Background (AU!Canon; HP): [cont] In 1986, while working a day shift, she got a telephone call that would give her the most horrifying news that a mother can receive – her son had been hit by a car, and was in critical condition. Sadly, she was unable to reach the hospital where he was being treated before he passed away, and it would be many years before she would cease faulting herself for not being there for her child. Following his death, she spiralled into a deep depression which caused her to lose her job, and she took to spending time in the seedier areas of the Wizarding parts of London, seeking ways to make herself forget, at least temporarily, the events for which she utterly blamed herself. It was there that she drew the attention of a vampire, and although she initially resisted his advances, her fragile emotional state made her easy prey to the charm and allure that such a creature can possess and they fell into a tumultuous relationship which would last little more than a year before she was persuaded into allowing him to turn her. Her mind had been twisted towards the belief that with the longer life becoming a vampire would give, she could do more towards making up for the guilt that the death of her son had placed on her. It was only when she woke and was able to take full stock of her situation that she realised what a grievous mistake she had made, and that living so long would also give her so much longer to lose herself in her grief.
It was lucky, for the man who had turned her, that he made his escape before she came to after the change. For one of the few times in her life Dolores showed the full extent of her anger in the few hours following, destroying anything she could in the house he had left her in before she finally exhausted herself and realised with a sudden curling horror that she was hungry for human blood. She would never be able to track the other vampire down, but he would always be one person that she would never be able to forgive.
As much as her parents had supported and loved her through her life, her new condition wasn’t something that she could ask them to understand. She moved away, to lower the risk of putting them in danger, and she bought a small house in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. For the next few months, she lived off her savings and what little money she could put together from doing odd jobs, made difficult by being a new-born vampire and therefore highly sensitive to sunlight. Eventually, she secured a job on the night shift at a residential home, though she never felt fulfilled in the position, the work not enough to distract her from her own mind, and she found herself wondering how difficult it might be to end her life painlessly.
It was then, that she met a young boy by the name of Salvador Vantas. Although they lived on the same street, she didn’t know of his family, only seeing him occasionally as he walked to and from school, or when he passed by in the evenings while she was attempting to distract herself by tending to her garden. Though he wouldn’t know it at the time, that young boy would become her saviour, and the person who would make her feel as if she once more had a purpose in life. From brief greetings and short exchanges as he passed her home, to longer conversations, they built a positive rapport that slowly turned into a friendship. Dolores recognised, from the things that he would tell her – the strange visions he had, and the odd events that would happen around him – that Salvador was a wizard, but she knew that it was not her place to tell his family and instead took upon herself the role of a mentor towards the boy. It would be the thing that would save her from the heartache of losing her own child, as although she knew that she would never be able to replace Simon, giving a guiding hand to Salvador offered her a new sense of purpose, and she began to feel that perhaps the warped reasoning which had led to her turning had been correct, in a way – she could use her long life to better the lives of others, beginning with this confused and scared young wizard.
With her motivation returning and a reignited wish to live, Dolores began seeking ways by which she could improve her situation. Her first act was to apply for a job at St Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, where she gained employment as a nurse. Despite knowing how much of a risk it would be, and that her condition might be much more easily discovered in such a place, she was determined to make as much as she could out of her life before her age versus her physical appearance began to make things more difficult for her. She began working at St Mungo’s in 1990, aged 34, once again keeping herself to night shifts. Between feeling personally rewarded by the work that she was doing, and continuing to act as a supportive mentor for Salvador as he grew up and attended school, she regained a far happier demeanour and could even occasionally forget her vampirism entirely. As the years went by, her maternal instincts and her ability to care for all those who required it only increased, and she began to find herself attuned to the needs of her patients, as well as her friends, knowing without words when a kind gesture or a simple hug was warranted. However, she had to be careful not to get too close to people, knowing that those in the Magical world would be far more likely to be able to deduce that she was not quite like them, so despite her caring nature, she would always keep those she knew at arms’ length.
It was something that she managed admirably, until 2004, when she made the acquaintance of an inquisitive Auror named Sybille Matteris. Unlike anyone she had come across before, Sybille was immediately suspicious of Dolores’ true nature, and seemed to make a point of getting under the nurse’s feet, seeking her attention and coming to the hospital for every small injury – perceived or not – that she gained while working. Despite how she demanded her attention, Dolores found her to be engaging and entertaining, but nothing could have prepared her for the day that Sybille would abruptly confront her about her condition. There was little she could do but confirm the Auror’s suspicions, knowing very well that there was next to no chance of hiding such a thing from her, but she wasn’t betrayed. Sybille would become a close friend and confidant, and eventually her lover, although their relationship was certainly not without its problems.
