The furious scribbling of quills filled the air as students rushed to complete their written Transfiguration exam in the time span allotted. Dorcas couldn't help but sigh wistfully as she looked down at her ink-spattered fingers and wished for a pencil instead. She stared absentmindedly ahead of her at the back of Marlene Mckinnon's head before a light cough of amusement from near the front of the room snapped her out of that trance.

Sirius Black was looking furtively back at her, a smirk on his lips. She couldn't help but roll her eyes at him before returning to her exam.

State the Five Principal Exceptions to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration.

Right. That was why she was daydreaming. While she found practical Transfiguration simple, theory was not her strong point in that particular subject. Frowning, she answered as best she could before sitting back and observing the room once more.

The sun was streaming through the windows of the Great Hall, shining brightly on the heads bent over desks, and on… Sirius Black's face as he reclined slightly in his chair while staring up at the ceiling. At least she wasn't being so obvious about it.

Dorcas couldn't help but feel grateful that, as a Ravenclaw, she didn't have to interact with him or his friends much. They irritated her, and not just because of their childish antics. She couldn't help but resent Sirius for his treatment of Regulus, having grown up in close contact with both of them. Being a half-blood in an extremist pureblood circle hadn't been easy, but Dorcas knew that her grandparents had attempted at one time to arrange a marriage between she and the Black heir.

The thought made her shudder as she handed in her exam and watched him exit the Hall with his friends. Making her way back up to Ravenclaw Tower, she considered once more what she would have felt had her grandparents tried to promise her to Regulus instead.

Perhaps she wouldn't have objected so strongly.

Sitting in the antechamber off the Great Hall, Dorcas waited for her turn for her Charms practical. She had no need to revise this exam, although she did in any case. Professor Flitwick had always been very supportive of her extra-curricular activities, and she didn't want to let him down.

He had supported her in her attempt to combine Charms with Ancient Runes to interesting effect, and had let her know if she passed her Charms and Runes OWLs with an Outstanding that he would help her to pursue an independent study to examine the possibilities of combining warding with muggle technology using Charms as a bridge.

Thus, she was attempting deep breathing exercises when the elderly examiner stepped into the antechamber and called out "Lupin, McKinnon, Meadowes, Mulciber, you may enter and be seated."

Entering the hall she found herself directed towards an old woman whose face was so wrinkled that it was impossible not to stare, but whose bright chestnut eyes sparkled as she directed Dorcas through the exam tasks.

An hour into the exam, it became obvious to the examiner that Dorcas knew what she was doing. The old woman leaned in and spoke to her in an undertone.

"Obviously you're having no trouble dear, doing quite well, I should say. Do you have anything you'd like to attempt to present for extra credit?"

Dorcas thought for a moment, tugging absentmindedly on the end of her braid. She had a spell in mind, but there was a less than fifty percent chance that it would work. If it didn't work, it wouldn't affect her overall score… but if it did – she hadn't heard of anyone ever attempting to cast it an OWL, and the examiner would surely be impressed. But what memory to use? Receiving her kitten Hex as a birthday gift? Her first Christmas at Hogwarts?

No. Those weren't quite right. Not happy enough. Not transcendent enough.

And then she knew. The summer before Fifth Year, when Regulus had held her hand and looked at her for a moment like she was the most important person in the world. She felt a warm glow suffuse her as she opened her eyes, looked at the examiner, and whispered "Expecto Patronum."

There, as they both watched, a scrawny lion with a glorious mane emerged from her wand. It looked quietly at them for a moment before roaring silently and disappearing.

Dorcas couldn't help but be slightly shaken as one thought dominated her mind. Regulus. He was more important to her than she had known. He was her patronus. For there was no doubt in her mind that the underfed lion with the proud mane and sad eyes was Regulus. Beaten down to a shadow of his potential, but glorious nonetheless.

The examiner clapped merrily, startling Dorcas out of her thoughts. "Excellent my dear, simply astounding! It's been years since a student has attempted to cast the Patronus Charm during their OWL, but I can't recall any of them succeeding!"

She smiled politely at the examiner as she considered the implications of her success, and left the exam room with well wishes and an assurance of an OO ringing in her ears.

The next afternoon, as Dorcas exited her practical Potions OWL, she caught sight of Regulus leaving the Entrance Hall with Avery and Mulciber. She looked after the trio uneasily before making her way into the grounds to sit beside the lake.

Taking off her shoes to slip her feet into the cool water, she looked up at the clear blue sky and wondered where her future would lead her. Perhaps it would be to her scrawny lion. Perhaps it would be to an Apprenticeship and Mastery. Perhaps to a place where she wouldn't have to tiptoe around her feelings or conceal her intelligence for fear of being recruited for war.

Wherever it led, she hoped it was somewhere interesting.

Written for Round 5 of the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition, for the Wigtown Wanderers. (I'm Chaser #2)

Prompts used this round: tiptoe, pencil, If I Die Young (The Band Perry)

Person my team was assigned is Dorcas Meadowes, and the moment in time I chose for her was 'doing their OWLs'