In Memoriam (Michael/Dare/Adara)

[Adara Snow]

Adara pulled a deep breath, letting it out in one sharp rush as her dark eyes, glittering with anger, met Michael's, then shifted away again. She wanted to be ashamed of herself for the anger she felt, wanted to simply be happy that she knew, that the past day had only been a nightmare after all, but all she could summon was more anger. "He could have sent me this letter with Cleo," she said, her words clipped. All the pain she had gone through, all the grief that still threatened to overwhelm her even knowing that he was, somehow, alive, had been entirely unnecessary. And some woman was taking care of him, when she would have braved hell and her father to come to him, if he had only asked.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare's eyes met Michael's with just as much surprise showing in his own gaze. He didn't know what to do to soothe her, though. He was afraid that if he touched her, even innocently, that she might turn on him, or worse, have the breakdown he'd been worried about all along.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael looked back at her and tried to think as he spoke what would help. "I know, I was angry with him, and he knows, he was stupid. He," he licked his lips again, pausing to think. "He doesn't seem to have much choice in what happens, as far as I can tell she found him nearly dead, and when Cleo came he wasn't much better. He made a mistake, and all you, all any of us, can do, is be glad that he's alive." He knew Adara was angry, but she had to let it go. He glanced at Dare, contemplating dragging her down to the shop.

[Adara Snow]

"I am glad that he is alive!" Adara said, everything crashing through her at once with those words. All at once, she was ashamed of her anger, and so many realities washed over her that she could hardly bear the pressure. Adara's arms uncrossed, and her hands rose, covering her face as the first shuddering sob wracked through her frame. "I am tired, Michael," she wept. "I cannot take any more of this." Being torn from Emilian, being told that the one who had taught her so much, the one she had shared her dreams with, was dead, then drawing him back from the grave before she could accept her own grief, had wrung everything from her.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare's eyes met Michael's, and something in Michael's eyes brought his thoughts along the same line. He knew the kind of risk he was facing in even contemplating taking Adara into Hogsmeade, but what else could they do? Dare gave a slight nod of his head. If Michael was willing to try, then he was, as well. For all her anger only a short time before, Adara looked fragile now, and it seemed that reuniting Adara with Emilian might be best for both of them.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael nodded and went around to sit beside of Adara, reaching for Dare's hand with one hand while the other arm went lightly around Adara's shoulders, though he didn't pull her close like he had before, instead keeping a small distance as he remembered Dare's reaction. "Do you want to go to the shop?" he asked, his voice soft, not demanding. He thought she should, it was killing the two of them to be apart, it could only help.

[Adara Snow]

"Yes," Adara said, her answer barely audible between her nearly-silent sobs. Yes, she wanted to go to him. She had wanted to from the beginning, but she had been afraid of what her father might do. And now, the worst had already happened, and there was nothing more to be lost. And yes, Emilian had asked her to come in his letter.

She could not stay at the school any longer, could not wait for her father to come and take her away. Adara worked to pull herself under a thin wall of control again, to push things back so that she could breathe. She took several long breaths before she lowered her hands to smooth almost compulsively against her skirt, her gaze sticking again on the corner of her journal. "How soon can we leave?" She would go alone if she must, but she knew that neither Michael nor Dare would leave her to do so.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare looked at Michael again, breathing a sigh of relief that they'd all somehow managed to survive that. He adjusted his hand against Michael's, threading their fingers together, silently thanking him for having taken on so much of the burden, then turned his attention back to Adara. "Do you have anything from your father with you?" he asked. "If you do...you ought to leave it behind. In case he's...monitoring you with a spell or something." It seemed a neccessity to mention that, after the incident with the quill.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael's eyes darkened slightly and he nodded. He was willing to go at that moment, if she wished, and he would go with her, though he figured she and Emilian would want time alone to work some things out. Though he wouldn't leave her alone to walk back to the castle, he would give them their space, and he would have Dare with him, so he wouldn't just be there waiting on them.

[Adara Snow]

Adara's brows knitted again as she looked up at Dare. "Everything I have is from my father," she said, her mind unable to connect the pieces. The thought that he would monitor her like that was, strangely, not a shock, though that could have been because of the haze still hovering over her mind. Adara looked down at her skirt as her hands smoothed against it, then stopped as the idea sunk in. Everything she owned had been provided for her, given to her. Everything.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare's gaze followed Adara's for a moment, and he blinked, then looked back at Michael, worried all over again. How could they risk taking her out of the castle as she was? They couldn't exactly ask her to strip. Aside from the obvious, Dare was sure that Emilian would somehow find the strength to commit murder if they did.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

"You could borrow clothes, couldn't you?" Michael asked. He wasn't positive her father would go to such lengths, but he supposed it wasn't too much trouble to go through just to be sure nothing would happen. "Unless you think he wouldn't go that far," he said, making his thoughts known. His hand tightened lightly around Dare's, glad for the comfort of touch after dealing with the stress of talking to Adara without it.

[Adara Snow]

Adara nodded, thinking it over a moment as best she could. She had friends in Ravenclaw Tower, so it wouldn't be difficult. "If you will excuse me, then," she said absently, gathering up all the items scattered around her on the grass and pushing to her feet. She headed off toward the castle with quick steps.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

"Apparently she did think he'd go that far," Dare mused, watching her go. He supposed it was best that she changed, though. The less possibility they'd end up getting caught, the better. Dare did not want to get caught, not with what had happened to Emilian. There was an enormous difference between getting interrogated and threatened, and getting beaten and left for dead.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael nodded and, when she was out of sight, looked over at Dare. "So, we're staying in the living room, right?" he asked, eyes sparkling. He didn't really expect Emilian and Adara to do anything, but from what he had heard, it didn't seem to far fetched to think something could happen. He didn't care to chance it. He slid closer to Dare, wondering absently how long it would take Adara.