Ministry of Magic
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Trish
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Post by Gabriel Bishop on Apr 25, 2017 21:36:24 GMT
There was a lot weighing heavily on Gabriel's poor, pretty mind. When he decided to run head long to where the action was he didn't take into account how ineffective he would feel. They arrested scores of people, tracked down Death Eater after Death Eater but it barely scratched the surface. As an Auror he felt like he was trying to put out a house fire with nothing but a children's toy bucket. He wanted to extinguish the flame but he was saddled with the fact that despite his best efforts he may only succeed in containing it, the fire may never go out. It was frustrating and draining and he was finding it harder to manage everything. Work was bleeding into his private life in more ways than one.
The latest bleed in was during his last arrest. He noticed a very familiar scarred face nearby while he was trailing a suspected Death Eater through Knockturn Alley and once he made the arrest he swore he saw the back of the man's head disappearing into the crowd. It bothered him, maybe his own exhaustion was making it more irritable and bothersome than it was. Maybe it really was a (not so) funny coincidence, something that could easily be explainable but it bugged him and bugged him to the point that it changed the way they were interacting. He clamped down on his emotions and projected a cool, aloof demeanor. It was a defense mechanism he'd developed whenever he sensed turbulence ahead. Remus had come over that evening, pulling him out of another bleed in, taking his work home. The auror had been neck deep in several Death Eater's files with the knock on the door drew him out. He greeted Remus with a restrained tight lipped smile that lacked it's usual brightness and warmth and the briefest of kisses on the werewolf's cheek, so quick it could've been missed.
When they sat on the couch there was space left between the men and Gabriel went right back to his files and his quill. Attempts at conversation were met with dismissive 'Mm's, 'Hmm's' and one worded answers. When the awkwardness reached an unbearable level the blonde sighed, set down his quill and leaned back on the couch. The auror ran a hand through his long, shaggy locks and for the first time since he arrived, Gabriel focused all of his attention on Remus. "What were you doing in Knockturn Alley a few days ago?" There was no use beating around the bush. He'd never been thought of as a tactful man, no use starting now. "I saw you there and I'm sure you saw me." Now that he was saying it out loud it seemed silly. The grown wizard of twenty six years old reverted back to the childish habit of biting at his thumbnail, an uncomfortable worry tick. "At least I thought I saw you." The memory felt blurry, like his brain was afraid of the answer and wasn't letting him see it clearly. It hurt to be suspicious of Remus, suspicions like that could ruin what they had in the blink of an eye. He really really liked what they had, he liked Remus and he wanted to be with him. "Are you keeping something from me?" The resting bitch face had softened as he spoke into something far more vulnerable, a rare glimpse at his rawest emotion. "You don't have to hide things from me."
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Hogwarts
Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor
Werewolf
Order of The Phoenix
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44 years old
Gryffindor Alumnus
Wandless Magic
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Mego
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Post by Remus Lupin on Apr 26, 2017 5:21:47 GMT
Remus was trying not to think. He was on his way to Gabriel's flat, and all he wanted to think about was Gabriel. He didn't want to think about werewolves or the Ministry or Death Eaters. Just Gabriel, just for a little while. Given, the man already occupied most of his brain - but sometimes, Remus felt like he had about seven brains and they were all going in different directions at the same time. Seven heads, too. He'd gotten himself into the city and decided to walk the rest of the way in an attempt to clear his mind, and now he was starting to regret that decision. He had almost let himself forget how much people would stare at a man with a torn-apart face. Gabriel seemed to not mind his scars enough that Remus let himself halfway believe they weren't so bad. He had to drop that attitude pretty quickly once he was in a crowd, with an empty(ish) mind and nothing else to think about. He hurried the rest of the way to the flat and thought of pretty smiles and not scars.
