The Mirror has Two Faces

[Venus Fiorelli]

Venus Fiorelli looked nothing like the vixen who could crush a man with sheer will power; she was dressed in some muggle garb, remnants from the bag that Edward Stanton had gotten for her the year before. Now she was out on her own and after successfully getting herself employed at a jewellers, she was delighted that she had succeeded in finding her very first flat. It was roomy enough for one, the entire bottom floor of a two story house with the only occupant upstairs being a widow who painted all day long. They seldom saw one another and seldom spoke which suited her perfectly.

Now she wanted to buy a few nicknack's for her place, after scrounging around in the second hand store she had managed to get some decent looking throws and cushions, a lamp and some blankets and pots and pans. She had sent them all back to her flat before heading out again. This time it was to get a book shelf, the once trainee death eater had a passion for reading though she would be loathe to tell anyone. She had garnered for herself quite the collection over the years but had stored all these books in her vault at Gringotts in Italy but she had every intention of getting her family or someone she could trust to send them on to her.

Entering the store she looked about her at the various tables and wardrobes before passing along to the rows of austere looking shelves. Lost among the woodwork Venus paid no attention to the others entering or leaving the store.

 

[Damien Casey]

Damien entered a furniture shop. He still didn't have a real place to live but he could still window browse fr when he did get a house or a flat. At the moment he was living in a hotel after deciding to settle in New Zealand. He had spent the last four years using his inheritance to travel around the world and go on adventures, doing everything he dreamed of.

Now he was planning on his final dream, to settle and have a family, the one he never got with loving parents and many children. To have that, however, he would need a payroll and a place to live. He was working on it slowly but making no progress.

As Damien made his way around the shop, admiring a lot of the woodwork, making a mental note to come here when he did get a place to live. As he admired a wardobe he accidently bumped into someone when he took a step back to see exactly how tall it was. "Oh, sorry." He smiled at the woman nicely, always be polite was one of the rules the orphanage made sure the boys kept to.

 

[Venus Fiorelli]

Venus ran her hand along the pale stressed wood of the antique bookshelf and wished she had enough money to purchase something so beautiful. The intricate designs and whorled shapes added to its charm, the petite Italian stepped back a little to admire it even more when some collided with her. The slight bump still managed to unsettle her as it was so unexpected and she found herself reaching out and grasping the bookshelf. She was slender and very slight, deceptively fragile looking when there was nothing fragile about her. As she grasped at the bookshelf, it toppled apparently she had not seen the one fault it had and that was it's rather unsturdy legs. It wobbled and her eyes opened in astonishment.

The urge to flee overtook her and instantly she was turning to face the man that had bumped into her. At first she would have rather just push past him but something about his eyes startled her flight a moment. She felt an instantaneous moment where she was convinced she was drowning in them and then as wood thumped loudly against wood and a loud cracking sound reverberated about the display room, Venus did not wait any longer but made her way out of the store as hastily as was possible. She hoped now to simply lose herself in the throng that filled the streets at this hour of the day.

 

[Damien Casey]

Damien had been expecting a small nod, a most a dirty look. He had definitely no been expecting broken furniture and the woman to run out of the shop. The shopkeeper was looking less than pleased so Damien took some of the money he had been saving up and paid for the broken bookshelf.

Damien then left the shop quickly and looked around for any sign of the woman. He spotted her turning a corner and ran after her, catching her up quickly as she was only walking. "You know, when you break something in a shop you usually pay for it." He said as he stood in front of her, blocking her path. She was quite pretty but there was something off about her.

 

[Venus Fiorelli]

Venus sighed with relief convinced the owner had not come near her or seen her in time but all hope vanished when she turned the corner and the young man who had bumped into her stopped her. Instantly her pride and stubborn nature kicked in. Her voice when she spoke was a husky yet melodic sound.
"If you had not pushed against me I would not have bumped against the furniture" she told him, the truth as she saw it may differ to how he saw it but it was still the truth none the less. With hands on hips, her tanned slender arms seeming to tinkle with the amount of bangles she wore as they slid down to her wrists Venus stood her ground and stared him down.

"It was already broken" she stated in her broken accent, her chocolate brown eyes watching his every move.

 

[Damien Casey]

Damien laughed, she seemed cold but he could crack most women. It was a talent of his. "Well then I guess it's good I paid for it then." Her voice was slightly odd, he recognised part of it but it sounded broken, like a mixture. He noticed the small tinkling of the bangles as she moved her arm and the way her dress waved slightl in the small breeze that was flowing through the street. He noticed all of the little things about people, it's how he kept out of trouble while dating around. "Where are you from?" The accent bugged him.

