Hide Away

Hide Away

Chapter 16-a long awaited kiss

After I was done, I finally looked up. During the whole meal I had kept my eyes on my lunch and hadn't looked up.

I was extremely proud of myself for not getting jealous and storming out. I had stuck to the mission and had pretended I hadn't seen that.

"When do we arrive in Egypt?" I asked him.

He had been playing with his food, so he looked up. "Tonight I assume. That's what the conductor told me."

I nodded and said, "I was thinking of getting to know some of the passengers. It could be helpful for our mission."

He looked surprised at my idea. "That's a good idea. We can go to the parlour after lunch and you can talk to some of them there."

"That's fine," I said and I waited for him to finish. I hated the tension between us but I kind of liked it too. This way he was just as uncomfortable around me as I was around him, and he didn't insult me.

He finally noticed I was waiting for him to finish, so he got up and we made our way to the parlour.

There were several people seated there. Some were lounging and talking, several were playing cards, some were smoking, and a few were reading.

I sat down near a couple of friendly looking ladies and Draco sat down near some men.

Before we had come to the parlour I had planted a piece of parchment and a magical quill in my bag, so that it would write down everything that was said.

I wasn't really good at this sort of thing, just randomly saying hello and smiling. Even on the streets when people sometimes smiled at me for holding the door open for them, I was unsure of how to react.

I took a deep breath and duct-taped my shy self into a closet at the back of my mind.

"Hello," I said brightly.

The ladies had been talking and now looked up to see the newcomer.

"Hello," said a young woman near me. She had light blond hair and brown eyes and was wearing a long dress, covering her arms and legs fully.

"I just felt that I had been keeping to myself for quite some time and it was time for me to meet some new people," I said in a cheery voice. I had spoken English, but I wasn't sure if they spoke English or not.

They smiled at me.

"That's so sweet dear," said a woman across in a Scottish accent. "Well introduce yourself."

"My name is Joanne Rowling and I'm on my way to the Nile for a cruise trip," I said.

"My name is Aisha Freida," the woman near me with the long dress said in English, with a slight accent, "and I am also on the trip to the Nile."

The other woman was a bit older than Aisha. She looked about 30 while Aisha looked 25. She had red hair and light blue eyes. "I'm Felicia Grey and I think all of us on this train are going to the Nile."

I smiled. "Well I am originally Greek but I live in the UK."

"Really? I also live in the UK," said Felicia. "Which country?"

"England," I said.

"Oh that's nice. I am from Scotland," she said, her accent becoming more apparent.

"I can distinguish it now," I said, smiling and liking these two ladies.

She smiled back at me and Aisha said, "I am from Istanbul,"

"Really?" I said. "My husband is from there as well."

"Oh, which region?" she asked.

I didn't know from which region Draco was supposed to be so I just said, "I'm not sure of the details. Like I said, we live in the UK."

"Which one is your husband?" asked Aisha.

Felicia shot her a look. "The handsome one, Aisha. We discussed him so many times."

Aisha whacked Felicia lightly, saying, "Shhh!"

I just laughed at them. "It's all right. It happens a lot." It did? I didn't even know when it did.

Felicia smiled at me while Aisha still looked a bit worried.

"He is quite handsome though," said Felicia knowingly.

"I suppose," I said, watching him.

Draco was talking to one a young man, about 35, who wasn't playing cards or smoking. He was pushing his hair over his ear and just happened to look over at that moment.

I looked away and flushed, just a bit. Since I was feeling nonchalant with him, I decided I didn't care.

"How long have you been married to him?" asked Aisha.

"We're newlyweds," I said in a clipped voice. What if the man Draco was talking to happened to be Aisha or Felicia's husband? Draco could tell them we had been married for five years and I just one? It would seem so odd if they told Felicia or Aisha.

Draco had told me about a new magical technology that was used to communicate. It was designed especially for Illuminators on top-secret weapons. It was sending messages with your brain along a direct route.

