|
|
Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Mar 25, 2012 22:11:08 GMT -5
Dare glanced back over his shoulder. "Well, I've got a couple like that too," he said. His lips quirked as he looked aside at Rhys. "Some stuff it's just easier not to try explaining." He'd gotten away with it before, but didn't feel like pressing his luck.
He took the stairs slowly with Rhys, and his mind drifted back toward things he wished he could do to help out. He wondered how much money it would take to fix the place up, wondered how much his savings could do if he had it exchanged. He wondered how people could see this kind of stuff and not just give everything to help.
|
|
|
|
Post by Rhys Moreau on Mar 25, 2012 22:17:37 GMT -5
Rhys was silent and at the landing to the second floor he paused, listening to make sure no one was in the stairwell. "Dare, how much trouble can he get in? He's been vague about it and I hate thinking that Matt could get in legal trouble just for being honest with me." And, heaven forbid, if they broke up what could that mean?
|
|
|
|
Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Mar 25, 2012 22:28:00 GMT -5
Dare grimaced, and shifted on his feet. "If he hasn't gotten called in by the Ministry yet, then either they don't know, or he's talked to someone about it. I mean, there's got to be a way around it because Wizards and Muggles getting together isn't a freak occurrence or anything. There's got to be an exception for some kinds of relationships." This was where he'd love to mention that his mother was a Muggle, but since it turned out she wasn't, he skipped over that for now.
"I can't see them sending him to Azkaban for it. The people on Diagon Alley know you're around and you haven't been obliviated, so I'd say don't worry about it. Matthew wants you moving in enough, I'd bet he's already looked into it."
|
|
|
|
Post by Rhys Moreau on Mar 27, 2012 13:36:55 GMT -5
"What's obliviated?" Rhys asked. Sometimes he wanted to strangle Matthew for keeping him in the dark so much, though he thought he could understand why, at least a little. He needed to sit Matthew down and demand a few answers about thew hole issue. He already knew he couldn't tell his friends about Matthew's secret side, but that was as far as it went.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Mar 27, 2012 14:03:04 GMT -5
"It's a memory-modification charm," Dare said. "They'd erase what you knew about magic and give you some Muggle explanation for whatever you saw. If someone does something stupid like fly over a Muggle city, or if a dragon gets loose and knocks something down, the Obliviators have to go around fixing it, tell people they saw an air plain, or the store was hit by a tornado. Matthew hasn't told you any of this?" It seemed like if the guy was going to let his boyfriend in on it, especially if he was hoping to get Rhys to move in, Rhys should know what he was getting into.
|
|
|
|
Post by Rhys Moreau on Mar 27, 2012 20:12:44 GMT -5
The possibility that wizards could erase memories was slightly terrifying. "No, I mean, not really. I mean, I've only known since Christmas and he's been being really...I guess careful about it all, you know? I imagine there will be things five years from now that will surprise me," Rhys said, only realizing once the words were out of his mouth that he had assumed he would still be with Matthew.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Mar 27, 2012 20:39:11 GMT -5
Dare gave a casual shrug. "Probably, but there's still stuff about Purebloods that I don't get... and that's another story." He took a breath before trying to explain. "Blood Purity, as in there are people who can trace their families back for generations without any non-wizards and think they're better than wizards with two Muggle parents, or even a Muggle grandparent somewhere.
"That's one that'll set Matthew and Keith both off. They've got issues with Purebloods right back. I prepped Keith for meeting some of Michael's Pureblood friends, so he's probably chilled out about it, but who knows with Matthew."
|
|
|
|
Post by Rhys Moreau on Mar 27, 2012 22:14:19 GMT -5
"Maybe I need to just ask you questions," Rhys said. "He'll always just give me the basics. But I guess he's not really interested in telling me things he's always known, you know?" He could understand that. It wasn't really interesting trying to explain how mail or staplers worked. Maybe he should try to read books.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Mar 28, 2012 8:41:34 GMT -5
Dare shrugged. "I don't mind," he said. "But I guess that's a professor for you." He liked the feeling of helping someone reach that moment where things clicked, that little victory where they understood. And maybe, just maybe, he was a bit of a storyteller at heart.
"Maybe he just needs to get used to the idea that he can tell you," Dare suggested. "It's drilled into you from the time you're a kid that you don't show Muggles magic. You don't whip out your wand in public and you don't disapparate in a crowd."
|
|
|
|
Post by Rhys Moreau on Mar 28, 2012 18:37:49 GMT -5
Rhys nodded, that made sense, too. He was silent for a few moments, thinking of how to convince Matthew to be more open about the things, before he gestured toward the door. "So, how long were you and Michael together before you moved in?" he asked. The topic was much safer to discuss while walking around.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Mar 28, 2012 19:23:08 GMT -5
"Not very long," Dare said, his hand rising to rub at the back of his neck. "We'd been together I think three or four months when the Daily Prophet outed us, and it got bad in the dorms immediately. We hid out a couple days, then moved to his friend's shop in Hogsmeade to get away from everything." Well, Michael's ex-friend. Dare would gladly bash Emilian if the opportunity presented itself.
|
|
|
|
Post by Rhys Moreau on Mar 28, 2012 19:31:24 GMT -5
"That sucks, I was outed so...kind of feel your pain there," Rhys said as he entered the hallway. Half open doors came off the sides every so often leading to rooms, some of which were empty and some that held little groups of kids. A closed door meant a meeting was under way. "It's good you had somewhere to go, though."
|
|
|
|
Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Mar 28, 2012 20:28:47 GMT -5
"Yeah," Dare said. "Until his friend showed up and wanted his bed back. I told you guys about that one." He gave Rhys a meaningful sidelong glance. "We were on the street with a bag each in under an hour, and Michael went looking for a place to buy the next day." He wanted to ask about Rhys's outing, but he'd gotten the impression that the man's past was still too painful.
|
|
|
|
Post by Rhys Moreau on Mar 28, 2012 20:32:59 GMT -5
"Mine wasn't...traumatic in and of itself," Rhys said carefully. "I was thirteen and on my first date. One of my dad's friends saw me holding hands with the guy. It wasn't pretty when I got home." He glanced over at Dare as if to apologize for being unwilling to go into any details. His past was still incredibly painful to think of, though there were pieces he was willing to tell.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Mar 28, 2012 20:50:15 GMT -5
Dare shook his head, and his gaze dropped as they walked along. "I was lucky. I mean, school was hell, and my dad sent me this I'm disappointed in you, you're ruining our lives and the family name letter, but in the end he accepted it as much as I think he can. I had Michael to back me up..." Anything more was obscured by sudden, unwanted memories of Soren. He shook his head again and tried to blink them away. "But anyway," he went on, lifting his head and forcing a smile, "it all worked out."
|
|