Three years later, Sybille would be the one to warn her that people at St Mungo’s were beginning to become suspicious of her. It came as no surprise – she had been working there for seventeen years and changing hairstyles and subtle glamours could only do so much to hide the fact that she wasn’t aging. Rather than have herself discovered, Dolores resigned, and although she had the comfort of family to fall back upon – having been long since adopted as an official family member by Salvador, now married and with children of his own – she began to have concerns that her time had already run out, and she would begin to struggle with her condition and the limits it placed upon her in terms of employment. She had always kept herself free of any kind of vampire community, save for what she needed to control the Thirst, and wished to continue to do so, and so, when Sybille suggested to her that she look into applying for work at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, she didn’t even think twice.
For the first time since her turning, Dolores was immediately up-front and honest about her vampirism as she sat nervously in front of Professor Dumbledore, awaiting his verdict about her suitability for a position in the school hospital wing. After being assured that she could control herself, had never attacked anyone and was no danger to the students, Dumbledore agreed to a trial period after which, if she proved what she had told him to be true, she would be allowed to stay in full employment. It was more than she could have ever expected, and she took it gladly, throwing herself into her work. She quickly formed bonds with her fellow staff and those students who came in under her care, and performed all of her duties with a focused diligence. Still, it came as a very welcome surprise when it was agreed that she would be kept on, and she felt she had finally found somewhere that she could belong, and also somewhere where she could watch over Salvador’s children, as she had watched over him when he was young.
One year later, Sybille disappeared. Dolores had always known that her lover’s job was dangerous, but it had always been kept to the back of her mind. As much as she tried to find her, to find out anything about what might have happened to her, it was as if the Auror had simply disappeared. Eventually, Dolores gave up, thinking Sybille dead, and the loss of the one person who had treated her so entirely as a human being despite knowing of her true nature hit her hard. She didn’t show her mourning outwardly, not wanting to upset those around her, or draw them into what she viewed as the more private part of her life. Imagine her shock and delight, then, when two years after this, Sybille arrived at Hogwarts – a little worse for wear – to be a professor. Naturally, Dolores was overjoyed to see her, unable to hold any hatred against the woman who, although she no longer loved as she had, still cared deeply for.
It has been four years since the beginning of her employment at Hogwarts, and she has not once thought of leaving her position. As of yet, only a select number of the staff know of her condition, and she has not seen it necessary to inform everyone of it, knowing the attitudes that some have towards vampires – she would not wish for someone to refuse to come to her for urgent treatment simply through not trusting her because of what she is. dragon.
Canon OC || The Dolorosa (Dolores Maryam) || Homestuck || Reserve
It was lucky, for the man who had turned her, that he made his escape before she came to after the change. For one of the few times in her life Dolores showed the full extent of her anger in the few hours following, destroying anything she could in the house he had left her in before she finally exhausted herself and realised with a sudden curling horror that she was hungry for human blood. She would never be able to track the other vampire down, but he would always be one person that she would never be able to forgive.
As much as her parents had supported and loved her through her life, her new condition wasn’t something that she could ask them to understand. She moved away, to lower the risk of putting them in danger, and she bought a small house in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. For the next few months, she lived off her savings and what little money she could put together from doing odd jobs, made difficult by being a new-born vampire and therefore highly sensitive to sunlight. Eventually, she secured a job on the night shift at a residential home, though she never felt fulfilled in the position, the work not enough to distract her from her own mind, and she found herself wondering how difficult it might be to end her life painlessly.
It was then, that she met a young boy by the name of Salvador Vantas. Although they lived on the same street, she didn’t know of his family, only seeing him occasionally as he walked to and from school, or when he passed by in the evenings while she was attempting to distract herself by tending to her garden. Though he wouldn’t know it at the time, that young boy would become her saviour, and the person who would make her feel as if she once more had a purpose in life. From brief greetings and short exchanges as he passed her home, to longer conversations, they built a positive rapport that slowly turned into a friendship. Dolores recognised, from the things that he would tell her – the strange visions he had, and the odd events that would happen around him – that Salvador was a wizard, but she knew that it was not her place to tell his family and instead took upon herself the role of a mentor towards the boy. It would be the thing that would save her from the heartache of losing her own child, as although she knew that she would never be able to replace Simon, giving a guiding hand to Salvador offered her a new sense of purpose, and she began to feel that perhaps the warped reasoning which had led to her turning had been correct, in a way – she could use her long life to better the lives of others, beginning with this confused and scared young wizard.
