What's Left (Dorcas)

[Deleted]

Why were cobblestones so damned loud?

This was what Remus found himself wondering as he half-ran and half-skidded down the empty corridors of the school. He was early for his midnight hike - ha, ha - but wandering around the school at night was not among his favorite activities and he did feel, nevertheless, anxious. It was a familiar feeling to him, so he didn't dwell upon it.

"You're making such a racket," one of the portraits scoffed. He ignored the complaint and persisted at the same pace. Remus was used to leaving the castle in the company of Sirius, James, or Peter (usually all three, in fact), but something had apparently come up. None of them were in the common room when he left at the usual time. Remus waited with bated breath, but eventually decided that if they were going to show up, they would know where to find him. It wasn't exactly a mystery.

His footsteps ricocheted off the cold stone. Remus didn't worry about the cacophonous pangs, for no one would be out of bed at this hour. That was what he thought, at least, which was why he was stunned to find that he had run into...

The footsteps died down into silence.

[Deleted]

[style=font-family: times; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px; text-transform: lowercase; color: #989898; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;]#### WORDS FOR REMUS oh hey! i got nothin to say - so here's a note pad that's empty, hooray! DREAM [/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #6d6d6d;] [style=padding: 11px; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; height: 475px; overflow: auto; color: #1e1e1e;]Dorcas wondered why exactly it was that she couldn't seem to fall asleep. But, it didn't matter. The fact was that it was near curfew and yet all she wanted to do was travel to the kitchens, maybe take a quick walk around the castle, and then head back to bed. She debated it, though. She wasn't one to break rules, and was sure that if she got out of bed now, by the time she was through with her journey she was bound to be caught and punished for it. She stared at the window in the girls' dormitory for a few minutes before her stomach began to grumble. That was it - time to get up. She slowly crept out her bed and pulled on a pair of silk shorts, and pulled on a white long-sleeved top over the silk top she wore underneath. It wasn't like she was going to go running about the castle with her - well, things shaking everywhere. Gross. And she was a seventeen year old girl, after all, so her things were developed enough. Adjusting herself, Doe finally found her wand and sandals in the darkness and sneaked out of the dormitory. She passed the crackling fire in the middle of the main area, tip-toeing as she realized that a girl had fallen asleep there. That much was clear as Dorcas admired the book sitting on the girls chest. She shook her head and sported a small smile before continuing out and shutting the door behind her quietly. Doe didn't bother lighting her wand, since she wouldn't want to be discovered anyway. Plus, the light from the setting sun would give her enough leeway to see. Instead of stopping at the kitchens first, she decided to take a stroll about the corridors. It seemed only fit, since she didn't want to walk around with a snack. She was careful to be quiet, but even so it wasn't long before she was caught. Oh no, this was it. But the boy in front of her said nothing - and she knew why. Doe gulped and felt her cheeks warm. She looked at him, his eyes glowing and his entire presence inviting. She wanted to throw herself forward and hug him, glad to see him. It wasn't like she thought it'd be. Sure she was a bit nervous, but ultimately seeing him brought a smile to her face. Alas, with a soft and quiet voice, she said "Uh..um..hey, Remus." [/style]

TABLE BY CALIFORNIA DREAMING @ CAUTION 2.0

[Deleted]

Remus was taken aback. He didn't even have to hear the nervous voice to know who it belonged to. The evening light provided little aesthetic evidence in his identification of the girl who stood before him, but he found himself hit by that peculiar feeling that came about when two people knew each other very well... the feeling that he just knew it was her. Of all the people...

His professors would kill him for taking this risk, but he remained rooted to the floor. They would have had him ignore her and be on his merry way, but how could he do that? After their kiss, after his conversation with Sirius... he still had time. The debate raged in his mind, taking center stage. His conscience often played host to some climactic war-zone, though it was scarcely so turbulent.