 

[Venus Fiorelli]

She froze for the briefest of moments, her hair gently billowing in the breeze as she looked at him bewildered.
"Why would you do that?" if anything she would have thought he would have run as well or made an excuse to get out of taking the blame. Was this country over run by do-gooders? Venus had never met so many that just naturally gravitated to doing the 'right thing'. His question shook her out of her reverie and her beautiful full sensuous mouth curved into a smile.
"I am from Italy" she said, her voice filled with pride as she said it and then seriously wished people would stop asking her questions that she would automatically answer. Her bloodline, the Fiorelli's had been gifted many many generations ago as 'truth sayers' though when they started joining the fight in the wizarding wars on the side of Voldemort and the death eaters, this gift soon turned into a curse and was seen as such ever since. They told the truth always, though omitting it worked effectively enough.

"Excuse me I have things to do" she told him, though she didn't move. Somehow her body was betraying what her mind was telling her to do. Part of Venus wanted to simply get out of there, continue shopping or just return to her home but another part of her wanted to simply stay near this man. Perplexed greatly she forced herself to take a step to the side as if she would pass him by.

 

[Damien Casey]

Damien shrugged. "That man makes his living off of selling those things, It was partially my fault it broke so it was only fair." He wasn't used to people asking why he did good things, people usually questioned unusual things he did.

Damien immediately recognised the accent once she said it. Italy was one of the first places he went when he began his travels. "Oh, I love Italy, I may go back there some day." He smiled, expecting it to make a nice conversation about the home town but instead she said she had other things to do. He waited for her to leave but she seemed to be having trouble with it. "Is something wrong?"

 

[Venus Fiorelli]

She shook her head as she stood there wondering why on earth she couldn't simply move away. The thought that a spell had been cast on her froze her even more and hastily she looked behind her to see if the owner or anyone else for that matter had zapped her with an incantation preventing her from moving. Her long dark hair fell in waves about her face and shoulders as she turned, seeing nothing out of the ordinary she turned back glancing down at her feet and moving them slowly. Now they could move. She blinked thinking it the strangest thing, Venus had been convinced only moments ago that she had been unable to move.

Her gaze went to the young man and she frowned as she looked at him.
"Nothing is ..." but no other words would come out, so obviously something was wrong. By saying such she would have been lying and that was just something she could not do.
"That man sells faulty pieces of furniture and now you have paid him for something that may never have been sold" she felt this was a good enough tactic to go on because anything else she had not a clue about. She did not understand why she was hesitating around him, why she was reluctant to leave him. He was goodlooking sure, her gaze seemed to drink him in at that moment. No, he wasn't just goodlooking she decided, he was like home. Seeing her country and her people through the eyes of a complete stranger who had only traveled there was baffling. Why she would consider him 'home' by merely staring into his face and looking into those hypnotic eyes was beyond her, but she did. Venus grasped the word hypnotic and frowned again.

"Are you ...?" she began to ask him but shook her head, surely he wasn't casting any spells on her but after all the earlier training she had among the death eaters in Italy, she seriously couldn't trust anyone anymore.
"Forget it" this time she was able to move and yet her foot stumbled on a jagged broken piece of the footpath and she felt herself reach out instinctively. When she looked her fingers were all but clinging to his arm feeling the heat and muscle beneath the cloth. A slight gasp and a tremor rushed through her as she straightened herself up.

 

[Damien Casey]

Damien shrugged. "He looked like he needed the money and I only paid for it to be repaired. What's wrong with doing something nice for someone?" This woman was odd, more than odd. It was almost as though she didn't approve of kind acts, or, possibly, didn't believe in them. Then she began to speak and then didn't. It was just odd. "What's wrong?" He had a very trusting face, he found that, normally, people just opened up to him randomly. "You can tell me." It was worrying him quite a bit now, she had seemed lmost frozen before hand and now she looked nervous, almost panicky.

 

[Venus Fiorelli]

She felt a little steadier and moved her hand from him instantly. What in the world was wrong with her, she was behaving like a silly school girl who had just realized she was infatuated with the school quidditch captain. Her brown eyes stared up at him for a moment then looked away in the direction she had been heading.

