeder and Snoopy. The sesame street tin was filled with Pandora’s more expensive, quality weed. In the Peanuts tin; there were a lot of cheap products, pills acid. Wizards drugs too. 

Pandora’s boyfriend Xenophilius and she were very experimental. She loved potions but was banned from taking the subject at NEWT level, as Professor Slughorn had requested, he believed that she could be of harm to herself. That didn’t stop her though: all you needed to get started was a cauldron and a potion book. Pandora made fusion drugs, like Essence of Insanity and a calming drought. The idea was to put the drinker in a relaxed state while they saw voices and visions. Pandora named that one Dreams. Dorcas was never that much into her friend’s potions, although the elixir to induce euphoria never did any harm. They became official business partners at the start of Dorcas’ fifth year but had been selling before that. Pandora was good at making them and had a source from outside the castle to grow the weed. But she was poor at the actual running of the business, she was too kind to be a drug dealer in short. She was forever trying to give things away or give people who just smiled at her discounts, so Dorcas helped with that. She took the payments and kept them out of trouble. Not to mention Regulus looming over the whole thing, he would never let anyone take advantage of Pandora, they were somewhat untouchable. He never got involved in name, preferring to keep his nose clean. But it worked well, they were a good little team. Dorcas wasn’t about to jeopardise it all for McKinnon.

Pandora eyed Marlene, “are you wanting to buy something, Marlene?”

“No, she isn-” Dorcas tried to stop her.

She cut her off, asking, “What’s cheap?” 

“I have Elladora Kettleridge for two sickles or Magenta Comstock for….. well ill give you a discount as a friend of Dorcas, a sickle and let’s say….seven knuts.” Pandora, the absolute fucking beauty.

Marlene smiled and fumbled with her words, “Actually, I’ll pass.” She said her goodbyes and promptly left.

Dorcas sat on the chair next to her friend. “Did I ever tell you how much of a lifesaver you are?”

“No, but you’re most welcome.”

“Thank you, my dear. Anyway onto business, Slytherin first.” Most of the Slytherin purebloods were insanely rich and would pay ridiculous amounts. They liked to forget how scummy they were and Dorcas liked to rip them off. A perfect symbiotic relationship.

Pandora shuffled in her seat. “Reggie doesn’t want us selling to his friends anymore.”

Dorcas shrugged, “It’s not his decision. Seller’s market.”

“Dorcas.” She knew better than to go against Regulus. 

“Fine. Ravenclaw then.” Pandora started listing all the people who’d approached her over the week. Then, Dorcas filtered through all the private conversations she’d had with people, house by house. “Remus wants two more vials of the euphoria exlir and a joint, Fortescue wants a vial of dreams for Black’s party.”

“Sirius’?”

“Yeah, it’s coming up soon. Pretty hard to forget, seeing as how they do a ridiculous display of idiocy every year,” she scoffed.

“Regulus won’t let me sell to Sirius.”

“It’s for Fortescue. Alice? Remember?”

“Okay,” she nodded.

Marlene

Marlene entered the common room to see Remus and Sirius sitting together. They seemed to be engaged in some small talk. She began to vigorously rub her eyes.

“What are you doing?” Remus asked, bewildered.

“Sorry must be something wrong with my eyes. You two are actually speaking to each other.” She then leaned in and squinted. “It must be a trick of the light.”

“You’re not funny,” he said deadpan. Marlene flipped him off and seated herself in between Remus and Sirius on the sofa. “Where’ve you been?”

“Oh, have I got something to tell you!” She squealed in excitement. “Dorcas Meadowes, scary butch turned massive dork. It’s in her name and everything!”

Sirius groaned, “Not her. Again.”

“What are you on about?” Remus asked.

“Her and Pandora buy and sell fucking chocolate frog cards in the greenhouse.”

Remus snorted a little but he didn’t quite have to shocked expression that she’d hoped for. Sirius made up for it though with his sniggering. “I never would have guessed that one. You go down to the greenhouses did you?”

“Yeah, Pandora was offering me some shitty cards for next to nothing.”

“Dorcas Meadowes, dealing, never would have guessed,” Remus smirked.

That week, they completed the potion. Dorcas had earned them perfect marks.