Regret and Betrayal

Chapter Ten

Mistaken Identities

~*~~*~~*~

"Not mine own fears, nor the prophetic soul of the wide world, dreaming on things to come, can yet the lease of my true love control."

"Where were you yesterday?" Lesley said as she flopped down beside Ginny on the sofa. "I take it he did something wrong again as you are not at his home but on the famous sulking sofa."

"What?" she said as she turned to her. She hadn't noticed her come in.

"Where were you yesterday? I visited but you weren't there."

"I wasn't here."

"I know that! I mean at the villa or estate or manor or whatever you call it. I went to drop off one of my paintings for him. I thought you would be there but you weren't. Then I started looking around. He has my paintings in his living room you know. I was actually surprised..." She looked at her friend in confusion, Ginny had gotten off the sofa and was now dramatically pacing around the room. "What's the matter?"

"What were you wearing yesterday?" she asked levelly.

"What?"

"Wearing, Lesley, what were you wearing?"

"Erm..." she began not knowing where this was going. "The dress you helped me pick for my first grand opening, why?"

"And your hair?" she said wincing and shielding her eyes as if they stung.

"It was out - what is this about Ginny?"

"Oh no, oh no, oh god!" She paced even more.

Lesley's face changed as Ginny started rambling. "Ginny, what did you do now?" she asked in a severe tone.

"Something utterly stupid!" she fell on the sofa next to her. "Oh Lesley, I think I've screwed everything up!"

"I'm sure it'll be okay. He doesn't hate you. I don't think that's possible actually." She stroked Ginny's hair trying to calm her down. "Just give it a few days."

***

Samara opened her eyes to the curtain at the side if Cyrus' bed for the second time cursing her weakness when she was around him. Two days ago he had taken her back to the kitchens and he had told the rest of the staff that she was no longer working for his father and that she had working for him for two days now. All the help then looked at her as if asking if this was true. Se couldn't even face them, when he had begun his little speech she had lowered her head and she knew they could see the tears falling from her eyes to the ground.

"And what's more, she will not be working in the kitchens anymore and nor will she be staying in her quarters. She will inhabit a room on the third floor." He had then turned to her and seen her current state. Her head was down so she hadn't seen what flashed across his eyes. "But do not think," he concluded, "that you will not see her after hours, you are not prisoners here and you certainly have rights to see your own colleagues." He then left the room, leaving her standing by herself in the kitchen.

She looked around the room with red in her eyes at all the staff surveying her and wandering what was going on. Then he had come back in and called her, saving her from the severe questioning she was going to get from them. Two days later, she was still avoiding them.

She turned onto her back and sat up. The room looked so much bigger from this angle. The last time she had woken up here she didn't exactly stay around for a tour.

She felt the caress of the silk sheets on her skin. They felt soft and cool, so unlike the harsh ropey material of the sheets in her own quarters - well, what used to be her quarters. Now she had been relocated to a room just as big as his, directly below it and there was a passageway that led to his room behind her bed. He had surprised her with this last night. She still couldn't remember actually going to his room.

Just then the door opened. Her eyes widened and she ducked beneath the sheets burying herself deep and shut her eyes tight. She hoped that the fact she was so close to the curtains around the bed that they wouldn't see her.

Then she heard a soft, arrogant but soft, laugh and instantly relaxed when she heard the voice that came with it. "Hiding? I would never have thought that you would hide from anything."

She inwardly growled at his wit and sat up grumpily, her hair falling messily around her shoulders. He laughed again. "Wow! I didn't know you had so much hair." She narrowed her eyes. If she was only there for his ridicule, she was not going to be there at all.

She gathered the sheet around her and grabbed her clothes before storming through the passageway to her room downstairs. From the footsteps she could hear, she knew he was following behind her.

She shut the door and quickly ran around the bed to push it against the door. It slammed shut and she could hear him banging against it for her to open it but she didn't answer. She just quietly laughed triumphantly.

"Now that was just plain rude," she heard behind her. She turned to see him standing tall with his arms crossed as if he had been offended in some great way. "Anyone would think that you were trying to get away from me."

"How - how did you-." She turned from him to the door to him countless times before just giving up. "Never mind, I don't want to know." She sighed and sat down on her bed. "Why did you follow me? Want your sheets back?"

He sat down next to her and they sat in silence. This is odd, she thought to herself and turned to him. His mouth was opening and closing as if he were trying to say something but couldn't find the right words. Then he turned to face her and looked her directly in the eye. He opened his mouth, it stayed that way for a while before he got frustrated and just said it.