All you had to do was say the number of the person you were trying to reach and then say the message.

343 I said inside my head. Please say your message went the recording. 'Draco, how many years have we been married?'

I looked out the corner of my eye to see Draco's reaction. He didn't have any. He just smiled at the man and pretended to think about his question and then I heard his voice in my head, 'I don't know. How many did you say?'

Redial number I thought. The recording went and then I thought, 'I just said newlyweds.'

I waited and then, 'That's fine.'

I looked back to them and said, "How about the two of you? Are you married?"

Felicia smiled. "The man your husband is talking to is my husband, Arnold."

Aha! I had known something like this would occur. Good thing I had confirmed the information.

"I'm not married yet," said Aisha. "But I am engaged and am going to be wed as soon as I get back from this trip."

I chatted with them pleasantly, getting to know them.

As Ginny chatted with Felicia and Aisha in the parlour, there was a very important meeting going on.

Down the hallway and in a cabin that was locked by hexes and charms were two people planning and plotting.

"Did you seduce him yet?" came a male voice.

"Yes...I have started that is. It went quite well actually," answered the female.

"Good, good. I knew he would be easy."

"How is she? How far are you with her?" said the female.

"She is harder. She is cautious and a bit more strong-minded. She does not trust me yet," came the male voice.

"You shall be starting soon though, right?"

"Yes, my love. Yes, quite soon. As soon as I gain her trust and friendship, I shall lead her away from what she believes about her husband and into my traps."

The woman laughed. "Purr-fect...."

After a few hours of chatting with the ladies, dinner was called to be ready. Everyone in the parlour made their way to the dining cart and the man to which Draco was talking, Arnold, invited us to join him for dinner.

Aisha politely refused saying she had to meet her mother for dinner, but Draco accepted on our behalf.

So I spent the dinner with Felicia and Arnold, who very nice and not the least bit suspicious.

Felicia pointed out everyone to me in the dining cart, which today, was everyone onboard.

First there was the woman I had seen on the first day, with the elderly man. She had been wearing a dress with a neckline too large for her, and today she wore the same.

Felicia was a bit of a gossip, so I found out everything I needed to know about everyone. But I was glad because I was getting lots of information for our mission.

The elderly woman was from Ireland, as was her husband. Her name was Marcel and her husband's was Angus.

The woman was quite rude and grumpy, apparently. She was forever complaining to her husband, who was mostly quiet.

Then there was the brown haired girl, whom I was most eager to know about. I glanced at Draco when Felicia told me about her, just to see his reaction, but he wasn't listening. He was deep in conversation with Arnold.

Her name was Gabrielle Delacour. Her name rang a bell in my ears as I listened to Felicia tell me about her. I knew I had heard her name somewhere, but I couldn't remember where.

She was a very beautiful and well know French actress who actually had blond hair and blue eyes, but she often wore a disguise when she went out, Felicia told me.

When I asked her age, I found out that she only looked older than me, but was indeed younger. She was 20 and quiet.

Then there was Evan, whom Felicia knew nothing about. She thought he was somewhere from the UK because of his accent. All she knew was his age, which was 23 and that he scared the living daylights out of her. She said that his dark eyes were haunting and I was glad that I wasn't the only one who thought so.

After him, there was Aisha with her mother and two brothers. Aisha was Muslim and spoke Turkish and Arabic with her family. Her mother's name was Azizza and her brothers, Muhammad and Waseem, were seventeen and nineteen. They all were olive skinned with dark hair.

Then there was Mr. Black, who was very secretive, but Felicia knew some things about him. He was supposed to be a secret agent for some country and was on a mission. He had black hair and dark brown eyes. He had also been fighting in Iraq apparently, according to Felicia.

Then there was a couple, Rose Willis and her husband, Mark. They were Americans and nobody really liked them on the train. They were rather snobby and always put down other people.

