WHO: Therese Bonaccord and a surprise guest in the lift
WHERE: St. Mungo's lift
WHEN: This morning before work!
WHY: Gives the start of an explanation as to why her ex has been harassing her



Her eyes were glued to the numbers of the lift that were not moving fast enough. They actually seemed to be going slower, maybe even back in time. Therese felt herself getting light-headed and she finally stopped holding her breath, only to shut her eyes in anticipation of the verbal assault she was about to receive from the very beautiful and very French girlfriend of her ex-boyfriend.

Therese wasn’t sure why Collete Lavillenie was riding the lift of St. Mungo’s, but she wasn’t about to ask herself. She wanted nothing to do with the woman, and even though Therese had been the one that was lied to and betrayed, she couldn’t shake the feeling of being the mistress, and it was a terrible title to have on your shoulders.

Why was this lift going so slowly? Why did she come into work today? Why did she have to check-in at Mungo’s? Why didn’t she take the stairs, it was healthier!

She only heard the quick clip of heels before the lift jolted to a stop, and Therese’s eyes shot open. Collete stood at the buttons, having pulled the emergency brake and was staring at her intently. Therese was sure she was going to die in this elevator, and she felt a panic course through her; was she sweating? No, no of course not!

“You are Therese?”

“I---er----”

Collette’s eyebrows rose, and put out her hand. Therese flinched, quite sure that she was about to get hit, but realized that it was only a handshake that the other woman was requesting. Tenatively, Therese put out her hand and the other woman delicately gripped hers. Collette was tall, blonde, so, so very blonde---but graceful----Therese felt mesmerized by her, her warm brown eyes and...Veela, she had to be part Veela. She blinked furiously, recalling some sneering remarks Remy had made during one encounter about his beautiful part-Veela that was waiting for him back home. Why would this majestic woman be cornering her in a lift?

“You have not read the book,” Collette stated, letting go of Therese’s hand to push her hair over her shoulders. Therese gawked for another moment before the question settled in her mind, and she frowned.

“No---why would I?”

Remy’s book about his undercover life had come out a few weeks ago and Therese had done everything in her power to avoid reading the reviews or listening to whatever conversations could be spurred from it. If she stayed out of its presence, then maybe it would never be revealed that she was the girl that had been so stupid.

Collette’s lips twisted and she dug her hand into her bag. A moment later she produced a hardcover copy of the book and thrust it at Therese.

“I don’t want that!” Therese snapped, gaining her senses. She crossed her arms; there was no way she was going to subject herself to utter humiliation by reading the book.

“You are the star, une beauté magnifique---” Collete’s lips pressed into a thin line as she shut her eyes. She let out a shaky breath and Therese felt herself get dizzy, “He told me it was the story of how he foiled the plans of the death eaters, how he became a hero----but it is a love story, it is about how he won and lost you; you are the story.”

Therese gaped, shoulders slack as she listened to the other woman’s description.

“That---that can’t be right,” she said, shaking her head furiously, nervously, “He told me--he told me it didn’t mean a thing, that--that I was just---just a ploy----”

Collette shook her head, biting her tongue, “He would not let me read the book until it was published. I confronted him and he could not convince me that he had not used the both of us.” The other woman took a breath and she finally looked like a normal girl to Therese; the familiar look of heartbreak softened her features, “I---I am leaving for Paris tomorrow. I moved out once I read...mais je---I had the need to speak with you, to meet the woman from the book.”

The other woman pushed the book toward Therese and with only a moment of hesitation she reached out and took it. Collette grimly smiled and looked tearful as she unlocked the emergency brake. The lift rushed up once more, this time moving at lightening speed. The other woman was gone, her blonde hair a wisp in the breeze, and Therese stared at the parted doors of the lift until they shut; she missed her floor and she had a feeling she was going to miss her first few appointments as well.