Conscious of the hand that gripped his sleeve, Justin stopped. He noticed how Phoebe turned away from her friends; he sat back down. It was so cruel, so sick to see how the strong girl he knew back then was reduced to this. At the same time, he was confused. Confused on why she clung so tightly to him. Did she not have a family to return to? Years were a long time to find someone and settle down. It pained him as he tried to force himself to throw her away. Away from him. The Circle's retribution taking a backseat, he sat there in silence. His demeanor exhumed natural arrogance, but fire burned him on the inside. Memories, sensations, attachments made long ago. He wanted all of that back.

He cleared his throat not trusting himself to keep to his public facade. For a moment. No, for her, he'd be the Justin she knew. Not the pure blood, but the person unaffected by status. "Phoebe," he said gently. "What I did to you was terrible. I'm not sure how to make it up, but I'll try somehow. Please listen to me. Being with me, right now, is dangerous. In my line of work, you make friends with the best of saints, best of devils.

"I've become involved with something I can no longer back out of. None of the petty gangs and substance runners. No. This group is far worse my dear. They don't look kindly upon half-bloods and muggles." Resting his forehead in his hand, he knew there was no going back from this. Cursed nostalgia seeped through his mind, blinding him to logic. "The man I tried to get you away from was one of those people. I fear that if you remain with me, it'll toss your whole life into a maelstrom of disorder. I can't protect you from this one."

If it was even possible, Justin could imagine his face turning a paler shade of white. Not happening often, he was genuinely afraid. He looked around and hadn't seen any new comers. The old cafe faces remained the same. From the patrons to the baristas. Even if the Circle did apparate into the establishment, he'd had known about it. The weight of the letter suddenly returned as his chest felt heavier. He was tired. So very tired. He already practiced what he would tell Carolyn - Finius's wife. She knew they were close. The meeting was inevitable. He was a murderer, no better than a death eater. If what he told Phoebe didn't make her hate him, he didn't know what would.

"Though I left the details out, this was why I asked for you to take the Unbreakable Vow with me. No one can know about this," he said as he sat back into his chair. He tentatively reached out and cradled her smaller hand in his. They were worn. "You know one of the greatest secrets I possess. The rest - unknown to others - have only been told to you. My confidante. You look tired. I'll escort you home and be off. Your family's probably wondering where you stumbled off to."