| Details for After the Arts Club |
| Summary: | After the nearly disastrous ending of the Arts Club meeting, Two Huffles an a Slytherin (or two) gather to consider ramifications of what has occured. |
| Date: | January 18, 1939 |
| Location: | Great Hall, Hogwarts |
| Related: | Art Club, Book Club, Fight Club |
| Characters |
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Tarquin walks with Dora on his arm. "How are you feeling?" He asks his cousin, concerned, even when he offers a smile. His steps are slow as they take him and the group with him to the entry hall. There is gratitude in his expression when he looks back at the Slytherin walking with them.
And Tarquin can't help but study Silas, curious. But whatever questions he has, remain unasked as they walk.
For his own part, Silas is pensive, thinking about what had just happened. About what his actions might have just cost him. He had just put himself in Alphard's sights, no matter how much he'd done his best to placate the older boy. It wasn't something he normally did, and there would be repercussions. He just wasn't certain for good or ill yet.
However, upon looking up again at Tarquin's question to Dora, he seems interested in the answer as well, and in so doing catches Tarquin's gaze. A brow lifts, the frown replaced with an inquisitive smirk.
"I…it's..I don't know," Dora answered honestly, hugging into Tarquin. And it wasn't that Silas wasn't hug worthy because she did give the boy a look of gratitude for joining them but, "That was Alphard Black. Alphard Black," and the way she says his name, it's like she's talking about the monster under the bed. "And he was…he almost hit Elric and all I could imagine was Uly hearing about it and Elric doing something stupid and Leo jumping in and that poor Maddie and that was Alphard Black. I don't know what Elric was thinking! And could you imagine, if it had gone that way?" Because she could. All the members of her family taking a side, all the Slytherin's in his group. Dora actually shuddered.
"Do you think everything will be okay? He wouldn't…he wouldn't try to make trouble, would he?"
Tarquin hugs Dora close, soothingly touching her hair. "All that almost happened, but it didn't. You, your brothers, you don't stand alone. Today, you didn't stand alone," he smiles at her. "You will never stand alone," he tells her. "I could imagine," he does say, looking forward.
"But I won't. Because I like the current outcome much better than those possible ones," he says. He glances at Silas at her question, since the other has a closer relationship to Black, if only by sharing a house. "I think everything will be okay," he does say. "Black cares about his image. I doubt he'll pursue this, at least not directly. But Dora, I know you. I know you'll want to reach to him, because you're good and sweet," he puts a hand to her chest, just above her heart. "And kind. But… stay away from him. At least for now. Give him some space, please?"
"Elric upset him. He didn't get under his skin. But you reminded him of blood ties, and I reminded him of the impact to the House if he continued. And Bulstrode here used a masterful stroke with the Muggle comment." Silas offers, with a look of approval at Tarquin, "And it didn't go that way, Dora. Your brother got lucky, and it'll be okay. As long as Elric stays out from underfoot, Black will likely forget about him."
And he sighs, "And he's right," he looks again at Tarquin, "Black… has his demons… but right now, any gesture of friendship you offer him will be taken in the exact opposite way that you intend. He /likes/ his darkness, Dora."
"…I started a book club, too, didn't I?" This requires her looking at well, both of them for confirmation, because even that seems to be part of a dream. A dream where, she actually spoke in front of a group of people and to them. She'd..done something…in front of a crowd and people.. "Saw me." Though she doesn't seem to be aware of having said that part out loud and as a result, sank a little deeper into the shadows that the two boys walking together provided.
"Someone should talk to Elric. I should talk to Elric. I don't want to talk to Elric," she was also, admittedly babbling and then, she frowned. "No one like their darkness." Silas might as well have told her that the sky was neon green and the sun wouldn't rise. No one. Absolutely no one, welcomed darkness.
"I don't think he'd hurt me."
Lucretia walks through the school's large entry hall a brief few minutes after Adorabella and the others who were previously in the club room arrive. The young witch is out of school uniform and dressed in her weekend casuals; a black pure cashmere jumper and black woolen slacks. Simple. Plain. Classic. The look suits her well and accentuates the carriage with which she holds herself. Hair glossy and groomed with a small silver clip just holding one side of it back from her face, she notes the others and then approaches. She's not one for holding back, nor does she seem to suffer the pangs of worry that many other her age would on speaking to older students. Perhaps though, in this case, its because the Selwyns and the Blacks, her side at least, have been family friend's for years. "You did well talking Elric into an apology, congratulations Dora. I'd hate to think what my cousin might have done to him."