Then there were two Arabic men who Felicia thought were brothers. They wore white long shirts and baggy white pants and spoke in rapid Arabic.

After them were two brothers with their wives: Edgar and his wife Maria, and Orlando and his wife Ella. They were from Spain and spoke funny English with Spanish accents. Felicia didn't know much about them, as they usually kept to themselves.

As Felicia talked, I learned almost everything about all the passengers on the train. I was glad I talked to her.

After lunch, everyone retired to their cabins to get their things ready for landing in Egypt. Everyone was very excited; I could tell from all the talking.

Draco and I also went to our cabin.

Most of Draco's things were still in his suitcase, as he hadn't had a temper-tantrum. In my case, everything needed to be folded and put away properly.

We still weren't talking, but before I started cleaning up, Draco asked me for my notes so he could read over them.

I cleaned up and then looked over at Draco. He was sitting on the bed and still reading the notes, and now making his own.

I wanted to ask him if he had any ideas about who the murderer could be, but I felt it was a stupid question, so I kept it myself.

I went to the bathroom and cleaned it up too.

When I came out, Draco said, "These are good notes."

"Thanks," I said. Oh god, I hated this. I hated this tension between us. I liked having my new self-control but I didn't like it when I couldn't use it on him.

He looked through the notes and said, "You don't have much on Felicia and Arnold though."

I shrugged. "Do you actually think they're the ones?"

He looked at me seriously. "Don't rule out anyone just because they're friendly. Also don't get too close to anyone."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't become friends with anyone," he said, writing something down. "Only become friends to spy on them, but don't otherwise."

"That's like lying though," I said.

He looked up. "Look Ginny. We're on a mission here to solve a problem and you don't know who's out to get you and who isn't, so it's better not to get too close, if you want to live that is."

I nodded and then grabbed some clothes from my suitcase to change into.

I changed into a flowery skirt with a matching shirt. Then I brushed my hair in the mirror, while making faces at myself, pretending I was Draco.

"Don't become friends with anyone," I said mimicking his deep voice. "We're on a mission here and if you want to live only become friends to spy and...blah blah blah."

"Are you talking to yourself in there?" came his voice from the bedroom.

The brush fell out of hand.

I picked it up. "Yeah I am. Got a problem?"

I could just see him roll his eyes. "No, go right ahead. Tell your imaginary friend I said hello."

"He says that you shouldn't poke into other people's business and also not to pick your nose too much," I said, continuing to brush my hair.

"He?"

"Yes, he. Any problems?"

There was no answer.

I waited and there was still nothing. I opened the bathroom door and saw him sitting on his bed, staring at the door of our cabin.

"Draco, what...?" I started, but he jumped up and put his hand on my mouth.

"What the f...?" I tried again, but his hand was too tight on my mouth.

So I did the only thing I could think of. I bit his hand.

He swore several times and held his hand.

"Shhh," he said, pointing to the door with his free hand.

I could suddenly hear very low voices coming from outside.

"...something about picking his nose," came a female voice.

"I don't care!" came a low male voice. "I can't hear anything now. Do you think our equipment is messed?"

Draco let go of me and walked slowly to the door.

I walked behind him and saw him yank open the door. But there was no one there.

Draco stuck his head out the door and looked down both ends of the cart.

"No one there," he murmured.

"That was freaky," I said sitting down on the bed.

Draco was holding his hand, which was starting to bleed now.

"God Weasley," he groaned, sitting beside me.

I looked at his hand and saw that I had cut him with my teeth. I couldn't help but smile sheepishly and turn red.

"Oh I'm so sorry, Draco," I said.

"Why me?" he moaned. He didn't seem to be asking me, just God in general.

I felt really bad now. Why was I so clumsy and thick? First I broke his nose and now I bit him? I sounded like some mad woman.

I took his hand into mine and tried looking for something to wrap it in. There was nothing, so I ripped off a piece of my skirt and wrapped his hand in it.

