He is a ghost

Frank Longbottom || 28 || Janus || Still alive " But I can't help feeling like I'm all alone, all aloneThe truth is, the stars are falling, babeAnd I'd never ever thought that I would sayI'm afraid of the life that I've made, I've made "

[porcelaindagger]

Alice rolled her eyes, utterly relieved that he hadn’t caught on to the catch in her voice, or the break in her speech. The last thing she wanted to do was drag a new recruit down into her spiral of utter misery; she wanted to scare him just enough, not away forever. But he seemed to let it slide, if he’d noticed it at all, and for that she was grateful. “Oh, come on,” she snorted, “my coffee does not taste like sock water. It’s just too strong for mortal tastebuds to bear.” It was hardly lost on her that she’d had this same conversation, in this same elevator, with Frank countless times. Her coffee had always been a source of controversy; it was comforting, in a way, to know that fact hadn’t changed. 

Pinky promise. 

Her heart jolted for a moment, and as she dared to look over at the young recruit she could have sworn she saw Frank standing in his place. Resisting the urge to burst into tears, she shook her head, forcing herself to speak through a suddenly thick throat, “Pinky promise. And if you do happen to fail miserably, there’s always Amelia. She makes better coffee than I, so we’re not completely lost.”

[xlongbottomx-blog]

“Then who should drink it then, aliens?” He wondered, the hint of a smile on his lip as he rolled his eyes. It felt almost normal, almost like nothing bad had happened and that there was nothing separating them but then Alice looked at him in a way that made his heart skip a beat for the wrong reasons. It was just a moment, just the blink of an eye but he could’ve sworn she recognized him, that she looked at him and saw past the mask he was wearing. 

He needed to be more careful.

“Wow, thanks for the faith.” He said, looking away from her, hands clenched into tight fists as he tried his best to act normal, to ignore the urge he had of moving closer to her, hug her, tell her it was okay. Fulfil the promise he had made all those weeks ago when he told her he would come back to her, no matter what. But this was not the time for that, he didn’t knew when the right time would come. “Amelia? Hmm...Oh, the one with dark long hair and severe look?” He asked. He knew who Amelia was, she was one of the few people who knew he was still alive but he had to keep his image of new boy. “You can rate her coffee, then mine and pick a winner.”

[audreyhepbuns]

- Drive (2011) dir. Nicolas Winding Refn

[xlongbottomx-blog]

December 21, 1981 @theconstellationsinhereyes

It had been a tradition for as long as they knew each other. One day of the month, as holidays approached, Mary and Frank went ice skating. The first time, Frank had slipped through the ice, spraining his wrist and Mary had both laughed and gotten incredibly worried for his safety. But as time passed, he was better at keeping his balance and they had fun together, enjoying an evening without worries, filling their hearts with holiday cheer. 

This year, however, the tradition would be broken. Frank, after all, was gone. Dead and unable to skate with his friend even if he wished he could, just for one night, come back from his fake grave and be with Mary. He simply couldn’t be the ghost of Christmas past, he had to keep pretending, he had to keep lying. 

Still, he found himself going to the ice rink that Mary and himself always visited, nostalgia weighting heavy in his heart. He missed Mary. He missed being able to talk to her, he missed hearing her laugh, he missed having breakfast with her every Sunday because that was the only day when Alice allowed herself to sleep for a little bit longer (although in the last couple of moths she woke up just as early no matter the day.).

And so, Frank found himself skating on his own. In honour of the tradition he had promise to never break. But then, he saw her. Skating on her own as well. Mary. 

Surprised as he was, Frank lost his balance and, just like the day when the tradition started, he slipped and fell. No sprained wrist this time, luckily enough. But his ego...That one got a pretty bad blow.

[porcelaindagger]

“I have very high standards when it comes to coffee,” she smirked, raising one brow as she pulled the lever and pressed the button on the side of the elevator that would race them off to the glorious promise of caffeine, “My husband makes-” she paused for a moment, her smile and her speech faltering as a weight thumped into the pit of her chest, “made the best coffee in the world. Told me mine always tasted like jet fuel; I just like it strong.” She cleared her throat, turning away from him and back to the door, doing her best to remain composed so as not to make him think that she was utterly mad on his first day in her company. “But I have faith in your coffee-making ability,” she continued, after a long moment, “can’t really get coffee wrong, I think.”

