Moving on... (Adara/Michael/Dare)

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare lowered his gaze from Michael's fading smile to their hands, using the distraction of watching them to make it easier to speak. "It's okay," he said. "I don't want you to...not talk about yours just because..." He didn't need to say the rest. Michael knew, and it was obvious he hadn't forgotten. He squeezed Michael's hand, a comfort for both of them, and left it at that.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

"I sent her an owl," Michael said, glancing up. He watched Dare's expression, ready to change subject if needed. If Dare said that it was alright to talk, Michael would do it, but only as long as he didn't think it was bothering him. He felt it appropriate to tell Dare, though, since he had been the one to put the bug in Michael's mind about doing it.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare's head lifted, his eyes meeting Michael's. His lips curved, hesitantly, but the emotion behind it was clear in his eyes. He was happy for Michael, felt useful, knowing Michael had taken his advice. If there was anything good that had come out of his own pain, it was knowing that maybe Michael hadn't lost that part of his family for Dare's suggestion. There was too much inside him to say so, but Dare leaned in, taking a short kiss, a brief press of lips in lieu of words.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael gave a small smile for Dare when the kiss ended, he could feel that Dare was happy for him even though he knew that it must still be painful to think of. So Michael decided against saying anything more, biting back asking questions about Dare's mother, some day it would be appropriate, but he would let Dare decide. "When do you want to go to Emilian's?" he asked instead, knowing that it had only been the day before that Dare had seen him, but he wanted to have an idea.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare welcomed the change of usbject. Even if he was happy for Michael, it was still a lot to deal with, and he hadn't yet gotten to a point where he'd accepted things. "The sooner the better, I think," he said. "Not that I'm really eager to get to Hogsmeade, but it seems like the faster we get things going, the less...prepared for it her dad will be, if that makes sense."

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael nodded, "So you want to try to go in the next couple of days?" If they were taking a note and a page of drawings of Adara, Michael didn't think that Emilian would mind if they showed up just a couple of days after their first session. "He won't kick us out, not with that note from Adara." He wondered if Emilian had heard that his shop was being watched.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

"I can't see that happening either," Dare said. He could, however, see being given another note before they'd left. "The next couple days is good. Then we can get everything set up for apparating, and stop worrying about it." Dare gave a light grimace. "Technically I shouldn't be apparating, since I'm not legal yet, but there's so much magic in the air around here I'm just going to count on no one noticing."

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

"You could always side-along with me, if you want," Michael said. "We'll have to set up a time so that he'll know when to let down any security spells he has so we don't have to worry about something happening when we go back next time." He didn't particularly care to try to apparate into Emilian's shop and get stopped by an anti-apparation spell or by any other security measures Emilian might have up.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare nodded at Michael's suggestions, though his mind seemed to be sticking on the idea of side-along apparition. His lips curved of their own volition. "I'll go for that," he said. His mind was involved in imagining being pressed against Michael for the short duration of the apparition, with no thought as to Emilian's possible reactions on seeing them. It was perfectly innocent, after all. Dare's eyes glittered at the prospect.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael wondered at Dare's reaction to his words, but he didn't think too hard on it, only letting the curve of Dare's lips influence his own to curl into a small smile. He was looking forward to the whole thing in a twisted way, perhaps it was the thrill of doing something after so long of being still since he had left the ranks. The most he had done since were the two scuffles with Chase, a sparkle entered his eyes, a small feeling of anticipation replacing the anxious feeling from when Dare had first said he wanted to go back.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare wouldn't assume that Michael's thoughts were going the same way his own were, but all the same, he could see Michael's anticipation. Dare's gaze slipped over Michael's face, taking in everything from that light smile to the gleam in his earthy brown eyes. "Knut for your thoughts?" Dare asked, his eyes pausing on Michael's.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael blinked a few times to clear his head and tried to think of a way to put it into words, "I had forgotten how exciting this kind of thing can be. I mean, the last year and a half's not exactly been the most eventful in my life," he said, "Compared to before." He met Dare's eyes for a moment then looked down, wondering what Dare would make of it. It wasn't as though they were doing something overly intense or involved, but it was more than what he had gotten used to.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

"Oh." Dare made the connection pretty easily. Still, his mind took it a step farther than Michael's past activities, and Dare's lips curved into their usual crooked smile. "I guess I'm pretty lucky to be doing this whole adventure thing with someone experienced," he said, the words soft enough not to be intrusive, but light all the same. He actually hadn't thought of it as an adventure before, but he decided he liked that angle.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael grinned, "You are." He refused to let himself think of where his experience had come from, instead letting his mind focus on Dare and on that look that had been in his eyes beforehand. He tilted his head slightly as he thought about it, though he still didn't mention it, preferring to just keep the look locked in his mind. "So is it bad I'm kind of looking forward to it?" he asked, humor in his eyes.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare's smile widened. "Terribly bad," he said, his own eyes laughing right back at Michael's. "You should want nothing more than to waste away in boredom while I have all the adventures," he teased. Dare nudged Michael playfully. "Really, though, it's not that bad what we're doing, is it? I've never been into any of this kind of...I don't know...intrigue." He wouldn't call anything he'd done intrigue, actually.