Nice Weather... (Michael/Dare)

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael had been praying that they could just get up to the castle, get Anna some help, and leave without any distractions. But his luck didn't seem to be playing out as he saw Dare stop and he slowed to a stop a step or two ahead. He shifted Anna's bundle and the sketchbook and rose as he looked up at Anna for the first time since they had started the walk. "That's probably a good idea," he said, however much he would rather have just kept going.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"Yeah, I suppose so." She hadn't wanted to admit she couldn't keep up, but her leg was getting tired, not used to doing all the work. A quick rest would probably let her go faster anyway. She looked around, spotting a group of rocks a few paces up the path. "Lets sit over there for a minute or two?" She asked more then said, knowing that she needed Dare's cooperation to even get that far. She was thankful for the help and all, but she still couldn't wait to have a bit of distance, if even for a moment.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare nodded his assent and started moving again, guiding Anna to the rocks. They wouldn't be very comfortable, but they'd be better for Anna than trying to get to the ground and back up when she was ready to go again. Which would hopefully be soon. "How are you doing?" Dare asked once Anna was seated. He stepped back, giving her some space, and dropped his gaze to her ankle. It was swollen, but nothing grotesque, not that he'd have known what to do if it had been grotesque. Still, that much less to worry about was that much better.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael watched her sit, then lay the things he was carrying down on the ground, attempting to angle it so that the rose wasn't too obvious. He was glad that Dare was asking the questions, it would only have added to the discomfort if Michael had been the one speaking, he wouldn't have been able to be calm about it. So he tried to stay out of the picture, however useless he knew it was, and didn't search for anything to say.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Annabelle sat on the rock, not caring that it was uneven and not comfortable. To her it was the same as the cushiest chair in the castle at that moment. "I'll be fine. I didn't break it, so I'm sure the healer will be able to just wave her wand and make it all better or something. I just need a rest, my leg's gonna be sore from all this limping about."

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

"We could always levitate you up to the castle," Dare suggested, half jokingly. "I think I could hold a good levicorpus that long." Charms wasn't his strong suit, but he'd meant the mistake. Mobilicorpus made more sense, but levicorpus was the more amusing spell. Dare gave Anna a crooked smile, then moved to sit on the grass, rather than hover over her. He glanced up at Michael, then down at his hands, though his hair didn't swing into his face quite as well as it should have, considering the curls.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael didn't feel comfortable enough to sit, his nerves were shot, but he felt even worse standing, and so he sat. He wasn't as close to Dare as he wished he was, though if he had been as close as he wanted to be it wouldn't have helped his case at all. He also wished he could loosen up, but he couldn't bring himself to do it, not when he kept replaying what had happened between him and Anna in his mind, not when he could still see the hurt in her eyes from that day in his mind. And what made everything so strange, was that he couldn't bring himself to regret it, because he truly was so happy with Dare, so long as Anna wasn't around.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna held up her palm like a stop signal, waving it in protest. "No thanks, I'll have to pass. I'm not much for roller coaster rides. I don't doubt you could do it, I just wouldn't be able to promise we'd make it to the hospital with the contents of my stomach in place where it belongs." She smiled at them as she mocked herself over her motion sickness. "I usually have to take a potion before even getting on the Hogwarts Express." She knew the other spells to get her to the castle, but she probably wouldn't even accept a port key. She much preferred Muggle transportation to the magical ones that made her dizzy and queasy.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

"Suit yourself," Dare said with a shrug, as though he'd actually expected her to jump on his offer. He avoided glancing at Michael again, but the desire to do so was there, and strong. They'd gotten better at holding back in front of others, or in public places, but that didn't stop the want from being there. Dare looked back up at Anna, reminding himself why he wasn't giving Michael the attention he wanted to. "We could try the carrying you like a baby bit," he suggested, arching one brow. He didn't expect her to take him up on that one, either.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael looked over at Dare, the slightest hint of laughter in his eyes at Dare's suggestion. For just a moment he was distracted enough by looking at Dare to forget his discomfort and relax, his eyes taking in the curls once more. "I definitely couldn't see it," he said, a small curve coming to his lips. "Your luck you'd drop her and hurt the other ankle."

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "Oh, that sounds like a challenge." She looked at Dare, hoping he could see that she was only playing along with the joke, because that's all it was, a joke. She couldn't even begin to imagine how awkward it would be for the three of them, regardless of the fact that they could probably make it in less than half the time it was currently taking.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare had arched a brow at Michael, but now he chuckled, and his gaze swung back to Anna. "I think so," he agreed. He eyed her again, as though assessing her. "You don't look that heavy, I think I could manage it." He glanced back at Michael. "Without dropping her," he added. "Besides, I'm sure I'm lucky enough to avoid stepping in a mole hole. I consider myself very lucky." His eyes warmed for just a brief moment at the assurance before he looked out over the lawns.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael shrugged, "You can be lucky, but one time is all it would take for me to have full privileges to remind you about it in the future." He forced himself to not be awkward, to not let the whole thing go downhill again. He was going to let himself relax, however hard it was going to be. If Anna and Dare appeared to be so comfortable, then surely he could do it, too.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna hoped they weren't serious. She didn't know Dare, so she couldn't be so sure anymore. As for Michael, she refused to even guess what he was thinking or what he would do after everything that had happened between them. "Or you could just leave me out of it and have a rock carrying contest to see who's the strongest and fastest." Anna tried to sidetrack them, just in case they were really serious. "But then if one of you dropped it on your toe, the other would have to carry both of us."

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare laughed openly at that one, looking back at Anna with glittering eyes. "God, I feel abused, here," he said, teasing. "Can't carry girls without dropping them, and rocks without maiming my own feet. No confidence." And he could just imagine the look on Michael's face if he was left in charge of carrying them both. It'd be a mess afterward. Speaking of which, the longer this went on, the worse he could imagine it was going to be later. Dare liked Anna well enough, but he was looking forward to when she was gone and he could just be with Michael again. Hopefully she'd be ready to go again soon.