[xlongbottomx-blog]

His heart broke when she used the past tense. He couldn’t blame her, of course, for her, he was gone and Frank couldn’t tell her that he was standing right next to her. He had to lie to her, he had to do it for the sake of ending the conflict, he had to do it, there was no other choice. He took a deep breath, buried his feelings deep inside and smiled as if nothing wrong was happening. “There is a difference between strong coffee and coffee that taste’s like sock water.” He said, scrunching up his nose. “What? Of course you can get coffee wrong!” He remembered having this same discussion with Alice before. Back when he first tasted her coffee (strong enough to kill his taste buds and make him unable to sleep). He bit his lower lip for a moment, wondering how to continue the conversation without sounding to much like...Well, himself. “I mean....It’s not cereal. It has a process and um...Stuff.” He rubbed the back of his neck as the elevator reached it’s destiny. “I won’t disappoint. Pinky promise.” Okay. That sounded too much like his normal self. But how could he not be when he was with her?

[lovingxmother]

She chuckled and nodded in agreement, glancing around the bustling Diagon Alley. “This is certainly the right location,” Molly agreed, her gaze falling back on Marie as she shook her head. “Not candy, no. The boys got lucky on that front. They somehow managed to dye their clothes blue and shred them. I’m getting them new ones.” She gave her kids a pointed look, and the two eldest ones shifted a little guiltily. 

[xlongbottomx-blog]

Frank bit his lower lip stopping himself from laughing at the Weasley’s kids mischievous actions. It has been a while since he felt like genuinely laughing and if only he wasn’t hiding his identity, he would’ve thank the kids for giving him that. “I’m sure they were just trying to improve their clothes but experiments can go wrong every once in a while. There was this one time I was trying to bake a cake and...Boom! Chocolate flew everywhere.” And that was a true story. Alice had come home to a chocolate covered kitchen and husband. And she had laughed. He remembered her clearly, laughing because how on Earth did you manage to make a cake explode? “Candy and new clothes. You boys have a very nice mum.”

[porcelaindagger]

“It’ll definitely stay eventful,” she chuckled, rounding the corner into the main convergence of the corridors that connected the Aurors’ offices. She came to a stop there, before the golden doors of the elevator, turning back to her temporary companion with her hands on her hips. “Right, so I’m sure that telling you where to go and what to do will be largely useless, since you’ve already been running around on errands for everyone. You made it to my office alright, at least.” She glanced over her shoulder as the elevator made a dissonant ding and let out a few Hit Wizards with wholly occupied looks on their faces. “So we’re going to avoid the Hit Wizards,” she turned back to the elevator and caught the door before it closed, “and go take a tour of all the places to get coffee in the building instead. It’s about time for my two o’clock cup; time to prove your coffee-making skills, new kid.” She shot him a grin as she stepped into the elevator, holding the door open and waiting for him to follow.  

[xlongbottomx-blog]

“I’m sure it will.” Frank remembered what it was like to work with the rest of the Aurors. There was always something happening, someone rushing somewhere, reports to be made, someone always on the run. “Yeah, intuition has helped with that.” He knew exactly hot to move around the office but he still had to pretend to get lost every once in a while. Stop and look around confused before asking someone for directions, amused by their annoyed reactions. “No Hit Wizards. Got it.” He smiled and followed Alice into the elevator, leaning against one of the walls, letting out a soft sigh. “I could use a cup too.” He mumbled, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his palms. A chuckle then left his lips as Alice called him a kid. I’m older than you. He wanted to say but didn’t. “You wait and see, I assure you it’ll wake you up and take your taste buds to heaven.”

[xlongbottomx-blog]

slurred words

“’Tis a shame, really. No..No it’s not. It’s heartbreaking, that’s what it is. He was a fuckin’ kid and now…Poof! He is gone. Just like that. Because of what? A stupid war over blood? I assure you, if anyone gets cut, they’ll still bleed red.” He huffed and frowned. “But y’know what’s funny? There’s no body. No one ever found his body. People just assume because well….If you disappear, you’re probably dead in times like this, yeah? But look at me. I disappeared too, no one found my body. All it took were rumours. And I was a goner. Dead with little to no questions asked. Maybe he is out there, disguised and okay. Hopefully he is okay…Away from this. Being a kid. Ugh, too much hopeful thinking, yes? Kind of pathetic.” He chuckled bitterly. “Anyway…To Regulus Black. A kid that deserved better.”

[luthordamnvers]

[porcelaindagger]

“Nah, it’s fine,” she shook her head, “I’ve been sitting here for too long anyway. And besides, it’s easy to get lost around here. I did it all the time when I first started; ended up in the same supply closet three times within a week once.” She rounded the desk, skirting past the new recruit and expecting him to follow. “So you liking the job so far?” she shot him an inquisitive glance as they left her office, heading into the hallway, which was surprisingly empty. 

