The horse doesn't seem to like him very much at all. For a moment James is tempted to shift, to let the stag take over and see how Philippe likes that, but he thinks that might be a little far to go on a first meeting. Maybe Belle has seen magic before and doesn't seem overly disturbed by him, but if he goes turning into an animal in front of her she might just change her tune.

Still, he stares the horse down for a moment, and if there's a hint of the stag in his expression, it can't be helped. There are days he teases Sirius for being more dog than man, but he knows that becoming an Animagus had permanently etched a little of their animal counterparts into all of them.

He shakes her hand, not sure how exactly she's come to the conclusion about good names for wizards, but content enough to let it stand. "Belle's a nice name, too," he tells her, nodding approvingly. "Are you from here, then?" he asks curiously. She doesn't strike him as one of the natives, but he's been wrong before.