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UnBroken	By : OddDoll Category: Harry Potter AU/AR > Het - Male/Female Views: 6172 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 26
- 27
- 28
Unbroken
By Odd Doll
Chapter 27
In the morning, Phoebe Apparated to the resort to meet Ramon, her chief of security, entering his office quietly and shutting the door behind her. She sat in his guest chair and waited him to finish chewing out a guard who hadn't bothered to memorize Malfoy's photo.
"Morning, Ramon," she said when he hung up the phone, first swinging it down as if to slam it and then checking the movement at the last moment to gently drop it into the cradle. She had seen him do this half a dozen times over the years, and had finally decided that he wanted to vent his frustration but was either too well-mannered or too well-trained to lose control.
Ramon shook his head and grunted. "We need more wizards on staff, Phoebe."
"Or witches."
"Or witches," he replied with a little quirk of the corner of his mouth that twitched his thick black mustache.
She leaned back, arms resting slack against the arms of the chair. "You know how hard it is to find even reliable Muggles to work in a place like this, Ramon. And you already have more witches and wizards on your staff than any other department."
"In these times, what with those English crazies running around, we'd need them even without your little problem."
"We have American crazies now, too, you know. And it's more than a little problem." She sat up straight again. "Yesterday I was attacked outside of Gringotts."
"That was you?" He gestured toward a copy of The Oracle that lay tightly folded on a corner of his desk. "The paper said it was an attempted robbery."
Phoebe shook her head. "No. Death Eaters."
"Aw, man. You're lucky to have escaped."
"Believe me, I know. I need those bodyguards right away, and whoever I hire will be facing genuine risks. Two Death Eaters followed me here from England, and the locals are aiding them as well."
"Why?" He leaned back, his desk chair tilting with him until it hit the bookcase that crowded his desk from behind. Phoebe knew she should tell him everything; he deserved to know the risks his employees might face. She could see him calculating them as his eyes narrowed. He folded his hands, resting them under his nose, and watched her over his laced fingers. She decided to tell him her story. It was only fair. But she didn't tell him that Snape was still with her.
Afterward, he stared up at the ceiling for so long that Phoebe almost wondered if he might be struggling for something tactful to say. But finally he looked at her and said, "I only know one guy, but he's really good. Nice young guy. Had a hard time at AMA. Learned to protect himself early."
"That sounds promising. What kind of experience does he have?"
"Trained with the MBI. Left them after about five years, just a month or two ago." Ramon looked down at his cluttered desk, giving Phoebe the impression that something was left out.
"Why? Why after only five years? I thought most of those guys were lifers."
Ramon ran his finger in a circle over the one bare spot on his desk, watching it rather than Phoebe. "Well...Jim, ya see, he has his ways of doing things. He's really smart, figures things out long before everybody else, and then he gets frustrated when they don't do what he tells them." The finger stopped and he looked up. "They didn't fire him, if that's what you're worried about."
She let out a sigh and ran her fingers through her hair. Severus would hate him. She knew it. "There's nobody else?"
"Not that can start working right away."
"Does he have a family?"
"Not that I know of. Lots of girlfriends, last time I knew, but I don't think he's even living with someone right now." He leaned forward and reached for the phone. "Want me to call him?"
She waved a hand toward the phone. "I might as well talk to him." After a brief conversation, Ramon hung up. "He's watching his nephew, but he could be here in two hours."
"I'll be in my office." She rose. "Call me."
"You'll be safe there, you think?" He didn't wait for a response. "I'll get Diego or Frank to stay with you."
Phoebe bit back an angry reply. "I suppose I can't be too careful."
Phoebe went to her office and started the daunting task of sorting out the many aspects of the business: running a resort hotel, finance, liaison with the community and law enforcement, promotion, overseeing the standards of the entertainment. The list went on an on, and although others managed the day-to-day details of the business, Phoebe had her hand in everything. Some things could be delegated to department heads, others she could handle long distance by phone, and she trusted Michael to keep the members happy with the things they sought here, but there was so much else that she trusted no one else to do.
After less than five minutes she laid her head down on her desk and shut her eyes very tight.
I can do this. I am strong. Leadership is the willingness to make the hard decisions. But her hand shook as she reached for a fresh yellow lined pad. Acid tore at her gut. Heartburn. Just heartburn, not anything more serious. And her scalp itched. Her hand reach reflexively to dig into the roots of her hair, but she caught it at the last moment.
She had begun her medication last night, but it would take several days to fully kick in.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw the guard outside her window shift position, keeping his right hand near the pocket where he hid his wand.
For five full minutes she lay like that, saying every anti-anxiety mantra she knew. Although she said them to herself off-and-on daily, she was out of practice at this kind of serious meditation.
With a deep breath, she straightened her posture. If nothing else, no one was going to say she couldn't handle it. She took up her phone and called a major accounting firm she knew would have someone she could hire on contract to handle the day-to-day financial side of the business. Making the arrangements made it real. Phoebe really was leaving.