With her motivation returning and a reignited wish to live, Dolores began seeking ways by which she could improve her situation. Her first act was to apply for a job at St Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, where she gained employment as a nurse. Despite knowing how much of a risk it would be, and that her condition might be much more easily discovered in such a place, she was determined to make as much as she could out of her life before her age versus her physical appearance began to make things more difficult for her. She began working at St Mungo’s in 1990, aged 34, once again keeping herself to night shifts. Between feeling personally rewarded by the work that she was doing, and continuing to act as a supportive mentor for Salvador as he grew up and attended school, she regained a far happier demeanour and could even occasionally forget her vampirism entirely. As the years went by, her maternal instincts and her ability to care for all those who required it only increased, and she began to find herself attuned to the needs of her patients, as well as her friends, knowing without words when a kind gesture or a simple hug was warranted. However, she had to be careful not to get too close to people, knowing that those in the Magical world would be far more likely to be able to deduce that she was not quite like them, so despite her caring nature, she would always keep those she knew at arms’ length.
It was something that she managed admirably, until 2004, when she made the acquaintance of an inquisitive Auror named Sybille Matteris. Unlike anyone she had come across before, Sybille was immediately suspicious of Dolores’ true nature, and seemed to make a point of getting under the nurse’s feet, seeking her attention and coming to the hospital for every small injury – perceived or not – that she gained while working. Despite how she demanded her attention, Dolores found her to be engaging and entertaining, but nothing could have prepared her for the day that Sybille would abruptly confront her about her condition. There was little she could do but confirm the Auror’s suspicions, knowing very well that there was next to no chance of hiding such a thing from her, but she wasn’t betrayed. Sybille would become a close friend and confidant, and eventually her lover, although their relationship was certainly not without its problems.
Three years later, Sybille would be the one to warn her that people at St Mungo’s were beginning to become suspicious of her. It came as no surprise – she had been working there for seventeen years and changing hairstyles and subtle glamours could only do so much to hide the fact that she wasn’t aging. Rather than have herself discovered, Dolores resigned, and although she had the comfort of family to fall back upon – having been long since adopted as an official family member by Salvador, now married and with children of his own – she began to have concerns that her time had already run out, and she would begin to struggle with her condition and the limits it placed upon her in terms of employment. She had always kept herself free of any kind of vampire community, save for what she needed to control the Thirst, and wished to continue to do so, and so, when Sybille suggested to her that she look into applying for work at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, she didn’t even think twice.
For the first time since her turning, Dolores was immediately up-front and honest about her vampirism as she sat nervously in front of Professor Dumbledore, awaiting his verdict about her suitability for a position in the school hospital wing. After being assured that she could control herself, had never attacked anyone and was no danger to the students, Dumbledore agreed to a trial period after which, if she proved what she had told him to be true, she would be allowed to stay in full employment. It was more than she could have ever expected, and she took it gladly, throwing herself into her work. She quickly formed bonds with her fellow staff and those students who came in under her care, and performed all of her duties with a focused diligence. Still, it came as a very welcome surprise when it was agreed that she would be kept on, and she felt she had finally found somewhere that she could belong, and also somewhere where she could watch over Salvador’s children, as she had watched over him when he was young.
One year later, Sybille disappeared. Dolores had always known that her lover’s job was dangerous, but it had always been kept to the back of her mind. As much as she tried to find her, to find out anything about what might have happened to her, it was as if the Auror had simply disappeared. Eventually, Dolores gave up, thinking Sybille dead, and the loss of the one person who had treated her so entirely as a human being despite knowing of her true nature hit her hard. She didn’t show her mourning outwardly, not wanting to upset those around her, or draw them into what she viewed as the more private part of her life. Imagine her shock and delight, then, when two years after this, Sybille arrived at Hogwarts – a little worse for wear – to be a professor. Naturally, Dolores was overjoyed to see her, unable to hold any hatred against the woman who, although she no longer loved as she had, still cared deeply for.
It has been four years since the beginning of her employment at Hogwarts, and she has not once thought of leaving her position. As of yet, only a select number of the staff know of her condition, and she has not seen it necessary to inform everyone of it, knowing the attitudes that some have towards vampires – she would not wish for someone to refuse to come to her for urgent treatment simply through not trusting her because of what she is. dragon.