A/N: Sorry about the unintentional hiatus, time and RL got away from me. It was a mixture of a new job, and inspiration for another couple of stories, which distracted me from this one, but I am back, and I intend to pop out the rest of this story with no more long delays between chapters.
Thanks for sticking with me guys, and for all my great reviews - I'm sorry I haven't replied to them but I have read them, thank you :D
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Chapter 7: La Dolce Vita
Hermione stirred awake, after one of the best night's sleep she had ever had. The Autumn sun was shining in through the gossamer curtains - the only coverings on the window, bar the shutters that were wide open - and Hermione smiled as she snuggled deeper into the feather pillows and quilt.
At Hermione's minute movements, Draco automatically began to wake and reached over to pull Hermione to him.
"Buongiorno, bella," he murmured into her neck, causing Hermione's smile to widen as she stretched and turned in his arms.
"Good morning to you, too."
"Vorrei che noi potremmo restare qui per sempre," he whispered softly as he kissed along her jaw line before capturing her lips briefly.
Hermione giggled, "I have no idea what you just said, but I know I liked it."
Draco chuckled; they had been here five days already, and Draco found out quickly that Hermione liked it a lot when he spoke Italian, and so he had continued to do it more and more with very satisfying results.
"I said: I wish we could stay here forever."
"Mmmm," Hermione agreed with a lazy smile, her eyes fluttering closed as Draco began to thread his fingers through her hair. "It has been a pretty perfect week."
They had arrived at the vineyard late on Sunday afternoon, but even with the receding daylight the beauty of the house didn't escape Hermione. The house was an old, traditional, stone building that was typical of Italian architecture and set into the hillside with fields of vines all around it. It was nowhere near as large as Malfoy Monor, but it was certainly a generous size - it looked to cover a little under the same area as her own home, and was only two stories high. The acreage was extensive, and the driveway leading to the house took five minutes to travel up. They drove through the landscaped gardens on either side, up to a large ornate fountain, that served as a roundabout, and pulled up at the foot of sweeping stone steps that lead to the large front wooden doors. The gardens at the sides and rear of the property were equal to those at the front, so that every window of every room had a beautiful aspect.
Their first evening was the epitome of relaxation: the house elves that essentially ran the vineyard in the Malfoys' absence served them a simple Mediterranean dinner accompanied by the best wine from the cellar. After dinner, Draco took Hermione on a brief tour of the house, before taking her outside onto the back deck where a hot spar was bubbling away, giving off inviting steam, the heat enticing in the chill autumn night.
"What do you think?" Draco asked. "Fancy a dip?"
"You could have told me there would be a hot tub, I would have packed a bikini," Hermione scolded. "I have nothing to wear in there."
Draco grinned, "nothing is perfectly acceptable - we are the only people for miles around. Jump in, I'll grab us a couple of towels."
It was the perfect start to a relaxing week, sat under the stars in the warm water with an ample supply of wine. Within the first hour, Hermione could feel the tension leaving her muscles, and when Draco began to massage her shoulders the last vestiges of stress disappeared completely. It didn't take long for Draco's hands to wander from her shoulders, down her arms and to encircle her waist, as he began to gently press his lips against Hermione's neck, on the spot that always made her moan.
The next morning Hermione awoke to an empty bed, Draco having got up early to attend to some pressing business. That afternoon he took her on a tour of the working part of the vineyard, and Hermione was pleasantly surprised at the excellent working conditions of the elves. Nothing Draco had said about their employment was exaggerated; they were well provided for with housing, food, clothes and payment, and their working hours were just as fair as her own.