"I - I," he said slowly. It seemed like he was having great pains getting the words out. "I..." he trailed, "'m s - sorry," he stuttered. He sighed and sat back.

Samara thought she was hearing things. "What?" she asked him. She needed to hear that one more time.

He closed his eyes in annoyance. "You heard what I said, I'm not repeating it." He stood up obstinately and crossed his arms.

She began to laugh. "Why?"

He sighed again. "I offended you. Upstairs. I'm... well, you know."

She nodded and continued to smile. "Well, um. What can I say?"

"I forgive you?" he said in a sardonic tone.

She cocked an eyebrow. "Not with that attitude I don't. Let me get this straight. A few days ago, you try to kill me and don't mutter even so much as an apology and now, when you offend my hair you're asking for forgiveness. Is this right?"

He rolled his eyes. "Fine, if you're going to be like that. Forget it." He stormed out of the room leaving her laughing at him.

***

Two days had passed since Ginny had left and Draco once again had given up hope in hearing from her. He kept turning around just to see if she would unexpectedly walk in, she was never there.

"Don't worry mate. She'll turn up." Draco turned his head on the glass of the window. Blaise was sipping on his coffee and looking at the door that stood ajar to the receptionist's desk. She was bending over to retrieve some files she had dropped and he was basking in the view.

Draco coughed and his head snapped back as if it had never turned away. "Yeah, I mean if she says she hates you then she'll probably feel guilty for it. Sooner or later she's going to find out it was - er - what's her name again?"

"Lesley-Anne. She painted something for me-."

"Yeah, whatever," he said cutting him off waving his hand because he didn't need to hear it. "If they live in the same house she's bound to hear it and feel all the embarrassment in the world."

Draco sighed and sat down at his desk laying his palms on the top. "So... I should just wait then?" he asked.

"If you can help it." Blaise cocked an eyebrow, Draco couldn't help it at all and he knew it full well.

***

Cyrus opened the door to his father's office. "Father, I'm going out." He turned around and began to walk back out.

Paethozar looked up at this unusual behaviour and called to him before he left. "Where to?" he asked. Cyrus turned around. "I suppose that's what you want me to ask you seeing as you are actually telling me that you're going." He crossed his arms on the desk and waited for a reply. He knew if his son did something that seemed strange , it was always for a reason.

Cyrus cocked an eyebrow. "To visit my cousin," he said lightly.

"Which one?" he said knowingly.

He smiled mischievously. "Take a guess."

***

"Do you think I should visit him then?" she said as she paced her friend's living room. It was almost midday and she was sure he'd either be at home or at work.

Lesley shrugged. "If you want to. You will need to apologize sooner or later, even if it was Lucius' fault." She reached up and pulled Ginny into the sofa. "Will you stop that, I'm not a part of this and you're making me feel nervous. Go, go and talk to him if it'll make you feel any better."

"I suppose so." Her eyes wondered to the gift wrapped box on her kitchen counter. She'd had it made Oh do you think I could give him a present? It's his birthday soon he said so a few days ago."

"Do I think you could? Why would you need me to tell you that?"

***

Cyrus had watched as Ginny stood in her friend's living room. When she apparated he knew where she was going. He was about to leave and go to his cousin's home when he apparated by the front door.

Fool, in a muggle neighborhood. See what she's reduced you to?

Draco knocked on the door and a woman opened it for him. She had tried to invite him in but he didn't go, instead he apparated somewhere else. Cyrus pondered for a second if he should follow him. If he was lucky he might be able to trace Draco's path. He was sure he wasn't going home.

***

"Where did you come from?" Lesley said to the man on her front step.

He frowned. "My home, why?" he asked.

She leaned against the doorframe. "Ginny just went to see you. She'll be back any minute once she realises you're not there though." She looked down the street. She couldn't see his car. How did he get here then?

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. Ginny was actually looking for him. "No she'll probably just go to my office. I'll see if I can cut her off there."

***

"Morning Sir." Draco looked around. A worker had just walked into his office, she laid some documents out in front of him."

"What are these for?"

"You have to sign them in order for the new shipment order to be let in." She tucked her red hair behind her ear and leaned on the desk next to him.

"Isn't the stock maintenance supposed to do that?" He looked up at her, she seemed to pause.

"Well, I think he's off today." He obviously hadn't noticed her advances.

He sighed heavily. "Have you seen a woman come upstairs looking for me? She would be about your height with-." He stopped writing. The woman had turned his head and was kissing him roughly in his chair.

"Wh-," he murmured against her lips. He pushed her off and she fell back on her legs toward the wall. "What the hell?" he wiped at his mouth and looked through the door to see if anyone saw. "What did you do that for?"