"DorcAs," Remus said simply, feeling inconsiderately formal. "What are you..." doing out here so late, was what he began to say, but it died as a whisper on his lips. Here he was, again, being Mr. Hypocrite. Did he ever learn?

((Do I get a gold star? *wink wink*))

[Deleted]

[style=font-family: times; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px; text-transform: lowercase; color: #989898; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;]#### WORDS FOR REMUS oh hey! i got nothin to say - so here's a note pad that's empty, hooray! DREAM [/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #6d6d6d;] [style=padding: 11px; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; height: 475px; overflow: auto; color: #1e1e1e;]Dorcas bit her lip as he talked. Why did he want to know why she was there? Did he not want her there? Oh, maybe she should just turn around...No. If she turned around now, she'd just be left with more questions. Plus, Iain threatened to talk to Remus himself about their little predicament, and honestly Doe felt that would do even more harm to whatever situation this was. She played with her hair nervously, trying to talk but not seeming able to find the words. Finally she sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, meeting his eyes. "Just, uh, wandering around," she said casually, then leaned again the wall, taking advantage of the indents and supporting herself in a sitting position - though it was more of a half-lean, half-sit. Dorcas realized that he had stopped his sentence short, but she wanted to answer it anyway. He had a right to ask her questions, after all. He was a Prefect, of course, plus...well, she didn't know what they were, but she still thought he had a right to ask what she was up to. Doe would have asked the same thing if she wasn't so nervous about screwing this up. She tried not to be so obvious about staring at him, but she couldn't really help it. All she wanted to know was what he'd been thinking about in his head the past few days - about the kiss, about her, and if anything about her even came up in his mind at all. Maybe he didn't give it a second thought. She bit her lip again and quickly tried to regain some composure. With a small smile, she said, "I hope you...didn't mind. You know, the other day." Doe could have slapped her own mouth shut, but doing so would have made her look even more stupid, so she sufficed with warm cheeks and a pitiful half-smile she tried to face him with. [/style]

TABLE BY CALIFORNIA DREAMING @ CAUTION 2.0

[Deleted]

Remus shifted. He wasn't sure how long this conversation was meant to last. Dorcas was certainly making herself comfortable, leaning casually into the pockmarked wall. How could he slip by her and down the path that led out of the castle without arousing her suspicions? It wasn't as if Dorcas was stupid, she knew no one should have any honest business on the Hogwarts grounds after dark. She wouldn't be wrong, either.

Remus raised an eyebrow. "Just wandering around?" He didn't press the issue. What did he care? Nobody wanted to be confined to the dormitories after dark; many students felt that it was a silly rule imposed by the teachers and ignored it once in a while (when they felt especially brave).

When Doe indirectly mentioned the kiss, Remus' heart leapt into his throat. He tugged on his shirt collar awkwardly. "Er, no. I actually wanted to talk to you about that sometime..." He looked around, trying to catch a glimpse of the grounds. No one was there. His hopes were quelled. Were his friends already at their predestined meeting place? His gaze shifted up towards the moon which - not unexpectedly, but this he was still thankful for - he could not find.

[Deleted]

[style=font-family: times; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px; text-transform: lowercase; color: #989898; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;]#### WORDS FOR REMUS oh hey! i got nothin to say - so here's a note pad that's empty, hooray! DREAM [/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #6d6d6d;] [style=padding: 11px; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; height: 475px; overflow: auto; color: #1e1e1e;]She didn't really no way to say as he sort of questioned her intentions. Doe nodded. "Yep," she said quietly. She was really more concerned about what he would say about the kiss. And, well, when he spoke...it was exactly what she thought it'd be. From his facial expression beforehand, that is. Thinking about it in the common room, Dorcas had absolutely no idea what he'd say about their previous meeting - kiss and all. But before he spoke, he looked uneasy - maybe yearning for information? She didn't want to hop to conclusions, but his words made her theory come true. He was interested. At least, in what had happened. Dorcas pushed off the wall and neared him slightly, still a bit nervous. "I um...okay," she said, nodding. She leaned on the wall again, this time with her hipbone touching so she was still faced toward him. "We could talk now?" she offered softly, as if asking if it was a good time for him - and also to lead him into asking what he wanted to know. [/style]

