"Sorry!" Harriet apologised as soon as she hurried into the room, coffee in hand.
Pepper stood waiting for her, tapping her foot impatiently. "Hari!" she began with a huff. "I don't have much time to wait for you. I have to run Stark Industries!"
"Yes, I know the feeling. Black Corporation remember?" Harriet prompted and Pepper sighed before nodding her head. Harriet handed her coffee to Pepper who sipped it appreciatively before handing it back.
"The board is annoyed at you, just so you know," Pepper said as they walked towards the meeting room. "Apparently you've practically killed Apple's stock with your new Floo," Harriet grinned before holding up the phone in question, she'd gotten the idea from her old world's Floo system, obviously, and it was working pretty well. Of course, nothing compared to the watch on her wrist which was hologram based. Both she and Sirius had one, they did practically everything and were run by Merlin so they weren't on the market. Not to mention they were mostly magical and only a little bit technological.
"Yes well, they can suck it," Harriet said with a foxy grin. "I've got better things to do then go to this meeting, such as getting sushi. And coffee. I'm going to get another coffee after this meeting."
Pepper shook her head exasperatedly. "You're addicted to caffeine Hari."
"Am not!" Harriet protested and pouted when Pepper rolled her eyes.
The board meeting was, as usual, boring. Stark Industries and Black Corp. came out on top, squashing Windows and Apple until they were crying. Harriet was contemplating whether or not she should offer a partnership with one of the other companies when Pepper shoved a fancy piece of paper into her hand.
"You have been invited to a party at Stark Tower next Friday, don't forget. Your attendance is mandatory unless you want the media to be all over you," Pepper continued as they walked back to the car park.
"I don't even know why you say invited," Harriet muttered as she clutched her new coffee to her breasts. Pepper ignored her bitterness with the ease brought upon by practice.
"Yes well, it's called inviting because I give you an invitation. Just make sure you're there. Mr Black can come if he wants but I didn't file him an invitation, simply because I'm giving you one. It begins at midnight – Tony's idea – and will finish at about six in the morning. There will be dancing," Pepper warned as Harriet groaned.
When they made it to Harriet's car, Pepper was still firing off commands. Harriet arrived back at 'Grimmauld Place', as it was nicknamed, and tossed the invitation Pepper had given her at the snoring Sirius. Geez, that man was always sleeping these days. "Old man," she mumbled before walking out the door again, to go to the sushi shop just down the road.
Right before she reached the shop, she collided into a very tall and firm person, and fell back onto the sidewalk.
"By the Mage!" she cursed loudly as the hot coffee spilt all down her front. Her coffee! She mourned for it already, looking at the almost empty cup.
"Sorry Miss Black," she was surprised to see Steve standing over her, concern on his face and hand held out to help her to her feet, which she gladly took. Getting up in stilettos was not easy. His eyes spotted her stained dress and he immediately began apologising again. "I'm sorry Miss Black, I really am, oh, your dress, I'm sorry-"
She cut him off with a blunt, "Stop apologising Rogers. You do it more than enough in a life time." After trying and failing to clean her dress, she pointed to the little shop "Sushi?"
Steve blinked in surprise before firmly informing her that he was paying. She rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses, but didn't argue. Men.
They got their food, then settled at a table where she alternated between eating and drinking the remainder of her coffee, her poor, poor coffee.
Steve apologized again and she snorted, very unladylike, "
She snorted – very un-lady like – and waved a hand dismissively.
"Please, they're just clothes, they're hardly important, the coffee on the other hand…" she said as she stroked her coffee comfortingly. The juice kept her going through meetings, work and a Marauder godfather "I'm never going to make it through the rest of the day."
"Coffee addict much?" Steve teased.
"I am not!" she said her usual protest but he didn't seem to notice as he stared at her with a strange expression on his face. For some reason, that expression made her stomach squeeze in a weird way. "Okay…" she muttered before waving her hand in front of his face. She watched in amused relief as he snapped to attention. Harriet couldn't help but laugh at how much that look on his face reminded her of Sirius when he was caught in the middle of a prank. The thought of Sirius reminded her that Sirius was most likely awake and, Mage forbid, trying to cook something. She mentioned this to Steve and he immediately got up and offered to escort her down the road to her house, but instead of saying goodbye there, she brought him into the house and to the kitchen. Sure enough, Sirius was bent over the toaster, trying to pry his toast out with a fork.
"Don't electrocute yourself, Sirius," Harriet huffed, snatching the fork from him. "Why didn't you get Merlin to do it anyway?"
"Your spirit freaks me out," Sirius mumbled.
Harriet rolled her eyes, then introduced her godfather to the large man behind her. "Siri, this is Steve. Do not start or I will silence you permanently," she threatened and Sirius pulled the puppy dogs eyes on her. Harriet almost gave in but saved herself just before she did.
Steve stepped forward and shook Sirius hands "Sirius right? Pleased to meet you, sir," he said politely.
Sirius sized Steve up, eyeing him critically, then announced "He's too stiff Hari. You need to find a Marauder."
"Steve was just escorting me back from the sushi shop," Harriet felt the need to explain. "And I don't care about you and Dad's stupid 'Marauder boyfriend Law', it has nothing to do with this."
"Don't dis the MBL!" Sirius protested hotly. "You need a guy who knows how to joke! Seeing as you're all uptight," he muttered the last bit but Harriet heard him.
"September the first, three years ago," she began and Sirius winced covering his ears.
"I take it back!" he said, remembering the incident with a shudder. "You're a daughter of a Marauder! Geez, no need to bring that up."
Steve, who had been standing there completely confused with the conversation had begun edging towards the door, but froze when Harriet pointed a finger at him "Uh uh. You're not going anywhere yet until I get you a new shirt."
"Oh no, there's no need," Steve began to protest, but Harriet was already at the cupboard, pulling out a pair of clothes and a towel.
"Shower too," she said as tossing the clothes to him "You just came straight from the gym."
Steve blushed, but nodded and headed off to do just that. As soon as he closed the door behind him, Sirius rounded on her.
"Never thought you would be for all that muscle," he said studying her intently.
"He's cute," Harriet sighed "But he's just a normal guy. I'm not going to drag him into my life, different dimensions, magic, Black Corporations. Speaking of which," she passed the slightly crimpled invitation to Sirius "You coming?"
"Of course," Sirius scoffed and flicked his long hair "I'm going to have to. Miss a party? I'm no Remus,"
Harriet sighed "Of course," she muttered with a shake of her head "Well, thanks for letting me know. But just so you know, you won't be taking my baby," she said, referring to the Firebolt.
A pouting Sirius slumped down into a seat to eat his horribly burnt toast.
A couple of minutes later, Steve returned to the kitchen smelling strongly of strawberries and looking stunning in the clothes, which were spelled to fit him exactly, he was in a simple yet elegant long, sleeved dark blue shirt and black pants. In his hands were his dirty clothes, Harriet had him toss them into the hamper.
"You can come pick them up tomorrow," she told him.
Steve raised an eyebrow "Sushi again?"
"Coffee," she corrected "You owe me one. Then you can buy me some sushi."
An amused Steve agreed, then after saying goodbye to her and Sirius, he left.
After the door shut, Harriet turned to face Sirius and saw him staring thoughtfully at her "Don't Sirius," she groaned "Please don't."
"I said nothing," he said cheekily.
"Yes, but whenever you get that thoughtful look on his face, either the end of the world is near or you're going to mess with my personal life."
Sirius frowned "That's a bit unfair. I mean, that's like saying you never expect me to think."
Harriet gave him a look, before muttering a cleaning spell on her clothes and clicking down the hall to get out of her damn heels.
