peadar macdougal just says no to child brides. (whichwayout) wrote in find_horcruxes, @ 2010-02-03 01:12:00 |
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Entry tags: | dorcas meadowes, peadar macdougal |
RP Log: Peadar & Dorcas
WHO: Peadar MacDougal & Dorcas Meadowes
WHERE: Two different rooms at Caer Dubh!
WHEN: The evening of Monday, Feb 1st, 1980.
WHAT: Peadar is anxious and tired. Dorcas is too. As with so many of life's problems, the solution involves romance novels.
Rating: It involves racy books, a bed, and a teenage boy -- there is flirting and related goings-on.
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Some hours after Dorcas came home after training, changed into something more comfortable and managed to relax back out of training mode, she headed to Peadar's bedroom door. As she had did the night of the party, when she came back home after patrolling... and received no answer. And with no one else knowing where he was, that couldn't have scared her more. The last thing she needed was to find out someone who'd been behind the castle walls -- just about the safest place in the world right now next to Hogwarts -- was in danger. And when he had finally come back home, the urge to smack him just about disappeared and she gave him a consoling hug instead, which he must have needed. Angus' threat was enough punishment for him, most likely. Without bothering to knock, she pushed the door opened and leaned against the door frame. "There's a girl in the castle that's hoping you're not doing anything tonight, just so you know." A girl that, given he was pulling a shirt on as she entered his room, Peadar had to identify by voice alone. Granted, that was rather easy to do given the relatively small amount of girls in said castle, and so by the time he'd tugged his t-shirt down all the way he was already anticipating turning to see Dorcas in the doorway. He smiled a little when he did, an automatic response, but there was an uncharacteristic weariness plaguing him, and he knew it showed. Even after coming home from the hospital and having something to eat, then the recent shower, he still felt worn out. "You allergic to doors? Can't knock on one?" "No, I just like being surprised when I open it," Dorcas said with a wink. At least it was good to see a smile on his face, even if he looked downright exhausted. Her heart went out to the poor guy, knowing it wasn't easy when someone's life was on the line, and it was someone very close. "So, like I said. Hope you're not doing anything tonight." She walked in, past him and toward his bed, flopping down on it. "I didn't plan ahead of time to lose a book this time around, sorry." "Oh... well, uh," Peadar scratched the back of his damp hair, his eyes -- so naturally given to squinting anyway -- narrowing in thought. On any other day he would haven't hesitated an instant if a girl demanded his attention for an evening, but with everything that was going on... "Just came home to grab something to eat, take a shower... caught a nap at the hospital, so I'm set on that..." He dropped his hand back to his side. Merlin, did she have to make this request while on his bed? That seemed unfair. "Sorry. ... you alright? After last night?" "Oh." While it made sense for him to be with his friends and to be worried, in that instant, Dorcas suddenly missed his cheeky remarks. This was obviously going to take a while getting over, but she had really come by to cheer him up. "Not rea-- well. I guess. Yeah, I'm alright." She wavered between answering that truthfully and just putting up a smile and saying she was okay. Because really, she wasn't alright. A family that she loved and respected had just lost a member, that to vigilante work in which she herself was directly involved. It wouldn't be a good idea to inform Douglas how much she respected Benjy and almost looked up to him as a fellow fighter, however true this was. And then there was that small nagging voice that still said "You were in Tinsworth. You could have been useful there." Instead, she just smiled and shrugged. "Full moon patrolling is never fun, but that's to be expected." Peadar couldn't help but feel impressed (if still rather concerned) about her ability to handle these sorts of things with a smile. A part of him supposed it made sense really, for her to take this sort of thing in stride, but at the same time... well, she was only human. Young too. It had to bother her, even if she was learning to keep it all hidden. So he shook his head and attempted to drum up a smile himself. He managed it, but the expression lacked its usual confidence. "You... want to talk about it? Or should I fuck off with asking that?" "I wouldn't tell you to fuck off if I'm willingly in your room," Dorcas said with a slight laugh. "I'll save that for a next time." She patted the spot on the bed next to her and then held out one hand for him to take. Just a few minutes, at least, before he headed back to the hospital. Hopefully, he could spare her that much. His smile gained a bit more confidence. Peadar walked to the edge of the bed (as directed), and reached out to take her offered hand before helping himself to patch of blankets beside her. Something as off. