To Catch a Death Eater: Love, Enmity and Discord

Gideon, with an expression of forced calm on his face, sits down on the Potter's couch, and tries to listen attentively to the chatter around him, but instead finds himself scanning the crowd for Dorcas. He sees Marlene emerge from the hallway with a sort of bewildered look on her face. Fabian suddenly appears at his elbow and starts whispering.

"Have you heard, Gid?"

"No, heard what?" Gideon asks although distracted.

"They're already planning a mission for some of us..."

"Oh really?" Gideon looks at his brother with interest, "Who's going? What's the plan and all that?"

"Well, it seems that Dumbledore and Aberforth have concocted some sort of plan to stop the Death Eaters from enjoying themselves too much. They figure they know where the bastards will hit next... Anyway, they're sending Caradoc and Sturgis out first. That's the location they know the Death Eaters will visit. It's classified though; figures they wouldn't tell us. But guess who's next in line for this lovely mission?"

"Us?" Gideon predicts resignedly.

"You guessed it... But they're sending one more person with us, and that's-"

"Dorcas," Gideon adds with surprising clairvoyance.

"Yep. I'm sorry mate, but that's the way it is when there's a war on."

"You don't need to tell that to me," Gideon sighs, "So where are we off to, and when?"

"They'll tell us later. I guess they don't want us getting too antsy."

"Too late," Gideon breathes as he watches a slightly downtrodden Dorcas emerge from the hallway.

***

Dorcas unwillingly slides back into the living room, and makes her way over to Frank and Alice Longbottom; Alice is as pregnant as Lily by now, but Dorcas refrains from teasing her. Frank and Alice are a few years older than Dorcas, and Dorcas has nothing but the highest respect and regard for them. They were such an honest, kind, unassuming couple.

"Well, hello Dorcas!" smiles Alice, "I suppose you've heard all about our big assignment?"

"No, what assignment?" Dorcas looks up quickly out of her saddened stupor.

"Well, I shouldn't really say our assignment, and we don't know much about it anyway...You'll be in the second group. We're trying to put a stop to the Death Eaters causing so much fear and suffering among us. Of course it won't be easy, but there you have it..."

"Who am I going with then?" Dorcas asks, already knowing the answer.

"Caradoc and Sturgis will be heading out first and then you and the Prewett brothers form the second 'assault' as you will..." fills in Frank.

Dorcas looks from one to the other, and hardens herself. She'll have to suck up her emotions, if she's going on assignment soon.

"When are we off then?" Dorcas asks stiffly.

"We don't know for sure, dear. Just rest assured that Dumbledore will have figured it all out by now. I know it sounds unpleasant," Alice adds comfortingly seeing the hard look on Dorcas' face, "but something must be done, you know. And anyway, I fully intend to go on this mission," she says more to Frank than to Dorcas. "I know Dumbledore doesn't want me to, but I just couldn't live with myself if I knew I had the chance to give our child a better life, and I didn't do anything about it."

Frank shrugs and says, "We'll see," in a manner that says he loves his wife so greatly for her having said this, but is fighting against his better judgement to let her get away with risking her and their child's life.

Dorcas leaves them to sort out their troubles, and gratefully accepts a seat next to Benjy Fenwick.

"So, my dear girl, you're to be going on assignment I hear?"

"Yes, and it all seems completely futile."

"Sometimes we have to make sacrifices for the better good of the people-"

"Well, I know that, or else I wouldn't be in the Order, would I?" she says scathingly.

"Now see here- I won't take any lip from you my girl. Let me finish my little speech and I'll let you go off and live your young life."

"Sorry, Benjy. I've just not been having a great day."

"I understand. Now, as I was saying, you've got to make sacrifices for the people, and even if you think it will do no good whatsoever to try and help future generations at least, I'd tell you you're downright absurd. You never know, even the smallest actions can have the greatest consequences. And even trying can make a difference, even if you don't succeed."

All throughout Benjy's speech, Dorcas felt her thoughts sliding back onto Gideon. It felt more like he was lecturing her about that than giving her morale a boost. And maybe he was, you could never tell how much Benjy knew...

