Another Night In (Michael/Dare)

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare raised slightly widened eyes at Michael bringing him into this, then lowered his gaze to the house-elf. He cleared his throat before managing to speak, keeping to the same gently understanding tone Michael had used. "Just...whatever's made up that you don't need," he added with a shrug.

The house-elf's ears bobbed as it nodded eagerly. "Webby can bring Sirs lots of things!" it squeaked. The house-elf then launched into a list of items left over from the day's meals, as well as staples kept prepared throughout the day. Dare's eyes widened again, but he didn't know how to stop what he'd apparently started.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael's eyes had widened at Dare's words, but there wasn't anything to do once the words were out to keep the elf from starting. He turned his eyes back to the elf and tried to stop it from speaking, eventually just speaking a firm, "Webby, stop!" Then, satisfied that the elf wasn't going to start in on the list again, he spoke again, "Just the sandwiches and the pumpkin juice."

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare was still wide-eyed, and his lips pressed tight. He blinked and dropped his gaze to the carpeting just beyond his bare feet, irrationally feeling like he'd been chastised along with the house-elf. He wasn't sure what it was he'd said that had started that--he knew little about house-elves for a son of one of the Old Families, but then, it's not like Dad had ever spoken much about his life before he'd met Mom.

The house-elf only nodded again, then gave another low bow to the boys before disappearing with another pop, leaving a silent Dare wondering how much of what had happened was supposed to be a given.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael watched Dare for a second before standing and walking over to him, "What's wrong?" He asked, looking up into Dare's eyes as he came up to him. Dare's reaction to the house elf had been unexpected, they had been such a normal part of Michael's life that he hadn't thought much on them. Even the people that didn't have the money to have a house elf knew about them, except for the... Dare was only a half blood, Michael remembered then, but surely he would have been told by his father, right? Or read in a book?

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare shrugged. "Nothing's wrong," he said. "Just..." Dare paused, shrugging again. "It's just weird, I guess. I mean, I've read about house-elves, but not...practical stuff. It's not like it's something they teach in school. Hell, I didn't even realize we--the school--had house-elves." He was feeling his halfblood status again, and telling himself that he wasn't going to volunteer what it was he'd read.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael looked into Dare's eyes, trying to find if something was wrong. "Well, now you know," he said lightly, hoping that it wasn't a big deal for Dare. "I don't see how it's weird, though, I mean, a place this big, it only makes sense." He shrugged and glanced back at the place the elf had been as though to make it hurry up and get back.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare had parted his lips to say that he'd assumed there was some sort of enchantment that got things done--for all he knew, there could have been, considering his skill in Charms--but the house-elf returned then with a large tray balanced on its head, between slightly lowered ears. There was a plate piled with sandwiches, two glasses, and a large pitcher of pumpkin juice. "Is there anything else Webby can do for Sirs?" the house-elf offered, levitating the tray over to the top of a wide dresser.

Dare went wide-eyed again when the elf looked at him, then glanced aside at Michael. He didn't feel like starting the elf on another tirade, and he wasn't exactly sure how to deal with it...him...her... Dare inwardly grimaced at himself.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael met Dare's eyes and then turned to face the elf, "No, thank you." He hoped the elf would just leave and not stay to be sure that there was nothing else, his family's had been that way at times. His eyes were pulled over to the tray, which made it even more obvious that he hadn't eaten in two days. He chewed his lip and glanced back down at the elf.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

The elf only nodded and disappeared again with one final pop. Dare's attention was already on the sandwiches, the house-elf forgotten for the promise of food. He'd been holding back for the principle of the thing, trying to be polite, but now that the elf was gone, he headed for the tray. He only looked back at Michael once he'd already reached it, giving a brief look as though to say, are you coming? Then he grabbed a sandwich and took a massive bite, making a low sound of pleasured relief.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael came up to the tray and poured out the two glasses. He took the plate and his glass and went over to a pair of armchairs with a small table between them. He set the plate on the table and sat cross-legged in the chair, setting his glass between his legs and picking up a sandwich. "Get over here or I swear they'll all be gone," he said before taking a bite, not even caring what was inside.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare had already turned, following the tray--and Michael--even as he finished off his first sandwich. He took a long drink from his glass, then set it on the table, picking up another sandwich even as he bent to sit. Dare sighed as he relaxed back into the armchair with his sandwich, his eyes lighting on Michael, by far the most interesting thing in the room. He let his gaze travel over Michael, though he tried to be surreptitious about noting the placement of his glass.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

It didn't take long for Michael to finish his first sandwich and grab the next as he took a drink from his glass. He sighed softly as he looked at the sandwich in his hand, "This makes me miss our house elf, she was great," he said, then took a bite. He had had a sort of attachment to his house elf, she had helped him through some harder times, when Emilian wasn't there.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare's gaze rose to Michael's, but even if he hadn't had a mouthful of food, he wouldn't have known what to say. He wondered about Michael's background, and though it made him uncomfortable at times, he realized that it was because he didn't understand it, not because he didn't want to. Dare swallowed, then spoke briefly as he reached for his glass. "She make sandwiches?" he asked. Dare took a gulp of juice, then returned to the sandwich in his hand.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael nodded, "Yeah, she would, and we talked a lot, actually. Like, dad was horrible to her, but she knew I wouldn't do anything to her." He knew that it was a strange relationship, but he knew that she wouldn't tell anyone else, anything he told her would go to the grave. She wouldn't even tell his father if he asked her not to. He hadn't thought about her since coming to Hogwarts, and he suddenly felt something akin to homesickness for her.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare made a sound of interest, nodding lightly in encouragement as he polished off what he'd been eating. The edge was finally taken off his hunger, so he spoke again as he reached for another sandwich. "So were you like, friends?" It was a relief to know that Dare had been right about Michael. His past might be a mystery for the most part, but when Dare had seen that picture from the Pureblood dance, or whatever it was, he'd thought Michael looked...the same, but different. Like everything was repressed, not like it wasn't there.