DEVIL'S SNARE ━ james sirius potter ✓

▬▬ 29. CHANCES

⠀⠀"I don't know. What are you going to do, Laury?" Callen asked.
⠀⠀"I don't know. How do I even know if it's him?" Laurel asked, shrugging, keeping her voice down as her coworkers began streaming into the office, greeting them.
⠀⠀"I wish I could answer that. Does Phillip know?"
⠀⠀"No. I can't tell him. He always gets...weird whenever I talk about James in the slightest."
⠀⠀Callen paused before talking again. "I don't like him, you know."
⠀⠀"I know," Laurel said, sighing. "I'm pretty sure I'm going to break up with him soon. You know he said he wanted me to meet his parents in two weeks? I don't actually want to meet his parents. At all!"
⠀⠀"Oh for Merlin's sake, Laury, just break up with him already."
⠀⠀"I will, I will," Laurel replied, waving her hands in the air. "Anyway that's not super important. What am I to do with James?"
⠀⠀"Write to Dom—actually, write to Asher too. Let's meet up tonight at my house at six to discuss this and for dinner. Besides, we haven't had a get together in awhile. Not since..."

⠀⠀Laurel nodded as Callen trailed off. She knew what Callen meant. They hadn't had a get-together since James left suddenly. It had hurt all of them, since he disappeared without a word. Even his own family had no idea. Then he shows up again in their lives with this stupid and evasive letter as if it could explain everything. Laurel could tell Callen was hurt too. James' sudden disappearance had hurt them all.

⠀⠀"I'll see you tonight then," Callen said, smiling. "I think this will be good for all of us."
⠀⠀"Yeah," Laurel agreed. "I get to stay away from Phillip for a night."

⠀⠀Callen laughed at Laurel's snide joke, hugging her friend before gracefully walking out of the department like the goddess she was.

⠀⠀Laurel quickly pulled out two pieces of parchment and addressed one to Asher, while the other would be folded into an airplane and sent to Dominique, where ever she was in the Ministry. She didn't enclose much information except the time and place for dinner and that it was important—crucial.

⠀⠀She quickly gave the envelope to Asher to an owl, watching it fly off towards wherever, while casting a silent charm over the paper airplane, watching it shake to life and fly away.

⠀⠀The rest of the day went by smoothly, Laurel finding herself in her usual place of examining dead bodies — which were mostly killed by a potion of sorts or a charm/spell that eventually caused the death. This was where she was most comfortable, but she found that rushing to crime scenes and healing people were more rewarding for her.
⠀⠀Dominique and Asher had replied quickly, saying that they could make it, excited to get together again (but neither were too happy about James' sudden reappearance).

⠀⠀During her break, she talked to her parents through the Floo, sticking her head into the emerald flames.

⠀⠀"James Sirius Potter?" Rolf asked incredulously when Laurel told them of the letter she had received.
⠀⠀"Yes, Dad. The one and only," Laurel said, chuckling.
⠀⠀"If you're going to go, you'd better let Phillip know," Luna said. "Have you told him?"
⠀⠀"No, Mum. I haven't..."
⠀⠀"Are you going to?"
⠀⠀Laurel paused. "I'm going to break up with him."
⠀⠀Her parents didn't respond for a second, looking at each other through the fire.

⠀⠀"I thought everything was going fine, Laury," Rolf said.
⠀⠀"Yeah, but...I'm getting tired. I don't really enjoy spending time with him."
⠀⠀"Then there's not point in staying," Luna said plainly. "You know what you have to do, Laurel."
⠀⠀"Yeah. Thanks. I have to go now, but I'll talk to you soon?"
⠀⠀"You should visit soon! The tiger lillies are beginning to bud!" Rolf said excitedly in typical gardener-dad fashion.
⠀⠀Laurel laughed. "I will as soon as I can. I love you."
⠀⠀"Love you too," her parents said in unison, smiling. Then with a wave their faces disappeared.
⠀⠀Laurel headed back to her desk, finishing the last of the report she was writing before calling it a day. Her coworkers were already packing up to go home. Finishing the last sentence, she stood up to deliver it to Deputy Bell, only to find that exact person heading towards her desk.