An Ode to Maybe (Jory/Dare)

[Jory Addison]

Jory had looked up at the guy's laugh, and a smile spread over his lips at what he said. Then he nodded and dropped his necklace to his chest to run his hand absently over the book cover for a moment. "Oh," he said, just then realizing he probably couldn't keep calling him the guy, and he looked up. "My name is Jory Addison, I'm in Gryffindor."

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

"Dare Blackwood...Hardt," he added, more used to writing his altered name than saying it. He could only imagine the difficulty Michael must be having without the ability to just tack on the rest if he slipped. Of course, he'd prefer to think that Michael never slipped. "I'm in Gryffindor too, but you won't find me in the Common Room or anything." Dare didn't at all feel like dropping names or personal information, so he didn't.

[Jory Addison]

Hadn't Lyric said one of them was in Gryffindor? Jory's eyes widened and he looked up, trying to mask how hopeful he felt. "Are....are you one of the ones that had the ceremony?" he asked, only realizing once the words were past his lips that if he had the wrong guy, he could be in trouble for assuming. But he wanted to know so badly! His eyes dropped and he started fiddling with his necklace again.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Well, apparently even the newbies knew that much, and school had barely started. "Yeah, I'm one of the ones," he said. He hadn't missed that wide-eyed shock, nor the fact that Jory wasn't looking at him anymore. He really didn't feel like being grilled by some guy who could report back to the other Gryffindors and drag everything back out again. "So... glad you found your book and everything. I'm off to find mine. See you around." Dare moved to leave.

[Jory Addison]

Jory's eyes widened again and he shook his head and reached out for Dare's arm. "No! Wait! I mean..." He jerked his hand back to play roughly at his necklace. "I didn't mean it like that..." Just say it! It was so much harder to actually say it than he had imagined it would be. He pulled his book tight against his chest and chewed on his lip.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare, who had once been so used to casual contact with people, reflexively jerked back from Jory's touch. All the physical contact he got anymore was from Michael, and the shock he felt at someone else entering a definite comfort zone he hadn't even realized he had. It was disturbing on several levels and took some time to push aside. And still he didn't speak. He wasn't going to help this guy out. He didn't know him at all and had no love of strangers. In another moment, he was walking away.

[Jory Addison]

Jory chewed his lip until he realized that if he didn't say anything then Dare would leave. He closed his eyes briefly and silently murmured a prayer to whatever would listen, and then looked up at him. He hooked his thumb in the chain of his necklace so that the rainbow ring pulled against his skin. "I....I'm gay," he said softly, watching Dare for just another moment before his eyes darted around. It felt completely different from when he had told Lyric.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare tensed to walk away all the same before his mind went through enough possibilities to settle on the right one. Another moment passed before he realized the implications of what had been said. He stopped, tensed again, then let out a long breath and looked around, his eyes finally settling on Jory. His eyes did a quick, appraising sweep with this new information, and this time he saw the rainbows. He blinked in surprise. "Are you out?" he asked. Suddenly, he'd developed a bit of interest.

[Jory Addison]

Jory licked his lips and shook his head. "Not technically, but I've never exactly...denied it or anything..." His hand closed around his necklace again and he focused on Dare. "I...I heard about you and your...partner? from a friend and I wanted to meet you." But he hadn't known their names or anything about them other than a very few details. He wanted to be out, and if Dare had made it, then surely Jory could, too.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

"Oh. Wow," Dare said, nearly floored at the thought of being some kind of role model or something. He glanced around again, then reached up to run a hand through his hair, temporarily displacing his colorful fringe. "Yeah, my partner," he said at last, and moved his left hand so that Jory could get a glimpse of the ring. "We had our ceremony June thirtieth at the edge of the Forbidden Forest." And they'd gotten married in Spain. It still amazed him, but Dare kept that part to himself. It wasn't even recognized in England, and besides, that was theirs. It was something they'd wanted desperately, and something very private.

[Jory Addison]

Jory couldn't even imagine that happening, even if he knew whether or not he ever wanted it to happen. "What's it like?" he asked, the single question encompassing so many things. What was it like to come out? What was it like to be out? What was it like to be in love? What was it like to be accepted and have a ceremony by the Forbidden Forest? The only guys he had ever met like him...were like him, and hadn't done what Dare had done. This was something entirely new and Jory didn't want to let it go.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare ran his hand through his hair again, totally lost on how to answer, though a million thoughts raced through his mind. What's it like? For just a moment he'd thought Jory meant the ceremony, but now he doubted it, and it was so impossible to sum up a year's relationship, a year's worth of life, into something that could be told. He tried to buy himself time. And relieve a certain question that had popped into his mind. "You're not with the Daily Prophet, are you? 'Cause if I find out you are..." He didn't think Michael would stop him from doing something to someone who got them yet more negative attention.

[Jory Addison]

Jory shook his head, "No, why?" he asked, tilting his head up at Dare. He hadn't kept up with the Daily Prophet, so he wouldn't know what had happened to Dare, and even if he had read it, it probably wouldn't have registered for him why it would be a big deal. He wondered if this was Dare's way of saying he didn't want to talk.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare's eyes rested on Jory for some moments before he decided to believe him. "We didn't come out," he said. "The Daily Prophet outed us, so we were the only gay couple at Hogwarts. It was hell for a while." And the Prophet still jabbed them every chance it got. They couldn't step outside their door without someone somewhere making a comment, and that was after a year of people calming down and getting somewhat more used to it.

[Jory Addison]

Jory stared at Dare for a moment before he dropped his eyes and a soft oh came from his lips. He had hoped it hadn't been like that. Why did he feel such massive disappointment? He blinked and dropped his head a little more to think. Coming out had always been something he thought about, and something he had never made a true decision about, hence why he was in his odd semi-out phase. Maybe he had hoped that Dare would be able to help him with it. But if Dare hadn't even come out on his own, how could he help?