Strolling around the fountain, his gaze hidden behind his sunglasses, he searched the faces of the tourists milling about the Piazza Castello. Not finding the girl, he returned to Serendepico rejoining the man who sat grinning at him as he approached. Settling down into a chair that gave him a good vantage of the Plaza opposite, he continued to keep a watchful eye as the ambling muggles made their way about their day.
"Are you sure she is here?" the man drawled before sipping his lemonade, winking at the petite waitress as she went by.
"Of course I am sure, Theo. I cast a 'point me'" he replied lifting his glasses to his forehead, squinting. "There! That's her" he rasped, nudging Theo's arm.
"Easy mate!" Theo chuckled, setting his glass down. The two men stood and casually crossed the Piazza towards the young woman and her companion.
"Ciao, mia bella!" he greeted her, smiling broadly as they reached the young women.
"Blaise!" the redhead cried, "What are you doing in Milan?" she asked, a little startled to see him, but, he was pleased to note, happy enough to have bumped into him.
"Oh, Theo and I had some business in the city" he waved impassively. "This is Theo by the way, he's a close friend and business associate of mine" he gestured to Theo who smiled, taking the young woman's hand and dropping a kiss on her knuckles, much to her delight and Blaise's consternation.
She giggled, "Ciao, I am Bianca, and this is my friend Juliette" she gestured to the raven haired beauty who blushed as Theo caught her eye. "She is visiting from Florence and I wanted to show her the Castello" she told them. "We were just going to grab a drink and then take a stroll round Parco Sempione.
"Sounds lovely, why don't we join you?" smiled Theo.
"What a fun idea" grinned Juliette, taking the arm that Theo offered her. Bianca nodded her ascent and, ever the consummate tour guide, began giving the little group an animated explanation of the history of the Castello and the park, with its tower, aquarium, theater & municipal library, that had been designed by Emilio Alemagna.
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The midday sun shone high in the sky as Juliette took off her light cotton overshirt and wrapped it around her petite waist. Theo reached across and brushed her loose strands that had fallen across her face behind her ear, smiling down at her. She felt herself blush as she smiled back at him.
Blaise coughed "So how would you ladies like it if we took you to lunch?" he asked coyly, meeting Bianca's gaze.
"I guess that would be ok" she replied "Do you have somewhere in mind? Or would you like me to make a recommendation?" she asked, trying to figure out the look in Blaise's eyes.
"Well I have heard Da Puccini has excellent reviews and I do believe they are very discreet when it comes to the Wizarding clientelle" he replied, assessing her reaction. He didn't want to appear to showy, but he did want her to be impressed nonetheless.
Bianca smiled "Ok, we can go for lunch on one condition" she told him, watching as he quirked his eyebrow questioningly. "You must accompany Juliette on the tour I planned to give her of the city this afternoon." Blaise smiled and accepted. How could he possibly resist?
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After tucking into antipasto della casa con focaccia, tagliatelle fresche alla bolognese, cotoletta alla milanese con contorno, desert and wine, they were feeling full and grateful for the walk ahead. Smiling, Bianca ushered them out the door heading for the Via Dante which bustled with activity in its many theatres, shops, restaurants, cafés, palaces and bars. Theo didn't notice any of it, enraptured with the raven haired witch by his side as he was.
Bianca stopped and looked at them as though she was about to confess a dark secret. "There's a place here called La Loggia dei Mercanti, and it's the place where the market was held. There were stands and people and legend says that dark wizards used it as a location to exchange messages. The architectural structure makes it so that if two people stand at opposite corners of the Loggia facing the wall and whisper against it they can talk as if they were standing next to each other" she whispered beaming, her eyes dancing playfully.
As they made their way to Il Duomo, one of the largest cathedrals in the world, she turned to Juliette and explained how the iconic masterpiece took over 600 years to complete. Turning to Blaise and Theo she whispered, "Juliette is studying art history so I promised to show her the architectural wonders of our fair city" she smiled.
