#every day with them is half a date and half a stakeout/break in lol

[luxaofhesperides]

oooo Halloween prompts how fun!

Technically two words but how about 'Spider Webs' ,, they're spooky and halloweeny right?

Have fun with the prompts :>

"Ack!" Danny shakes his head, expression twisted up into a grimace as he swipes his hands over his face. He pulls sticky clumps of spider webs off his skin, shaking them off his fingers to let them fall onto the grimy floor. "Gross," he complains.

"You good over there?" Duke asks, the light of his flashlight sweeping over to him.

Danny nods, giving him a thumbs up. "Just eating spider webs over here, don't mind me."

He'd go intangible to avoid them if he could, but with Duke here, he can't just go around using his powers recklessly. He's only been in Gotham for two months and that's been enough time to learn that that less people know about his ghost powers, the better. His plan had been to keep his head down and quietly get his bachelor's degree in astrophysics before heading to a Master's program on the west coast, but trouble comes knocking for every unfortunate soul in the city.

Trouble, in this case, accompanied Duke Thomas, his classmate in their shared gen ed psychology class. Danny had only taken the class to fulfill one of his social sciences gen eds and because he was feeling homesick and psychology makes him think of his sister. He had expected to just take notes, write papers, do readings, and never think of the class again once the semester ended, but his professor acted stranger by the day. No one else seemed to have noticed, so Danny chalked it up to being too hyperaware and jaded from his experiences with past teachers and authority figures fucking him over.

The thing is, Duke also clocked that something was wrong with their professor.

One concerning comment in class had the two of them, sitting at neighboring tables, meet each other's eyes with the same did he really just say that kind of look.

From then on, Danny found himself swept into Duke's drive to figure out what the hell, exactly, is going on, which leads him here: the basement of the social sciences building at Gotham City University, traversing the dark, damp, abandoned halls in search of something that may explain their professor's behavior. The door to access the basement was locked and blocked by a row of filing cabinets in their professors office.

This wouldn't have been suspicious if the filing cabinet in front of the door didn't turn out to be fake, used to conceal a latch on the floor that gave them a ladder to climb down on. Danny stopped doubting himself and Duke's instincts once that opened.

But beyond the secret trap door into the basement, there's nothing else for them to take note of. Danny brings his own flashlight up to peer into another hall; no doors leading to rooms, no items out of place, just the same long stretch of concrete and pipes dripping water onto the floor. A ton of spider webs down there, too.

"I don't think there's anything down here," he tells Duke, going back to where he's looking around.

"No, no, there is," Duke insists, "Trust me."

Danny hums doubtfully, but doesn't try to dissuade him otherwise. Best to let him keep going just in case he does find something so they can finally understand what's up with their professor.

His mind is wandering when he realizes that he's hearing more than just his and Duke's breathing. There's a click, and then a whine of a hinge in desperate need of some oil. Freezing, Danny shares a panicked look with Duke as someone begins descending the ladder. He turns off his flashlight, Duke following suit a second later, and then they're pulling at each other, scrambling down the hall to hide.

He can feel himself run through more spider webs, grimacing at the feeling of the strands on his skin, but there are more pressing matters to worry about.

Behind them, another light sweeps through the hall, passing by them just as Duke pulls him and makes him sharply turn a corner he didn't see.

Duke pulls them both into a small alcove, pressed up tight in the small space as they try to silence their breathing and remain undetected as footsteps head towards them. Danny watches with wide eyes as the light approaches, then moves pass the hall they turned into to continue on. A long shadow stretches out towards them before shifting away, and he catches the sound of a mechanical whir. A secret door, maybe?

The light and the footsteps disappear. He and Duke keep as still as possible, hardly daring to breathe, as they wait to see if the person is going to come back.

Duke is the first to move, moving back as much as he can in the alcove. He reaches up and pulls strands of spider webs out of Danny's hair. He tries to ignore how his heart skips a beat at how close together they are, how gentle the motion was.