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, having never been especially adept at reading others' (least of all women, and least of all women aurors), but when it came to delicate situations he usually found keeping his mouth shut was the wisest decision he could make. So he allowed a few moments' worth of silence to expand in the space between them, then cocked his head to the side and peered at her from beneath his dark fringe. "So... then you do want to talk about it," he established, half teasing. His brow furrowed slightly. "Don't you ever get scared out there? Is there some trick you use to get through it?" "All the time," Dorcas admitted, after having faced him when he sat down. "The only trick is that you keep thinking that you're out there for the good of others. I don't know... maybe it just works for people who want to be Aurors, because doing something for the good of others doesn't necessitate fighting war but--" She shrugged, stopping herself before she could continue rambling on. She did want to talk, surprisingly, instead of just pushing the thought away and making a smart remark at him. She glanced down at her hand that was still holding onto his, before continuing. "Um.. there's just... I don't know. I feel like if I was there at Tinworth, I should have stayed there. I might have been some bit useful instead of ending up in Euphoria Lane where there was barely anything." Peadar's face screwed up in an immediate reaction of surprise and -- to some extent -- humour. His nose was wrinkled, and his grin, though lopsided, revived itself. "What, you were 'sposed to stay in an area you had no idea was gonna get attacked? I can just picture it now -- you, deciding nah, you'll just skip Werewolf patrols that night so you can stay later at whatever the fuck that place's name was and have an extra slice of pie." Now he grinned easily, though the expression was muted, pitched to reassure rather than charm. Her words had left something of a leaden weight in his belly, given they echoed his own concerns and guilt. Why had he left? He'd had nowhere to go. He could have been there. Dorcas' hand was given a squeeze. "You had work to do. And you did it. None of us can be everywhere at once." She gave him a small smile but there was still the feeling of burden on her shoulders, from everything that was in her mind. She couldn't unload it all on him, though, because she was pretty sure that no one in the house had told Peadar that they were working as vigilantes. "I know. But it's not the only thing... a family that I am close to also lost a family member that night too. So it's more of a sense of helplessness on what exactly to do, what to say to them. Never been good with sympathy." Dorcas gave a small laugh and shook her head. "I guess the trick we do use is distract yourself with anything good when you get the opportunity. Or at least, that's what I use." Again, another thing he could sympathise with -- he'd never been all that great at consoling people either, at least he'd never thought he was. Even at the hospital, with Effie, he'd barely managed to string two words together. He'd merely held onto his friend, silently, and hoped that maybe they could pool their strength to get through this. Thinking of his best mate at the hospital made him take a deep breath, even resulting in a sigh, before he was back to perking his eyebrows and smiling back at Dorcas' laugh. "What's the trick then? ... can't be chocolate. Going riding? ... boxing?" "Riding helps. Boxing too, I guess," Dorcas said, giving a nod. Though boxing wasn't so much distracting as it was a better way to get her anger out. "And I guess, reading steamy novels aloud to you could fall under that category too." In that moment, she suddenly realized they were still holding hands, her eyes flicking down at them for a second. Maybe just being around him counted as a good distraction too. He wasn't sure how to interpret that glance. On the one hand (hand being a very appropriate word in this case), it could mean she was merely looking down, a product of her feeling so low. On the other it could mean she wanted him to remove his, but perhaps wasn't sure how to delicately disengage. However, Peadar wasn't much in the business of overanalysing things. No need to hold onto her for dear life. He gave the back of Dorcas' hand a reassuring rub with the pad of his thumb, then let it go. He nudged her arm instead. "Let's go peruse your library then. Effie wanted me gone for awhile anyway, it'll keep me from going back and bothering her." "Ah, yes, our book club," Dorcas said, tilting her head at him. But she stood up anyway, straightening out her shirt as she waited for him to do the same. "So, your pick. Hot American Western or dark sexy mystery?" Much like the other night, she linked her arm around his