"I - I don't know, I'm sorry sir." She looked down to the floor. "I just - I thought that-."

"If you ever do that again you are fired do you hear me?" She didn't answer. "Do you understand me?" he said sternly.

She nodded to the ground. He walked through the door, he couldn't stay there anymore. He might as well go back to Ginny's and see if she had gotten home.

***

"Buenos Días to you." Ginny turned to see Altair busy with a curtain. "I haven't seen you in a long time. I suppose you're looking for Draco." Ginny nodded. "He's at work. Oh, should I guess what that's for?" She pointed to the package pristinely wrapped under Ginny's arm.

"It's for his birthday." She tucked it under her arm.

Altair frowned. "That's not for another week."

"Well, I have a function to go to next week so I won't be able to give it to him then."

"Oh, well he'll probably be home soon if you want to stay."

"Thanks, but I think I'll just go." She apparated to the stairwell of Silver Dragon Incorporations. She looked out of the door to the offices and saw that no one had heard her. She was about to step out when all of a sudden a man came walking into the door and knocked her backwards.

"Oh my- I'm so sorry, did I hurt you?" he said as he picked her up. She looked up at him and gasped, he looked oddly familiar.

Still caught in hid gaze she said, "No, no I don't think so." He picked up the package she had been holding and handed it to her.

"Oh, is there a birthday that we're not aware of here?" She looked at him. He works here? He looked no older than fourteen.

"Erm, I think it might be your boss' actually."

"Mr. Malfoy's? You are joking! Wow, I didn't know he had them." He saw her anxious look. "Well, I'll leave you to it, wish him happy birthday for me would you? I'm Dimitri." He walked down the steps to the next level looking back at her.

"Erm... okay," she said to the empty space he left behind. She walked out into the office in time to see Draco close his office door.

***

Well that was quite the kiss, he thought as he hid behind a large plant on the large floor of cubicles. Wouldn't mind some of that myself. He watched as Draco reprimanded her for her actions. Now, now cousin, is that anyway to treat a lady in heat? He smiled to himself and ducked as Draco passed him to the door which led to the stairs. It wasn't long until he heard a crack come from the stairwell. He walked there ignoring the looks from members of staff and watched the young woman retrieve the papers from his desk with one thing on his mind.

Sooner or later, probably sooner, Ginny was going to arrive.

"Mr. Malfoy Sir, I didn't see you there again. Did you forget something?"

He smiled at her. "Just an apology," he said sweetly.

"Oh." Her blush almost matched her hair. "There's no need I was being stupid-." She shook her head.

"Why?"

"Pardon?"

"Why were you being stupid?"

"I suppose because I thought... never mind." She walked to the door and would have gone through it had he not closed it before she reached. "Erm, Sir, would you let me pass?"

"Only if you stop calling me that." He advanced toward her seeing how her hair shone a bright red in the morning sunlight. He frowned.

Somehow, it didn't seem right anymore.

"Calling you what?" she said mimicking his actions and moving away. He advanced until they rounded the desk and her back was facing the door.

"Sir. I hate that word," he said as he pressed against her on the desk. She tried to move backwards but couldn't, he was too strong and she didn't really want to struggle anyway.

"Erm-," she began before he pressed his lips against hers and lifted her unto the table. Papers and files went flying to the ground as he pulled her hips towards him causing her legs to open more. She moaned as he trailed kisses down her throat and below her neck. He stopped and looked at her. Something was wrong. He looked her over, she was beautiful and she fit his bill rather well but something was still wrong. He cupped her face and noticed her hair again.

He quietly took in a deep breath as she said, "Sir?" He suddenly knew what it was. He reached up to her hair and raked his hand through it. She winced but he didn't care as all his logic was gone.

He had to do this even if he'd just deny it later.

His hand ran down to her waist and then up again to her chest. He pulled the material of her blouse to one side to kiss her shoulder. His eyes drifted to the door as it stood open and a pale face looked in soaked with tears.

He smiled malevolently at Ginny before returning to the task at hand.

He hadn't bothered to notice that she had run off, he was enjoying himself too much.

***

"Where do you think she could be? I'm not at home and I'm obviously not at work. What could be taking her so long?" He had gone by Lesley to wait for Ginny but just over an hour had passed and she still wasn't home.

"I don't know, Draco. It's only been an hour. Perhaps she's taken a detour, just be patient."

"I can't, I do have a job you know. I'll have to get back, just let her know that I stopped by okay?"

