“Do you want to dance?”
Damian looked up from his perch on the the building’s ledge at the voice that startled him.
Lazarus eyes and white hair that flickered candle at the tips. He gently swayed in the air to the song the band on the stage set high above the park.
When the family had heard rumors early in October of a city wide haunted party that was to take place on Halloween night, they were all on high alert.
The thought of the dead being brought back and raising hell on the streets constantly on mind and in the possibility of rouges ruining the night close behind.
Until they met Phantom.
“It seems that the party is what one would call a success.”
Danny hummed as he joined the bird on the rooftop,
“Thank the ancients for that. Has there been anything suspicious?”
“Nothing abnormal,”
Damian glanced at his family participating in the crowds. Richard swung from Greyson to Greyson, with each twirl and flip through the air a smile graced his face. The three Greysons once again in the air together.
“though with how badly you intimidated the villains I can not particularly blame them for mostly hiding away.”
Danny snickered as Damian found Jason twirling around one who he could assume to be Catherine Todd looking like a fool.
“Yeah, well, what can I say? Being the King of all afterlife has some perks.”
The young king sighed as another song came to a close,
“But seriously, why aren’t you having fun? We worked out butts off to have tonight go down flawlessly yet you haven’t joined the rest.”
The Drakes were chatting to the side under an elm, the faint glow of the Specters bounced off the old camera around his neck.
Come morning the prints would most likely deteriorate into nothing but blurs but the sentiment was there.
“So,” Danny cocked his head to the side “penny for your thoughts?”
Bruce waltzed with Damian’s grandparents with this adoration in his eyes that made Damian look away, into the eyes of the silent monarch.
“It just felt.. crass for me to join the festivities. I was an assassin, a trained killer once. I have blood on my hands and I did not want to cause a stir.”
“You act as though you are the only person here tonight that has blood on your hands. In your family alone assassin trained in not an minority.”
“Even still, I am not clean, I have killed hundreds and still have troubles holding myself back at times, it could cause unnecessary stress on your subjects,”
Damian sighed,
“before my father’s absence the only death I had encountered were the targets and the people who ‘failed’ in the league for one reason or another. I never had to grieve, and those who I know that perished most likely would not have been allowed in this visit anyways.”
“Even still, there is no reason to mope. You can’t help who you come from little birdy. What matters is that you have came to terms with your past actions are are working hard to make up for them.”
Damian glanced back to the ghost as he felt a cold hand mesh with his.
Surprisingly, he did not seem to mind.
The two sat like that in silence as the gleeful participants continued on unaware.
“You know, for what it’s worth… I have had a blast in Gotham with you these last few weeks. If the high king of the infinite realm can look over your upbringing than I think you might be selling yourself short Robin.
“Damian,”
“Oh?”
“My- my name is Damian.”
The ghost let out in an unnecessary breath before a gentle smile graced his lips,
“Alright Damian, my name is Danny. Would you care for a dance?”
Put your head on my shoulder
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The Very End
31st July 1980
“He looks just like you, sweetie,” Lily said, beaming up at James with a look of pure joy.
James stared again – at Harry’s tiny hands, at his surprising amount of black hair, at the shape of his forehead, at his tiny, cute lips. He rubbed his wet cheeks with the back of his hand.
“He’s far cuter,” he sighed, placing his hands on either side of her shoulders, tenderly kissing the top of her head again, like he couldn’t quite believe she was safe.
“He’s gorgeous,” she whispered, holding Harry against her chest, still in a daze.
“I love you both so much, I can’t find enough words…” James said, as though annoyed at himself, and using the front of his T-shirt to wipe his eyes.
“You don’t need to, James,” Lily said.
It didn’t matter that she was more drained than she had ever felt in her life, that she felt worse than she did coming back from Order missions that went awry. Harry was the sweetest thing she had ever seen, and he was their baby. She hadn’t known it was possible to feel such overwhelming love for someone she had just met.
September 1981
“Prongs? Prongs! Pick up your mirror! It’s me. Fuck, Merlin, fuck! I can't... I don't… fuck!"
“Merlin, Pads, calm down! Are you alright? You look like shit. What happened?”
“I think Remus is the spy... fuck! Remus is the spy, I know he is!”
“Don’t be daft.”
“This isn’t a joke, Prongs!”
“Are you out of your mind, Sirius?”
“Don’t get angry, Prongs, I swear it’s the truth.”
“Don’t you dare accuse Moony of-“
“The only people who knew about the Prewetts’ mission were-“
“Fuck off, I’m not listening to your bullshit! Get some sleep, you look exhausted, old chap.”
“I swear to you-“
“And eat something, damn it! And apologise to Moony!”
October 1981
“Pettigrew, you are aware of the concept of a sell-by date?”
“My Lord?”
“Shall I spell it out for my Gryffindor spy? If fresh fruit isn’t consumed by a certain time, it rots and is thrown away.”
“M-my Lord?”
“Find me the Potters, or else!”
🎃🎃🎃🎃
“Prongs! Thank Merlin you picked up! I’m not risking using the mirrors again after today, they have spies everywhere, I feel like someone is watching us right now. I need to be quick!”
“Padfoot, I’m worried about you, you don't sound-“
“Listen to me! I’ve done more research on the Fidelius Charm. If I die, the protection dies with me. We need a back-up plan! They’ll come for me anyway, they’ll presume it’s me, and when they do-”
“Fucking bloody fucking -“
“Shut up and listen! And when they do, they won’t realise I wasn’t the Secret Keeper. You’ll still be safe, a double layer of protection. We need to swap. We need to make Peter the Secret Keeper!”