TABLE BY CALIFORNIA DREAMING @ CAUTION 2.0

[Deleted]

Neither of them said anything for a while. They just stood there, alone in the lamplit hallway, taking each other in. The speed of the conversation was nothing more than leisurely, and this was not the time nor the setting for leisure. If it was set to continue at the pace of a leaf on a lazy breeze, well, there were other times to pick up the idle chatter, weren't there?

Whether it be Doe's unassuming nature or perhaps his own at fault, Remus could remember few of their shared conversations that had been more pressing than polite chitchat. It wasn't as though he hadn't enjoyed their time together in the past... but if it wasn't that important to her, couldn't they put this conversation off? She was approaching the subject with the same mild tone; she certainly didn't seem to be as torn up about the kiss as he had been.

But this night - of all nights - was not his preferred time to discuss romance. Romance? Wow, who would have thought that he'd ever get there?

"Uh, listen," he began, clapping his hands together. "I don't want to keep you up, I can wait. Besides, it doesn't seem like... well... you don't seem that..." He swallowed his words. Somehow, it was comforting to think that she was just as confused as he was. Remus was going to try to hold onto that as long as possible.

[Deleted]

[style=font-family: times; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px; text-transform: lowercase; color: #989898; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;]#### WORDS FOR REMUS oh hey! i got nothin to say - so here's a note pad that's empty, hooray! DREAM [/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #6d6d6d;] [style=padding: 11px; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; height: 475px; overflow: auto; color: #1e1e1e;]Dorcas watched him closely, still nervous but maintaing stablity as much as possible. But as he spoke, her heart dropped. Did he really just want her to leave? She didn't. She wanted answers, to know what exactly was going to happen now. Did he even want anything to happen? It didn't seem like it, since he was trying to push her away. She bit her lip uncomfortably, glancing from the sky and back to Remus. "I'm, um, fine on sleep," she answered a bit quietly, trying not to be defensive. Doe sighed. "And you mean I don't seem..interested?" she asked. Her eyes grew wider and then softened. "Because I am...interested. In - uh - what happened..." Dorcas shifted slightly toward him, still a safe distance away. She gazed up into his eyes and tried to smile. "...and you." [/style]

TABLE BY CALIFORNIA DREAMING @ CAUTION 2.0

[Deleted]

The last rays of sunset were beginning to fade as the sun sheathed itself in the dark bulk of the mountainside. Dorcas inched closer to him in an almost untraceable motion. Remus opened his mouth as if to say something, but closed it when he discovered that the words had not yet traveled down from the maelstrom within his head. He whirled his head to check his astrological clock; he had time. He had time for this.

Remus inclined his head downwards, just noticing his mindlessly shifting feet. He grinned slightly, remembering his conversation with Sirius and his head mashed into his elbows. "You know, you really knocked me off my guard. I couldn't think of anything else for the better part of the last few days." He looked up, gray eyes fixed with in calculating stare. He was never good at being soft. "Why did you leave?"

[Deleted]