"Oh, here." Lesley jumped up and ran to her bedroom. When she returned she had a bunch of keys in her hand. "Take these, then you won't have to apparate into her home as rudely as you do to mine."

He looked at her. "Is that a hint?" She smiled.

"Perhaps," she shrugged.

Draco left her and apparated back to the stairwell of his workplace. As he entered his office, his eyes opened wide to the disarray of all the papers all over the floor.

"What the hell happened in here?" he said out loud. He turned to yell it to the office when that same woman came in and shut the door behind her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again. Something was different about her but he couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.

"I know you said you'd be back but I had no idea it would be so soon." She kissed him again passionately but stopped when she realised he wasn't kissing her back. "What is it?" she asked and leaned back.

"I thought I told you that if you ever did that again that I would fire you," he returned coldly. He was in no mood for this right now.

"What?" she asked thoroughly confused.

"Clean this up," he said as he stormed out of the office. She watched him go and bent down to pick up the various bits of paper. "Oh," she heard and her head snapped up. He shut the door and she stood. He took out a dark, polished rod of wood and pointed it to her. She looked at it strangely. "Obliviate," he said to her. She blinked a few times and set her eyes on him again. "When you're done with cleaning this office, clean out your desk and go home. You're fired."

She watched him go and wondered what the hell she had done to get herself fired before bending down to pick up the various pieces of paper.

***

"What the hell has happened now?" Lesley said as she followed Ginny from her home upstairs to Ginny's room.

"I'm going home for a while. I promised I would to Harry and Hermione anyway. I would guess that they're all staying at the Burrow for the reunion."

"What reunion?"

Ginny picked up a piece of parchment that lay on her dressing table and handed it to her. "They owled me this morning and told me about it, I said I would go. Do you want to come?" Unconsciously, Lesley slipped it in her pocket.

"Later. I have some things I want to finish right now. Ginny... what happened?"

"Nothing, just - if Malfoy comes looking for me. Don't tell him where I am."

"What has he done now?"

"Just leave it, I'll tell you later. Please. Just don't tell him." When Lesley had nodded Ginny apparated and went home.

***

Cyrus walked into her room. He knew she'd be there because she was still avoiding the staff downstairs. She was sitting by the window when he opened the door. He had prepared himself to face her. All day he had denied what he had done but it was no use. His eyes swept over her. Now that she no longer worked for his father uniform was not required, he had told her that already. Those horrid uniforms did nothing for her anyway. He looked at his hands. They had acted on what his mind had wanted and they had both betrayed what he had always believed.

And somehow, it didn't feel as bad as he thought it would.

He sighed and shut the door, leaning against it in defeat. Her set on him, she frowned at his disheveled hair and his eyes so disturbingly resigned. She had never seen him that way before. He seemed to be struggling with something.

She had laughed at him that morning when he had tried to be civil, or what he thought was civil. She didn't think he was truly sorry but she had no right to laugh at him that way. She was sure that he had never had to say it before and was genuinely confused when she had laughed at his apology. She had felt guilty about it and she still did. He had been gone all morning so she had nothing to do. She had cleaned his room, not that it needed cleaning, and that was it. So she had some time to just sit and think.

"I'm sorry," they both said at the same time.

They both frowned. "What for?" they said.

Cyrus sighed and walked toward her sitting form at the window sill. She was leaning against the wall and had her arms around her knees so he sat at the opposite wall and stared at her.

Who would have thought it? With a maid of all things. He laughed to himself and shook his head before looking out the window.

"I'm sorry that I laughed at you apology this morning. I had no right to and I'm sorry."

He suddenly didn't feel like he deserved that apology and sat up straight when she spoke. "Um, well. I'm sorry I tried to kill you... twice." She smiled and lowered her head.

As she did, her hair fell forward on her shoulders and he remembered telling her to wear it out. He looked at his hands again damning himself for making such a request. He looked at her once more and suddenly saw the woman in Draco's office. He closed his eyes and felt disgusted with himself. He had done that out of spite to his cousin and to Ginny and Samara had only pushed him to it when she had laughed at him. He was angry at all of them and had to let it out somehow, but as he did he had come to a revelation that had changed everything completely. There was a new feeling when he saw Samara's face every morning. He had felt it in the alleyway, he had felt it when he had crept into her room the previous night, he had felt it in the wrongness of the situation in Draco's office, and he had felt how right it was when brown hair encircled him on the desk of Draco's office instead of red, when Samara's face looked down on him. He had then realised that he couldn't deny it any longer. His mind hadn't been the only thing controlling his hands this morning.

He had fallen in love.