Safe In Monotony... ((Gabriel))

[Luke Dallas]

Luke stared at the wall of his cubicle, eyes closing and flickering open again briefly. The wall looked different sideways on than it did when you're looking at it the right way up, he decided.

Oh the things you learn by looking at things sideways.

He sighed softly to himself, parting dry lips in a bored yawn and moving his head off his hands, so he was no longer slumped on his desk. He stretched slightly, clicking his shoulders and flexing his back, leaning back in his chair.
He was waiting on someone coming to drop off a file from a recent piece of fieldwork he'd completed. He couldn't go back out into the field until the appropriate paperwork was done and he couldn't do the appropriate paperwork without the file he was waiting for so he'd just have to do nothing. He'd sent out a couple of memo's but it felt like he was the only auror in today because he'd heard nothing in response.
He could hear soft murmuring in cubicles beyond his own, but felt no desire to go and join in a menial conversation. No, he was content to sit here. Safe in monotony.

[Gabriel Hart]

Gabriel walked swiftly into the auror department of the Ministry looking at his watch. He was slightly late, but only because he'd been looking after Genevieve and Kim while Bella had been having a well deserved nap.

Trooper that girl is.

In his hand he carried the file he was supposed to be giving to Luke. The Ministry was getting pretty short staffed as the demand for aurors increased. The department seemed pretty empty because of the amount of workers that had been sent on missions.
He walked into Luke's cubical and dropped the papers on the desk, sighing as he noticed his colleague had most likely been doing nothing while waiting for the papers.
"Afternoon Luke." He greeted politely.

[Luke Dallas]

"Oh is that what is now?" Luke didn't look at Gabriel as he slid the file across the wood of his desk towards him, "I'm thinking of investing in a watch, although doesn't seem I'm the one that has trouble time-keeping."
He leant his chair back slightly, flicking idly though the pages.

[Gabriel Hart]

Gabriel ran his fingers through his hair, feeling slightly guilty for keeping Luke waiting. "I was helping my cousin." He explained vaguely. "I don't actually have to be here." He reminded his colleague. "But I'm sorry i was late." He apologised, though he wasn't that sorry. He wasn't actually that late, only by about ten minutes.
"You got much done today?" He asked, though he could already guess the answer.

You didn't do any work today though...

Gabriel did feel bad for being on temporary leave. The Ministry was in need of him. But unfortunately his family needed him more, and that's where his priorities lay, no matter how much he loved his job.

[Luke Dallas]

Luke shrugged, glancing over his shoulder at his colleague. He didn't really care that much at all, he wasn't feeling very competent today, more inclined to just sleep off a hangover in the dark but dragging himself in anyway.
"Nope, natta," He replied, although he already knew Gabriel had made up his mind about the level of work Luke had done today. He did hate to say it, because it'd mean admitting Gabriel was right and he really really hated that. But he'd never been much good at lying.

[Gabriel Hart]

Gabriel chuckled slightly and gave Luke a knowing smile. "Thought as much." He replied, whilst rocking back and forth on his heels merrily. His and Luke's relationship had never been too friendly, but after being forced on a mission a few months ago they seemed to have made an unspoken agreement to be pleasant to each, even though they often pissed each other off.

Most of the time really.

It was almost like a friendship, but not quite. They would help each other out on most occassions. But neither of them liked asking the other for help.
"How did your last mission go?" He asked curiously. He couldn't really remember what it had been, just that Luke had been sent on one quite recently.

[Luke Dallas]

Luke raised a half irritated eyebrow at Gabriel's knowing smile. It wasn't that it irritated him anymore, although it had when they'd first started working together. Now it was more of a standard reaction; mannerism to mannerism. He's grown used to it, but his response was harder to change.
He saw their relationship as more of a game now, they weren't enemies, but he highly doubted they'd ever be what any normal person could call friends. But it was a game, some small form of amusmant in an otherwise boring work environment.
"It went fine, half done, the other half got away," He rubbed his right shoulder lightly, before uncracking and recracking it back into place, "Did a nice bit of damage first though."
It was hard for Luke to admit that he'd only succeeded in doing a job half-satisfactorily, that he'd only managed to impound one of the people he'd set out after, but he saw no harm really. Besides harm to his pride which was pretty low at the moment anyway.
"Why are you on leave again?" He asked, although he already knew. He knew it was a family thing, but he couldn't remember the rest.