[xlongbottomx-blog]

Frank bit his lower lip, mentally screaming and cursing the person in charge of pairing up interns and their tour guides. However, he couldn’t help the little laugh that left his lips as he remembered Alice’s frustration on her first days of work. He remembered that supply closet well. He remembered snogging with Alice in said place, back when they weren’t so budy with work and planning their next missions. Just two newly wedded kids in love. “Huh?” He blinked and shook his head, reminding himself that this wasn’t the time to remember those things. “Oh, it’s been...Eventful. I’ve been running from one place to another running errands. Mostly involving coffee.” He explained as he followed the witch. “But I don’t mind much. I make a really good coffee if I say so myself.”

[porcelaindagger]

“Ma’am?” Alice’s brows shot upward, a rueful, stomach-churning smile spreading across her face, “Do I really look that old? Guess that’s what I get for staying up all night.” She nodded quickly, the name immediately registering as he spoke it. Alice wasn’t usually the one to forget this sort of thing, but it seemed that more things were slipping through the cracks than ever before, “Right! Of course. Bloody hell- I was supposed to show you around.” She stood, her still-healing ribs creaking in protest, “Guess these reports’ll just have to wait.”

[xlongbottomx-blog]

“No, of course not. You look be-” He bit his tongue, cleared his throat. “It’s just a formality. Back in the academy everyone was sir or ma’am, something about respecting the ranks and authority and you know, superiority complex.” He explained and then shrugged. “Yeah but if you are busy, it can wait.” Honestly, this was some twisted joke from the universe. Or maybe karma biting him in the ass. “I’m sure I can find my way around.”

[porcelaindagger]

She pulled the reports toward her, setting them atop the stack she had been working on when he had interrupted her, not bothering to look down at them as he fumbled through an explanation. “Looks fine,” she nodded, though it was clear she hadn’t looked them over at all, “I’m sorry, this is probably horribly rude, but- who are you? You just- your name is slipping my mind. Are you new? I feel like I should know you.”

[xlongbottomx-blog]

Frank allowed himself to smile. Same old Alice, tons of work to do and still accepting more, keeping herself too busy for her own good. “It’s not rude, ma’am.” He never thought he would call his wife that and he wondered how she would react. “I’m new here so no one really remembers my name.” He had a story planned. What was it? His thoughts were scattered, seeing Alice making him think of everything but his cover. Think, think. “I’m Matthew. The new intern.”

[porcelaindagger]

Was this one of the interns? A new kid from upstairs? A recruit, maybe? Alice unintentionally narrowed her eyes at him, laying down her quill and leaning back in her seat. “Sorry,” she caught herself, shaking her head, “Yeah, bring ‘em here. D’you write these up just now?” No matter how hard she started at him, she couldn’t- for the life of her- remember this poor bloke’s name. 

[xlongbottomx-blog]

Walk. He told to himself but his legs didn’t want to answer. He was frozen in the spot, a bunch of reports on one hand. Just walk, for Merlin’s sake. He swallowed thickly, hoping that his behaviour didn’t seem too weird and could simply be mistaken for first-day-at-work nerves. “Huh? Oh...Yes. Yes, I just did.” He mumbled, finally forcing himself to walk, taking in Alice’s appearance. “It’s just um...Basic stuff. Hope everything is in order.” He muttered, placing the reports on her desk. “If not, I can write them again.” 

[porcelaindagger]

December 28, 1981 Auror Offices 9:30 AM

“Yeah?” Alice clipped, noting a presence in the doorway of her office, barely bothering to look up, “Bit busy here. What do you need?”

[xlongbottomx-blog]

He was hoping not to see her. Not so soon at least. But here he was, standing in front of her, staring dumbly, trying to look like a normal human being instead of crumbling down in front of her. “Reports.” He managed to say. “Suspicious behaviour in Nockturn alley.”

[xlongbottomx-blog]

porcelaindagger:

In an infinite moment, she allowed herself to simply feel him. Thumb running over the smoothness of his lower lip, tactile fingers tracing the sharp line of his jawbone, eyes searching every inch of his gaze, as if she might need to remember it later, without reference. Of course they would be fine- they were always fine. The two of them had been through more together than this; Frank and Alice were the two who would inevitably survive at the end of it all- that was what she had always believed. She wasn’t scared; he had promised that he would come back to her. And as he had promised- and as she could feel the truth on his lips, see it behind his eyes- she had no reason to worry about what would come. Twenty four hours from now, they would be right back here, cleaning each other’s wounds and whispering relieved ‘I love you’s like hymns. His promises would taste of fulfillment, and not evasion. 

As they did now. 

She threw her arms around his neck, her weight forward and upward as she rose onto the tips of her toes, lips crashing against his. Her fingers knotted in his hair, and for a moment she was tempted to simply remain rooted there, unable to move, unable to dress, unable to leave the flat and throw themselves into the flurry of the battle. But Alice would be entirely unable to do that, no matter how much she wished she could- no matter how sweet his lips tasted; she was obsessed, enthralled, with the war, and with the rush that came with it. Perhaps it was power that enticed her, or perhaps it was the knowledge that with every spell cast, something good was being done in their favor. But, Gods, did Frank taste like safety. 