Once Benjy was finished, Dorcas sighed, nodded and looked up to see Gideon walk outside, and run obviously frustrated fingers through his sweeping black hair. She had tried, hadn't she? Gideon was the one who wouldn't believe her. Even when she told him the truth, she knew he would never trust her again. Her heart broke again and again every time she thought about that night.

It was raining, not to Dorcas' surprise. The air lately, much like Dorcas herself had been brewing up a storm for what felt like weeks. It was nearing their end of term, and Dorcas and Gideon had been on and off for a few months. When he was around her and happy, she was the happiest she'd remembered being. But, unfortunately, Gideon wasn't always happy. He was usually suspicious, to tell the truth. Always asking where she'd been and who was with her. Dorcas kept telling herself it was just his way of letting her know he cared about her, but she was starting to feel suffocated. She regretted more than ever her old reputation of being a flirt and all of her seductive attempts to win Sirius. He still came on to her now and then, and Dorcas supposed Gideon had every right to be suspicious. Especially since she only really talked to him after he had saved her life, and he thought she was just trying to satisfy her gratitude. She could never make him believe that she really cared deeply for him, and it was all the more frustrating when Gideon would tag along with her everywhere, searching for some sort of proof that he was wanted. All in all, it wasn't turning out to be the relationship that Dorcas had planned that night in the common room. Neither of them understood the other one.

To add to Dorcas' eternal despair, it was discovered mid-April that her mother and father had been under the Imperius curse for approximately 6 months, the both of them working in the Ministry under the Department of International Magical Cooperation. Dorcas was devastated at the news, and was told by Professor McGonagall that she would have to live with her cousin Marlene from now on, as it was by no means certain that her parents were free of the curse. Dorcas graciously declined the offer, being too overwrought to stand living with anyone, she bought a small house not far from the McKinnons. The transitional phase of her life had Dorcas' head spinning.

To no one's surprise the rain depressed spirits, and brought everyone's agitated attitudes to a head. The common room felt like a shortly fused Filibuster Firework, liable to go off under the slightest provocation. The uneasy buzz of the Gryffindor tower was too much for Dorcas, and she made her way to the owlery instead, where she usually went to think. Once again, she found herself uneasily contemplating trying to fly off the tower without a broomstick when she once again heard footsteps as she had done only a few months before. But this time, it was not Gideon's shocked face that greeted hers, as the door opened and Dorcas turned to greet the intruder, but Sirius, with an oddly bemused expression. Dorcas sighed inwardly; knowing it wouldn't take long for her to tire of Sirius' assuredly cocky manner.

"Why, hello there!" he said falsely cheery.

"Hello," Dorcas said with her back to him.

"Where's Gideon? This is your usual snogging spot, isn't it?"

"Sod off, Sirius."

He whistled. "My, we are saucy this evening. I was just wondering if you needed a bit of company. After all, I understand how hard things have been for you..."

"Oh, you do, do you?" she said in blatant disbelief.

"Hey, remember? My parents are evil, bloody You-Know-Who lovers. I ran away from home! At least you know your parents didn't choose to obey him of their own free sodding will..."

"Yeah, well it's nice for you, isn't it? You get a nice cozy home with your best friend and you'll all live happily ever after?"

"Dorcas..." Sirius said moving steadily closer to her.

"What do you really want, Sirius? You can't have just come up here to sympathize."

"I'll show you..." and Sirius kissed her, completely taking her off guard. She had forgotten just how much she had fancied him before Gideon... Before she knew it they were snogging full on when the sound of more footsteps cold be heard coming up the stairs. Dorcas knew this was wrong, and that it was only confirming Gideon's suspicions. Now he would think they'd been at it all the time! She just knew that it was Gideon approaching, and she made to throw Sirius off her, but it was too late. His hand was still up her shirt by the time the door swung open to indeed reveal Gideon, in wide-eyed disbelief, but grim satisfaction nevertheless. She closed her eyes in defeat. She hadn't wanted that to happen, it was something she couldn't control. She had needed a break. It was a slip! Sirius was the one who came on to her! She told him to go away! But Gideon was already marching unnervingly composed down the stairs. Then, all of a sudden, he threw himself down onto the last step and put his head in his hands. Dorcas made to go and tell him what happened, but he stood up again, and faced her with a terrible heart-wrenching stare.

"I knew it all along, Dorcas. You didn't want me... you wanted Sirius."

