Salutations
Rating: PG
Pairing: Michael/Daphne
Characters: Michael Corner and Daphne Greengrass
Summary: Daphne wonders what's wring with Michael.
Notes: Angst! Salutations, Because I Care, and Wreck are all somewhat interrelated. They are published here in order.
You know, one would think that after so much had gone on this past year, he'd be a bit more... What's the word? Stoic? I suppose that works. One would think he'd be a bit more stoic when it came to disappointment. He just didn't ever seem to let things slide. Of course, I'm not really one to talk, but as they say, it's easier to judge other people than it is to judge yourself. This really wasn't judging, though. Other people were noticing.
Mostly because he'd already been sitting at the table for a good hour before I happened to find him. Did he want to be noticed? Who knows. But Michael was right out in the open so it was pretty hard to miss him. Maybe he just ran himself down too much to hide. Anyone else would have hidden. I would have. Maybe. It would all depend on what exactly went wrong, because at this point, I didn't know. Still in the dark. Then again, being in the dark was sometimes better for this type of thing, because... Well, just because. I'd find out the specifics eventually.
There wasn't anything on the table, either. A Ravenclaw, sitting in the library, doing absolutely nothing had to be some sort of school record. Sure, it was a stereotype, but those are always formed for a reason. What they don't say about Ravenclaws is that some can be downright broody and distant to the point of being annoying. Michael usually doesn't annoy me, but right now he was getting on my nerves a bit. It would be easier to ask what was bothering him, but there was a sense of tension in the air that held me back. This was my place, leaning on a bookcase and watching him quietly between the shelf and the dusty old covers. He knew there was someone there. Once in a while, he'd glance up just enough from the tabletop so that it was obvious he was aware that he wasn't alone. That's probably why I stayed.
It was something much more than a bad practice or a break-up or being yelled at by a teacher. There hadn't been a Quidditch game in weeks, so I knew it wasn't that. Perhaps everyone else knew except for me, and that's why they were keeping their distance. Or maybe no one knew, and that's why they were keeping their distance.
Eventually, he stopped pretending that I wasn't there and looked right at me. Of course, I couldn't stand behind the shelf anymore after that. Was he asking me to approach, though? Or to leave? I took a chance, stepping out from behind the moldy old books and advanced. As I got closer, I could see his eyes were a bit red, but he didn't look away. There was a lot I could have said, and all the questions centered around my curiosity, but Michael wasn't smiling, and I didn't want to risk upsetting him even more. Really, it became a question of what to not say rather than a question of what to say. It wasn't until he looked back down at the grain on the table that I actually decided to just sit down across from him and let the silence greet the silence.
