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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Jun 19, 2009 23:22:44 GMT -5
It was so weird standing there, where they would be in a little over a week. Just in this spot the columns would be set up and they would be standing below giving their vows. Michael glanced over at Dare and looked down at the sketch that had been drawn with their ideas. Anything else they might need was in a bag slung across Michael's chest and hanging at his hip. "So it should be centered right...here," he said, standing in front of a particular tree that looked all but identical to all the rest of the trees in the little stretch they had first met.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Jun 19, 2009 23:42:18 GMT -5
Dare nodded, and though he wanted to wrap his arms around Michael, he stepped back to look at the treeline again. "How will they know it's here?" he asked. He'd given the Headmistress as many sketches as he could, but he knew that not everyone had the photographic memory that he, or especially Michael, had. "Should we get some of the house-elves out here to see it?"
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Post by Quinn Ashwinder on Jun 19, 2009 23:53:16 GMT -5
First days in new places were always hard, after Kylie had died, Quinn had been shuttled about for a while before mother had sent her here. She knew that she should familiarize herself with the building first, find the shops and order special ingredients...but she knew, as she'd always known, that the place she felt safest was in wooded areas, areas you could get lost in, so instinctively she'd headed out to the forest, forbidden or not. What she wasn't expecting was to run into anyone.
Quinn slowed as she got closer to the two guys close to the border of the forest. She didn't know if they would turn her in for going into the forest, she'd end up there anyways, but it didn't hurt to smooth the waters. It would be better to know if she'd need to sneak around or not. Quinn tilted her head slightly, sending her hair sliding down her shoulder, she hesitantly approached, making sure to stay just outside of reach, "Hello," she said softly. "I'm new here," she silently mocked herself for saying something so stupid, of course they knew she was new here, if they'd never seen her before they'd assume as much.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Jun 20, 2009 0:00:19 GMT -5
Michael looked back at the voice and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Hello," he said with a soft smile, then glanced over at Dare. He didn't know who the girl was, but he didn't want to be rude and ignore or shun her. He had the absent thought that she was replacing him, who was finally leaving after so many years.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Jun 20, 2009 0:09:11 GMT -5
Dare paused, finishing his mental sketch before he turned to see who belonged to that soft voice. She was nearly a foot shorter than he was, and though he was used to being the tallest person around, he spent so much time with Michael that it was only by a few inches. "Hey," he said. "Are you lost?" He knew how easy it was to get lost in a place as big as Hogwarts, and helping her out could be a nice interruption to their last-minute planning.
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Post by Quinn Ashwinder on Jun 20, 2009 0:17:19 GMT -5
Quinn's foot dug into a bit of soft dirt underneath her foot, how could she delicately phrase this. She knew that she wasn't lost, unless it was deliberately, but if these were people that were strict on rules she couldn't just right out and tell them that she was looking to traverse into a forbidden area of campus. Sigh, maybe a bit of truth wouldn't hurt, although she was hesitant to tell anyone anything, the only person in her life she'd truly trusted was dead now. "Not lost," Quinn sighed, "exploring a bit." Great, she mentally patted herself on the back, she'd told them something without telling them anything at all. "My name's Quinn." Oh...she mentally kicked herself again, she still didn't know who they were, and she was telling them her name, with which they could indite her if needed later.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Jun 20, 2009 0:25:49 GMT -5
Michael glanced over at Dare and shifted his weight again, bringing his body a fraction closer. "I'm Michael," he said, tilting his head slightly at the girl. He was certainly feeling how he hadn't had much social interaction. Yes, he had gotten better since Brindle had moved in, but it was still nothing compared to what it had been a year before. He was so not used to talking to people, and even less used to meeting new people.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Jun 20, 2009 0:31:43 GMT -5
Dare tossed his head slightly, shifting his fringe, though it fell back into place a moment later. "My name's Alasdair, but everyone calls me Dare." Most of the time. He'd heard his given name more times since he'd gotten engaged than in the year after he'd picked up the nickname. "Were you going in?" he asked. His lips curved into just a shadow of his slightly crooked smile as he glanced back at Michael. So you going in or not? Michael had asked him, right here just over a year ago. Yeah I'm going in, I just figured I'd pretend the rules mattered for a minute or two.