elbow. Except this time, she felt complete aware of the contact. And her mind kept coming back to the word of the day that began with a D. As well as exactly how long ago it had been since she'd shared anything intimate with John. Really, Dorcas? Just because you have a little book club doesn't mean... "How is he, by the way?" she asked, purposely trying to divert her attention and cutting off her own thought. Peadar took her arm, expression sobering a little at her question. He shrugged and looked down, shaking his head before tossing his dark hair from his eyes again. "Stable. ... loads better than last night," he informed. The memory had made him pause. Merlin, he barely even knew Pepper, but he couldn't imagine now not ever getting to. He felt his stomach sink, growing cold, and he guarded himself against it with another deep breath. He cast a sidelong glance to Dorcas. "... if I say 'Hot American Western', are you going to do the accents?" Right... Golden Rule for the book club was going to be "no depressing talks", as it was used for her and Gideon's Friday lunches. "You will get the accent too," Dorcas said with a playful roll of her eyes. "I have no cowboy hat though. You'll just have to picture me in one. And it's a sexy outfit too," she added with a sassy wink. That was probably going to be easier for him when he'd see the attire on the cover of the page. She stepped up in front of him to open her bedroom door, moving her arm away, and then headed straight for the book she had in mind on her shelf. Having never really been in Dorcas' room all that much before (at least, not after it had become Dorcas' room) there was still some novelty to be had in crossing through the door -- which he nudged closed again with his elbow once he was inside. From there he strolled towards her until he too was inspecting the bookshelf alongside Dorcas ... and lasted all of three seconds before laughing at the titles he saw there. "You... really like these, don't you?" He grinned, glancing at her briefly before squinting at the spine of one book. Dorcas pulled out the one she had in mind but her eyes still wandered over to the book in his line of vision. And promptly put a hand over the title, "Naughty Paris", in bold black letters. "They're interesting, okay? The non-steamy parts too. This is the one I'm reading to you," she held up the book in her hand to show him as she said it. "So come on. To the bed." Because besides that, there was her desk chair but she was far too tired from training for that. Instead Dorcas flopped down on one side of the bed, her head falling back against her pillow. "By the way, am I the only one who's going to be actually reading during this book club of ours?" There was the vaguest fear that, should he actually put his head against a pillow, Peadar would find himself nodding off almost immediately. The past two days had been draining, physically and emotionally, and yet -- well. There was little chance of drifting off when Dorcas was reading romance novels aloud. In her bed, no less. The bed which Peadar stretched out on himself, taking the side opposite Dorcas (though still rather close), bending an elbow and propping his head on his hand as he looked at her... with no small amount of amusement. "You've got a much better voice for it than I do. I could listen to you read the bloody dictionary." That was... actually more flattering than she expected. She turned her head toward and smiled, noticing that he was also closer than she expected, and it brought up that same feeling of purely physical longing she had felt before. And she just about couldn't move her eyes back to the book. "I have a dictionary too, somewhere in here," Dorcas teased. She brought up the hand on the opposite side to gently nudge away part of his fringe that fell over his eyes as she spoke. "But thank you, nonetheless." The smile brought into being by the motion of her hand favoured the left side of his face, causing his expression to skew a little crooked. He could tell her she was welcome, though that hardly seemed like a fitting thing to say -- mostly because nothing seemed fit to say. This, Peadar could tell, was the best cue he'd received yet. His hand slipped to the curve of her waist, felt moments before the rest of him shifted forward. There was only a short distance to bridge, but Peadar didn't rush it -- he leaned towards Dorcas slowly, closed his eyes, and kissed her softly. The book fell from her hands, in surprise and completely forgotten. There was a voice in her head that tried to tell her that this wasn't right, that she loved someone else, that she could die tomorrow or something and could leave him feeling hurt. But another voice just grew louder till it silenced everything else, basically saying you know you miss this a lot... so why not? She did. Which was why she didn't move or turn her head but just anticipated it, and when he reached her, she let him kiss, hesitating for a moment before finally kissing back. Romance novels could wait till later. |