Sequel to IRONY

4

"I suppose you want me to help you now?"

Dupain Cheng looked like she wasn't paying attention. Her eyes were focused on her right ankle instead. She was examining it for damage, poking it gently with her hand. She didn't even notice that Damian could see under her skirt.

"Nice view."

She looked at him in confusion, then she covered herself at once and glared at him. He merely raised an eyebrow.

"Your wand's over there, you know." He didn't bother to help her get it, though it was only a few feet away from him. He fought to stay as composed as possible, his cold front threatening to break down. The disturbing images keep flashing in his mind.

"Alright, alright," she said. Her hand grabbed a shelf and with all her strength she lifted herself up. Again, she winced, bit her lower lip in pain. Damian watched in a daze as she limped to her wand carefully. After what felt like forever, she finally reached it, and the books levitated seconds later. She turned to leave.

"What?" she asked in annoyance, her face twisted into a sort of expression that showed she regretted asking.

"Just go away, will you? I'm not in the mood." He tried to sound indifferent, but his voice cracked.

"You're sulking."

"I am not!" he groaned and looked away.

"Yes, you are," she said, as a matter-of-fact. Her silly know-it-all demeanor irked him once again. "I could have slapped you, you know, for tripping me. If it wasn't for the fact that you're so...gloomy." She frowned at him.

"You know what, do what you want." He banged his head on the bookshelf again and looked at the ceiling, determined to ignore her. "I don't fucking care."

She sighed deeply.

He heard her start to limp away again. Yeah, that's right baker's daughter, keep limping.

"If it's about your girlfriend, I can help," said her irritating voice once more.

He rolled his eyes at the thought of talking to Dupain Cheng about relationship problems. He knew what she was trying to do. She was trying to get him to talk, (Merlin knew why) and she wasn't going to go away. She wasn't going to make this easy for him and just leave.

"I sure wish it was that simple," he answered her tiredly, eyes still focused on the ceiling.

"Oh, so it's about your parents?"

He shrugged.

"Hawkmoth then?"

He winced at how bravely she'd said his name. His face darkened a little. "Look, it's none of your business," he retorted coldly. "Are you done interrogating me?"

She didn't answer, merely stared at him with such intensity, almost as if she was trying to search for something in his eyes... something... he had no idea what.

For a long time they didn't speak. But even so he could still feel her eyes lingering on him.

She was always giving him knowing looks these days. Master Fu had the same look. It was unnerving. What was their problem?

"Fine, keep sulking then," she said haughtily. She started limping away again. "I was only trying to help."

Only trying to help? He doubted it. He balled his fists in anger.

What did she know? She wasn't the one being forced to continue the legacy of the Hawkmoth here. She wasn't the one who had his paths laid out for him, without being given the opportunity to choose or to say no. She wasn't the one being forced to acknowledge someone else's beliefs, while at the same time, forced to ignore his own.