The following day the pair went to Draco's other vineyard, which Draco had purchased the previous summer. The investment was certainly thriving; Draco had done an excellent job in procuring the right management to oversee his plans, and in his absence the winery had become one of top attractions for tourists and locals alike. There was a guided tour that departed twice a day, starting at the vines and progressing into the winery that ended with a wine tasting. There was a restaurant that served lunch and dinner, with a bar that opened late, and the house had been turned into luxury accommodation: the perfect getaway for a romantic weekend. It was here Hermione learnt that Draco was fluent in Italian, when he struck up a conversation with the manager and she was lost after "bonjourno". After sampling the cuisine with a romantic dinner, they returned to the Arbour Estate, and there they remained for the remainder of the week, simply enjoying each other's company.
By the time Sunday came around, Hermione was more relaxed than she had ever been and was in no hurry to return to London. But return they must, as Hermione and Draco were back at work Monday morning, and so Sunday night found them back in their reality that was their Knightsbridge home.
Hermione's first day back to work was rather busy, with a healthy amount of paperwork to get through that had piled up during her impromptu holiday. In her absence there had been another creature theft: this time a Clabbart had been reported missing. The procedure of investigating the theft was done and dusted by the time Hermione returned, but the following write-up, and filing, was left for Hermione to occupy her morning with. Just before lunch, she was relieved from her monotony by the arrival of Jo, who had been out on call all morning.
"The traveller returns," Jo grinned as she came in. "How was Italy, you don't look very tanned."
Hermione laughed, "I didn't get a tan because there was very little sun - it's autumn in Italy too. It rained most of time," Hermione added, though she was still smiling.
"That's a buzz kill," Jo sympathised. "So what did you do?"
Hermione didn't answer, just looked at Jo and grinned. Jo understood immediately and laughed, "nice."
"Oh, it was way better than nice," Hermione laughed.
"I have to ask," Jo said, after sitting in Hermione's cubicle, "are the goods as fine as the packaging implies? Is the candy as good as the wrapper?" Jo pressed, when Hermione looked slightly confused.
"Are you asking me if Draco's body is as good in the flesh as it looks in his clothes?"
"Precisely."
Hermione grinned, "better."
Jo laughed loudly. "Lucky bitch," she grinned as another person entered the cubicle.
"Am I interrupting?" Harry asked, hovering awkwardly.
Hermione smiled up at him, "of course not. Harry, this Jo; Jo, Harry." As Hermione introduced, Jo stood from her seat to shake hands, and the pair smiled their hi there's to one another.
"I'll leave you guys to it, I have a report to write," Jo said, moving around Harry and giving him an appreciative look from head to toe, from behind, before giving Hermione a suggestive wink and a smirk.
Hermione laughed, and said, "candy is as good as the wrapper," as Jo retreated to her cubicle.
"I'll want to know more about that later," Jo called over the cubicle with a chuckle.
"Do I even want to know?" Harry quizzed.
Hermione grinned, but ignored the question. "I'm really swamped with paperwork, we may have to cut lunch short," Hermione said apologetically as she straightened her desk and stood up.
"No worries," Harry smiled. "We'll grab something quick in the Atrium, if you like?"
The atrium cafe was packed with Ministry workers, but Harry Potter and Hermione Granger were seated and served without delay. As the waitress departed their table, after setting down their order, Harry began asking about her impromptu getaway.
"So, what did you do all week?"
Hermione gave Harry a mischievous glance. "Draco," she answered truthfully.
Harry gave a comical disgusted facial expression, "ok, I didn't need to know that."
"I went on holiday with my boyfriend, what do you think I did?" Hermione smirked at him, tucking into her lunch.
"You went to a vineyard, maybe you learnt about winemaking, I don't know," Harry mumbled pathetically, trying desperately to rid himself of the mental images of his best friend and ex enemy that were now planted in his mind.
Hermione laughed, "yes, well, I learnt a little of that, but mostly is was just a holiday - to get away from the world and relax."
"Well, it looks like it worked," Harry smiled at her. "You do look refreshed."
"Thank you. So tell me what I missed, anything exciting?" Hermione asked.
"I woke up to a random woman in my kitchen yesterday morning, does that count?" Harry smirked.
