Disclaimer: characters belong to J.K. Rowling!!
"You what?!" Ron yelled. Hermione sighed. It was a beautiful Saturday morning, and Ron had just ruined it by storming into her flat and demanding to know where she had been all Friday evening.
"I told you, Ron, I was doing undercover work with Draco."
"Since when is he 'Draco'? Hermione, I thought you hated the bloke!" Hermione shrugged.
"Ever since he became my boss, we've become civil to each other," she said. Well, he's been a lot more than civil to Orabella, she thought to herself.
"Civil?! Draco Malfoy is not civil! Don't you remember everything he did to us at school?! All the hell he put us through?!"
"Ron! Calm down! What can I do? We have a truce while we're at the Ministry and while we're doing work! I can't just yell at him like a bloody prat!"
"Well you don't have to work with him!" Hermione stood up and put her hands on her hips. Not wanting to be outdone, Ron stood up as well, his face the colour of a tomato.
"Ron! He is the Head of the Department and I am the best worker there as well! This is the best job I've ever had! I'm not going to quit a job I love just because some prat is my boss! And I can take care of myself!"
"Hermione! What are you doing? Why do you have a suitcase?! ARE YOU ELOPING WITH MALFOY NOW??"
"Yes, because I love him. For Merlin's sakes, Ron!! I would never elope with Malfoy! I'm going on a bloody business trip, I told you!" she said in an exasperated tone as she bent down to pick up the clothes she had abandoned in her determination to make a point. Orabella might elope with Draco though, she thought with a secret smile. It was quiet for a moment.
"You're right. Sorry for accusing you of that. You'd never fancy Malfoy like that, right?" Hermione rolled her eyes. "Also, 'mione, how come you're not using magic to pack?" Hermione looked down at the shirt she was currently folding and suddenly felt very stupid.
"Um, well, I think better while I'm folding laundry."
"I thought that was reading and writing down things," Ron said, folding his arms across his chest.
"Shut up, Ron, I don't want to talk about it. I'm leaving today at ten o' clock, so please try to be nice to me before I leave!" Ron sighed.
"Hermione, it's seven right now. After you're done, and please use magic, I'll take you out for some breakfast at the Burrow. Harry, Ginny, Mum, and Dad are going to be there." Hermione brightened.
"I'd love that. One final goodbye till I go off to Venice." Ron raised a brow.
"Venice?"
"Yes, Ron, that's where one of the suspects live. I'm going to be investigating that area for a month." She finished packing and closed the suitcase with a bang. Ron looked down at his feet.
"Well, Hermione, I just want you to be safe. You know I really care about you." Hermione smiled.
"I know, Ron. I'll be fine, don't worry. I'll owl you whenever I can." Ron looked up and smiled, his bright blue eyes sparkling.
"I'll miss you so much." He held out his arms and Hermione hugged him tightly.
"Me too, Ron. Now, let's go get some of your mother's wonderful food." Ron laughed and, hand in hand, they Apparated to the Burrow.
Hermione was alone in her flat after the nice goodbye party thrown by the Weasley's and Harry. She was finishing her preparations to leave when a lovely dark Eagle owl tapped on her window, a small parcel attached to its leg. Hermione smiled and opened the window for the owl she had been waiting anxiously for. She took the parcel from its leg and pat its head. "Thank you," she murmured to it, then the owl flew off the window sill and back into the slowly brightening blue sky.
Hermione opened the small box and inside were two large bottles of Polyjuice Potion. The bottles were inscribed with the Apothecary's signature, and the tag from the shop was still attached. "A quarter of a bottle is good for nineteen hours," Hermione read. She sighed. "Hopefully Draco will provide me with more once it runs out." She carefully measured one quarter of the potion into a cup and drank it quickly, once again covering her mouth to keep from retching. Finally, she slipped on her 'wedding ring' and looked into the mirror as Orabella Leonora Malfoy once again.