[style=font-family: times; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px; text-transform: lowercase; color: #989898; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;]#### WORDS FOR REMUS oh hey! i got nothin to say - so here's a note pad that's empty, hooray! DREAM [/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #6d6d6d;] [style=padding: 11px; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; height: 475px; overflow: auto; color: #1e1e1e;]Doe listened to him intently, as if she'd miss any sort of hint that he left out. But surprisingly, his words became more direct. More focused on the task at hand, as if he needed answers too. She supposed they could help each other out. But the knot in her stomach made it difficult for her to speak, difficult for her to move. To smile, even. It was just so hard, because she felt like any wrong word or movement would ruin them, ruin whatever it was that had started. And she didn't want to see him go, not then and not ever. "I'm, er, sorry," she apologized, though it was a half-lie. Dorcas couldn't help but be happy at the fact that he'd been thinking of her. But at his voice, he sounded torn up about it. Like it wasn't a dreamy sort of thinking, and rather the kind that you wanted to put out like an endless flame. "Why did I leave?" she asked under her breath, knowing he could hear but it didn't matter. She looked out to the sky and then back to him again, meeting his eyes and taking another step toward him. "I was...scared," Doe said softly. "I mean," she started, looking down. "I would have just told you I liked you but I couldn't find the words. And so I guess I tried to...ya know, show it...but then I didn't realize you might not feel the same. And then, well...I dunno," she rambled, then finally looked back up to his eyes again. [/style]

TABLE BY CALIFORNIA DREAMING @ CAUTION 2.0

[Deleted]

Remus was satisfied. That was more like it. This was the most words he had gotten out of Dorcas in one continuous dialogue since they had met. It was relieving to him that she was a little flustered as well.

"It seems like you've found the words now," he said, sounding foolishly encouraging. He felt like a workout coach... probably because within the Marauders it was customary to make fun of friends, not buoy them. Remus couldn't help but think that things might have gone a little more smoothly if Dorcas had just come out and told him the truth instead of going with the ambush tactic. But then again... if she confronted him and he stood there, sweating in the spotlight, would he feel any differently towards her? Maybe the time to think things through had been good for him.

Still, Remus decided to pursue it further. She 'couldn't find the words?' "Am I really that scary?" He teased. After the words escaped him, a chill crawled down his back as his eyes flitted to the night sky.

In a few minutes, he reminded himself, she might have a very different answer to that question.

[Deleted]

[style=font-family: times; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px; text-transform: lowercase; color: #989898; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;]#### WORDS FOR REMUS oh hey! i got nothin to say - so here's a note pad that's empty, hooray! DREAM [/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #6d6d6d;] [style=padding: 11px; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; height: 475px; overflow: auto; color: #1e1e1e;]She laughed softly. "I guess because I just...want to know what's going on from here," she said, shrugging."I've been so dazed for the past few days that it's been really bothering me," Doe explained, then looked into his eyes. In some points, Remus could be witty, charming, and funny. And then in others, he seemed distant, aggravated, and scarred. Like something was bothering him. Dorcas just hoped that the issue wasn't her. "No, I'm not scared of you," Doe retorted, sticking out her tongue. She giggled a little. "Nothing to be scared of," she grinned. Dorcas ran a hand through her hair and gave a cool sigh. Shivers crawled up her arms at the Autumn air that seeped into the corridor, giving her a sense of cold and discomfort. She looked up at him still, gazing but trying not to intentionally make him feel like she was staring. Doe coughed. "But uh...I guess I just want you to know that, um...well, the kiss was great. I was just nervous how you were going to react and all, and...well, I didn't want to be disappointed if you yelled at me or something...I know how you like your privacy." She gulped hard, and looked away. "Didn't want you mad." [/style]

TABLE BY CALIFORNIA DREAMING @ CAUTION 2.0

[Deleted]

What's going to happen from here? It was a good question. Remus had been wondering the same thing himself since the moment of the kiss. That and what had happened to lead up to this point. Had Dorcas been thinking about orchestrating this for a long time? He could imagine her dropping subtle hints in conversation and himself remaining completely oblivious. Of course. He wanted to smack himself for being so thick.

"Yell at you?" Remus asked, taken aback. He would never! Did he seem like the type of person who might... before even finishing the thought, Remus realized that the answer was a resounding yes. As Dorcas had said, he did like his privacy. At times he supposed he was a bit harsh and irritable, and when he could be seen with his friends he would definitely be picked out as the serious one. (irony?)

