Another Old Friend (Eros/Michael)

[Eros d'Avonderre]

A look of somewhat annoyed resignation swept over Eros's face. "A candy shop," he replied. "The girl who runs the bookstore is vacillating about selling, and I wasn't willing to spend all summer waiting to begin. So in the meantime, I'm in Scotland, next door to a man who wouldn't spare the effort of spitting on me. Which is the preferred state right now, to be sure." He and Emilian had always seemed to grate on one another, though they'd gotten on well enough at times. Now was most definitely not one of those times. It had definitely been worth it, though. He couldn't imagine he'd ever have finally slept with Mano otherwise.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael let out a light laugh and shook his head, "If you can't handle a dog licking your hand, you won't survive a month in a candy shop." Especially if he was beside of Emilian. "So Emilian's back?" he asked, wrinkling his nose slightly. He hadn't heard, but it would be good to know so that he could steer clear of the jewelry place. He had hoped that Emilian would be staying in Germany.

[Eros d'Avonderre]

"He is," Eros said, his comfort level rising with Michael's shift in mood. "You may or may not be interested to hear that he is now an affianced man. With his typical lack of all subtlety, he went to one knee at the end of a dance, then spent the rest of the evening beaming, if what I hear is true. I wouldn't have believed it at all if I hadn't heard it directly from someone who was there." Even with his own current distaste for Emilian, he'd found the news interesting enough. And Emilian and Michael had always been close. It seemed as though Michael should know at least that much.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael had shook his head at the news of Emilian's proposal. "I honestly couldn't care less about what he's doing, I'm just glad to know I need to stay away from his shop for now. It really is a shame, though, for Adara, she's a good girl." She could have done so much better than Emilian. Michael felt a twinge of guilt for having part in the Vow that made it all but guaranteed. Yes, both of them had feelings for the other, but how long could Emilian really stay like that? Of course, if she hadn't ended up with Emilian, he could only imagine who her father would have stuck her with.

[Eros d'Avonderre]

"I've read as much," Eros admitted, "though I don't at all put stock in anything the Daily Prophet has to say. Hearsay might as well be heresy, especially from such an imaginative and unscrupulous source." With that statement dropped, hopefully to set Michael at least a bit at ease again, Eros returned to the main topic of conversation. "It seems everyone is getting engaged these days," he said casually, only just keeping his gaze from searching out Michael's hand and the ring there. "Mano's was broken quite suddenly, but Caro's appears to be proceeding well enough." It had occurred to Eros that Michael likely knew the boy, but he restrained himself. If Michael had no interest, on that subject at least, he wouldn't push.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

"Carolynn is engaged?" Michael asked, raising an eyebrow. He didn't read the Prophet anymore, so he wouldn't know, and he wasn't in communication with anyone that would know. His mother had had information about Mano, but none about that girl, Carolynn. Of course, it was just as likely that the information wasn't in the Prophet, considering he didn't even know where Carolynn was living.

[Eros d'Avonderre]

"She's nearly twenty-four, Michael. It was going to happen. Besides, if rumours are to be believed, the boy is practically a replica of his sire, and that means a certain amount of freedom for both of them. She'll only need to learn to be a bit more discreet. I'm sure no one who's met both would ever believe that Mano and Carolynn were cousins." Appearances aside, there were some levels of physical comfort that were simply beyond the scope of familial relationships, and an observant viewer would spot them easily. "And yes, I said boy. He's only a year younger than you."

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael's eyes widened. How had he missed this? He felt, really for the first time, how very disconnected he had become. His knowledge of the old group had been fairly recent and caught up, or so he thought, just from what he had known when he had left the Death Eaters. Either he had been horribly wrong, or things were finally starting to change. "Who is he?" Even if he hadn't seen the boy in years, he would at least know who it was. He mentally ran through the people he thought it could be.

[Eros d'Avonderre]

One corner of Eros's lips quirked. He could see the effort that Michael was putting into figuring it out, and he'd guess that Michael wasn't anywhere near the correct answer. "He's a student at Hogwarts, actually. The family seat moved from England to America some generations ago, and is somewhere in New England now, I believe. Suitably wealthy and well-bred, if known for a lengthy sowing of oats, as it were." He paused to let that sink in, then lay the answer out. "I've heard that Emilian knows him, so perhaps you do as well; Chase Firebrand."

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Both eyebrows raised at that. "Chase?" He found that rather hard to believe. "Are you sure? I mean...not that they don't deserve each other, but...I find it hard to imagine him being with anyone." Or maybe he could imagine it, since it would probably just be for propriety's sake. He certainly couldn't see Chase developing feelings for anyone.

[Eros d'Avonderre]

"Yes, Chase," Eros responded. Apparently Michael knew him as well as Emilian did. "From what I understand, he returned home for the winter holidays determined to set aside youth and step up to responsibility. Firebrand Senior set out immediately to find the boy a suitable wife, and the contract was all but signed before he returned to Hogwarts. Apparently the young man has changed his ways," Eros said in bored tones. "According to Mano, Carolynn was quite pleased with him. I haven't any word on whether it's official yet, but there you have it."

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael shook his head, "Well at least it'll get him out of the school. He dated my ex-girlfriend. Both of them, actually." He wrinkled his nose and crossed his arms on the counter. Okay, so maybe he didn't have concrete evidence that he and Anna dated, but it was close enough to count. "Carolynn will keep him busy."

[Eros d'Avonderre]

"Indubitably," Eros said. "But so long as she can keep appearances, it won't matter a whit, I'm sure." Not that Eros had ever thought about what he would expect from marriage. An attractive woman, definitely, and one needed to check the mother to see that she would age gracefully. A biddable woman, and one for whom some measure of affection could exist. That wasn't much to ask.

"I have yet to see Caro, so I'm afraid I know little else on that score, but, and I'm sure you've been expecting this; What of you?" Now Eros allowed himself that glance down to see the engagement ring he'd heard tell of. Of course, apparently the other had one as well, but as Eros didn't know the other, that fact didn't strike him as quite as odd. There was only that flickering look before Eros's eyes found Michael's again.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael's eyes darkened slightly. "That's according to what you want to know." He didn't want to be interviewed, but he wasn't going to just spill out everything for someone that had just appeared out of nowhere from his past. His hand clenched before relaxing and wrapping around his upper right arm. He didn't say anything else, but waited for Eros to speak.

[Eros d'Avonderre]

Apparently Michael's temper was as easily stirred as ever; Eros hadn't missed all the signs that he was preparing himself for a rage. "Dear God, Michael, it's not as though I'm asking how he tastes, that was a general question as to how you're faring. It's been years, and last I saw you, you were a headstrong teen who nonetheless stayed within the lines. Aren't I entitled to some measure of curiosity?" Eros wasn't gauche enough to begin with the most personal questions, and he had no difficulty extending small talk. Conversation was something he typically had patience for.