****
Phoebe went straight to Ramon's office when he called to say that Jim Robinson was on his way. It was only a few moments later when a young man in jeans and a black t-shirt walked into the office. He had light blond hair in a military cut and a nice face.
"Hey, Ramon," he said. He glanced from Ramon to Phoebe, giving her a quick once-over.
"Hey, Jim. Would ya shut the door? Have a seat."
There was something both cocky and wary about the way Jim Robinson settled into the chair beside Phoebe and sat back with his arms dangling at his sides. He wasn't very tall, but he was framed with long lean muscles, like a swimmer or a runner, and he radiated suppressed nervous energy. Phoebe liked him at once.
"This is my boss, Phoebe Baher." Ramon made the introductions, and they all shook hands. Phoebe gave Ramon a little nod to let him know he could do the talking. Ramon proceeded to lay out sketchy details, emphasizing both the opportunity for long-term work and the potential hazards. "
"The risks are very real," Phoebe said when Ramon paused. "I don't want you thinking this is a piece of cake. I've already been attacked once."
Jim Robinson coolly looked her in the face, seemingly unimpressed. "I'm no dummy."
"That's a plus." Phoebe joked to relieve the inexplicable tension in the room. Then it came to her. "You will be working with another wizard, but I'll also expect you to be able to make quick decisions on your own."
The wizard relaxed a little. "I can do that. Who's the other wizard?"
Phoebe raised a brow in Ramon's direction. "You'll recognize him the moment you meet him." Ramon cleared his throat.
"There's privacy agreements you gotta sign. You'll be making good money, of course. With all the trouble and all."
Phoebe nodded; she had planned as much. She always paid well.
The young man seemed eager for the assignment, and the negotiations were soon settled. From the resort they Apparated directly to the street outside Gringotts. She couldn't tell how seriously he took her warnings that this was the most dangerous aspect of their trip, but as she raced up the marble steps, he held his wand ready.
"Ms. Baher," the goblin at the front desk said the moment she stepped in front of him. "I assume you want your chest."
"Yes, please."
"Your key."
"But you recognized me on sight."
"Your key."
"I'm in a hurry. Couldn't we skip the formalities? I don't want a repeat of what happened yesterday." The bank was cool, but she shivered from a sudden attack of nerves. Around her, goblins counted stacks of coins behind their counters and patrons perused their bankbooks, but she felt certain every eye was upon her. "We need to get out of here," she whispered.
"Just give him the key," Jim said.
Phoebe fumbled in her purse which, fortunately, she had not lost during the previous day's battle, and extracted the key from a pocket inside it. "Please be as quick as possible." She slid the key across the counter.
After a few moments, and without further fuss, the goblin returned with her chest. Jim immediately took her elbow and swept her toward the door. "You really were attacked here yesterday?"
"Yes."
"Stay here."
He pushed the door open a crack and peered out before slipping outside. A long minute later the door opened again. "It's clear."
"Then let's get out of here."
In minutes they were on the deck outside the Tahoe cabin. Phoebe hesitated before she opened the sliding glass door to the living room.
"The man you are about to meet is quite, um, fanatical about my safety. Perhaps more so than his own."
"Okay. I like it when people are with the program. Makes my job easier." Jim had an easy, relaxed grin, but it didn't fool her. His eyes darted from the house to the trees and back to the door to the living room. "This house has some powerful wards, doesn't it?"
"Yes. He insisted upon it. Look, as I was saying, he's a fanatic, and he's going to question you, and maybe even test you before he gives his final approval."
"I'm sure I can handle anything he throws at me." Jim seemed to be one of those men who thought that a bit of shinola was just part of a good arsenal.
"He's been very sick. He still is. If he wants you to duel, you must impress him, but under no circumstances are you to hurt him. Do you understand?"
"Duel?"
Just then the glass door slid open and Severus stepped onto the deck. "Is this your guard?" Severus raised his brows and folded his arms across his chest, while Jim stuck his hands in the pockets of his jeans and put on an expression of cool unconcern. The two men sized each other up so blatantly that Phoebe could have laughed if the situation wasn't so serious.
"You weren't kidding about his health. The man looks like a death camp survivor."
Phoebe choked on a burst of shocked laughter, but Severus scowled. "This is the best you could do?"
She ignored that. "Jim Robinson, meet Severus Snape."
Jim let out a low whistle. "Severus Snape? The Hero of Hogwarts?"
"Never call me that."
"You a friend of his?"
"Why don't we go inside?" Phoebe suggested in attempt to ease the tension in the air.
Snape swept through the doorway, and Jim eased himself in behind him, pausing to take in his surroundings. She noticed that his wand had never left his hand and decided that although he might be a bit crude around the edges, Jim Robinson had good instincts. Hopefully Severus would see that without making too much of an issue about his behavior.
Snape held out a chair at the kitchen table. "Sit down. Please. We will discuss your qualifications."
Jim gave her a skeptical look, but eased into the chair. Phoebe wasn't sure if she should sit or not, but chose to stand to one side, where she could watch them both.
"Where did you go to school?" Severus asked without preamble.
"AMA, Washington."