He didn't get one of those pretty smiles once he was at Gabriel's door. Gabriel was always handsome, of course (cheekbones are cheekbones, even on a frown), but today he didn't seem very warm. Unhappy? Remus felt a twinge of anxiety at how quickly Gabriel kissed him and was gone again. He trailed the man to his couch, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Gabriel made him happy, without a doubt, but he was also a huge source of doubt himself. Mali worked Remus through the worst of it, mostly, but Remus still couldn't completely shake the feeling that what they had going here was on borrowed time. He hated himself for feeling that way, too. It felt like all his anxiety and insecurity was poison to Gabriel's good energy; maybe Remus himself was really the reason things always went badly for him. A self-fulfilling prophecy.
But Gabriel just seemed so off. Not like himself at all. He'd been this way, the past couple of days, but Remus could ignore it then while they had other things distracting them. Now it was just Remus, Gabriel, and his couch. Gabriel would hardly even talk to him, nose deep in what looked like work. Remus tried not to look at it too much, completely uninterested in thinking about those things right now, but he was having a hard time watching Gabriel, too. He looked tired, maybe. Irritated.
When he finally spoke a complete sentence to Remus, Remus actually jumped a little and played it off by shifting closer on the couch. Gabriel wasn't just speaking; he was questioning. It caught Remus off-guard. Uh oh. He never would have guessed Gabriel saw him that day, caught up as he was in his job - though, Remus supposed, the man's job was to be observant...
Uh oh. Remus hesitated, probably too long, trying to read Gabriel's expression. He sounded more hurt than suspicious, at least for now. Remus had to exert every muscle in his face to keep his mouth in a straight line and prevent it from dipping into a frown. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Gabriel. The last thing he wanted to do was lie to the man - but there were some things Remus had to lie about, because they weren't just his secrets alone. They were other people's secrets, too, other people Remus could hurt should the truth slip out.
"Mmh, yeah, I think I remember. You looked busy. Sorry I didn't stop and say hi." Remus smiled faintly, testing the waters. "I have to go down that way sometimes for...you know." He gestured vaguely at the scars on his face, and then suddenly, reached out and took Gabriel's hand from where he was chewing on his nail. He kissed it and kept it, locked between his own. He didn't want to think about this; he definitely didn't want Gabriel to think about this. Remus just wanted something that wasn't touched by that part of his life, for once. Was that really so bad? "Or maybe I just follow you around like a lost little puppy while you're working." Remus grinned and raised his eyebrows teasingly at Gabriel, sinking back into the couch cushions and pulling Gabriel to him by the hand.
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Ministry of Magic
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Trish
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Post by Gabriel Bishop on Apr 27, 2017 2:15:47 GMT
This was brutal. It wasn't easy to maintain the dismissively distant front up. Gabriel wanted to set down his quill and make everything all right again the moment that it was obvious the cold demeanor was bothering Remus but he couldn't. He had to acknowledge his own feelings and those weren't okay. There were several different things going through his head and not a single thought was about the file in his hand. Had he really seen Remus or was his mind playing tricks on him? Remus was a really good thing in Gabriel's life, the best thing he had going for him right now. He'd never been involved with someone quite like him and none of his other romances ever felt so important. If Remus had been there (honestly he didn't get a great look, too focused) then what did it all mean? Why did Remus keep turning up in the places Death Eaters lurked? The Auror never put much thought into why Remus, a civilian, had been at the apothecary that day. He was a war hero, fought in the Battle of Hogwarts and all of that... It sort've made sense if he didn't think about it too hard. Now? In Knockturn?
It took a lot of nerve to ask that question. He wasn't sure what the answer would be or what that would mean for the 'we' that they'd become if it wasn't a good one. The hesitation made his heart drop straight into his stomach like a fifty pound stone. In his experience hesitation meant dishonesty. One didn't have to pause or stall if they were being truthful, the truth was already written for them. "Mm." he nodded absently, rolling his previously set down quill between his fingers. "How considerate of you." His own eyebrows arched as Remus spoke, but not in the light hearted way that Remus did. The man had his hand, and he was tugging him closer and that was too much for Gabriel to resist, especially after sweet gestures and raw emotion. Gabriel set aside his work while allowing himself to be pulled closer, scooting over to close the distance and loop his arm around Remus' shoulders.