With a sigh she turned to face him directly, noting much to her dismay how much taller than her he was, how much broader and how utterly devastating he looked.
"That guy has looked like that any time I've gone inside his store. There are good deeds done and then there are those who would gladly take advantage of people like you" why she felt the need to look out for him was beyond her but she did feel a tad guilty that he had paid for the repairs to the bookshelf when he hadn't needed too.

"Wrong? Why would there be anything wrong?" a question with a question surely that might give her enough time to control whatever she was feeling. She certainly couldn't blame it on the heat.

 

[Damien Casey]

Damien shrugged. "It's not like I don't have the money to do it. Plus, it makes me feel good so there's really no downside." He looked her up and down, she looked fidgety and sort of stiff in he way she was moving. She also seemed quite small but most people did when thy stood next to him. He was a good six foot. "You're moving as though you can't move very well. Have you hurt your foot or something?" He got the feeling she was avoiding the question really, which confused him even more. It's not like it was a personal question or anything.

 

[Venus Fiorelli]

She almost gaped at him shocked. So he had money to throw around, her own family back in Italy were rich ridiculously so whereas Venus on her own, after running away from the destiny she had been trying to carve out for herself had left them and that particular part of her life behind. Money was now a necessity and she refused to squander it.
"Well once you feel good" she sighed with some degree of exasperation in her voice, "what does it matter to you?"
her tone was only slightly raised, she was beyond perplexed with this man. Could not figure him out at all in fact and she was usually very good at reading people.
"What does it matter if my foot hurts or my hand or my head... you don't know me, so why make me your business?" the bangles on her arm jangled once again as she ran her slender hand up to run through her hair. The man was infuriating and yet she knew the only reason she thought this was because she found him attractive. Venus wanted to cringe at finally admitting this to herself but she would be damned if she would admit it to him. Holding up a hand to prevent him from speaking, she shook her head.

"It's fine... I'm leaving. You can go back to playing the good guy" with that she stepped away, inwardly cursing herself for being so stupid. Usually she was all gung-ho and ready with smart quips but this man seemed to drag all of that out of her, as if being around him too long would make his penchant for doing the right thing, rub off on her. Turning swiftly around a corner she did not see the large man that came the opposite way. The two collided and Venus would have fell backwards but the large mans rough hands grabbed her upper arms and held her tight. Too tight in fact. He practically leered at her as he asked if she was alright but he did not let her go, he seemed instead to be pulling her closer to him. Venus could not reach for her wand and she was too small and light to fight him, normally she would be wearing boots but typical that today she was wearing light sandals and would most likely do herself an injury if she attempted to kick him.
"Put me down" she told him forcibly for at this point, her ankles were lifted from the ground, "get your hands away from me."

 

[Damien Casey]

Damien would've answered her, anyone in pain should be helped the bes anyone could help them, but she said she would leave. "Okay then, bye." He turned to walk away. H had walked off and was about to turn the corner when he managed to hear her voice over the crowd asking someone to let her go. She sounded slightly desperate. Damien turned back and saw a man, big to her but smaller than himself, holding he woman quite tightly.

Damien walked back, posture tall and bulky. He tapped the man on he shoulder and watched his face as he saw Damien. "I believe the lady said put her down." He raised an eye brow at the bloke and watched as he gingerly let go of her arms. Damien stayed standing tall and intimidating, something he rarely did, until the man left. "Aren't you glad I made you my business now?" She seemed to have a defensive attitude so he expected her to deny that she needed his help. "I'm Damien by the way."

 

[Venus Fiorelli]

Part of her wished now that she had not been so hasty in walking away from the other man, was her karma that bad that stupid things like this happened to her randomly? She felt his fingers dig deeper into her arms and knew she would have a bruise there soon enough. And then she heard his voice like an angel sent to take care of her. Venus of course felt humiliated that it was he who had come to her rescue but beggars could not be choosers. She couldn't help the ecstatic feeling of pure delight wash over her either at his handling of the situation. The brute soon let her go and walked off in a huff. Standing there rubbing her arms she glanced up at him, wanting to thank him but afraid that if she opened her mouth her usual defensive comebacks would come out instead. So she waited just a moment as if allowing her heart time to stop fluttering maddeningly within her.