"You did. And one that well, will raise some eyebrows," Tarquin tells her gently, and yet, regardless of his own feelings about muggles and his lack of interest in their books, he sounds proud of her. Sincerely proud.
As they continue to walk, he gently pats the arm that is hooked with his. "I can talk to Elric if you want. Although I suspect Leoric will," he muses.
"I don't know if he will or not. I'm not saying to avoid him for the rest of the school year, but give it a few days," he says. "Please. For me."
Lucretia's arrival garners a polite nod, from the ever polite Tarquin. "Your cousin would have been a fool to do anything to him, in front of all those people. And he's not a fool." He observes, in that distinguished tone of his.
"He wouldn't," Silas states with a bit more confidence. "But he likely wouldn't react well, still." And then the followup, to Dora's initial question, which Tarquin already answered, "If it raises eyebrows, so be it. People need to be shaken up every once in a while. If Dora manages to do it, all the better." And if this means a few new authors to look out for, even better. He he definitely was curious about what this "psyance fiction" was.
He then looks to Lucretia, shaking his head, "No point focusing on what ifs, at this point. Everyone in this situation walked away, and nothing that would look bad for any of our families happened. That's what's important here. Your cousin knows that as well as any of us. Let's applaud fate and move on."
He grins, then, back at Dora. "Thank you for inviting me, by the way. I appreciated it. I don't know if I'm going to join the Art Club… but I might be persuaded to join in every now and again." As long as something like this was decidedly NOT par for the course.
Tucked in between the tall shadows of Silas and Tarquin, Dora looks unbelievable small. It's not hard. She's not a go get'er. Not a speak out'er. She's…well, she's Dora. "I didn't mean to raise eyebrows," there's so much apology in that, such sincerity in it. The girl looks so very apologetic. "Honest, I didn't. I just…it's books and I thought..," well, whatever she thought, there's no taking it back now. Not with the paper floating around and it would be fun, to get to talk to a real life author.
But she can't quite bring herself to make any promises to Tarquin either, so she just nuzzles her face in against the side of his arm and peeks out towards Silas. She wasn't so sure it was a good thing, her being the ones to shake things up. And then, then there was Lucretia.
"Me too," Dora admits, honestly, "But I believe there's good in everyone. Elric's just…well he's Elric and he didn't know. I'm good for my promises." And she'd given one to Alphard, even if it was a debt. "And I know that you don't much like Madeline, Lucretia but…if you wanted to join, I'd be glad to have you there." And Dora means that too, for all that she hazards another look in Syly's direction and reaches out to squeeze his arm. "It's fun, the Art Club, I promise. Today was….I don't know what today was."
Lucretia makes a small half-hitch of her shoulders towards Tarquin and Silas. "He's not a fool, no. Its just that its never a good thing to be on Alphard's bad side because things happen to those that are. I'm quite fond of Elric." This she says with the softening of a smile, though its implied in the way that she phrases it that the sort of retribution Alphard relies on isn't always immediate. "Anyway. Thank you for the invite, but I heard some of the students back there discussing it and it sounds like it'll be muggle books as well as wizarding ones and I've not much interest in those, Evans or no Evans. I'm sure you'll have fun though. Really. Anyway, I have violin practice now so should run or suffer the loss of points through being late." A breath. Oh! Dora! Leoric was talking about perhaps all of us having tea in Hogsmeade this weekend, so if you're free? It'd be so nice to catch up properly as we've not had a chance since returning to school!" There's a quick smile given, and before Adorabella might even have a chance to absorb what she's said, she's turning on one heel and hurrying in the direction of the Slytherin rooms.
Tarquin listens to Lucretia and Silas and then Dora. "You should listen to her," he says to Silas, smiling at the Slytherin. "But for now, we should go rest," he nods in the direction of the Hufflepuff common room.
"Thank you for your help, Meliflua," he offers to the other boy, sincerely.
"Nothing wrong with raising them, Dora. You shouldn't apologize. You did a good thing, and people are going to appreciate it." Silas smiles at her again as she shrinks back, trying to convince her it's fine, "Let them quibble over silly things like the race of an author."
He chuckles, nodding to Tarquin. And then grinning at Dora's touch, "I'll think about it. But yes… I think a long rest is definitely in order. I'll see you later. Perhaps introduce you to a little four-legged friend of mine."
Then, with a wink, and a nod to Tarquin in response to his thanks, Silas heads off toward the dungeons.