"I'm not walking around with flowers on my hand," he said, wincing.

"Shhh," I said, pressing down firmly against it. I pressed until the cloth was soaked in blood. I removed it and looked around. "I wish I had some magical herbs." Then I got an idea.

I ripped off some more of my skirt and put it on his hand. "Here, keep this like this," I said.

I went to the bathroom and found some toothpaste, shampoo and ice. I then mixed it together in the only bucket like thing I could find, an ice bucket.

I mixed it together and then said a spell. The mixture turned blue and I took it to Draco.

I sat down on the bed and took the cloth of the skirt from him. I had dipped it in the blue mixture and was starting to put it on his hand, when he moved it.

"What it is that?" he asked.

"Just something that will stop the bleeding and heal the cut," I said. "When I was younger and got hurt from playing outside, my mum would make this because we couldn't afford to go to St. Mungos. It really helps."

He still looked as if he didn't believe me, so I said, "Look, just trust me, ok? It might sting a bit, but it'll help. It'll look better, but it'll still hurt for a while."

He sighed and gave me his hand. I put the cloth on it and he winced. After a while, the blood stopped and we both watched as the skin on his hand joined back together.

After a few minutes it had healed, and it occurred to me that I was sitting there holding his hand in mine.

"Oh sorry," I said, letting go.

He didn't say anything, just tried to write some more notes, but as it was his right hand, he was having trouble.

"Here, let me write," I said, taking the quill out of his hand.

He dictated everything to me and as I wrote, we talked about who we thought suspicious and for whom we were going to keep an eye out.

As we talked, we were getting back to the way we were. He made a few rude comments about me and how slow I was, but I figured I liked him better that way than when he was mad at me.

I decided that hearing his insults was better than imagining him thinking it.

I then changed out of my skirt because it was ripped. I chose a blue halter dress and got dressed in it.

Soon after that, it was dinner, and then right after that, Draco told me we were going to stop in Cairo.

We made our way to the dining cart and sat down.

We were both waiting for the waiter to bring our orders, so we didn't say much.

I decided to do some snooping on my own.

"What do you think of Gabrielle Delacour?" I asked him.

Draco had been staring out the window at the low sun, but when I asked him that, he turned to look at me.

"Nothing yet. Why?" he asked.

"No reason," I said. "She just seemed a bit suspicious to me."

He shook his head. "Everyone seemed suspicious to you, Joanne."

I smiled a bit. "Perhaps, but then again, I am following what you told me."

"And what's that?"

I looked him straight in the eye. "Never trust anyone."

Maybe it was my imagination, but I could have sworn I saw his eyes flicker.

"You're right," he said. "The people who you trust the most are the ones who betray you." He stared back at me.

"That's true," I said, just as the waiter brought our food.

After that, we just ate without talking, but I was thinking hard. In a way, I had just told him I didn't trust him anymore. Then had he just told me that he didn't trust me? What had I done to break his trust?

It felt as if we had just had entire conversation, just by sitting there in silence.

The few sentences that we had exchanged had more meaning than anything we had ever said to each other.

The things that were left unsaid echoed loudly in my head, while the things that were said got shoved to the back.

I caught his eye a few times during dinner, by accident. He just looked away, just as I did when he caught my eye.

We were both so lost in our thoughts, we weren't really paying attention to what was going on around us. Thankfully, I had put some parchment and a quill in my purse so everything that was being said around us being written.

A few tables behind me, a young man was talking in a low voice with a couple.

"I really don't think they're married. I have never seen them act affectionately around each other," the single man said.

"I have," said the woman. "They must be married, otherwise what would they be doing here?"

"I think they're up to something else..." went the single male voice again.

Back at our table, we had finished with dinner and were waiting for the announcement that would give us further instructions.

After a few minutes, the conductor's voice boomed through the PA.

"We are coming to a stop in Cairo, Egypt in approximately an hour, so please get your personal belongings from your cabins and then wait by the doors closest to you," he said.