"You good?" Duke asks, voice hushed and low.

Danny nods, carefully moving out of the alcove to peek out into the hall. It's empty, just as dark and damp as it was before. If there is a secret door down here, he has no idea where it is. "That was suspicious, right?"

"Very suspicious," Duke agrees. "Do you want to head back?"

Part of him wants to leave before they get caught, but Danny didn't walk through so many spider webs for nothing. "We got this far, didn't we? Let's keep going."

Duke grins at him, relieved, and flicks his flashlight back on. They fall into step with each other, looking down the hallway to where the person disappeared. "Let's go, then."

(send me a Halloween/autumn themed word and I'll give you a ghostlights drabble!)

[marauder--harder]

Mission: Improbable-A Sirius Black Imagine

A/N: The time is finally here, y’all! I have been working on this series for quite some time now and I’m still plotting out some of the chapters to get the kinks out but I figured that Sirius’ birthday was a good date to start this series! I’m super excited for it as it is definitely out of my comfort zone. Having to navigate canon and write the characters post-Hogwarts has been a challenge to say the least (just ask my beta lol)! I hope you guys like this series and get ready because it is going to be another long one. This first chapter is a bit short but don’t worry, it will pick up steam.... eventually. :) But enough of my blabbering, enjoy!

You glanced around at the people in the room. It looked innocent enough: the lone girl sitting at the bar, just watching. In a way that is what you were doing. You were sneaking a glimpse into the lives of these people around you.

A woman laughed to your left, her friends all cheering beside her after she took her first shot of the night. Her face is relaxed, a grin adorning her face that seems as if it is almost real. She probably had been convinced by her friends to come out tonight; her first night out after a break up if her friends chorus of “finally!” and “screw him, honey!” were anything to go by. As she laughed again you noticed her smile become more genuine.

A man walked up to a smaller group of girls. His charming smile and confident stature told volumes to how he thought the interaction would pan out. As the three girls merely giggled and rolled their eyes you couldn’t help but feel for the bloke. You watched as his mouth moved as if he was sputtering some sort of nonsense at the quick turnaround that was unfolding before him. His brain scrambling to catch up, he cleared his throat and smiled again, this time a bit sheepishly. Eventually one of the girls, the one who looked the most kind in your opinion, motioned for him to sit.

Scanning your eyes further upon the room, you noticed a woman in her late twenties squeal and fling herself into the arms of a man. The group she was sitting with merely smiled before offering their own excited welcoming to the newcomer. A group of reuniting friends. Their obvious tones of surprise and yet easy demeanor made it easy to discern.

Lastly, you noted a couple sat towards the back of the bar, leaned in close to one another. A table separated them and yet it seemed as if there wasn’t an inch between them. If you had to guess, they were probably still in the honeymoon phase of their relationship. Giggles and hushed words passed between them as they slowly nursed whatever drinks they decided to have tonight. For a brief moment, you lingered on them. It seemed almost intimate to watch; their bright eyes and equally happy smiles were surprisingly heartwarming to look at. You imagined a whole story for them and hoped that you would have a happy ending like the one they looked to be living right in front of you.

“Stare long enough an’ someone’s going to think you’re a bit of a voyeur, you know,” a low voice came from beside you. Rolling your eyes, you took in a deep breath and shook your head from their wandering thoughts. You didn’t have time to think of romance; you had to stay sharp. No room for distractions.

“People could say the same thing about you staring at me,” you replied with a knowing smirk. You watched his momentary look of surprise before it was replaced with a grin.

“Hard not to look at the prettiest bird in the room,” he admitted and you couldn’t help the snort that fell past your lips.

“Cut the shite,” you said with a wave of dismissal. Taking one more glance across the room of the pub, you sipped at your muggle beer slowly. It was an acquired taste, definitely—one you didn’t know how you felt about yet. “You’re not supposed to be over here. You’re covering the exit, remember?”