🎃🎃🎃🎃
“Sirius, we need to talk,” Remus said.
Sirius remained seated, his haunted eyes looking up at him devoid of happiness.
“Yes, we do,” he answered eventually, reluctantly.
“Sirius, I can’t keep doing this, sharing a flat with you knowing that you believe me to be a traitor, that I’m working for Voldemort,” Remus’ voice shook.
Sirius pressed his lips together tightly.
“What do you want me to do?” Sirius said after a long pause.
“I can’t live like this,” Remus said.
There were tears in his eyes and Sirius couldn’t stand it, couldn’t stand the part of him that longed to hold Remus tight and believe everything he said.
“What do you want me to do?” Sirius said.
“I… please, Sirius, you must know I would never,” Remus’ voice sounded like he was panicking.
He couldn’t keep doing this, throwing more and more complicated wards around the flat and then lying in bed wondering would Remus let Bellatrix in, or would he be found one day, murdered by his ex-lover in his sleep. It was slowly driving him insane.
“You’re right, we can’t live like this any longer,” Sirius said quietly, digging his nails into his hands to stop him falling apart.
“Sirius, please,” Remus said. “I can explain, I’m not supposed to, but I’ll tell you everything…”
Not so long ago he would have fallen for whatever falsehoods Remus told him, anything to persuade himself that Remus was on their side.
“Don’t bother!” he said, standing up, afraid to even let Remus start to speak, in case he fell for his elaborate stories.
Hadn’t they marvelled for years at how Remus always managed to get away with pranks, the only one never to get caught?
“I don’t want to hear your lies!” he said, trying desperately to keep his voice hard.
“Sirius, you’re not yourself,” Remus whispered.
His halting voice sounding kind, how could it sound so kind, despite Sirius’ words?
“Don’t!” Sirius couldn’t keep the panic out of his own tone. “Don’t try to manipulate me. Get out!”
Remus seemed stunned now. As though he genuinely hadn’t expected this. How?
Remus nodded dumbly and started walking slowly towards his room. Where was Remus going to go? He couldn’t afford to rent anywhere, would the bastard Death – Eaters give him a place to stay, a proper place, or shove him in some hovel and –
“Wait! I’m leaving,” he called out after Remus.
Remus turned around slowly, as though composing himself.
“Pardon?” he whispered.
“I’m going, I can’t stand this place since Prongs left, since Wormy left, it’s not home, I’ll find somewhere else,” he said, throwing on his leather jacket.
“Pardon? Pad- Sirius, I can’t stay here by myself, you know I can’t afford to pay for this,” Remus said, looking at him in utter confusion.
“I don’t want your money, Merlin, fuck!” Sirius said heatedly. “I just don’t want… just stay here… so Moody can keep an eye on you!”
“What will you…?” Remus still looked lost.
“I don’t give a flying fuck what happens to me, Remus,” Sirius said, striding towards James and Lily’s old room and throwing a few of his clothes haphazardly into his black backpack.
“Sirius! Where will you go?” Remus said, and he could see the concerned expression, the worried frown.
He had to get out or he would cave.
“It doesn’t concern you any longer, Lupin,” he said, his throat closing as he tried to speak.
He watched Remus swallow.
“I won’t stop fighting Voldemort or his men, you can tell them that,” he said. “My own miserable life may be falling apart, but I never deserved any better, and that doesn’t matter, not in the greater scheme of things. The show must go on.”
“Seren1,” Remus took one step forward, looking as though he might burst into tears.
“Fuck off, Lupin, leave me alone!” Sirius gasped, frightened at his own weakness, his lack of willpower.
31st October 1981
“Marvellous news, Wormtail,” Voldemort says, griping Peter’s shoulder and causing the small man to nearly faint with shock. “I haven’t felt this elated since I can’t remember when!”
Voldemort looks positively radiant, and Peter…
Keep reading
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It is almost Halloween! To get into the spirit, Anitra reads five ficlets that were all submitted to the @1dtrickortreatfest.
First up is Exposed by @jacaranda-bloom (AO3 | Fic Post)
Louis should really stop agreeing to do favours for his friends while drunk, especially when they result in him becoming a live-art model…
Next, at 5:21 into the episode, is even when you're lost by @uhoh-but-yeah-alright (AO3 | Fic Post)
Halloween is the one night a year witches who’ve passed on to the next realm can return. Harry has no reason to know that.
All he knows is he misses Louis and he fucking hates Halloween.
At 10:38 into the episode you can listen to head all full of stuffin' by Lhhome (AO3)
“I don’t!”
That’s what Louis had said on live television a little over a month ago when asked whether he thinks scarecrows are sentient creatures. He is severely regretting that right at this moment.
You can listen to Ghost Ship by @beelou (AO3) from 15:03 into the episode.
Louis goes ghost hunting on his own the night before Halloween. It might not be his best idea.
And finally, from 19:41 into the episode you can listen to Foreshadowing by @neondiamond (AO3 | Fic Post)
Alone at home on a rainy Friday night, Harry reads a story that resembles his own life a bit too closely…
As always, you can listen to our podcast on your favourite podcast app: Anchor | Spotify | Google Podcast | Apple Podcast | or you can check out the AO3 series here. You can also download the full episode here.
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