"I don't think it's a good idea for you to be seen in Knockturn Alley." The last thing they needed was for the Ministry to try and twist his presence in an area known for the Dark Arts into something it wasn't. Gabriel pulled the man against him, pressing a more proper kiss to the top of his head before resting his chin on top of it. The auror wasn't entirely sure he bought the story himself, but he could pretend. At least for a little while. "What is it specifically that you go down there for?" The blonde brought his other arm over, wrapping Remus completely in the embrace. He'd make himself believe it, if it meant he could keep this up. Remus felt good in his arms, like he belonged there. Two people who were vastly fitting so well together? It was fate, meant to be. So why couldn't he keep his mouth shut? The words seemed to bubble up and out without his consent, mucking up his resolution to believe the werewolf "And that day awhile ago at the Apothecary? Why were you there?"
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Hogwarts
Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor
Werewolf
Order of The Phoenix
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44 years old
Gryffindor Alumnus
Wandless Magic
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Mego
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Post by Remus Lupin on Jun 3, 2017 6:58:07 GMT
"You were doing a pretty good job, though, if I do say so myself." Oh, this was unbearable. Everything about Gabriel screamed suspicion and confusion. It made Remus truly hate how everything about himself had to be such a secret. He'd hated that for a long time, being a werewolf, and now with the Order...this was a new form of secret keeping, in a way, and Remus didn't like it one bit. Because it felt like lying. It was lying. Remus wouldn't pretend he was above lying, but he didn't like doing it to people he cared about. Conveniently enough for him up until this moment in time, pretty much every person he cared deeply enough about already knew about the Order - or more likely, they were in it. Gabriel fell outside of that circle, but he was firmly in Remus' heart, right there along with the rest of them. What was he to do?
He could ask his comrades; but he knew as well as they did, there were protocols for this sort of thing. Protections. They were a secret society for a reason. It wasn't enough for Remus to trust Gabriel, and he did, but everyone else needed to as well. It would take time. Remus felt now that every second that ticked by until that time would be a painful one. He tried to suffocate that pain under Gabriel's embrace, tucking himself willingly and happily under the man's arm. Remus laid his head back against Gabriel's chest and shoulder, turning his head both to capture more of the man's kiss as well as to listen to his heart drumming beneath his bones. "People usually don't. I fit in pretty well down there. Not everyone is so observant as an Auror, though." Remus paused, chewing at his lip. "You're right. I'll try to be more careful."
Remus snuggled in further when Gabriel wrapped his other arm around him, very happy with the direction this visit was going in now. He still had to tread very carefully through their conversation, but as long as Gabriel still wanted to hold him, he couldn't be too put off - right? Remus shifted and turned a bit, his ear now firmly against Gabriel's heart and his hand laying across the man's shirt. "News." Remus shrugged. This wasn't all a lie. Lycanthropy wasn't the only reason Remus visited Knockturn Alley, but it was certainly one of them. "About legislation, and who's supposedly got what ingredient growing in their mum's basement. Knockturn Alley is the premier place for rumors, that's undeniable." Remus tapped his fingers against Gabriel's stomach. "Every so often I'll go just to see who's managed to stay alive this long. From my crowd, I mean. I used to live down there, you know." That made perfect sense, right? Remus was establishing himself as part of the Alley; of course he would show up on it every so often.
Gabriel's questioning caught Remus off guard. Not just the questions themselves - though they were quite shocking - but the number in which they came. Remus would call it an interrogation if he didn't know any better. "I'm just really good at being in the wrong place at the wrong time, I guess." Remus tilted his chin up to smile at Gabriel. "Or the right place. That's where I got to see you the first time - and color me impressed."
