What Are the Chances? (Dare/Wishons)

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare gave a low almost-chuckle at what he assumed was a joke about hair. "Whenever you want," Dare said. "Seriously, I'll try not to piss them off too much if you want to try to reason with them." He paused. "If you want to piss them off though, I can get all dressed up."

[Rhys Moreau]

"I'm going to try reason, though I really doubt they'll listen to me if they can avoid it," Rhys said. He finished out the last of his treat and slid the empty bowl away from him. "If I end up wanting to piss them off, I'll let you know, bring you and Matthew, that would be fun. Friday? Unless they've changed, they're always home Friday evenings."

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

"Friday," Dare agreed. "I'll wear something respectable." The only thing he'd ever need to cancel on a Friday would be going out with the guys, and since the guys included Rhys and Matthew, it wasn't a problem.

---

On Friday, Dare showed up at the ice cream shop as planned, dressed as conservatively as he could be. For a wizard. He wore some of the robes he'd gotten for visits with his mother-in-law, deep forest-green that parted in front enough to show long black trousers and a moss-green waistcoat shot through with silver threads. He had his lip ring in and his hair pulled back, but it was still blue because he doubted it would be any more shocking than the rest.

There, he was respectable.

[Rhys Moreau]

Rhys couldn't help but smile when he saw Dare. "I've got to say one thing about robes, they do make people look good," he said, pausing a moment to take in the outfit. It was difficult to imagine Dare in his parents' home, but in just a few minutes it wouldn't be necessary. "Let's go see if my dad has a heart attack or something."

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare grinned at Rhys's compliment and gave a nod. "I haven't caused any heart attacks yet," he said. "I guess if he starts having one I could transfigure him into a crucifix long enough to get him to a Healer." He didn't know if that would actually work, but doubted he'd need to find out.

[Rhys Moreau]

Rhys laughed and shook his head at that image and the thought of how his parents would react to such a thing, then gestured for Dare to follow him. It was only a relatively short ride via public transport to where he'd grown up, and figured it was a better idea to show up in a cab than the Knight Bus or via apparating. "Just...be prepared for...hate." It didn't quite fit, but it was the best he could come up with. There was already a wreath on the door and there were lingering fall decorations in one of the flower boxes.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare had done his best not to act like a damn fool in the taxi. He'd been on the Knight Bus more times than he could count, but this was completely different. He only really gave Rhys's advice a passing nod. Rhys had told him a lot about his past, and Dare knew this wouldn't be easy. He knew the likelihood that they'd deny magic even in the face of it, and he was prepared. "I'll follow your lead," he said.

[Rhys Moreau]

Rhys chewed his lip as he built up the courage to take the final steps to the door and knock. A few heartbeats later, the door opened to reveal his father. The man's hair was more salt-and-pepper now compared to the brown it had been the previous year, but other than that he looked much the same. Rhys' height, a serious expression on his face, and in business attire, with a slight smokey smell from the pipe the man nursed at home.

Rhys remained silent for a moment longer as his father took in the sight of his visitors, then he spoke. "So I heard my brother does magic."

The man's eyes darkened immediately and, for a second, Rhys was sure he intended to slam the door in their faces. Instead, his father stepped back and spoke sharply through clenched teeth. "Get in here and do not say that word."

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare resisted the urge to roll his eyes or smirk and followed Rhys in as closely as he could. There was no way he was letting the man shut the door on him and leave him out of this. Rhys had asked him to come, and he'd come. He made sure to straighten up once they were in. He didn't care who the man thought he was, but he'd play bodyguard until some other opportunity presented itself.

[Rhys Moreau]

"Send Peter upstairs," Rhys' father called toward the back of the house, where Rhys' mother was just visible.

"Oh, but I want to meet him," Rhys said. "My friend here, he can help."

"I don't know what you're on about." The man's eyes flickered up to Dare, as though uncertain whether he should continue.

Rhys glanced back at Dare. "Oh, don't worry about him. He already knows about the whole gay issue, he's actually going to be best man at my wedding," he said, thinking that perhaps keeping his father off-guard would be a good way to get things rolling. If his father got the upper hand, things would go badly. He ignored the tightening of the man's jaw and continued. "His name's Dare, and he agreed to come with me to help. This nice woman I met, whose name I won't share, said you've been having some issues with Peter."

"Sit down and stop talking," his father said, pointing into the grand room where a couple of comfortable couches and armchairs sat around a fireplace. Rhys didn't miss that the man hadn't invited them back further into the house where the family room sat. "You'll send mum into a fit."

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare didn't know about fits, but he did know that Rhys was on the offensive, and he'd said he would follow his lead. He drew out his wand and his hair shifted from blue to red, a simple enough trick that even wandless children could accidentally perform now and then.

"Are things like this happening?" he asked. "When he doesn't want to go to bed, do the lights turn back on?" The lights flickered off, then back on with no one standing near a switch.

[Rhys Moreau]

The man's eyes darkened and narrowed. "How are you doing that? Stop it at once. I will not have sorcery in my house."

"Sounds like you've already got it, dad. You didn't say no." Rhys refused to sit just yet.

"Whatever is happening with my son, it is not that evil, and I will not speak to either of you about it." The man eyed Dare's hair, the wand, the metal in his lip, and, finally, the robes.

Rhys' mother stepped out of the staircase, free of the little boy and wringing her hands together. "If they know something, then maybe they can fix it."

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

"This isn't evil," Dare said, not offended in the least. He'd gotten worse looks for lesser things. He addressed the nervous-looking woman. "We can do good things with magic," he told her. "We can heal and create, but it takes training. Kids start school at age eleven and learn to control it. Until then, accidents happen. It isn't something non-magical people can learn and use. You're either born with it or you're not."

[Rhys Moreau]

"Magic isn't good," Rhys' mother argued. "It is dangerous and wrong."

Rhys shook his head. "Fighting it is going to do more damage to him than letting us help," he said. "You can't fight it or ignore it, or whatever it is you plan to do. That will just make things very bad for him, we all know that from experience."

For once, Rhys' father was the first to look away when their eyes met. "Please, come with me and sit. Dear? Tea?" he said after a long minute of silence and closed eyes. He gestured back into the house toward the dining table.

Rhys' eyes widened in surprise at the change, but followed after glancing over at Dare.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare gave an almost imperceptible shake of the head. He didn't get it either, but he was more than willing to play along, especially when it looked like good things were happening. He gave Mrs. Wishon a long look before following after her husband. She'd seemed to accept what he was saying and then she'd turned. And she obeyed her husband without seeming to think about it.