We got up and went to our cabin.

As I was looking around for any things we may have missed, Draco asked me, "Can I look at the notes?"

"Sure, they're in my bag," I said. "Hold on..." I grabbed them from my purse and gave them to him to read.

He read them while he waited for me. I was getting my brush and personal items from the bathroom and when I came out I asked him, "Anything important in there?"

"Not really. Are you ready?" he asked me.

"Yup," I said, getting my purse. We were to leave all off our heavy luggage in the cabin and only take what we needed.

We went to the door nearest our cabin and waited there until the train stopped. There were a few others too, waiting with us.

There was Evan and the American couple, Rose and Mark.

I didn't like the way Evan was staring at me, so I moved closer to Draco.

My heart was beating wildly, but it wasn't because of Draco this time. It was because of Evan's deadened eyes.

Draco closed the distance between us and slipped his arm around my waist.

I looked at him as if to say, "What in bloody hell are you doing?" But he didn't look at me.

Soon after, the doors opened and we walked onto a black and dead station.

A man walked up to us after the train had left and said, "Good evening all. You will now be taken to a hotel and in the morning the Black Nile princess will sail."

They had arranged for a bus to take us to the hotel, so we climbed aboard and somehow Evan found the seat right across from us.

Draco and I sat beside each other, and Evan didn't stop staring at all.

I was feeling really nervous with him looking at me like that. Even when I tried to look away and then glance back to see if he was looking anywhere but at me, I found he was still looking at me.

Draco put his arm around me. Whoa. First the arm around my waist and now this? I didn't know why he was acting so...affectionately. I figured it was because he wanted to really sell our act of being husband and wife.

Well anyways, this time his arm was on my shoulder, so I just leaned back and put my head on his shoulder.

I felt my body stiffen and then I got used to it, so I relaxed a bit.

I looked determinedly at Evan as if to say so there.

We reached the hotel in fifteen minutes and we were assigned bedrooms for one night.

When Draco and I got to our room, I looked around. It had a big king sized bed in the centre and a dresser and side tables. There was a door off to the side, which I assumed was the bathroom.

"How long is this trip?" I asked him.

"Two weeks," he said. "Listen Ginny, I don't want you meeting with Evan alone ever again, ok?"

"I won't now," I said. "He's freaked me out enough."

"I know, but even if he gives you a note telling you to meet him, show it to me first."

I thought he was trying to be controlling so I asked, "Why?"

"Because he has a wand and could be dangerous. You can fight him, but it'll blow our cover and we'll have to do memory charms. He's really dangerous," he said. "I just don't want you going to meet him when I don't know."

I was too tired to argue so I just said, "Ok, that's fine."

"And also, we're going to have to act a bit more...in love," he said, looking strained. "Some people on the train, and now on the cruise, don't believe that we're married."

"How do you know?" I asked, raising my eyebrow at him.

"I can just guess," he said. "Believe me though, I also heard some people talking."

"Oh ok, then," I said.

We didn't talk much after that just got ready for bed.

As I was changing in the bathroom, it struck me how odd our conversation had just been. My boss was telling me to be more in love with him. I would laugh if the matter weren't so serious. But I cracked a smile just thinking about it.

Draco went into the bathroom after I changed.

I started to read my book, but then the balcony door looked inviting to me.

Walking out into the balcony, I lost my breath because of the view.

The light Egyptian breeze tickled my senses as I gazed out into the city of Cairo. It was beautiful and looked ancient. Since it was night, the city was ablaze with light and because of the haunting beauty of it, they seemed to glow, lighting up even the sky.

Temples and buildings lined the city and were cracking with age. They were all sand coloured and had a soft radiance. I could see the Nile, as the city was built around it.

It was beautiful and sparkling. It shimmered and I wanted so badly to be beside the water.

The city was still awake at this hour and I could hear the soft sounds of people walking and talking merrily below me.

