Redemption

Chapter 22. Broken feelings

  Kass felt awful after her parents left. She was sitting in the living room on pins and needles listening to the ticking of the clock above fireplace. She couldn't stop thinking about weird behaviour of her dad and Lucius. And this damn bad feeling. She knew something was about to happen. She felt this every minute and couldn't calm down. She knew she wasn't miskaten. Her intuition has never let her down. House routine and music couldn't distract her from sad thoughts. Kass entered the living room to look at time. Twelve, one a.m., two a.m., three a.m... It seemed this evening will never come. When it was time to apparate to Malfoy manor, Kass felt unexcpected fear. She wanted to see Lucius  as soon as possible. At the same time she felt she shouldn't go. It was weird dual feeling. Kass decided she was too nervous today. It seemed logically.    

  "Get yourself together, Jones" Kass said to herself and stepped into the fireplace.

   She took a pinch of flying powder.

   "Malfoy Manor" she said.   

  Even a few seconds of apparation lasted forever for Kass. She apparated to Lucius's office. She came out of the fireplace and saw him standing near the window. It seemed he was thinking about something. When she appeared, he didn't turn around. Like he didn't hear anything. Kass felt something bad again. 

  "Lucius? What are you thinking about?" she said, worriedly coming closer to him. 

  Lucius turned around. A pain and sadness were written in his eyes. But he quickly got himself together. Now his eyes were cold like Kass  seen at the first time they've met.  She was taken aback, looking at him in misunderstanding. She came to Lucius and wanted to kiss him. But he stepped back, avoiding her gaze.

  "Lucius, are you all right?"  Kass asked looking at him worriedly.

  "Yes, Kass. I'm all right" he replied dryly. 

  He avoided eye contact with Kass looking at the wall behind her. She noticed sadness in his voice.

  "Lucius, what's going on?" she asked feeling growing anxiety. "Did I do anything wrong?"

  "Kass, we need to talk seriously. Sit down" Lucius said.

  He pointed at the chair near his desk. Kass sat down feeling her furious heartbeat. It seemed, all the manor could hear this beat. Now she would rather come back home and not continue this conversation. She already understood that it won't be good.  Lucius sat at the chair opposite her, still not looking at her. It was so weird. He used to look at her every movement and gesture. 

  "Well, what would you like to talk about? Explain me at once and look at me!" she said with offence.    

  Lucius looked at Kass seing the sadness in her hazel eyes. His heart skipped a beat. He could barely stand seing her almost watering eyes. She was just looking at him, trying to understand what's going on. Lucius gulped and looked at her seriously.

  "Kass. I wanted to talk about us. We need to stop our relationships" he hardly said.     

  Her eyes opened wide. She excpected anything but not this. For a couple of seconds she was looking at him taken aback. She couldn't find any word to say. Lucius was looking at her like he was waiting for her answer. 

  "You mean...you wanna break up with me" she said quietly. "Why? In the morning everything was perfect."  

  "Kass, you should understand. What's happening between us...it's just a passion. It will pass. And we both will regret later. Why do we need this?" Lucius said, trying to keep calm.  

  "It will pass" Kass repeated. "Lucius, why are you lying?"

  Kass looked into his eyes. Lucius looked down. He knew Kass has always felt the lie.