"Let's do this again, Orabella." She smiled at herself in the reflection and dressed quickly. She grabbed her bags and was barely able to Disapparate when she arrived on a grassy hill overlooking the enormous house. In the light, Hermione could clearly make out the expansive and colourful gardens which created a pathway that led up to the house itself. In the dark, Hermione hadn't been able to see it in all its glory. Feeling breathless from all the beauty, she was very glad Malfoy had taken her to the Viendoli household, even if signor Viendoli was a supposed suspect.
Orabella sighed, summed up her courage, and walked down, levitating her bags and suitcases along with her. As she approached the beauteous gardens, a tall, genteel-looking witch met her outside with loads of bags surrounding her. She looked a bit old, but yet was indeed beautiful with long blonde hair that flowed down to her waist and a pale face with high cheek bones. Her lips were lush and red and her intimidating dark green eyes seemed to read Orabella's every movement. She stood with great poise in expensive and elegant looking robes with her long nose slightly in the air.
When Orabella reached the edge of the gardens, she was gaping at the beauty in front of her. It was extravagant with many varieties of plants; thyme crawling up the legs of stone benches, blood red roses and white roses, carnations of all colours, baby's breath, daisies, pansies, tulips, azaleas, blue bells, poppies, and many, many more. There was a large fountain in the middle of the empty courtyard, and that was only the front yard. Orabella couldn't even begin to imagine how the backyard looked.
"Welcome," the beautiful witch said with the utmost politeness. "I am Adrina Viendoli, the mistress of this house." Orabella looked at her with big blue eyes, confused with the rich British accent coming out of the woman's mouth.
"Thank you, I am Orabella Leonora Malfoy. May I ask, are you not Italian?" The woman laughed, a nice tinkling sound.
"Of course not! I am a British born and bred. Why else do you think my husband would move to live here in England?" Orabella smiled in understanding.
"Thank you for allowing me to stay at your summer home. My husband and I are very grateful. May I say your gardens are extremely breathtaking." The mistress smiled at the compliment, then a bit of confusion was on her face.
"Where is your husband anyway?" Orabella felt herself unconsciously stiffen.
"He had…work to take care of," she said quickly, and signora Viendoli pressed her lips together tightly, obviously taking Orabella's stiffness as inner anger at her husband for working instead of nervousness.
"Men seem to love work more than their wives. And you've just married, you poor thing. Once we're in the beautiful city of Venice, feel free to join me in the Italian women's gossip circle. Can you speak the language?" Orabella smiled warmly.
"A bit. I spoke fluently as a child, but I've long since forgotten. I wish to learn it again, especially now that I am finally going back to Italy." She let out a little laugh. "I haven't been there in years!" Signora Viendoli smiled, the first real smile since Orabella had arrived. It added even more to her astounding beauty.
"I will help you learn, signora Malfoy." Orabella's smile widened.
"Grazie, Signora. You are very kind. Draco was right in saying you and your husband are exceptionally warm in your welcome." Signora Viendoli seemed to glow at the compliment.
"We pride our Pure-blood Viendoli name to be known as polite, courteous, welcoming, affluent, and cultured. We deserve the great praise we receive as hosts and our extravagant parties are always talked of in this area. But we are ambitious and stubborn and we all, I especially, do not tolerate snarky, snooping wizards and witches alike," signora Viendoli said with a sniff. Orabella nodded solemnly.
"I understand. I once had a guest when I was a child that would overstay his welcome. Once, I caught him sneaking in our pantry and taking jars of food and I told mia mamma who promptly kicked him out, him being her best friend or not." Orabella smiled when signora Viendoli laughed at the end of her story.
"Right your mother was in doing so! By the way, where did you live before you wed Draco?" Orabella felt her mouth go dry. Where had she lived? In truth, she knew very little about Italy, and she was supposed to be a full-bred Italian! That surely didn't explain her lack of knowledge on the subject! She decided to lie through her teeth again.
"I lived in Italy when I was born, and moved when I was six to…" Where? Where did I move?! "…to France, then England. I still have an accent because my father would talk in his broken English with a heavy Italian accent which I used myself all my life. I still don't understand why I moved so much, although I do presume it was because of my father's growing debt." Signora Viendoli nodded.
"Tell me, where did you live in Italy? You remind me of a little girl I met once. She had touched my heart with her innocence." The old Hermione kicked in and thought hard for a moment. She came up with a sudden idea and Orabella pretended to look sad and forlorn.