Hermione choked as she accidentally inhaled some of her food. "All right," she said when she got her breath back. "That needs some explaining."
Harry chuckled, "she's not really that random; do you remember Kate? She bought Ron at your auction, and it appears their first date went well and lead to a second and third."
"Wow," Hermione smiled. "Who would have thought? So are they officially together?"
Harry shrugged, "I'm not certain; I know he's seeing her again on Friday, but he's not introducing her to his family just yet. But she's nice, they suit each other - and she's not an obsessed super-fan of the Golden Trio."
"Always a bonus. So, how did your date go?" Hermione asked. "Did you and Claire hit it off?"
Harry hesitated for a moment, "yes and no. We had a good time, there was no awkward silences or anything, but there was no spark," Harry explained. "We've been out for a few drinks since, but always in a group and just as friends - I introduced her to Seamus the other day, they had more of a spark than she and I."
Hermione laughed, "Seamus has 'a spark' with everyone."
"True," Harry laughed. "But this one seemed a little more genuine."
"I'm sorry it didn't work out," Hermione said after a moment. "You'll find someone - the great hero Harry Potter will never be single for long."
"That's just it," Harry smiled sadly. "It's hard to find someone who sees past the name and the scar." He was thoughtful for a moment, and then asked quietly, "do you ever wonder, if we'd chosen different paths, that we might have ended up together?"
Hermione thought seriously, and then nodded slowly, "maybe. If I hadn't gone back to Hogwarts, I wouldn't have fallen in love with Draco. We would have been able to be more involved in raising Teddy together, we probably would have grown closer - but how close, I don't know."
"You're lucky, you know," Harry said after a moment. "To find someone, other than Ron and Me, who has been affected and involved in the war just as much as you - who can understand everything you've been through."
"I know," Hermione smiled.
"Does he know? Everything?"
"Not everything, but most. He knows about the worst of it, because he was there and saw it all. I don't talk about it, I can't, but he knows. It's not something I'll ever tell anyone - even Ginny doesn't know. I told him about travelling across the country and living in the tent; he knows a little bit about the Horcruxes, but nothing detailed about them - I never said what they were, or how we destroyed them, just that there were objects to find and destroy. I haven't said a word about the Hallows, either."
"Are you happy, Hermione?"
Hermione smiled and nodded. "Very," she assured him.
"Good," Harry smiled back at her. "Now, what are your plans for Christmas? Are your parents having another elaborate party?"
"Funny you should mention 'Christmas' and 'parties'," Hermione said slowly with a sudden gleam in her eye that made Harry wary. "Draco and I were thinking of doing something festive to raise funds for St Mungos. But obviously, our flat is too small for such a thing, Malfoy Manor might still be a little imposing, so I was wondering if you and Ron might want to get involved, and allow us to host it at Grimmauld Place? Come on," Hermione pleaded, "a charity event hosted by the Golden Trio, and a Malfoy will really bring in numbers, and should raise a lot of money - I'll even plan it all myself."
Harry looked at her shrewdly; "you've already started planning it, haven't you?" Harry asked, sounding resigned.
Hermione grinned guiltily, "little bit."
Harry chuckled; 'little bit' in Hermione-speak roughly translated to 'fully planned and ready for action'.
"How can I say no?" Harry sighed, but smiled, caving to his best friend's whim.
The date for the party was set for December 21st, and while Hermione had already planned petty much everything, there was still a lot to do over the following six weeks. She mercilessly dragged Draco and Blaise into the planning, and through them she was able to extend invitations to some of the old, pure-blood families who had slowly disappeared during the war - Hermione was surprised at their numbers; according to Draco, out of all the families who used to attend his mother's parties at the manor prior to Voldemort's return, only half were fully involved with the Death Eaters, which left a veritable source of donations, should these people be persuaded to come back out into the world. Due to Hermione's ever increasing workload, what with her job at the Ministry, the fast development of the Nottingham Clinic and extra preparations for Christmas and New Year at the York bar, meant that Hermione was forced to admit that there was not enough of her to go around. For the first time in her life, she was forced to relinquish some portion of control, the prospect of which often had her fretting well into the night.