After a long moment, she pulled away, though their breaths still mingled in the space between them. “You promise,” she repeated, nodding, “And I promise. We’ll be fine- now no more worrying, okay? We’re going to be okay. And once it’s all over, you and I are going to come back here and I’m going to make up for all those night that I missed dinner. I love you, okay?” She rocked back onto her heels, running her hands down his chest, and lingering for a moment before she turned back to the dresser to pick up her towel. “We’ll need to be leaving soon.”

He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him, wanting to melt into her embrace now that he still had the chance, wanting to remember how perfectly he fit in his arms, wanting to remember the taste of her lips, the feeling of her hands against his skin, the smell of her hair, the curves of her body. Later, memories like that would drive him mad and keep him sane all at the same time. But for now it was pure bliss, it was safety, it was love. It was Alice and Frank, no worries, no wars, no battles to be fought, no worries tearing them apart. Just lips against lips, bodies pressed together. If only moments like this could last forever.

“No more worrying.” Frank agreed. Not because he felt calmer now but because worry had no place in a battle. If your mind was filled with worry, your skills were sloppy and the mission was failed. Lesson one from the auror academy. Focus is everything. And so, Frank pushed his worries away, his fears and doubts. “That sounds like a good reward.” He smiled, looking at her, taking in every detail of her face, admiring her beauty. “I love you too. With all my heart.” He told her and then sighed softly. He didn’t want to leave just yet. He wanted to stay home a little bit longer, he wanted to stay with Alice a little bit more. But it wouldn’t be possible, they were running on a tight schedule after all. 

“I’ll let you get dressed, then.” He offered a small smile, leaning over to kiss Alice’s cheek  lingering there for a moment longer than usual before pulling away. “It’s getting cold so you better layer up. You don’t want to catch a cold, do you?” He asked, trying to act as usual, as if they weren’t about to face a battle, as if they weren’t putting thjeir lives on the line. Perhaps that would ease the tension, perhaps it would make it easier to leave the flat, perhaps it’d make it easier to walk away. 

[severssnpe-blog]

He didn’t recognise the man sitting next to him, which was odd. He knew everyone in attendance… even if he didn’t like most of them. One face was suspiciously absent from the proceedings, leading Severus to wonder if Frank had just not turned up or if he had dipped into his supply of polyjuice. “And who are you supposed to be?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Severus could smell the alcohol, things were making a little more sense now. Clearly he was drunk enough to somehow be able to miss the offending green plant that was the current source of Severus’ frustration. “I’m not a particular fan of the festive season, no. But that should be the least of your worries currently.” He glared up at the mistletoe, jabbing it with his wand. “Do you know who did this? Was it Black?” He couldn’t think of anyone else who was gathered in the flat who would think that it would be hilarious to make him the butt of the jokes for the evening. It had been Black’s modus operandi during their years at Hogwarts.

[xlongbottomx-blog]

“Rudolph the red nose reindeer.” He said with a chuckle. “Lost my antlers somewhere, though.” He frowned lightly, running a hands through his hair. “But...Red nose.” With a flickering of his wand, his nose turned red and he smiled. “There you go. Much better.” Once more, Frank frowned and looked up at whatever Severus was looking at, finally understanding what the other meant. “Oh...That’s festive.” He chuckled, touching the mistletoe, trying to pull it away from above Severus’ head but failing miserably.

“No, I don’t know who did it but it’s a very clever spell.” He admitted, looking down at the other. “Shouldn’t let it bother you though. It’s just mistletoe.” Frank knew about the pranks that the Marauders pulled on Severus and he had never really been a fan of them. Yes, a few harmless jokes were funny but some were a bit out of hand and Frank simply didn’t like bullies. “The worse thing that could happen is a kiss. Which reminds me...”

“There. Was that horrible?”

[msdorcasmeadowes-blog]

“I usually am a really good student and I’m usually good at, well, practically everything…but cooking…there’s no hope for me.” Doe laughed softly and tightened the hair tie holding her hair up in a ponytail. “Thank you, my friends enjoy it…Maybe i’ll just send yours and make them think I got amazing at baking over night.” She joked. 

[xlongbottomx-blog]

“It happens. I was terrible at Runes classes but I was a stubborn and always tried my best. Never worked, I’m afraid.” Frank said with a chuckle of his own. “Ah, yes. You do that, dear. I promise to keep the secret.”

[moodyalastors-deactivated201706]

Shhh!

“The worst part about you being dead isn’t that it killed Alice or the fact that you were a good soldier, it’s that you were one of the best men to have walked through the doors of the Ministry and that you deserved a lot better than what we - what I - was able to give you.”