"Signora, please, do not pry, I beg you. There are many horrible memories there that I do not want to remember nor discuss. I am sorry," she said in a sorrowful voice. Signora Viendoli nodded, looking solemn.
"Forgive me, I did not know. Come in for a cup of tea, dear. It seems the men will take a little while, even though it is only fifteen minutes to ten." Orabella nodded, took the old woman's offered arm, and smiled.
"Thank you. You are very kind indeed." Signora Viendoli smiled again.
"Siete molto benvenuti nella mia casa." When Orabella cocked her head in question, signora Viendoli laughed. "It means, 'you are very welcome in my house'. May that be the first of your many lessons." Orabella smiled brightly and the two women walked inside the cool house.
When the men finally did arrive, they found two women sipping tea in the living room and chatting amiably away like old friends. Draco bowed to the women and made short eye contact with Orabella. "My apologies, ladies. I was caught up with preparations for my leave at work." The two witches glanced at one another with a knowing look and looked back at their husbands. Signor Viendoli followed suit with the same apology.
"There is only three minutes till the port key activates. Cosi!" signora Viendoli said. A small house elf appeared and nodded while her mistress said something to her in Italian. The house elf took the teacups and disappeared. "Shall we go?" she asked. The two men nodded and each held out an arm to their wives who took them graciously.
"I have a lot to talk to you about, Draco," Orabella growled into his ear. Draco cocked a brow and nodded slightly as they walked out. "So, which is the port key?" Orabella asked once they reached their luggage.
"It is the only long branch near our luggage," he replied. Orabella smiled.
"What a clever idea! I've never heard of pieces of nature being port keys." She smiled at signor Viendoli who grinned back.
"A minute till the port key activates! Everyone grab onto a piece of it!" Adrina said loudly. Each person grabbed their luggage as best they could and grabbed onto a separate branch. Suddenly, Orabella felt a familiar uncomfortable pull behind her navel as the ground blurred and she felt weightless. For a moment she closed her eyes and when she felt solid ground under her feet, she opened them, then gasped when she saw a huge, beautiful lake in front of her.
"How beautiful," she whispered breathlessly, almost forgetting who she was supposed to be. She felt someone's presence next to her.
"It is, is it not?" a deep male voice replied. "That is the reason my ancestors bought this land. Turn around; what is behind you is, I'm very sure, much more fantastic." Orabella turned and gasped again. In front of her was a giant vineyard with rows and rows and rows of grape vines. Beyond, she could see two fairly separate small cottages with large picture windows on a large hill overlooking the large vineyard which lay in a shallow valley.
"It is very beautiful," she said with a smile. "I'm very sure I'll enjoy my stay here!" she said and smiled at signor Viendoli. "Thank you so much for allowing me and my husband to stay here for the month!" He bowed.
"Welcome to Italy. It is my pleasure for you to stay here with me and my wife." Orabella nodded when she suddenly felt someone grab her hand from her other side. She saw Draco standing there in his work clothes and he leaned down to kiss her cheek.
"Don't forget who you are," he whispered almost inaudibly, then louder, he uttered, "Race you to the house, love!" He began to run from her and since Orabella saw his ulterior motive in this childish game, she ran after him, laughing. Signor Viendoli looked at his wife who smiled at him and approached him, putting a hand on his arm.
"Siamo molto troppo vecchi per quei giochi. L'amore giovane è così dolce," she said sweetly. Signor Viendoli laughed heartily, his hands clasped around his belly. He smiled at his wife and put his hand over hers.
"Sì, il mio amore. Niente può confrontare ad amore giovane."
Author's Note: my Italian might be a bit wrong (or maybe really wrong), but forgive me! Siamo molto troppo vecchi per quei giochi. L'amore giovane è così dolce means We are too old for those games. Young love is sweet. if that is wrong, please correct me! and Sì, il mio amore. Niente può confrontare ad amore giovane means Yes, my love. Nothing can compare to young love. it's my first shot at something like this, so please correct me if it is wrong! -LoVeDoNtHaTe