"Hermione," Draco groaned, the first week of December, past midnight. He could feel her tossing and turning, the stress radiating from her in waves that infected Draco, and made him equally as restless. "What is it? What is on your mind right now?"
"I'm sorry," Hermione whispered, turning onto her side to face Draco, who was lying on his back, his eyes still closed. "I didn't mean to wake you."
"It's fine, just answer my question."
Hermione sighed again, "everything. The Nottingham clinic is almost ready to go, which means I need to arrange to get the staff in to familiarise themselves with the premises - I also need to organise the opening event. Then there is Christmas at the bar - you know Matt has hired some temps for the season, so there's that paperwork to do, not to mention seasonal promos. The St Mungo's fundraiser is just around the corner, I need to arrange a meeting with the hospital board as well as try and get a final head count. All this I need to do while working at the Ministry full-time, my workload is increasing and I really want to make a start on my Elf Rights legislation."
Draco let her rant on, knowing she wouldn't feel better until she had vented, when she finally fell quiet he spoke.
"Delegate."
"What?" Hermione asked, when Draco didn't look like he was going to expand.
"You don't have to do everything: take a day and spend it in Nottingham, focus on the clinic. Leave the bar to me - we're co-owners, as long as one of us is on top of it, it's fine. And let Potter and Weasley sort the fundraiser - their names are down as co-hosts, so let them do their bit."
"But-"
"Nope," Draco interrupted her. "You can't do everything, you will only wear yourself out and make yourself ill with the stress. And you can't do anything at all until morning, so go to sleep."
Hermione took Draco's advice - reluctantly, and against her better judgment, but she took it all the same. But by the time December 21st rolled around, Hermione had to admit that Draco had been right to trust Harry and Ron with the event - with Kreacher's help (and most likely Ginny's help too) the benefit looked set to be a hit. Important Ministry members were part of the guest list, including Kingsley and a selection of department heads. The high-society attendance was also rather good thanks largely to the Zabinis who were their in full force - Blaise, his parents, a couple of uncles and an elder sister, whom Hermione never knew existed.
"She went to an all girls school in Italy," Draco confided to her, after he had introduced them all and the Zabinis went to find their seats at the large dining table that had been magically enlarged to accommodate everyone. "She's Blaise's half sister; Azzurra is the daughter of Calogero's first wife who died not long after their daughter was born. Azzurra lives with her aunt, but she used to always spend the summer with her father, that's how I know her."
There were a couple of representatives from the hospital board, as well as a few head healers, and of course the Weasley's were out in full force, though they appeared slightly nervous at such an apparently lavish event, to which they would have never been invited before the war. Narcissa had also been given a pass for the night, and was making her debut back into society, for the first time since the war had started, with her sister by her side.
Once Hermione, Draco, Harry and Ron had made a quick sweep of the guests, the extensive party took their seats around the large dining table that had been magically extended to accommodate the extra people. As the champagne flutes magically filled, and canapés appeared around the table, Hermione remained standing to formally welcome the guests.
"Welcome, everyone, I'm thrilled that so many of you could be here this evening," she said with a smile. "Tonight, we're here to rise much needed funds for St Mungos: I'm sure everyone of us here have needed the expertise of healers at some point in our lives, and are therefore well aware of the necessity of St Mungos. There is no other establishment like it, and better yet - the service is free. But it costs money to run such a successful hospital; St Mungos has relied on generous public donations, and Ministry funding, for generations now, and in the aftermath of the war - from which we are all still healing in one way or another - the need donations more than ever. Here with us tonight is Martha Bronzeacre, a dedicated healer and member of the hospital board of governors - " There was a polite smatter of applause, to which Martha humbly nodded and smiled, "-after dinner, Martha will tell you more about the current needs of St Mungos and where any donations will be sent. Before we begin dinner, I would also like to thank my three heroes sitting with, without them this evening would never have happened: Draco, Harry and Ron have been integral to tonight's dinner - without them, this evening wouldn't be happen, so Thank you," Hermione said, looking to either side, at the three men. "Thank you for sticking by me, through all my neurotic, obsessive, control - seriously, it's a miracle they didn't go crazy."