"Oh, I went there," Phoebe said, which earned her a glare from Severus. She ignored him. "What years were you there?"
"'82 through '89."
"I graduated in '75."
"How old are you?" Severus asked.
"Twenty-eight."
"Married? Children? Girlfriends?"
"No. No. Lots," Jim said with a smirk.
"I'm asking," Snape said with what sounded like strained patience, "if you have anyone you would not want to leave for an extended period, or who might miss you if you were to die."
Jim leaned back in his chair and looked around as if he felt a bit trapped. "Are you folks for real?"
"You're a bodyguard--" Snape began, but Phoebe interrupted him.
"Jim, we are as real as it gets." She sat down in a chair at his side. "Listen to our story, and if it's too much for you, we'll send you back and Obliviate your memories."
"Phoebe, he doesn't need to know that much."
"He deserves to know, Severus. I got into this blind, and I don't want that to happen to anyone else. Do you agree to the Obliviate?"
Jim stared at them both, but nodded slowly. "If only because I'm curious as hell."
Severus crossed his arms over his chest and scowled. "Very well."
Jim chose to stay. His acquiescence didn't spare him further grilling from Severus or a small demonstration of his skill with a wand. In the end, Severus grunted and rose from the table, apparently satisfied.
"So? Did I pass?"
"You'll do."
Phoebe noticed that the fingertips he rested against the tabletop where strained white, and she realized he was using them to support his weight. His pallor was whiter than usual, and he swayed a little. She rushed to his side and took his arm.
"Let's discuss this in private for a moment." She steered him to his bedroom. Once she had him settled, eyes closed, on the edge of his bed, she said, "You've been pushing yourself too hard these last few days."
"I need to build up my stamina."
"You need to rest. Now you stay here. I'll bring your lunch in to you." But when she returned with a tray, he was curled up asleep atop the coverlet.
Over lunch Jim and Phoebe discovered they had more in common than just their alma mater. They both were Muggle-born and came from lower-middle class roots. They both had played on their house basketball teams. They talked for two hours as if they were old friends before Phoebe finally had to send him home to pack the things he would need for his stay. She also asked him to stop by her house in Pacific Grove, just to look things over.
Phoebe and Severus were at the dinner table when he returned.
"Your place's been tossed." Jim set her house key on the table. "It's a shambles but nothing appears broken or damaged."
Phoebe suddenly pushed her plate away, as if the food no longer appealed to her. "Well, we expected that. We even prepared for it."
"Tossed?" Severus asked.
"Searched," Jim said.
"Is there any sign that they might have found something useful?" Severus asked.
"The cover was off the bathroom drain."
Phoebe looked confused. "The drain?"
"Hair," Severus explained. "Between that and the, er," he felt himself blush, "other things you left behind, they have enough of your essences to perform any number of potent spells."
"You mean the sex toys I found on the bed," Jim said with a sly grin at Phoebe.
"Don't ever forget who pays your salary. Is it really that bad?"
"It's serious," Severus said. "From now on, I don't want you to leave the house, even to take a walk."
"You've got to be kidding!" Phoebe pushed her chair back and threw her napkin on the table. "I've got business to take care of. That's why I hired him in the first place."
"Phoebe--"
"Severus, I need to get the contract employee in place as manager for the resort. He's a professional, but he's going to need a lot of help. That requires me to be there to sign papers, show him what needs to be done--"
"Don't worry so much. She has me," Jim said.
"You don't know what you're dealing with."
"I've seen my share of dueling."
"You have no idea of what you are up against. These people are powerful, ruthless, and most importantly, desperate."
"I've seen their type before. We had pure bloods at AMA, too, you know."
"Did you have Death Eaters?"
"Worse, we had a band of pure bloods who made me their target because I was the only scholarship kid in my entire class. I learned to both cover my ass and dish out hexes from my first year."
In the back of his mind, Severus had the thought that Jim's school experience had things in common with his own, but he ignored it. "I've experienced and survived magical battle that you wouldn't last through five minutes. She needs to be with me at all times."
"Yeah, you think so? I've done my share of hazard duty, and I bet if it came to you and me, you'd be the one who couldn't stand five minutes."
Although the blood roared in his ears, Severus projected an icy calm as he rose to his feet and drew his wand. "Would you like to prove that?"
"Gentlemen!!" Startled by her shout, they both turned to face Phoebe. "It would be faster and a lot safer if you just whipped them out and let me see who's bigger."
For a second he thought she meant his wand.
"That's enough of this. We need to work together, not fight over who's the most qualified to play my knight in shining armor."
He realized that she thought he was jealous, which was wasn't true at all.
No. Not at all.
Really.
Let her laugh and talk with this stranger as if they were old friends. He couldn't care less, just as long as she was there for him.
Really.
"I need you to be safe." The look she gave him, half exasperated, half amused, told him she wasn't fooled. Suddenly, his anger fled, leaving him feeling weak and drained. He sat down abruptly and tried not to let it show.
She stared at him for a moment, and then said quietly, "Then I'll stay with you if you think that's the safest place."
- 26
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UnBroken