Above our hotel was the black sky littered with stars. In a far away corner lay a crescent moon looking forlorn as the stars twinkled around it.

When we had come to Egypt in my second year, I remember thinking many different things. I realised how much my thoughts differed from then to now.

When we came last time, I remember being cross with mum for not letting me go into some of the pyramids.

I also realised I didn't really pay any attention to the scenery around me. I was too caught up in my own world.

Another breeze came and I took down my hair. I watched as the long red strands blew.

I felt so at peace with everything, and with myself as well. I felt like I never wanted to leave this place and time.

Finally, I decided it was time for me to go in. When I went in, I saw that Draco was waiting for me, sitting on the bed. Since it was kind of cool this night, he was wearing sweatpants without a shirt. I know I always notice his clothes and how much he is wearing, but I can't help it. Even now, when I believed I had gotten over him, I still blushed seeing him without a shirt. But then again, I blushed when I saw construction guys working without their shirts.

"Why didn't you go to sleep?" I asked him.

"I had to discuss tomorrow's plan with you," he said.

I sat down beside him (with some distance between us, mind you!) He told me the plan and what we had to do in about five minutes.

After that, he told me that he had put the barrier on the bed. It was a double bed, smaller than the one on the train. I tested to make sure the barrier was in place and then went to sleep.

**~***~**

In the morning, I turned on my side and ended up on the floor.

"Ahh!" I screamed, hitting my head on the dressing table.

It took me some time to wake up. By that time, Draco had come around the bed and was standing before.

"What happened?" he demanded.

I tried to think. Truly, I didn't know what had happened.

I rubbed my head where a bump was starting to form and the pain was registering. "I fell off the bed, I think."

I started to get up just as he leaned down. We bonked heads.

"Ow!" we both moaned.

I rubbed my head and then I couldn't help it anymore. I started laughing.

Draco sat on my side of the bed, rubbing his head. "What's so funny?" he asked.

I couldn't stop laughing, so I just continued to laugh.

He gave me a weird look and then said, "Are you ok?"

I got up off the floor and stopped laughing. I figured this was not a good way to wake him up.

"Yeah I'm fine. I'm used to it," I said, rubbing my head.

He raised an eyebrow. "You're used to falling out of bed like that?"

I started laughing again. "I guess you could say that."

He looked at me weird and then laughed too.

"Do you want to use the bathroom first?" he asked me.

I shook my head. I wanted to stand out in the balcony again and admire the city in the morning.

Outside the air was light and a bit humid. The buildings and scenery looked different to me now in the morning. I city below me was awake with people talking, laughing and walking. I heard music coming from a nearby building and I smelled something delicious.

After a few minutes, I went back inside and picked out my clothes for the day.

The conductor at the station had said that we were supposed to be downstairs in the foyer by nine o'clock ready to be picked up and it was already eight fifteen.

I picked out a yellow sequined tank top and a breezy short skirt.

After Draco came out, I went to the bathroom and quickly got changed.

After that, I got my purse and we both went downstairs.

It was ten to nine when we got there. Many of the passengers were already there.

I was relieved that Evan wasn't there yet.

Felicia smiled and waved at me, and I waved back.

After ten minutes a bus came for us and we got on. It drove us to the Nile where we got onto either a small ship or a large boat, depending on how you look at it.

As soon as everyone was on, the ship set sail.

I was so excited that I kind of forgot it was a mission.

We unpacked in our room and I took a good look around. It was medium sized with a double bed on one side. There were there same necessities as any other room, except there was a door that linked our room to another.

As soon as we got there, Draco locked that door and put a few hexes on it.

He told me the one he put. "Whenever anyone tries to open it, they'll suddenly remember something they needed to do and go and do it."

I laughed. "That's a good one."

After we settled in, we went for a walk around the boat.

There was a dining hall enough for thirty people and also a parlour and lounge.