And so Hermione ended her speech and a genial laugh went around the table, and everyone raised their glass in an informal toast, as the first course appeared.
Over dinner, the conversation was general and genial, but talk soon turned to the hospital, and by the time the main course was served everyone was swapping stories - some sad, some downright hilarious - of their dealings with St Mungos.
It turned out that Ron had had a few visits early in his childhood, when some prank or other, courtesy of Fred and George, had gone awry and Molly needed expert assistance.
"They've always been really good with me," Ron finished, after regaling them with a tale concerning a nose-biting teacup that their father had confiscated artwork, and which naturally found its way into the twins' possession. "And they were great with dad, remember, after he got bit at the ministry-"
Hermione cleared her throat significantly and gave him a threatening look at the same time as Harry kicked him under the table - despite the end of the war that was still classed as confidential Order business.
"Ow," Ron protested. "What-? Oh...erm, I mean, when dad had an accident... at home... nothing to do with a snake, or anything..."
Those listening to the story laughed at this failed attempt at a save, while Draco frowned. "I'm missing something big here, aren't I?" He asked Hermione quietly; Hermione smiled and whispered, "I'll tell you later."
"Anyway," Arthur joined in, and continued to tell the rest of the story to avoid questions. "My injury was rather a trial to them - couldn't figure out how to stop the bleeding. Got there in the end, but we used a lot if resources - even tried Muggle stitches-"
"Stitches?" Draco frowned, at the same time that Molly scoffed and shook her head in mild disbelief - even after all these years, the memory still made her incredulous.
"What, do muggles sew you up like a piece of cloth?" Draco joked - though he sounded rather wary.
"That's pretty much what I said at the time," Molly told him. "And would you believe it, that's right on the money."
Draco looked at Hermione incredulously, "Seriously?"
Hermione nodded, "It's perfectly common in Muggle practice - there are no potions, no magic, and sometimes there are wounds too deep to heal naturally, and so the skin needs to be stitched back together. It's very common," she reiterated, trying not to laugh at Draco's astonishment, which she found slightly absurd.
"It happens every day in Muggle Hospitals," Hermione assured him. "They cut you open and stitch you-"
"They do what?!" Draco shouted rather loudly, creating a hush around the dining table.
"It's called surgery," Hermione elaborated, now talking to the entire table. "And it's how Muggles fix you, when something inside you goes wrong."
"Surgery?" One of the guests at the other end of the table questioned. "What exactly is that? What does it entail?"
Hermione thus found herself explaining how Muggles treated various things from heart problems to complicated leg breaks by exploring inside the body to fix the problem. Her explanations made more than one person turn pale, and by the end of spewing her limited knowledge on the subject everyone was clearly aghast.
"That's barbaric!"
"Just plain wrong"
"They slice you up, rummage around your insides, then stitch you back together again like piece of meat?"
Hermione had to admit, when it was phrased that way, it did sound barbaric, but she defended the medicine all the same. "It's how Muggles save lives - they can't wave a wand and fix what they can't see with Magic; it's the only way."
Looking at the shocked faces she grinned with a sudden inspiration to help boost the fundraising and raised her glass as if in a toast, "donate to St Mungos, your alternative is Muggle surgery and stitches."
A few laughed, but the majority looked seriously at each other as if to say "give them everything we can - I don't want to be butchered like a cow."
A/N: Next chapter will see them through Christmas and New Year, I'll have it up as soon as I can
xBx
