The Stag and The Harpy | James Potter

Regulus

Phoebe absolutely knows she shouldn't be out this late, but the letter she'd received from her mother earlier had her craving a cigarette. It was meant to be quick quick, she didn't even waste time walking to the Astronomy tower. She hid in the courtyard behind a pillar as she lit one up and breathed it in. As far as she knew, everyone was in their common rooms or dorms already asleep, but she didn't want to dawdle and get caught.

She was barely half way through her smoke when she heard a cluster of voices.

"Can you believe Severus? Still gawking at that mud blood?"

Phoebe curses under her breath as she recognizes the voice of Rudolphus Lestrange. She backs further into the darkness, pulling her cloak over her hair to blend in further. She can't help but perk her ears to listen as they continue,

"The Dark Lord must know. How can we expect to trust him otherwise?" Andrew Mulciber adds, drawing shivers up the veela's spine.

"I trust Severus. He knows at the end of the day what is right." Phoebe doesn't recognize the voice that just spoke. She hesitates before leaning slightly out of the shadows to peer into the courtyard.

"Do you smell that?"

Phoebe freezes, eyes widening. She curses herself to oblivion as Evan Rosier answers,

"Smells like cigarettes. Your brother still smoke with that Veela, Reg?"

Phoebe slowly slips back into the shadows. The other boy in the courtyard was Regulus Black. She hears a faint mumble before a sly Mulciber begins saying,

"Come out, you filthy little half breed. Show us what you're made for."

Phoebe feels sick. She looks to her left, seeing torches lighting the way towards the closest door back into the castle.

"Come on out, Griffin," Lestrange adds. "We want to finish what we started at the platform. If you're a good girl we'll make it quick. I want to see what that mouth can do."

"Let's split up,"Rosier offers. Phoebe's heart sinks further and further as the boys start searching the courtyard, directly opposite from the overhang she's under. She starts to back away from her current spot when she runs into something hard. She whirls around, wand flying to the throat of Regulus. Despite his younger age he towers over her. Phoebe flinches, expecting the worst.

"Run."

Phoebe stares at him in surprise at his whispered words.

"Run, Phoebe. Fast," Regulus says urgently, looking over her head to see Rosier and Mulciber and Lestrange laughing tauntingly as they search the bushes.

Phoebe whispers quickly, "Thank you."

She slips past him and sprints out of the courtyard. She doesn't stop running, even though there's the threat of filch and Mrs Norris and detention. She runs until she slams into the portrait protecting the common room.

"Purple flobberworm," Phoebe says desperately, ignoring the disgruntled face of the portrait as it swings open before her. She tumbles into the common room, laying flat on her back as she tries desperately to catch her breath.

"Pheebs?" Remus asks from his spot by the fire. Sirius, Peter, and James were no where to be found. Her friend slowly gets up and walks over, holding out his hand. She grasps it gratefully and says, "Merlin I just about got caught!"

"By filch? The lads are out looking for you. Filch still has the map."

"No," Phoebe shakes her head. "Mulciber, Lestrange and Rosier."

Phoebe intentionally leaves out Regulus, not at all wanting to associate that boy with the others. He'd saved her twice now.

Remus' eyes widen and he immediately pulls out the snitch Phoebe recognizes as the one she gave James for Christmas. He opens the portrait hole and the snitch goes flying off to find James. He turns back to Phoebe and says,

"What do you mean they almost caught you, Pheebs?"

Phoebe gulps and shakes her head, murmuring, "I don't want to say. I'm fine."

Remus sighs and guides her to the couch in front of the fire. He knows there's more to the story, but also knows that she won't say much unless she has to. They sit in silence for a few moments, waiting for Phoebe's heart to return to normal.

"Hogwarts isn't safe anymore, Remus," She whispers, staring into the fire. "No where is safe for you, or Marlene, or Lily and Alice...or me. Its not safe for anyone."

"What were you doing out alone?" Remus asks, gently resting his hand on her upper arm. She parts her lips to speak, but the rest of the boys hurtle into the common room.

"There's my fellow pup!" Sirius cries.

"We thought filch had caught you," Peter adds, brushing his palms against his pants. James stops short however, noting the way Phoebe is tapping on her leg the way she does when she's nervous. His stomach drops and he asks quickly,

"What happened?"

He makes it to her spot on the couch in a couple of long strides, kneeling down in front of her. Remus makes eye contact with James. A few silent moments pass and when the normally quiet boy realized Phoebe was going to remain silent, he blurts out,

"Phoebe almost got caught by Rosier and Lestrange and Mulciber."

Phoebe curses and slaps Remus' arm, "Shut the fuck up!"

Remus grumbles, rubbing his arm and scooting away from his friend. Sirius suddenly appears behind James along side Peter.

"What?" Sirius asks incredulously, eyes wide.

"It was nothing, let it go."

"If you don't tell us I will go ask them myself," James says lowly, earning a surprised look from Phoebe. She bites down on the side of her lip and sighs.

"Fine," She murmurs. "I was out for a smoke—"

"Why?" James interrupts. Phoebe scowls and snaps, "That's not relevant, Potter."

James scowls back, his soothing hand on her knee contrasting his angry glare. Phoebe can't help but get mildly distracted by his clenched jaw and furrowed brow, stunned by how attractive she found James when he was mad. She quickly brushes it off and continues,

"I was out having a smoke and they just appeared. Mulciber, Rosier, Lestrange....and Regulus."

Sirius stiffens, looking away from the girl on the couch. He couldn't believe that his brother and the Veela he considers to be a sister were on opposite sides of a war. Anger tugs at his gut and he nearly pulls away when he feels her hand on his.

"Sirius, look at me."

Reluctantly, he turns to the blonde. She smiles softly and whispers, "let me finish." Sirius nods once and Phoebe continues, glancing away from him and towards James. She softens at the anger and fear written on his face.

"They smelled my smoke," Phoebe says, clearing her throat as her voice grows scratchy from the lump of emotion building. "They guessed that it was me because Sirius and I always smoke at night together."

She blinks quickly, trying to remain composed as heat builds behind her eyes, signaling tears. She couldn't appear weak.

"Anyway, they started looking for me. And Regulus found me. Told me to run."

She meets Sirius' wide eyes and says firmly, "That's the second time he's saved me, Sirius."

Her friend swallows roughly and nods, his words falling short on his tongue. He feels confusion and worry for his brother, but an overwhelming sense of relief that his parents hadn't completely tarnished him. He'd heard Regulus say terrible, horrible things about people without pure blood. Especially after he found out about Phoebe.

But Sirius knew his brother wasn't overwhelmed by the darkness, he'd just been using it for cover.