Their eyes adjusting from the brilliance of the light outside to the subdued light in the cathedral, they quietly made their way around, the women speaking in hushed tones as they marvelled at the intricate stone carvings and the colourful tiled flooring. Blaise quietly watched her in awe, beguiled by her as she passionately explained the history of the building. From there they headed through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a mall housed in a glass-covered 19th-century arcade with luxury clothing brands and upscale dining, the wizarding shops blending in seamlessly with the muggle shops and unnoticed by the muggle visitors. Crossing the Piazza della Scala, Bianca pointed out the statue of Leonardo da Vinci as they made their way to the Teatro alla Scala, the lavish, 18th-century theater, famous for Italian opera and ballets, with a museum & music library.
Making their way along the Via Brera, a scooter came unexpectedly round the corner from one of the side streets, startling their redheaded tour guide and she turned, yelling obsceneties at the young man who waved at her in response to her angry gestures. Blaise chuckled to himself and thought how he hoped he would get a chance to introduce her to Hermione. On second thoughts, Draco might not be too enthralled with the idea of Hermione adding to that particular part of her vocabulary, although Blaise figured there wasn't much left for Hermione to learn.
Sighing, Bianca muttered under her breath "Idiota." She turned to her little group and noticed their bemused faces, blushing before continuing her little commentary as they made their way to the Pinacoteca di Brera, the graceful palazzo used by Napoleon, that now housed medieval and Renaissance art especially from Northern Italy. The main highlight of their afternoon, they spent 3 hours working their way around the gallery as Bianca and Juliette commentated, their flare and passion enchanting the two wizards.
It was early evening by the time they stepped back out into the Via and headed across the Piazza Castello. Turning to her little tour group, her eyes lit up Bianca whispered "Now it is time for me to show you the Cenacolo!" She motioned for them to follow as she hurried across the Piazza di Santa Maria delle Grazie and along the fence line that ran along the side of the church gardens. Checking they were alone, she discreetly pulled out her wand and cast an alohomora on the locked gate. Theo and Blaise shared a knowing look and smiled, both thinking of Hermione and her brazen disregard for locked doors, gates, windows and anything else blocking her way. The foursome slipped inside and followed Bianca as she lead them into the refectory. Her followers gasped as they saw the masterpiece that lined the walls.
"Da Vinci's Last Supper, or Cenacolo as we Italians like to call it!" she whispered gleefully. "Muggles have to make an appointment to view it" she winked.
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Thanking Bianca for a wonderful day, Theo kissed her on both cheeks before turning his attentions to Juliette. "We are staying at the Four Seasons" he told her "Can I owl you?" he smiled coquettishly at her.
"Ok" she replied, blushing as he kissed her knuckles, before sharing a look with Bianca over his shoulder.
Smiling Bianca turned her attention to Blaise "It was lovely to see you again" she murmured as she stood on tiptoes to kiss his cheek.
Blaise slipped an arm around the small of her back as she made to retreat, turning his head to capture her lip. Their lips grazed before she broke away, looking down at the ground.
"Sorry" she muttered, before looking up. He held her gaze for a moment, before smiling at her, his eyes betraying a little sadness before he shuttered it away with his mask of humour.
"You prefer blondes, mia bella?" he winked, remembering the photo he had seen of her husband.
"Yes" she smiled "I enjoyed our day as friends" she told him warmly before turning with a wave as the witches called ciao, making their way along to a quiet street so they could apparate home.
Theo shot a sidelong look at Blaise before slapping him on the back, chuckling.
"Who would have thought eh? Our Blaise falling in love with a married witch"
"Shut it" he chided, playfully cuffing Theo's ear.
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A/N: This ficlet has been written as a gift for my lovely friends and beta's Torigingerfox and xxDustNight88 as a massive thank you :) I very much owe a debt of thanks to Torigingerfox who gave me a little virtual tour of her hometown, Milan, just so I could write this story. The little bit about Via Dante is fact although obviously I used a bit of poetic licence, as it was used by Spies not dark wizards ;) All the places are real so if you are interested head to the usual websites for more information. The menu at Da Puccini is their "Tasting menu" and costs 30 euros :) Hope you enjoyed this fun little interlude :) D84