[ She isn't asking him to, not entirely. If she expected him to be anyone else then this wouldn't be such an issue. Which is probably some kind of oxymoronic conundrum but right now there's no patience afforded to examine it. ]
I'm not expecting you to change at the drop of a hat. This, all of this, that was more than I expected. [ She brushes her legs off again, eager for something to do with her hands. ] You don't have to stick around, now, if you don't want. I could probably go see a guy about some gardening.
He needs-- breathing room. Silence. This has been a lot. He wanted her to know and, viscerally, he wanted her to yell and leave because that would have made sense. He doesn't know what's going to happen from now on, though. He needs to decompress. ]
[ Which feels a little like running the risk of leaving things on an uncertain note and falling back into prior habits, but she's going to take it at face value just this once. Claire gets to her feet, brushing her legs and backside off as she stands. Grass falls around her feet. She considers extending a hand and giving him a leg up but thinks better of it last minute, tucking her hands into her back pockets. From above him she offers a tight-lipped but pleasant smile. One of her hands works its way out of her pocket so that she can wave... from two feet away. ]
I'll see you later, Severus.
[ From there she can figure her way out on her own. And maybe everything else as well. ]
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[ Not an argument. In fact it's-- an improvement. Implying he'll try to adapt at all is as close to a forward step as he's gotten so far.
All right, Claire. But she has to understand he can't transform into a different person overnight. ]
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I'm not expecting you to change at the drop of a hat. This, all of this, that was more than I expected. [ She brushes her legs off again, eager for something to do with her hands. ] You don't have to stick around, now, if you don't want. I could probably go see a guy about some gardening.
no subject
He needs-- breathing room. Silence. This has been a lot. He wanted her to know and, viscerally, he wanted her to yell and leave because that would have made sense. He doesn't know what's going to happen from now on, though. He needs to decompress. ]
I'll see you soon, then.
no subject
[ Which feels a little like running the risk of leaving things on an uncertain note and falling back into prior habits, but she's going to take it at face value just this once. Claire gets to her feet, brushing her legs and backside off as she stands. Grass falls around her feet. She considers extending a hand and giving him a leg up but thinks better of it last minute, tucking her hands into her back pockets. From above him she offers a tight-lipped but pleasant smile. One of her hands works its way out of her pocket so that she can wave... from two feet away. ]
I'll see you later, Severus.
[ From there she can figure her way out on her own. And maybe everything else as well. ]