Flashing your pearly whites at the all too familiar “stranger” sitting next to you, you waited for his response. Sirius merely dignified another shit-eating grin and chuckled lowly. “Well, now, aren’t we a wee bit conceited, yeah? I’m just here for another pint.”

You watched as Sirius made a signal to the bartender, who nodded back in a silent response and went to pour him another beer. Furrowing your brows lightly, you noticed the way neither of them had said a word to one another. What is it with men and their lack of communication?

Before you could make comment on it, Sirius had already had his refill in hand and was pulling it to his lips. You tried your hardest not to watch the way his adam’s apple bobbed alluringly as he drank or the delicious shine of his lips after he licked them clean. It was people watching, you told yourself. It always made you more observant.

Once again, he brought you from your drifting thoughts when he said, “tonight seems like it’s going to be a bust. Pub’s only open for another half hour.”

Humming in agreement, you glanced back over the crowd, hoping you’d see something more than just a room of muggles this time around. Sadly, you saw nothing. Glancing back down the neck of your bottle, you spoke quietly, “another half hour before we head back to base.”

“Aye, aye, cap’n,” Sirius replied under his breath before turning and walking back to his post. Your eyes slowly began their position of people watching again, looking cool and content, and hoped you wouldn’t look too approachable. The last hour at the bar usually meant that the stragglers made their final moves before getting kicked out and sent home for the night. This was a magnet for all creeps to come try and chat you up so you schooled your aloof look.

Yet, your eyes wandered back over to the couple you had been watching just a few minutes earlier to see them gone. A pang of disappointment shot through your chest at the sight of the vacant table; a pretty accurate analogy as to how your own love life had been fairing recently. Since Hogwarts you hadn’t so much as looked at a bloke in that way. You told yourself that once the war was over you would open yourself up to the idea of being with someone. It was far too dangerous for you to do that now; you saw how every mission would eat away at Lily, even if she wouldn’t admit it. You weren’t going to let yourself worry like that. It just wasn’t the right time—no matter how badly you may have wanted someone.

Glancing back towards the direction of the exit, you watched as Sirius slowly sipped at his last pint. His body was relaxed, leaned back and spread out in his seat like he owned the place. Even without realizing it he was dripping confidence. The man oozed attractiveness seemingly without trying. You swore that he could make anything look good, a thought that bothered you a lot less than you cared to admit.

The look on his face was almost bored, yet his eyes were sharp as they flitted across each dwindling group in the bar. If you hadn’t known him, Sirius would have looked like he was enjoying a pint, fully wound down after a long day. Yet, you did and you noticed the slight tension in his grip on his beer, the look in his eyes bordering frustration as another night of stake outs for Death Eaters came up empty. Sirius was a man of action and he hated waiting. Most people thought it to be a hot-headed and stupid quality; and while that was true, it was also one that came from a good heart. He wanted this war to be over. No matter how good of a soldier he could be while in duels, you could tell that all of this waiting and hiding and lying low was eating away at him. He wanted, perhaps even needed, some sort of win in order to gain control.

Yet, the Order was already grasping at straws.

By the time you noticed that you were staring at Sirius, the bartender was nudging you in your seat across from him. Blinking once, then twice, you cleared your throat and tried not to blush at being caught staring at the gorgeous man you were supposed to not know.

“Last call, kid,” he said.

You simply shook your head with a smile and lifted your bottle to your lips to take a swig, only to realize that it was pretty much empty. The last of its warmth made its way down your throat and pooled in your stomach until you felt a soft buzz flow through you. Blimey, you should probably have a bit fewer beers next time.

Standing up, you dug around in your pocket before producing a few notes and left them on the table. “Thanks, mate. ‘Have a good one,” you called to the bartender and turned to head towards the exit. There was no point in staying inside until the pub closed, so you made your way to the back alley so you could at least try and get some fresh air.

