And Again Once More (Closed)

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare came to slowly, and with much confusion. He thought he was dead at first, and the pain he felt, remnants of days without food and with little to drink, filtered into his mind as the beginnings of punishment for the year he'd had with Michael. Then he blinked his eyes open a crack and saw a familiar dusty wood floor.

His hands were untied. He realized that almost immediately after he'd registered where he was, and struggled against muscles that didn't want to move. He had to get out, had to get up somehow.

[Eros d'Avonderre]

"Calm yourself, Dare," Eros said softly. "It's Eros, and Ivy has been dealt with. He offered Dare a hand, though he worried that even sitting would break the boy. "Good Lord, have you eaten?" he asked. "What did she do to you?" He had a million more questions, but he would ascertain whether or not Dare was even in condition to answer them before he sent out a barrage.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Eros. What was Eros doing here? He shook his head at the question and took that hand up, ignoring the second. "Where's Michael?" he asked. He couldn't see past Eros, but he could see Ivy tied up. His head hurt, likely from the fall, or the dehydration, or maybe the stress.

[Eros d'Avonderre]

"I stunned him to prevent a homicide and a lengthy trip to Azkaban," Eros replied. "Now, if you will, Dare, please tell me what happened so I'll have a comprehensive story when the authorities arrive. And they will arrive, I am certain of it." Even if he didn't send for them himself, Mano might, when he and Michael didn't return, or perhaps a neighbor who'd heard the Somers girl screaming.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

"Wake him up," Dare said. He made an effort to get to his knees, then grabbed the bedpost, fully intending to haul himself up if he had to. He didn't care if the authorities came, Michael was here, if unconscious, and there wasn't any reason to waste time explaining. "Wake him up!" he said again.

[Eros d'Avonderre]

Eros withheld a sigh at that. "Sit," he instructed. "I'll wake him, but don't overtax yourself." If the boy wouldn't cooperate, he might as well move on. He tucked away his collection of confiscated wands first, then crossed to squat in front of Michael before reviving him as well. "Michael, Dare was only stunned, wake up," he said softly.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael was pulled into consciousness slowly, and his mind took its time turning Eros' words over and over again until he understood. Then his eyes snapped open and he sat up. It was impossible that Dare was fine, he had seen Ivy cast the spell! But his eyes darted around the room before they settled on Dare, awake and alive. His heart skipped a beat and he scrambled to find any kind of grasp on the floor to get to Dare.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Eros telling him Michael was here was so much different than seeing him when the man moved, and Dare cried, though tears couldn't come. He found a burst of energy he hadn't known existed when Michael's eyes found his, and moved across the dirty floor to throw his arms around Michael's neck, to bury his face in deep red hair he'd thought he'd never see again.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael wrapped his arms tightly around Dare, pulling him close and hiding his face in Dare's neck. Dare had left him, and then he had died, and now they were holding each other, all in just a few short days, barely even a week. He never wanted to let go, he wanted to hold on and refuse to let go and freeze time right here so that he couldn't lose Dare again.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

"I love you," Dare choked, the only thing he could think to say. He could hardly breathe for how tightly he was holding Michael and how tightly he was being held, but he couldn't let go. He wanted more, more contact, more time to make up for everything they'd lost. Ivy had been wrong, so wrong. Michael didn't hate him. Somehow Michael knew.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael had no idea what all had happened to get to this point, even if it had truly been Dare leaving him he wouldn't have been able to react any differently to finding him again. "I love you, too," he managed, somehow. And somehow tears came again, entirely different from the painful sobs of a few days before, but quiet and cleansing in a way.

[Eros d'Avonderre]

Eros let the two of them go on with their little reunion until it became apparent that it wasn't going to end. then he cleared his throat to interrupt. "I do hate to be a bother, gentlemen," he said, looking studiously away from them for their comfort more than his, "but there are two ladies, if one uses the term loosely, stunned on the floor, and at least two wands in my possession which have cast Unforgivable Curses today. I do believe some story will be needed for the authorities, as I do not trust Miss Somers to be released to the general populace."

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare wouldn't let go of Michael, despite Eros's warning. His mind wasn't working well enough to make sense of most of it, though the word authorities managed to penetrate the dizziness. "You used crucio," he whispered to Michael. He refused to loosen his arms. He wouldn't let them take Michael. Ivy had deserved it for everything she'd done.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

"I'm sorry," Michael said, closing his eyes tightly. "I thought she killed you." He had had no way to know that Dare was only stunned! There was no way out of the killing curse, it just wasn't possible. He didn't want to get taken away! He wanted to stay with Dare, he wanted to take him home so they could just hold each other until they couldn't stay awake anymore.

[Eros d'Avonderre]

Their whispers were highly audible in the otherwise silent shack, and so Eros missed nothing. "As I see it, we have few choices. The unadulterated truth will work only if your Order friend, Michael, will protect you. The girl will tell, and so we either hope, destroy the wand and her proof, or plant it on the brunette, whoever she is. I have no preference, personally, other than a speedy decision." It had been far too long to simply stand—or kneel as the case may be—and wait to be found.