"No, Gideon, you don't understand-"

"You never understood how much I cared for you. You told me you'd stop this nonsense!"

"If you'll let me explain, I will tell you what happened!"

"I don't want to know, alright? Just... don't talk to me anymore."

"But-" she started, and then stopped as he walked away. She'd never forgive Sirius for that... But really, was it his fault entirely? Everyone was just on edge from all the rumors about You-Know-Who, and the stress was overwhelming... and who was she trying to kid? Gideon was obviously suffocating her, and she would never have let Sirius kiss her if she wasn't unhappy with him, would she? Bloody hell, life is awful...

Dorcas remembered going back to her room and crying hysterically until Lily put a Sedative Charm on her.

Dorcas awoke from her reverie to realize her head was pressed against the window, watching Gideon pace around the yard. Nobody seemed to notice she looked miserable. She gazed longingly out of the window until a soft old voice called her back to the room. Dumbledore proceeded outside to collect Gideon. The time had come, she knew, when they would get their first real assignments as members of the Order.

***

Dumbledore sat the three of them down in a small bedroom, quickly put an Imperturbable Charm on the room, and began to speak softly. Gideon could sense that the other two were just as tense as he was, and that Dumbledore was trying his utmost to comfort them.

"Now, you have all heard, I presume, that you will be going on a rather dangerous assignment in the space of three weeks. Sturgis Podmore and Caradoc Dearborn will proceed ahead of you, and get the bearings. They will report back to us on the situation and call for the three of you, should the need arise earlier than they had anticipated. The purpose of this mission is to stop the Death Eaters from causing any more discord... among us." Dumbledore's pregnant pause assured them that the Death Eaters weren't just bullying people anymore...but killing. Gideon noticed Dorcas sway with an uneasy faintness out of the corner of his eye. He wanted badly to grab her hand and comfort her, but he knew better.

"May I ask, Professor, where we will be going exactly?" Fabian tentatively asked.

"Certainly. The place you will be going, however, will be kept secret for the present. We, ourselves, are not entirely sure of the exact location. But, do not fear, when the time comes, you will know where to go."

Gideon looked amused for half a second, but then looking at the other two, and how anxious they were, he felt an uneasy sensation in the pit of his stomach.

"I will not pretend to the three of you, how serious this mission is, not to mention how dangerous it will undoubtedly be. You must prepare yourselves. We are coming to a head with this war, I feel almost certain that the following months will decide the fate of us all." Dorcas frowned suddenly, and looked like she was trying to fight back tears. The sight was more than Gideon could stand.

"Are we all done here then Dumbledore?" he asked impatiently, and with a nod from the old man, walked quickly out of the room.

***

Dumbledore soon followed Gideon out of the room, and Fabian and Dorcas were left alone. Dorcas was smarting from Gideon's apparent slight to her. She stared uncomfortably at her feet as Fabian stayed quite still. She wished he would leave.

"So, how have you been Dorcas? You look quite well."

Considering Dorcas was pale, had tears running down her cheeks, and was shaking, this compliment didn't go down too well. She merely looked up at Fabian and started to cry harder. Fabian seemed to realize he had put his foot in it.

"Listen Dorcas, I'm sorry. I just don't know what else to say. Everything's been so crazy lately and I don't know which way is up," he finished with an apologetic look on his face.

"I know Fabian. It's been rough on all of us. I was just thinking...about Lily and James and their baby, and Frank and Alice and their baby and it made me quite sad when Dumbledore said that 'our fates will be decided,' just as those poor children are being born..."

"It is rather depressing, isn't it? But who says it has to be? We're all going on this mission, can't we make something of it?"

Dorcas attempted a watery smile and wiped her tears with an emerald green handkerchief that matched her dress and her eyes.

"Well," Dorcas said as she finished wiping her face, "I suppose the three of us should get together and strategize sometime soon?"

Fabian nodded, said he would talk to his brother and they'd all arrange a time to meet next weekend as he walked out the door.

Dorcas did not enjoy the rest of the meeting. She sat in a corner alone and watched everybody else talking; watched Sirius laughing with Lily and James, and observed Remus and Moody deep in conversation. She was so grateful she could go home, she forgot to say goodbye to Marlene; something she would deeply regret only two weeks later.