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Ministry of Magic
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Trish
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Post by Gabriel Bishop on Jun 15, 2017 4:52:52 GMT
Flattery was just an attempt at distraction. It was lucky for Remus that Gabriel was not only vain, but merely curious and not yet entirely suspicious of him. He thought their run ins were odd and that there may be something more to it, but his mind hadn't wandered down the path of more sinister explanations. He could almost accept the story he was given at face value, especially with someone he respected as much as Remus stroking his ego. Gabriel had it under control, he was a pretty good Auror after all. Observant too, look how he noticed Remus when he tended to blend into the background. That was absolutely true and little did the poor lovesick blonde know, probably the truest thing out of Remus' mouth when his weird appearances were brought up. The man looked like he belonged in Knockturn Alley with his torn up face and permanently windswept hair.
Still, as true as that was and as flattering as Remus was, something bothered him about the story. It wasn't something he could put his finger on so he thought it best to ignore it and not delve any deeper. Consciously that was what he wanted to do, but it wasn't in Gabriel's programming. He would just have to smother that feeling out with closeness and physicality. Remus fit so well against his chest that it hushed up the very wise voice of dissent in the back of his mind. That voice saw through Remus' distraction, but it was small and weak and overridden by the flood of endorphins the werewolf brought. Gabriel laid his own hand over the one on his shirt and was almost content to sit like that, wordlessly. Forever. "You lived down there?" As much as he fit in visually, it was hard to imagine someone like Remus surrounded by filth and disrepair. He was too refined for that nonsense. "Why?" There was just a touch of naivety behind that question. Gabriel knew what was in textbooks about werewolves but he didn't have a good grasp on just how bad it was (or is) for the poor creatures.
They were almost in the clear, him and Remus but the werewolf brought up the fact it was all just a big coincidence and laid the flattery on a little too thick. It felt off, even as the man's smile sent his heart into a flutter. "It's almost like you're so good at it that it's on purpose, hm?" Wait...Wait! Remus said he was in Knockturn about ingredients? And the apothecary obviously had potion ingredients, his mind connected the dots in exactly the wrong way. "Hang on, what ingredients were you talking about?"
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Hogwarts
Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor
Werewolf
Order of The Phoenix
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44 years old
Gryffindor Alumnus
Wandless Magic
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Mego
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Post by Remus Lupin on Jun 16, 2017 15:19:08 GMT
As much as Remus loved to talk to Gabriel, to hear his cleverness and his brightness embodied in his words...wordlessly forever with him, just like this, was a mighty tempting prospect right about now. Gabriel was warm and comfy and Remus absolutely reveled in the fact that he fit so perfectly against him. They didn't need to talk if they could just sit here so happily wound up in one another...but they weren't really talking in the first place, were they? Gabriel went from basically ignoring him to asking every question on Earth. Remus shifted in his arms, trying to chase more of the man's body heat as his own seeped away. He didn't much like talking about those parts of him, under any circumstance.
"The rent's cheap." Honestly, Remus was a little surprised that Gabriel didn't just assume he lived on Knockturn because he was a werewolf. And a little flattered, strangely. Maybe Remus' age was showing a little bit. Gabriel saw Remus now, with his own big old house. He didn't know that, back in the days when Remus lived on Knockturn, that would have been impossible for a werewolf. Barely anyone wanted to rent him an Alley flat then - and he could barely afford it. "Any nobody wants a werewolf for a neighbor. It was one of the only places we could go. Still true for a lot of those folks, actually. I'm a lucky one."
That was all honesty, and Remus was feeling pretty good about himself for at least telling the whole truth about something. That, combined with how exceptionally comfortable he was in Gabriel's arms, lulled him into something dangerous. He thought he was safe, that Gabriel was also too cozy now to keep this up. "Like I said, I might just be following you around. And you're always where the danger is. Your fault." Remus had turned his head up, muttering into Gabriel's neck, losing himself in his scent and mistaking this all for some sort of strange flirtation. That was all ripped hastily away by Gabriel's next decidedly bland question. "What?" Remus leaned back again. "The one's growing in mum's basement? It's just rumors, mostly. But when you can't afford your potions you've got to try something, haven't you?" Remus wasn't exactly sure what Gabriel was getting at.
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