Fallen Angels

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

"His parents found out his wife was a halfblood and threatened to have her killed," Michael said. He looked up at Dare. "He did it so no one else would. It's not pretty when Death Eaters decide to kill someone like that." It was rarely quick and easy, he'd seen it done. He looked back down the corridor, tilting his head slightly as the inside of his brain felt like it was wobbling. "He killed his father after."

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare adjusted his arm around Michael, easily catching that moment of tentative balance. He hadn't done this in a long time, but apparently it was second nature by now. "That's crazy," he said. Michael's father had tried that on them. And when he'd failed, he'd killed himself instead. They'd killed Emily Somers to push Michael. "Thank you for keeping us out of that crap," he said. They'd visited Soren once, and had avoided any part of Society that didn't already accept them ever since. Dare really hadn't known what he was getting into back then, no matter how close some of his ideas had been.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

"I guess it probably helps that I'm not really from the same circle as Skylar," Michael said. "I mean, his family was like, I don't know, not on the same level as mine or Eros' or whatever. And he was in the ranks for years, so much longer than me." He was definitely reminded that it had been a good decision and he was glad he hadn't stayed in for longer.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare pulled Michael closer and pressed a kiss into his hair. He was so glad that Michael had gotten out of everything when he had. It was horrifying how much he'd had to go through to get to that point, but it was a reminder of just how strong Michael could be. "I love you," he said.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael closed his eyes briefly and smiled. "I love you, too," he said. "You know, even though I started doing that pensieve thing, I never went back and looked through that sketchbook, the one you looked through in the Room of Requirement." He rarely even thought of the book, but he couldn't help it just now. After talking with Skylar, it was somewhat easier to think about things.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare gave a light shudder at the flashes of memory that gave him. There had been horrible, horrible things in that book, and even if Michael didn't remember exactly what he'd drawn, it had given Dare insights into things that hadn't been explained to him for months and even years after.

"Don't do it tonight," he said. Whatever Michael was thinking, Dare would prefer the twins to be off visiting their grandmother so he could give Michael the attention he'd need.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael shook his head, then rested it on Dare's shoulder. "I don't want to look at it. I'm glad you did, though, kind of. It was brave. I guess maybe I can do stuff now because I'm so far away from it all, you think? The book is then and there, inside my head. It's different." It would be very difficult to look at those images and not slip back in time.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

That was Dare's thought exactly. He had drawings he couldn't look at either, and though none of them were the depth of subject matter Michael's were, it was too easy to get pulled back into the mindset. It made his arms itch just to think about it. "We'll talk about it tomorrow if you want," he said. It seemed like the kind of thing to be discussed stone-cold sober.