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Post by Quinn Ashwinder on Jun 20, 2009 0:36:58 GMT -5
Quinn flinched just a bit as the man named Michael moved, reflex she told herself. They weren't coming closer, she should be fine. She was settling her reaction down when the other one, Dare, he'd said, asked her a question. Years of half truths, and hidden intentions cautioned her not to be openly honest, but there was something about him. Quinn ran her fingers through her hair, a nervous habit she'd taught herself long ago, so that it wouldn't show in her voice. "And if I was?" she asked, the backbone that was her sister forcing her to ask. She wouldn't be afraid of doing what made her safe, she'd draw that line now.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Jun 20, 2009 12:23:26 GMT -5
"I wouldn't tell you no," Michael said, glancing over at Dare. His mind immediately followed Dare's, making his lips curve. "I might even encourage it." It wasn't like students never went in. The forest had led to an incredible change in his own life, Dare. And in a matter of days it was going to be the place of another huge change. Even if he couldn't put his finger on why it was such a big change, really the only thing that would be different was that they would have papers and...well....everything that happened that night, it was a huge thing.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Jun 20, 2009 14:02:26 GMT -5
"That's one of those rules no one enforces," Dare said, gesturing lightly toward the forest with a nod of his head. "There's probably more students in there than in all the common rooms." He'd never seen more than a couple people in the Gryffindor Common Room at any one time. Not that he'd ever run into anyone besides Michael in the forest, but there had to have been others just for all the stuff that had shown up in the Daily Prophet.
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Post by Quinn Ashwinder on Jun 20, 2009 14:10:24 GMT -5
Quinn visibly relaxed as Dare and Michael both appeared as though they didn't care at all whether she or anyone ventured into the forest. She ran her fingers through her hair again nervously, "oh, well... Now I feel a bit silly for hedging." Quinn looked into the forest for a minute before she looked back at the two men. She broke into a wide grin that lit up her face as she realized she wasn't that far from her goal. "Thanks, for being so nice," she shook her head, "most people don't. Well most people just aren't as nice as you've been, especially when I wasn't being very forthcoming." There was nothing wrong with honesty when they were being open and honest with her, especially since they didn't appear to be a threat.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Jun 20, 2009 14:24:28 GMT -5
Michael nodded, though he wondered if she would say the same thing if she knew about them. It was a passing thought that barely registered. "Don't worry about it," he said. What Dare had said was true. He didn't know anyone that hadn't been in the forest at some point, and most went in quite often. Of course, any thought of the forest led Michael's mind back to Dare. He sighed softly, he really needed to get out more.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Jun 20, 2009 14:39:51 GMT -5
"We've been there, too," Dare said, half under his breath. Most people weren't so nice, and not at all accepting, and even most of the people who were accepting still weren't at all comfortable with it, or even them. So they kept to themselves a lot. He wouldn't consider them very forthcoming, either. Dare raised his voice to normal again for the girl and pulled himself out of his solitary thoughts. "So what are you going in for?" he asked. "Just looking around, or looking for someplace quiet?" She'd said exploring, but there were infinite ways and reasons that someone could explore the forest.
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Post by Quinn Ashwinder on Jun 20, 2009 14:42:59 GMT -5
Quinn looked down at her feet for a minute, "I'm not going to lie, I'm not very good with people, I was looking for someplace quiet, for when things....get out of hand." She smiled, but not quite the same smile as before, more world weary, her thoughts on Kylie, their family. "Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to be here, I just wish..." She sighed, "never mind...what were you doing before I rudely interrupted?"
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