In the end, we ended up behind our room, before the railing. Every room opened up to a balcony, but it was public and stretched to the end of the boat, letting anyone walk along it, passing all the rooms.

We stood near the railing about a few feet apart. Several other people were admiring the beauty of the Nile and were standing behind their rooms.

"Thank God Evan's room is on the other side," I told Draco.

He nodded. "He'll still find a way over here though and..." he paused and then came closer to me. "He's coming this way."

I glanced to my right and saw that Evan was coming towards us, pushing past the people in their own balconies.

"Oh shit," I muttered. "Quick, do something romantic. Hold my hand or..." I couldn't finish the sentence because the next thing I knew, Draco's lips were on mine.

If I could've screamed, it was most likely I would have.

I was so shocked that I didn't realise he was kissing me until a minute later.

It had been years since I had last gone out with someone and you could say I kind of forgot how to, but Draco gave kissing a whole new meaning.

He didn't press too hard, but was gentle and romantic. It was the sweetest kiss I had ever gotten.

His arms were around me and his hands were on my bare back. I put my arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

I forgot everything when I was kissing him. I forgot who I was and who he was. I forgot that I was on a mission. I forgot that he hated me and I hated him.

For the two minutes I kissed him, I was floating on air. I was elated and I felt little jolts of electricity running through my body.

After about a minute, I felt him pulling away.

I let go slowly too and let go of his neck. I could also feel his hands on my back, gently letting go.

I gasped for air as soon as I had let go. I could just feel the heat coming from my body and perhaps his too.

I couldn't dare look at him. I felt that if I did, I would explode.

Finally, I turned to look at him and saw that for once, he looked slightly embarrassed too.

"Do you think he saw?" he asked me.

"Probably," I said. "He's not here anymore, is he?"

Draco turned to look around and said, "No."

I didn't say anything and turned a few shades redder.

If I stopped to think of it, which of course I didn't, I would've realised that I had just kissed my boss.

We just stood there staring into the water. I didn't even notice that someone was watching us.

"Did you see that?" came the male voice.

The female laughed. "Shhh. Don't worry, we'll soon have pried them apart and have caused distrust to form in their hearts."

While those two conversed, I was burning up with embarrassment. Draco didn't look embarrassed anymore and was just staring off into the distance.

"What time is it?" I asked him after a few minutes.

"Three," he answered after looking at his watch.

"I'm going to take a shower," I told him.

He only nodded and I left, muttering to myself.

I went into the room and shut and locked the balcony doors. I was about to lock the front door but then I realised that Draco didn't have the key and that I had it.

I didn't feel like giving it to him now, so I just left the door open and decided that if I locked the bathroom door it would be all right.

I went into the shower and welcomed the hot water. When I was done, I started putting on my blue sundress when I realised there was a big hole in it.

I decided it was better just to repair it with my wand than to iron another one.

Since there were no windows in the room, except the balcony, which I had locked and pulled the drapes over, I walked into the room in my bra and underwear.

I completely forgot that I had left the front door unlocked and just went around the room looking for my wand.

I found it and I was so engrossed in trying to repair my dress with it, that I didn't hear the front door open.

I just heard it close and I turned around and saw Draco standing right there in front of the closed door, staring at me.

I think I must have gasped, but now, I can't be sure. I was standing practically naked and my boss was in the room.

His eyes travelled over my body and I felt like dropping dead.

As many of you know, I am quite slow on the uptake so it took me some time to register that Draco Malfoy was in the room while I was wearing my bra and underwear. For the occasion of being a sexy wife, I had bought some lingerie and this was the day that I happened to be wearing it.

It seemed to register to him that we were just staring at each other, because he just blinked and then left.

I sighed and then flopped on my bed for a minute thinking about what had just happened. Then I jumped up and pulled on my dress before he could come back for a second look.

I was kind of frazzled after that. I mean he had kissed me and seen me in my lingerie all in one day. It was way too much for me to spend more time with him after that.