"I am Venus" she told him, still refusing to deny she had needed him and also refusing to thank him. At this point however she was not intending to be rude, the opposite in fact and it was causing her no end of a struggle to keep politely quiet. Any one who knew her would have been astounded and would have thought the man an absolute miracle worker for bringing about this change no matter how minor it seemed. Of course those who didn't know her might simply think she was being extremely rude for not thanking the man who was now effectively her hero. As if recognising this fact, Venus blushed a little and did the most unaccustomed thing she had ever done in her life.
"Thank you."

 

[Damien Casey]

Damien smiled, his day just kept getting better and better. "Venus, the Roman goddess of love, beauty and fertility. Interesting." He could see the beauty, she had an obvious beauty about her, but he wasn't to sure about the love, she seemed cold and reserved. She was most definitely defensive. "You're welcome." His smile grew, he had been expecting a snide comment or something alone those lines, not a humble thank you.

 

[Venus Fiorelli]

She saw his smile and reacted to it, instinctively matching it with one of her own. It was a shame that she didn't smile more often as her face became radiant and she did indeed look every bit like a goddess should.
"My parents had a strange sense of humour" she told him regarding her name, it had caused her nothing but grief over the years. Men always expecting her to live up to the ideal that her name evoked, Venus was a law unto herself though as they had all found out.

Her hands continued to rub the area of her arms where the man had grabbed hold of, red marks denoting his finger prints etched on to her deep sallow skin. Why did men always think it was alright to simply grab a woman? She had met very few in her life time who were gentle and as she looked at Damien's smile brightening because she had thanked him, Venus felt the first inclination in her life to want to do things in order to see that smile again and again. She glanced about her a moment before looking back at him.
"It seems the fates have you destined to be some sort of hero for me today, that is twice now you came to my ... rescue" she of course omitted that he had initially bumped into her to begin with, that seemed such a trivial thing now.

 

[Damien Casey]

Damien smiled. "Well, sometimes a hero is an everyday guy." He shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. He liked to help, it was who he was he couldn't change that if he wanted too. His nature was good and kind, he had taken his history and turned it into someting good. Some thing alot of people couldn't do. "Well, Venus, you care for a drink?" She was pretty and she deserved a drink after the day she seemed to be having.

 

[Venus Fiorelli]

Venus Fiorelli blushed, the woman who in all her life probably never blushed at all now stood like a young girl embarking on her first crush and blushed, not a crimson shade but more a dusky pink suffused her cheeks. Enhancing the beauty of her sallow skin and making her appear as if she were literally glowing. She liked the thought of an everyday guy being a hero. Edward had been that for her once but as much as she had been attracted to him, nothing ever came of their time together.

She wasn't sure if it was wise or not to accept a drink from Damien but for reasons that failed her, Venus found herself accepting.
"I'd like that very much ... Damien" her slender fingers gathered a fold of her maxi dress as she turned to walk, keeping it from trailing across the ground.
"Anywhere in mind?"

 

[Damien Casey]

Damien smiled when her saw her cheeks go slightly pinker. She was pretty when she blushed. "Well, there's a pub down the road. We could go there unless you want something slightly nicer?" It wasn't the nicest place for a drink atmosphere wise but it did good drinks. As long as people there knew you weren't to be messed with and you didn't rub anyone up the wrong way you were fine in there. Damien began to shuffle in the direction of the pub, not sure what to talk about next.

 

[Venus Fiorelli]

She would have preferred to go somewhere nicer, any where nicer than what she had become used to since she ran from Italy but beggars could not be choosers and the life she had chosen for herself was not what she had ever imagined.
"The pub down the road is fine" she told him falling into step along side of him.

"So ... you help people out regularly?" she smiled unable to help herself when she was around him and this bothered her no end, "Is it an actual occupation for you?"
She sincerely hoped she hadn't run into another Auror, Venus seemed to have a distinct skill at picking them up.

 

[Damien Casey]

Damien scoffed. "Like an auror?" He grinned. "No way, I couldn't make an auror. I work in the exams department of he ministry." He continued to walk, hands in his pockets and a smile on his face. "What about you? What do you do?" She was interesting, obviously confused by something that had happened during the time thy were speaking, what he didn't know.

 

[Venus Fiorelli]

The sigh of relief when he stated he was not an auror was audible. She had met way too many for her own liking but an exams minister? She wondered how dull and boring an occupation that was for anyone.
"I brighten up the world Damien, I make it sparkle" she smiled amusing herself in the process, "I work in a jewellers actually."
She informed him as they came to the establishment he had earlier indicated. Venus was used to being treated a certain way by men and so stood aside until he opened the door for her.