On your way to the door, you locked eyes with Sirius and gave him a small nod. Nodding in return, he knew to stay until the last people had left. You would wait for him further down in the alley, making sure that nobody was lurking in the shadows like they had in the past. This was pretty much your routine during stakeouts at this point, having been on the last few in muggle neighborhoods. While Sirius had not been the one with the most experience in the non-magical world, he was the one with most discretion. You, not tied down by anything like many of the others in the Order were, were the perfect partner to Sirius’ long and often times dangerous missions. Neither of you really had anything to lose.

When Sirius finally emerged, you waited for him to search you out in the alley.

“So we bloody well wasted our time,” Sirius bit out harshly once you were in earshot.

Huffing lightly, you pushed off the wall and walked out into the dim alley light, ignoring the slight rush that came from your still buzzed state. Even the cool night air had done little to alleviate the way your head spun if you moved too quickly. “Not a waste; we still got something out of tonight.”

“Another night of your amazing company from across a pub?”

“Ha, sure. I’m sure you also scored a few numbers. I could even teach you how to use one of the muggle phones if you’d like, yeah?”

Rolling his eyes, Sirius managed an only slightly bitter laugh. “I know how to use a phone; don’t patronize me. ‘Not in the mood.”

“Come off it, Sirius. You know just as well as I do that there was something meaningful to be gained from tonight,” you sighed, crossing your arms over your chest. Great, now Sirius was ruining your buzz too.

“I didn’t see a single wizard in that place the whole night! Dumbledore had said it was crawling with them.”

“And has his intel ever been wrong before?”

“No, but—”

“Exactly,” you said, leaning closer to him. Sirius always spoke a bit too loudly when he was agitated and you needed to remind him to keep his voice down. “Which means that they must have seen us before we walked in or…”

“Or they knew we were coming,” Sirius finished upon realization. “Damnit!”

You blinked in surprise when you heard just how aggravated he truly was. His jaw was clenched in a way that made it much more defined and his hands were balled into fists as he crossed them over his chest. Softening your gaze, your brow knit in concern. “Hey, this means we’re getting closer, Sirius.”

“We should have had them,” he said and his jaw ticked in irritation.

“We will.” Before you could think about it, your hand reached out and grasped Sirius’ forearm gently. Giving it a little squeeze, you tried to offer a reassuring smile as he looked down at you.

After a few moments, his gaze wandered down to where you had rested your hand on him and you quickly retracted it. Cheeks warmed against the cool night air and you tried your hardest to look as unaffected as possible. Merlin, you definitely should have a few less beers next time. The way your heart pounded in your chest at his piercing gaze was not normal and you knew it must be the alcohol that was clouding your judgement.

“I—” Sirius started before stopping, words still on the tip of his tongue. You licked your lips as you waited for his answer, trying to clear your mind of the way you were just caught in a surprisingly intimate moment. “I have to piss.”

Heaving a sigh, you rolled your eyes and dropped your hovering hand limply back to your side. “Well, let’s head back so we can—”

“You know I don’t like apparating on a full bladder, sweetheart,” Sirius suddenly smiled, which caused you to scrunch your nose in mild disgust.

“Gross, Pads!” you whined and heard his full, hearty laugh beside you. “Fine, just make it quick.”

The next few moments were quiet, apart from the sound of a belt being unbuckled, a zipper pulled and then the steady stream of Sirius’ behind the rubbish bin of the building you both had just sat at for the past few hours. Eventually, Sirius zipped back up and made his way back over to you.

“Real classy,” you grumbled, nose still wrinkled in annoyance.

“If you prefer the chance of me losing control of my body while we disapparate then be my guest—”

“Let’s just go!” Grabbing onto the crook of his elbow, you heard the sound of Sirius’ laugh, quickly cut off by a loud crack and then the alley went silent.

Tag List: (please let me know if you’d like to be tagged!)

@obscurilicious // @mgc-its-easy-as-123 // @whompingwillowy // @mischief-siriusly-managed