The Stag and The Harpy | James Potter

Meeting

Phoebe leans back against the kitchen counter, smiling faintly when Sirius hands her tea.

12 Grimmauld Place was the darkest house Phoebe had ever been too. Aura aside, the decor was drab and unnerving. Black and forest green and plum. It was certainly not her taste, but she reckons if Sirius tried to change it Kreacher would be a pest.

The house elf grumbles quietly to himself as he sets the table. He had been uncharacteristically warm to Phoebe, much to Sirius' surprise. He was back to his grumpy self now however.

Sirius clears his throat, finally plucking up the courage to ask,

"Are you alright?"

Phoebe quirks a brow and takes a sip of her tea, not minding that it burned her tongue. Everything tasted rather bland anyway.

She ponders her response before saying simply,

"Yes. I'm fine."

Sirius just looks at her knowingly, letting out a loud sigh. James had stumbled onto his doorstep late at night a few days ago, blazing drunk and slurring about Phoebe. Water and some food had sobered him up enough in the night for him to give Sirius a heads up. So when Phoebe arrived this morning, he was not at all surprised to see her stony face masking what he new was crippling heart break.

Sirius wants to say more, but order members are arriving one after another. Kreacher quickly leaves the kitchen as witches and Wizards file in, grumbling about how his master would hate these blood traitors. Phoebe plasters on a fake smile and nods when she sees the man she's heard so many stories about, Madeye Moody, hobble in on his new leg. Alastor—Madeye rather—was an odd fellow, dedicated only to destroying death eaters and the dark lord. He'd already sacrificed his eye and a portion of his nose. Losing his leg certainly didn't slow him down.

Frank and Alice, Lily and Fabian, and Gideon, Remus, and Peter join next. Phoebe murmurs a quiet hello to Marlene as she walks in,  the Veela quickly gulping down more of her hot drink. She sees more people she recognizes but doesn't know super well, like Benjy Fenwick, and few that she doesn't recognize at all. Sirius lays his hand on hers and gives it a squeeze.

When she turns to look at what he wants, her heart breaks in half. James is stumbling into the kitchen, his hair sticking up in wild directions. His eyes are still soft from sleep, his glasses even more crooked than usual. He looks warm and inviting.

She rips her eyes away from him, her heart in her throat.

James notices her as soon as her head is turned. He nearly goes to her, kisses her good morning like he always does. But the set of her jaw and her white knuckles gripping her cup are a harsh reminder that he gave up his rights to do the things he so badly wants to. He glances at a very awkward looking Sirius, smiling weakly when his friend offers him a half hearted shrug.

James lowers his head and walks to the table, taking a seat next to Peter. The gentle conversation come to a lull when Dumbledore walks into the room. Sirius wrinkles his nose and whispers to Phoebe,

"I never thought Dumbledore would be in my kitchen."

Phoebe smiles slightly and replies lowly, "I suppose he's technically in the dining room."

Sirius waves off her snarky reply with his hand, standing up straight when Dumbledore says firmly,

"Thank you, Sirius. For letting us use your home as a headquarters."

Phoebe stares at the ground as Sirius says nervously, "Of course. It's just sitting here collecting dust anyway."

Sirius was still confused as to how the house was his. He was disbelieving when Phoebe told him. disbelieving that she had seen his brother. She didn't offer up any information beyond the fact that she'd spoken to him in the flesh. And that Grimmauld place now belonged to Sirius. And while he wanted to be mad at her the way James was, he was also grateful. Grateful that his brother had seen someone good.

James tries his hardest to not look at Phoebe, instead focusing on Madeye as he begins speaking about recent attacks and where they're coming from.

"It is our belief that Malfoy Manor serves as one of the meeting places for Voldemort and the Death Eaters. It's far too heavily protected to attack. However, Herbert Burke has been staying at one of his fathers residences with a few younger death eaters."

Phoebe suddenly feels compelled to look away from her shoes, her eyes immediately meeting sparkling blue ones. Dumbledore studies her silently before he says calmly,

"I believe that Miss Griffin has been acquainted with Herbert Burke's father."

Multiple sets of eyes are on her now, including a pair of worried hazel ones. Phoebe gently sets her cup down on the counter and replies softly,

"Yes, Sir."

Madeye looks at her with a hint of surprise on his face that makes her want to do something irrational. She was tired of being underestimated.

"I purchased an item from him earlier this year," She continues. "He seemed to take a liking to me."

James feels the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and he quickly looks at Sirius, seeing the same surprise he's feeling reflected on his friends face. She'd neglected to inform them of that detail at Christmas.

"Would you feel confident meeting him again? Seeing what you could find out?" Madeye questions gruffly. Phoebe feels a thrill in her stomach. Something she could do to help. Dumbledore winks subtly in her direction and she smiles faintly.

"Of course."

"Absolutely not!"

Peter jumps from the volume of James' words in his ear, leaning away from his fuming friend. James scowls and shakes his head, biting out,

"No."

A soft scoff draws his attention away from his stare down with Moody and Dumbledore. Phoebe meets his gaze evenly, her heart wrenching eyes sharp and heated. She doesn't move, continues to look at him while she says calmly,

"When would you like me to go?"

"Dammit, Phoebe! I said no," James shouts, his chair flying backwards as he abruptly stands. Lily, Alice, and Marlene make confused eye contact while Remus and Peter wince. This was bad.

Sirius clears his throat like he's going to intervene, but Phoebe raises a graceful hand to silence him. The smile that twists her lips is fake, sickly sweet.

"Forgive, James. He seems to have forgotten that he no longer has a say in what I can and cannot do."

It's done. Out in the open that James and Phoebe are no longer together.

Fabian lets out a low whistle under his breath. The people that Phoebe knew stare at her and James in shock, Marlene's jaw practically hitting the floor. Even some of the new people seem to have gathered what is going on, their eyes wide as they flicker back and forth between the pair.

James is fuming, rage twisting in his chest so tightly that he feels like he can't breath. It only gets worse when she slides her eyes away from him and evaluates the table. She needed to pick someone that she could count on for help, but someone that would also piss James off.

Bingo.

"What do you say, Fenwick?" Phoebe asks sweetly, earning the attention of Benjy. His ears turn pink and his eyes widen, a goofy smile taking over his face as she continues,

"Fancy a trip to Knockturn Alley?"

James grits his teeth so hard they almost break and he stomps from the room, unable to witness what was unfolding before his eyes.