[Gabriel Hart]

Gabriel chuckled slightly at his first comment, then shuddered as his colleague cracked his shoulder. Hearing bones crack really didn't go down well for Gabriel, it always creeped him out slightly and made him feel slightly nausious. Bella always used to crack her knuckles on purpose, just to freak him out.

What a loving cousin you have.

"I can tell." Gabriel half-smiled, still getting over the sound Luke's shoulder had made.
"I'm helping my cousin, she's had a pretty tough year, and she's just had a daughter." He replied, not going into detail. He knew that if Luke wanted to know, he would ask.

[Luke Dallas]

He couldn't help the wolfish grin that crept onto his face as he saw Gabriel shudder. He knew that sort of thing got to him, although he'd quite forgotten how funny he found it. He wasn't being deliberately cruel, but that sort of thing amused him.
"Not supposed to do that while the bone heals," He said off-handedly, "Makes a cool sound though."

You are a child sometimes, Luke.

"A daughter, huh?" Luke's eyebrows practically shot upwards and into his hair, "This is your...16 year old cousin?"
He wasn't sure if the age was right, but he seemed to recall Gabriel mentioning a cousin around that age once or twice...or maybe a few more times.

[Gabriel Hart]

Gabriel frowned at Luke, knowing that even though the first time wasn't delibrate, the next time would be. "That sound is far from cool." He muttered. He guessed it caused the same reaction to him than fingers on a chalkboard for other people.

Mind over matter you know.

Gabriel's frowned deepened at Luke's next comment. "Nearly 18 actually." He corrected, his voice harsher than it was supposed to be. He didn't like people talking badly about his family, and couldn't control his anger upon hearing it. Even a certain tone of voice from someone could annoy him if they were talking about someone he held dear. And Bella was someone he held very dear.

[Luke Dallas]

He grinned, bobbing his head down slightly to try and hide it, "Of course, 'course," He nodded, although there was no hiding the edge of laughter in his voice.
He held up his hands at Gabriel's tone, "Man, I said nothing, Jesus Christ. Bite my head off why don't you?"

[Gabriel Hart]

Gabriel bit his lip and waited a few moments before he calmed down. His quick temper was one of his main drawbacks. He could usually keep it under control, but if we wasn't really concentrating it sometimes got a little bit out of hand. "Sorry." He apologised soon after, though he meant it this time. "Just don't want anyone looking down on her for it." He explained briefly and shrugged slightly. "I didn't mean to snap." He added reluctantly.

Temper, temper.

"Loads of students at Hogwarts have kids now." He said after a moment. "They should start a sex education class there." He joked, wanting to get rid of the tense astomosphere he had created, though he was sure Luke was used to it by now. He was the same anyway, they both had pretty quick tempers.

[Luke Dallas]

"Didn't say I was looking down on her," He shrugged, unable to let it drop. He couldn't just let it drop. Because now he felt bad. Now his conscience had gone into overdrive.
There were days when he could be as much of a prick as he wanted and it wouldn't bother him, and then there were days when every little snide comment would come with an apology, ready-thought out.
"Hell, power to her," He added after a moment, honestly, "Pretty brave thing to do."
He can't help but glance sideways at Gabriel, having to bite back a half formed remark putting Gabriel down at the same time because then his conscience would not let him forget it.
He snorted softly through his nose, "Please, sex-ed would just make them want to go fuck more to rebel."

[Gabriel Hart]

"No, i know. It's just your reaction to it. It seemed that you would." Gabriel shrugged slightly and decided to drop the matter. He often watched people's reactions to things. He could usually tell what they were really thinking just by watching their changes in facial expressions.
He smiled slightly at Luke's next comment. "Yeah, must be the Gryffindor in her." He replied, feeling completely cooled down now.

You really need to sort out your anger management problems.

Gabriel chuckled loudly. "Yeah, that's probably right. Kids these days." He sighed dramatically and rolled his eyes, only joking of course.

[Luke Dallas]

He shrugged, "Yeah, Gryffindor, I guess."
He wasn't one for house classification, unlike most other Slytherin's he knew. He hated the idea he might fit into that stereo-type so preferred to deny the obvious truth that people held stereo-types for a reason. Denial suited him well, he decided.
It was also an inescapable truth that he had been placed in Slytherin, and he was like other Slytherins. He definitely hated that.
He laughed, in his usual low and reluctant way, "Damn teenagers."