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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Jul 21, 2008 19:29:39 GMT -5
They'd disillusioned themselves again. There was no telling if Adara's father still had men watching Hogsmeade, but chances were they were still watching the gates, and there was no reason to take chances.
Now, they stood together on the front stoop of the jewellery store, hand in hand, and Dare turned toward the empty space where her knew Michael was. "Can you get in?" he asked. He only knew Alohamora, and that would be useless in a place like this. Dare squeezed Michael's hand for strength. The building looked terrible, but somehow, it was still standing.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Jul 21, 2008 19:39:17 GMT -5
Michael tightened his hand around Dare's and he reached out, wondering if the spells were still in effect after the fire. The door didn't open and so he pulled out his wand and began trying spells, waiting for that satisfying click that said he had figured it out. He knew the ones Emilian was likely to use and took them off, jerking on the handle when nothing would work. "I can't get it," he said, frustrated, and looked through the window where, oddly everything was still intact. "Look inside," he said, gesturing, only realizing after he had done it that Dare couldn't see him.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Jul 21, 2008 19:57:05 GMT -5
Dare couldn't see him, but he could hear perfectly fine, and so he leaned, jarring Michael a bit in the process, to look into the closest window. "Sorry," he muttered, any further words cut off by a shock of surprise. The window was grimy, sooty, but beyond it, the jewels glittered exactly as they should. "Oh my God," he said. "Do you think Cleo..." got mixed up? Lied?
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Post by Dahlia Alexander on Jul 21, 2008 20:04:19 GMT -5
Dahlia didn't bother with her sweet and innocent routine this time. She had the doors locked thoroughly enough that it would be obvious when she opened them that she was the one who'd set them. Still, she found herself surprised when she opened the doors to see nothing. Her wand was already up, but she was immediately suspicious. Her jade-green eyes narrowed as she stood in the doorway, determined that if anything got in, she'd at least feel it. "Who's there?" she asked.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Jul 21, 2008 20:11:35 GMT -5
"You must be the woman Cleo told us about," Michael said absently, glancing around then figuring that, if everyone thought Emilian was...dead, then there wouldn't be anyone around to watch, but he still didn't take the disillusionment off. "Michael and Dare, we're friends of Emilian, can we come in?" he asked, hoping she'd let them without taking the charm off, he didn't want to take the chance.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Jul 21, 2008 20:17:41 GMT -5
Dare didn't feel like saying anything, but he figured he ought to follow Michael's lead and announce himself. "There's just the two of us," he said, hoping that making his voice heard would be enough. His hand tightened unconsciously against Michael's. The woman, though she looked more like a girl really, felt dangerous.
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Post by Dahlia Alexander on Jul 21, 2008 20:24:07 GMT -5
Cleo. Dahlia's eyes darkened. He could only be referring to the snoop who'd been here earlier. She didn't trust the disembodied voices, but neither did she want to stand staring out the open door of a shop that was supposed to be wrecked and deserted. "Fine, come in," she said at last, standing aside, but keeping her wand aloft. If there were only two of them, she could take them easily.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Jul 21, 2008 20:31:16 GMT -5
Michael walked in, pulling Dare behind him. Once they were inside he raised his own wand to take the charm off himself, then slid it back into his waistband, he didn't care to get into any trouble with her. "She told us the place was ruined," he said, looking around the shop, which was obviously still in good shape. He didn't let himself hope anything else, though, he didn't want to hope and then have it crushed.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Jul 21, 2008 20:34:00 GMT -5
Dare followed Michael's example and removed his own disillusionment spell, then stashed his wand, though he felt uncomfortable doing so. At the least, he still had hold of Michael's hand. Dare looked around the shop, expecting to see some damage after what Cleo had said, but everything past the door looked exactly as it should.
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Post by Dahlia Alexander on Jul 21, 2008 20:37:02 GMT -5
"The fire started at the top and worked its way down," Dahlia said, smoothly, if with a disinterested tone. "They stopped it before it got this far." She didn't take her gaze from the boys, though they were boys, and didn't look particularly threatening. Still, she of all people knew how deceiving looks could be. "Emilian seems to have a lot of friends come to pick through the remains," she observed, setting the locks at the door, then slowly making her way so that her slight form was between the boys and the stairwell.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Jul 21, 2008 20:48:17 GMT -5
"I wanted to see for myself," Michael said, looking around again. "I can't just believe that he wouldn't try to get out." He felt strangely calm, unlike the shock from up in the Room of Requirement, more of a quiet acceptance of what had happened, or maybe a lie he was telling himself that Emilian was still alive, that he had convinced himself was true.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Jul 21, 2008 20:53:08 GMT -5
Dare wasn't sure he liked the quiet curiosity in Michael's voice, and in his gaze. It seemed more relaxed, but was it? He watched Michael carefully, still silently supporting him, but feeling like, for now, for this, that was enough.
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Post by Dahlia Alexander on Jul 21, 2008 20:55:27 GMT -5
Technically, Emilian hadn't been in the shop when it had happened, but that was beside the point. "I suppose you want a token?" Dahlia asked the boy who was doing the talking. She kept part of her attention on the other, but since the redhead seemed to be the leader of the two, he kept the majority of his focus. She rather hoped he would ask for a souvenir, if only to give her the opportunity to run upstairs and tell Emilian he had more guests.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Jul 21, 2008 21:04:54 GMT -5
Michael shook his head, "No. I want to see." He needed to see. It would either confirm the lie he was telling himself, or confirm what Cleo had said. "I want to go upstairs," he said, turning his eyes to the door that led to the stairs. She was in the way, but he hoped that she would just let them up, there was no reason for her to keep them away.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Jul 21, 2008 21:10:27 GMT -5
Dare squeezed Michael's hand in support. He didn't know how they'd get in, if she wouldn't let them. He personally had no thought of pushing her aside, and stunning her didn't sound at all appealing, but then, he'd always believed in civil disobedience and defense over aggression. However, he knew enough about Michael's past, that he wasn't at all certain something wouldn't happen.
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