Could Haves and Would Haves

Never one to be on the receiving end of sympathy, James quickly gave himself a mental shake, and took a sip of the hot chocolate. Oddly, it made him smile.

"I should start calling you 'Momma Jack'," James chuckled, "Making the boys hot chocolate... How motherly of you."

James took another sip, thankful for it. The hot chocolate was doing its job. He appreciated now how it helped with more than dementors.

(Sorry, got too many things I'm trying to pay attention to. Can't think of what else to write. XD I messaged Elijah and let him know that I'm inviting you to our thread in the Leaky Cauldron.)

((it's okay. I'm with you there. XD))

He reached for the chocolate and it seemed to reassure him a bit, as his expression relaxed. She glanced at Albus and nodded encouragingly, and he gingerly picked up the mug and tasted the drink. He seemed momentarily relaxed, but his eyes strayed back to his brother, still worried.

James spoke and Jack shuddered. "How terrible of you. I'm kind enough to make you hot chocolate and you're rude enough to call me maternal." She shook her head, a smile playing on her lips. He was lucky he was in a bad mood. If he had just teased her about it, she would have hit him.

((Better watch out for that next goose...I'll have you putting 'Momma Jack' in your signature next. XD Dangit, power went out right in the middle of me typing...now I can't remember what I had. X( ))

James smiled despite himself.

"Ah, you shouldn't feel bad, Momma Jack. They say that laughter is the best medicine, and teasing you makes me laugh, so see, you don't have to be good at comforting. Just good at taking a joke!"

James sighed, draining the rest of his hot chocolate and leaning his head back against the couch. He closed his eyes, willing his heart to stop racing. Think rationally.

"I still want to stop by the Leady Cauldron tonight," he said, "Even if just to pick up a lead. This on top of the fiasco at the Order...no way I'll be able to sleep anyways. I just feel like I need to be doing something. I've never been happy with just sitting back and waiting. Besides, perhaps on the way I can drop Doom at Susan's house. I know that Sylvan said he'd take care of it, but I'd just feel better with Doom on the case. He can be discreet...he's a black cat for crying out loud."

((Guess the Doom part all depends on whether Susan accepts the help or not. If she does not, I can either come back and edit the post, or decide to have Doom case it out anyways.))

Again, typically James would have earned his other shoulder a nice little bruise, but she simply grinned at him, shaking her head as though he were a very lucky young man indeed. She grumbled. "I'll take it." Albus grinned. "This time." The grin vanished, which gave Jack a genuine, victorious smirk.

James drank the rest of his hot chocolate and Jack drank from her mug of mead, pleased by the warmth it brought her. Jack listened to James, and she could see Albus' interest piqued at the mention of the Order fiasco. She waved her hand as though to tell him it was something he could be filled in on later.

Jack nodded, saying, "That sounds like a good plan."

Albus nodded, "Yeah! And I can come with you. Or Jack could!"

Oh boy. What had Jack signed up for?

((Gonna go ahead and leave Albus at home. I don't want to do too much NPCing with him...mostly because I suck at trying to 'rp' with myself. lol. Hard enough to think for one character. Be nice if someone, adopted 'ol Albus.))

"Actually, Albus," James said, "You can do me another favor, since you have the invisibility cloak on you. I want you to take Doom and drop him off at Susan Bone's house. He can at least keep a lookout for awhile. Not sure how much he'd be able to do if something happened, but at least we'd have eyes there if something did."

Albus lowered his head in consent, and scooped Doom up in his arms. Before they left, James cupped his cat's face in his hands, stroking the sides of his face with his thumbs.

"You be careful, precious," he murmured to the cat as Doom purred, "Don't be playing hero. Just observe."

Doom meowed in a reassuring way, and he and Albus walked to the door, disappearing underneath the invisibility cloak.

"Do you want me to escort you home?" James asked, turning to Jack, "or would you like to continue accompanying me tonight?" He smiled, "or are you going to tell me you're a big girl and you can get home yourself?"

James half-way hoped that Jack would accompany him for awhile. It was a private matter, however he wasn't sure how he would fare handling this alone. For once, he was admitting to himself that he needed a voice of reason hissing into his ear tonight.

((I counted on them leaving him one way or another))

Jack was spared an immediate answer as James immediately allocated a task to the younger brother who, though seeming a bit cautious and embarrassed, seemed glad to have been excused. Jack didn't blame him- a room with an angry James and Jack in her usual mood was probably a terrifying thought.

"Bye Albus, bye Doom!" she called and he responded back weakly before leaving. Jack saw a distinctive swish of a black tail, which made her smile.

She turned to James and she felt the instinct to excuse herself to leave. She did, after all, want to visit Silvyr, and then she needed to get home to Nemo. But she also knew James was probably still in a bad mood, and she didn't think it wise to allow him on a solo rampage after she had encouraged him to drink.

Jack said, "I can get home myself... But I do have some errands to run and the Leaky is sort of on the way." She grinned. "Besides, I'd be a terrible gentleman if I let you wander London alone. You could be taken advantage of- you probably don't even have a whistle."

James snorted, waving his hand dismissively.

"Well, I suppose you'd be the one to come rescue me if I blew on the rape whistle anyways, so let us forego that step, you come along, and then there shall be no worries that I do not have said whistle."

"I hope you do not mind apparating, as I do not like to leave my bike parked outside the Leaky Cauldron. Some hoodlum painted grafiti on it the last time I drove it there. Well, last call for alcohol then!"

James tried to act light of heart, but he knew the humor was falling flat. It was hard to ignore what he was feeling, therefore making it harder to hide what he was feeling. James was eager to get on his way, anticipating the journey ahead. He sincerely hoped that he would find a lead on Jamie tonight. Just to know where to find her would ease his heart immensley.

James moved to the door, opening it and gazing out into the darkness, lost in thought. He'd give Jack some time to finish a drink, if she so desired, then he would be on his way.

Jack grinned, looking more convincing than she felt. Even weaker jokes were more comfortable for her than that pesky raw emotion. Jack simply had never flourished on discussing the feelings portion of life. Action made so much more sense to her than the reaction of the heart.

"Apparation is fine indeed." He gave her an opportunity to drink and she downed the rest of her mead and stood. She hesitated and quickly filled her shot glass with Firewhiskey and threw that back too.

Jack shook her head, still not sure she was prepared. Nevertheless she arrived at James' side and offered her arm to him so that they could apparate away.

((Sorry I'm on my kindle so it was a rather uninspired post.))

((Drunken apparating....what a killer. ))

James took Jack's arm after she had finished her drink, and lead her to a spot outside the protective area around his premises where they could safely apparate.

"I'm sorry about this," James confessed, "I'm sure there are much more important things that you could be doing, but thank you all the same."

With a quick check to make sure Jack's grip was firm, James twisted on the spot and the pair disappeared into the nothingness between.

((I suppose we continue this at the Leaky Cauldron. Ah! Sufferin' Succotash! I forgot to pm you the link. Eh, heh...I'll fix that real quick like...))