I took my book and found a chair outside on the balcony. I sat down and started reading for an hour.

After a few minutes I became aware that someone was watching me.

I turned around but there was no one there. The balcony area was empty all the way down as everyone was resting.

I turned back around and went back to reading. After a few minutes, I got that strange feeling again so I pretended as to continue to read, flipping the page every few minutes.

I suddenly got up off my chair and found Evan standing a few feet away from me.

I screamed and my book fell into the water.

It was my favourite book as well, Henry Skreever and the Philosopher's flower. Desperately, I tried reaching for it in the water, as it wasn't a very tall ship.

Instead of getting the book, I fell into the water, screaming.

The Nile wasn't very deep or cold. But it was deep enough and murky enough to make me scared.

I tried jumping up, but I couldn't. Evan had grabbed some rope and threw it over board to me. I grabbed my book and then I grabbed a hold of it. I held tightly onto the rope and finally got back onboard. I slipped over the railing and fell on top of him.

Our faces were inches apart and I was soaked. He gave me a look and I got up off of him.

"Sorry," I said, shivering as a light breeze blew. "And thanks by the way."

"No problem," he said, staring at me intently.

"It was your fault though," I reminded him. "You scared me."

He smiled and his black eyes glittered. "You're right. I didn't mean to scare you."

I shivered some more, not because of the cold this time. "What do you want?"

He looked at me for a moment longer. "Nothing. I just saw you sitting alone and thought perhaps you could use some company."

"Why were you hiding then?"

He shrugged. "You haven't exactly been friendly towards me, Joanne. So I was a bit wary."

I stared at him incredulously. "I haven't been friendly towards you?! What bullshit. I have every reason not to be friendly towards a guy who follows me everywhere and threatened to use his...magic on me," I whispered that part. "Those are all really good reason not to be welcoming to you."

He smiled a bit. "I know I haven't been friendly either and I want to apologise for it. But I realise something now. I'm sad that you're married."

I stared at him, flabbergasted.

He continued. "When I saw you that day in the Ministry, I was awed by your elegance and witty attitude. I looked forward to our date that night but it turned out to be your housemaid. Seeing you here made me want to be with you and seeing you with your husband has made me jealous. I also saw and heard the way he treats you so I guess I figured I could do better if I was with you."

I was so shocked that I continued to stare at him. He came closer to me and I went farther back. There was nothing there except the railing of the deck. I didn't want to fall back into the water, so I gingerly leaned on the railing.

This scene suddenly reminded me of another. A picture flashed in my mind's eye and it was of a dark and murky corner of Hogwarts behind a statue. It included a seventeen-year-old Draco Malfoy pushing his body against mine. I pushed the picture out and focused on what was happening to me now.

"Look Evan," I said, trying to remain calm. He had his arms around the railing, making it impossible for me to escape.

"I know you may have feelings for me, but I'm married. I was married when I met you and I didn't mean to send out any signals that would let you that I'm unhappy, because I'm not. I love Neil," I said, my heart beating wildly, "and I'm very happy with him."

At this, he smiled sadly. "So you think, Joanne. Your husband does not care for you anymore than he does for a forgotten sock, which he would discard easily."

I knew he was doing this to get to me, but I couldn't help but feel sad. "That's not true," I said. "You don't know that. You don't know anything about relationship and how much we are devoted to each other."

He smiled again, sadly. "Devoted, indeed. The only one on this boat who is devoted to you Joanne, am I. I'll leave you now to ponder about what I have told you."

He left and I stared after him.

I didn't believe anything he said because Draco and I weren't even married. But there must have been some reason he had told me all this. He also said that he cared for me, and I didn't want to believe him. I knew he was following me, but I felt that the reason for his following me was a darker reason than the one that he had described so simply.

I decided to go inside my bedroom, so I could be safe. I didn't only seek refuge from Evan, but from Draco, who I had come to fear and distrust.