Dorcas quelled his worried as soon as they arose. This kiss was great, she'd said. Remus became suddenly self-conscious as he realized that a dopey smile had spread across his face. He erased it quickly and cleared his throat. He couldn't help but shooting a silent Ha! at Sirius, wherever he was.

He leaned against the walls of the castle, finally feeling a little more at ease. For a brief moment, he forgot where he was and where he had been going. Pure happiness swallowed the rest of the world, leaving him blissfully numb. "I'm definitely not mad," he said, grinning in spite of himself. "I was... confused. But I think I'm over that."

[Deleted]

[style=font-family: times; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px; text-transform: lowercase; color: #989898; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;]#### WORDS FOR REMUS oh hey! i got nothin to say - so here's a note pad that's empty, hooray! DREAM [/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #6d6d6d;] [style=padding: 11px; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; height: 475px; overflow: auto; color: #1e1e1e;]She certainly took notice in his grinning, and couldn't help but grin in response. Maybe Remus had been just as worried about what she'd thought of the kiss as he did? And maybe...well, had he thought she hadn't liked it? Oh, she really hoped not. Doe felt a bit bad about leaving, of course, but she never even suspected it would have been a blow to his self-confidence. He had absolutely nothing to worry about. It had been the best kiss she'd ever had. Dorcas gulped and leaned against the wall as he did, looking up at him. Their conversation had gotten to a very casual point, but a point that she was still filled with butterflies and girly urges. But when he said he hadn't been mad, she felt brilliant. Doe moved closer to him and stared up into his eyes, smiling. "Well if you're not mad about it...or confused...maybe we should try again...properly," she said softly, then reached out to his left hand, took it, and started to lean upward toward his lips. [/style]

TABLE BY CALIFORNIA DREAMING @ CAUTION 2.0

[Sirius Black]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 340px; background-image:url(http://i56.tinypic.com/20gfl1v.jpg); padding: 30px; border: #2D2729 solid 30px; ] these dry bones cry out WORDS 392 TAGGED DORKY & REMUS NOTES NONE And Sirius was running. It almost seemed like it was a hobby of his or something, and it felt like he was running more than doing anything else these days. Despite the fact that he was running as fast as his legs were carrying him, Sirius had a huge grin on his face nonetheless. He passed by onlookers who were all heading back to their dormitories before curfew. Some professor lamely asked him to slow down, but it was half-hearted and he knew that whoever it was wasn't about to pursue him. It was that perfect time of night: not quite curfew, but late enough that people just wanted to get to bed and head off for a new day. Or finish unfinished homework. The thought reminded him of a Charms assignment due the next day, but he squashed it from his mind. He didn't have enough time to open the Marauders' Map, nor did he have it with him anyways. He knew exactly where he was, but he was taking a long detour to the Gryffindor common room. At that moment, Sirius' eyes locked onto Remus. It was like his mate came out of nowhere - and Sirius only had eyes for him. He ran forward, still had his ridiculously fast past. He unceremoniously knocked into the person Remus was talking to without noticing, grabbing Remus' arm and started to drag him. "I just set Snivellus' robes on fire in the Great Hall, and I suggest that you come with me or else they're going to think you're helping me or favouritizing me and you know what, come on, let's go, I only have," Sirius paused to look at his watch. "Less than half a minute before Part 2 commences so -" the moment he said that, a loud bang came from the distance. Next thing everyone knew, there were balls in the shape of Snape's head bouncing around everywhere from the direction in which Sirius had just came. Everywhere the ball bounced left grease marks. He smiled at his friend almost apologetically if he wasn't having so much obvious fun. "Well, the choice is yours but..." If he were Remus, he certainly wouldn't want to stay behind. Yes, Remus was a prefect, but he was clearly friends with Sirius and the two of them were in the same general area... these dry bones cry for you

[/td][/tr][/table]

TEMPLATE BY TRINITY BLAIR @ CAUTION 2.0 & ATF

[/center]