Outed! (Michael/Dare)

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael moved on the couch, shifting over towards Dare and turning to sit by him. He pulled his legs up again, wrapping one arm around them, but held on to Dare's hand with the other. It felt useless to search for comfort when everything had gone wrong with the printing of one article, but Michael still looked for it, pressing lightly against Dare for whatever small comfort he could find. "I'm staying here tonight," he said softly. He didn't want to think about what would happen their fathers found out, or when it spread through the school.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare nodded shakily, his hand moving from his face to his hair again, then down to curl tightly against his thigh. "Me too," he said. Dare gave a brief prayer of thanks that he'd been asleep before any of the other Gryffindors had gotten in last night, and out before they'd been awake. Out. The irony wasn't at all amusing. Dare slid down on the couch a bit, his legs extending out to the floor, and leaned against Michael. He rested his head against Michael's shoulder and sighed, unable to say anything else at the moment.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael leaned his head against Dare's, his mind going through the possible ways of getting through the next few weeks seeing as few of his fellows as possible. Emilian's voice popped into his head and he wondered, could that be a way? No, surely the Headmistress wouldn't allow it. But if she didn't know... He wanted to go and show that woman what she had done to their lives.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

If Dare had any clue what Michael was thinking, he would have jumped right on board. But he didn't know, and so his thoughts diverged from Michael's, trying to decide what he was going to tell his father. Dear Dad, I'm not entirely gay. And neither is my boyfriend. He couldn't imagine that going over well. He supposed he'd just have to out and say it. But how? Dear Dad, I'm gay. Sincerely, Alasdair.

Dare brought his other hand over, smoothing his fingertips against the back of Michael's hand where it lay clasped with his against Michael's knee. "If I write to my dad, you'll come with me to the owlery, right?" Dare asked. He needed to do it now, before he chickened out and waited for his dad to send him an owl. With his dad, it was always better to confess than to be caught. It was too late for that now, but he could at least attempt damage control.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael had been about to ask Dare's opinion of his thoughts, but paused when he felt and heard Dare begin to speak. "Yeah, of course," he said, "I think I'll write my mom." There was no point in writing his father, it wouldn't help or hurt him, so he wasn't going to bother. But he supposed his mother had a right to know, considering she was the only one of the family to have accepted him back.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare nodded lightly against Michael's shoulder, but he still couldn't think of what to write, so he went quiet again. He wished he had Silver's skill with a quill, but unfortunately he didn't, and this wasn't something he could ask Silver to write for him. He'd just have to start with the beginning. Well, the beginning with Michael, anyway. Dad did not need to know about Markise, and he wouldn't even remember Aidan, so there was no use stirring up old news. He'd write something up today and send it before dusk, then he and Michael could sneak off to the room of requirement or down to the forbidden forest. "Sh~," Dare said under his breath. "Michael, they know we're here," he said, voicing yet another worry.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael closed his eyes at that thought, "They can't come in if we don't want them to." Surely they couldn't, not if they told the room to not let anyone in. But it was true, people knew, if they really wanted to do something there were ways they could. Maybe they should find somewhere else to meet up, perhaps that would be the smart thing.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

"Is it that easy?" Dare asked. Michael had been at Hogwarts longer, so he'd know more about the Room of Requirement than Dare did. Still, he wondered if the room would really lock itself up just for them. It was dangerous thinking of withdrawing so much, but the idea of just being with Michael, with no one else to bother them, was bliss. Dare watched their hands, watched as he smoothed his fingers against Michael's. Everyone else, with a few exceptions, could go to hell for all he cared. Especially that Kedavra woman.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

"Well it's the Room of Requirement," Michael said, thinking, he had never tried to make it lock itself before, but he didn't see it being any different than asking for anything else. "It will do whatever we ask it, as far as I know." It would be nice, to be sure that no one would walk in on them, somewhere they could be in peace, at least until they needed to leave.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

As far as I know was as good as they had, so Dare didn't argue, but made a mental note for the room that he wanted no one else to get in. He went quiet again and turned his mind back to what he wanted to say to his dad, but it was looking like he'd have to get some parchment and a quill out of his bookbag and just write. Dare sighed and closed his eyes, continuing the absent motion of his fingers. He didn't want to move. He just wanted to stay like this with Michael.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael relaxed against Dare, his legs beginning to lean slightly over Dare's. "She could have at least waited a little while," he said, sighing. At least waiting long enough for him to be more comfortable in other people knowing. If it had been farther into the relationship, it wouldn't have been so bad. "You know what I mean?" he asked, tightening his hand around Dare's.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare nodded slightly. "Like until November, at least," he said softly. "I'll be seventeen October 28th, and then at least I wouldn't have to worry about what my dad's going to think 'cause I'll be legal." But as it was, he wasn't legal, and from the implications in the paper...Dare's eyes opened again. Did England have statutory rape laws? His dad wouldn't do something like that, he was sure of it. He'd just have to make sure to explain to his dad that it wasn't like that. It hadn't occurred to Dare before that Michael could get in trouble for being with him. Could he?

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael's eyes opened and he tensed again. That particular thought hadn't occurred to him. Dare wasn't of age, which meant that his father still had control over what he did. It also brought to his mind that he was nineteen, making him cringe slightly as he remembered the year where the teaching had been so lax. He sighed lightly, "Do you think he'll do anything?"

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare paused, giving it another moment's thought before saying, "No. I don't think so. He and Mom always pretty much supported us--me and Silver--so I think he'll be cool." He still felt horribly nervous, though. Of his parents, his dad had been the disciplinarian, the one who didn't want to bend. But Mom had always managed to bend him, and things worked out. Dare knew dad hadn't been the same when Mom died, but how would he be now? How would he take this? Dare couldn't know.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael let out a long breath, relieved by that, though he was still uncertain. He had no idea how his own father would react, though he could imagine it being something along the lines of denying that it was the same Michael Hardt. His mother, on the other hand...he thought she would be okay with it, but he couldn't be certain, though she was much more understanding, she was still from an old family with traditional beliefs.