Goodbyes

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare was watching everyone closely, since he knew the likelihood that he'd actually be able to contribute anything was slim to none. He didn't miss the spark in Emilian's eyes, nor the darkening of Adara's, and finally Michael's. He felt like he ought to feel guilty for watching from a distance, but couldn't stop himself, and his fingers itched with the desire to open his sketchbook and start rapid-fire sketches like a court artist.

[Emilian Sota]

Emilian nodded, "There's no reason to keep it open while I'm there, I'll open it again when I come back." He didn't plan on giving up the business, he had grown to like it and wanted to keep it, whatever Adara's father said. Once the man was gone Emilian would be free to do whatever he pleased, without the annoyance of him looking over his shoulder.

[Adara Snow]

It made sense, of course. Why Adara should be saddened by such a thing made little sense to her. She would be living at the school, would she not? Still, it gave the entire situation a sense of finality in knowing that the shop would be closed, and empty. She would be alone. Adara's gaze rose almost guiltily to Michael and Dare. She wouldn't be entirely alone, would she? But would they resent her company? Adara lowered her gaze again. She could feel the slight tension in her body at all the unpleasant thoughts, all the worry that was impossible to hold back entirely, and somehow hoped that Emilian would pay no notice.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael nodded and glanced over at Adara, wondering how she would take it all. He reached up to run a hand through his hair and, after his fingers where already buried deep, he remembered, and his eyes widened slightly as he tried to pull them back the way they had come, praying nothing showed. "You going to try to keep it running when it you get back?" he asked, flicking his eyes towards Dare then back to Emilian.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare's eyes had widened slightly at the motion of Michael's hand, but there wasn't anything he could do. If he reached across to fix Michael's hair, he'd just be drawing attention to the very issue that hair was supposed to be disguising, and considering his hair was only very slightly mussed, it wasn't worth the risk. Dare shook his head, all but imperceptibly, to tell Michael not to worry about it, then directed his gaze firmly toward the table between them, hoping Emilian had missed the exchange.

[Emilian Sota]

Emilian didn't miss the tension in Adara and looked over at her, his own chest tightening as he leaned to press a light kiss into her hair. So he missed the looks exchanged between Dare and Michael, though when he looked over he couldn't miss the smallest bit of a dark mark against Michael's skin. His eyes held just a hint of a sparkle as he answered Michael, "Yes, I'm not going to let it die." He bit back a remark that he was sure would come out later, it just didn't feel right to do it with Adara tense at his side. He started moving his fingers slightly over her side.

[Adara Snow]

Adara's gaze rose again at the motion of Emilian's fingers against her. Her dark eyes settled on his face, and though she could not help being soothed by Emilian's touch, it did nothing to lessen the ache in her chest. She didn't want to be separated from him again, didn't want to lose the connection between them. She tensed again at the thought, and at all it would mean. She was going to be desperate without him, and Emilian...she didn't want to imagine, didn't want to think about it. Adara looked down at her hands, picking at imaginary lint on the skirt of her fine dress, and chewed her lip, unable to pull herself from thought enough to rejoin the conversation.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael had thought as much, Emilian seemed to like the shop enough that he wouldn't want to let it go to waste. He fell silent, unsure of what else to say, and, though it registered in some deep part of his mind, he didn't notice the sparkle in Emilian's eyes that said he had noticed anything. He thought he was in the clear, and that he wouldn't have to worry about Emilian saying anything.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare had glanced up from the side table just in time to catch that spark in Emilian's eyes. Crap. Apparently something was showing. Dare arched an eyebrow at Emilian, then, realizing the motion was highly visible with his hair curled back the way it was, shifted his gaze out into the room and cleared his throat.

"So I'm guessing Adara will be coming back up to Hogwarts?" he asked, looking back at Emilian. Adara could have answered the question herself, but Dare was asking more than where she'd be; did Emilian want them to watch her, or stay away from her?

[Emilian Sota]

Emilian nodded, then, since Dare had brought it up, decided against asking Michael to talk away from the other two for a few minutes. "Yes, take good care of her for me," he said, his arm tightening protectively around her as he met Michael's, then Dare's, eyes, his own full of intensity, before looking down at Adara to break the obviousness of the emotions he had just shown the two of them.

[Adara Snow]

Adara bit her lip again as she looked up at Emilian. She wanted to demand that her father bring her to Schneewittchen as well. Couldn't she resume her tutoring? But no, she would be a distraction, wouldn't she? Was that why she was remaining in England? Or was it punishment? Adara lowered her gaze from Emilian and looked back at Michael and Dare. "I will be glad of the company," she assured them. She only wished that there was something she could do to make things easier for Emilian.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael felt almost as though he had walked into an extremely intimate moment when Emilian had met his eyes, but he nodded, "Nothing will happen to her." He was going to keep in touch with her and make sure she was alright, and keep anything from happening to her, which he was fairly certain nothing would, it wasn't a hard charge.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare nodded his agreement. Even aside from everything he'd already invested in helping them, he'd hate to see what happened to them if something did happen to Adara. Dare's gaze shifted from Emilian back to Michael at that thought. It was selfish, but he couldn't help thinking that if Adara was back at Hogwarts, it would cut into his alone time with Michael, and considering what had happened today, Dare wanted that alone time. Dare blinked, hoping he hadn't been watching Michael too intently, and dropped his gaze down to his unopened sketchbook. It looked like he'd have plenty of time to draw, at least.

[Emilian Sota]

Even through the uncomfortable feelings in the room, Emilian couldn't stop the grin that pulled at his lips when he saw how Dare was looking at Michael. "If you need to get away from Hogwarts," he said, turning his eyes back to Michael, "Feel free to come here." He didn't have a problem with any of the three of them using his place if they really needed, or just wanted, to get away.

[Adara Snow]

Adara had been looking at the motions of her fingers again, until Emilian's offer. There was nothing surprising in the words, really, or at least not once she thought of it. Michael was his dearest friend, wasn't he? And by extension, and through all he'd done, Dare as well. Still, there was something in the tone of his voice, and definitely in the slightly wicked curve of his lips, the implied far more. As though approving the unspoken, Adara became distracted by that wicked curve. It took her some long moments to draw her gaze back to her hands.