"Have I mentioned that I don't want to do this?" Hermione frowned at the cobblestones and then back up at Lavender.

"Oh maybe one or two... HUNDRED TIMES!" Lavender laughed and squeezed Hermione's arm. "It's going to be fine. Stop worrying!"

Hermione exhaled noisily. She was fairly sure it was not going to be fine. It was going to be awkward and uncomfortable and … unsettling. She plucked at her top; she'd had such a hard time deciding what to wear and was extremely annoyed with herself for caring.

She'd initially slipped on her favorite shorts and a pretty blouse without even thinking about it, but then his face in the bookshop had floated in front of her eyes, and his voice had echoed in her ears—'you know, short'. She didn't want to be thinking about that all night. So she'd put on some wide-legged trousers and a button down shirt. But then bloody Lavender had flounced out of her room in a tiny slip of a sundress and Hermione had felt stuffy and dowdy next to her. So she'd claimed the top was making her too warm and gone back and stared at her closet for five minutes before she'd thought, fuck it, and donned a very cropped sleeveless top. It went well with the trousers and made her stomach look amazing and also, fuck him. But now, of course, she was pulling at it, smoothing it so it was a little longer. She forcibly moved her hands away and made herself focus on what Lavender was saying.

"...So I was really surprised when Theo stopped in and suggested this! I didn't think he'd reach out to me when he's already seeing a lot of you, but it was a nice touch. I really do think he's sincere."

"Oh I think Theo is sincere too. I just wonder what he had to bribe his roommate with to get him to come: two weeks' washing up?"

Lavender snorted. "Be open-minded!"

"Ha. Open-minded. I wonder if this is the first time he's sat down to eat with a muggle-born."

"Do not ask him that tonight, Hermione. Please. We're supposed to be building bridges here!"

"All right," Hermione grumbled, kicking at a rock with her sandaled foot. They were almost to the Piazza so she made herself straighten up, then tossed her head and threw her shoulders back.

"That's the spirit," Lavender murmured with a giggle in her voice as they entered the square.

Hermione's eyes immediately began to scan the charming dining area outside of Theo's restaurant. Canopied in strings of twinkle lights with tables covered in checked cloths and lit by flickering candles, it was almost absurdly romantic. Hermione frowned again and shook her head, just as her eye was caught by a flash of platinum, gilded by the last of the evening sun. The boys were sitting at a prime table, placed just so under the branches of a beautiful little tree and slightly away from the rest. Smart move, Theo. As Hermione watched them, Theo gestured and Draco tilted his head back and laughed at something he was saying. The humor transformed his face and Hermione almost stopped dead in her tracks. Luckily at that second Lavender squealed, "There they are!" and started pulling her by the arm.

Lavender wasn't the quietest and Draco looked up immediately when she called out. There were traces of laughter still in his face, but they drained as he watched their approach. Hermoine saw his eyes flick down her body and felt instantly self-conscious—especially when she caught the brief pause when he got to her midsection. But then he looked away and said a quick word to Theo, who turned around and stood up.

"Ladies! We were beginning to despair of you," he said, his smile bright.

"Sorry we're late, Hermione had to change her top three times," Lavender said, and Hermione could have cheerfully stabbed her with a butter knife.

"Oh, well, I like what you decided on," Theo said with a twinkle in his eye as he very obviously ogled her bare stomach. Hermione muttered her thanks and suppressed the urge to smooth her top down again. There was a little awkward maneuvering about where to sit—Hermione quickly trying to decide whether it would be more uncomfortable to sit next to Malfoy or across from him, and berating herself for not having thought this through already—before they all found themselves seated and staring at each other, Hermione across from Draco and next to Theo. Oh god, now she was going to have to avoid looking at him all night. And try not to touch him under the table. She should have sat next to him, shit.

"So," Theo glanced around the table. "Here we all are."

Silence met his words for a beat before Lavender burst out laughing. "Isn't it so strange?" she said. "I mean, let's just get that out in the open."

Her words seemed to act like a little pressure valve, letting some of the tension out of the atmosphere. Theo laughed along with her and Hermione murmured a low 'yes' and felt a smile tug at her lips. Even Malfoy's face relaxed as he nodded and lifted a wry shoulder in agreement. Hermione thought she might let Lavender live another day after all.

"Well, luckily we have wine for that," Theo said, pouring each girl a generous glass and topping up Draco's and then his own. "And excellent food. I took the liberty of ordering for the table since I'm very familiar with what's good." He knocked Hermione's shoulder with his. "I've been told I'm quite managing, but sometimes one has to be!"

"I didn't say you were managing!" Hermione protested, looking at Theo and rubbing her shoulder exaggeratedly. "I said it was very neat, how you managed me into riding with you every day to class!"

"Theo's talent for twisting words is formidable." Hermione was surprised to hear Draco's voice and she glanced across the table, where he was leaning back and watching them with a gleam in his eye.

"I'm starting to realise that," she murmured, holding his gaze for a beat and then reaching rather quickly for her glass of wine. She drank a large gulp as Lavender spoke up again.

"So," Lavender angled herself toward Draco and crossed her arms, "I understand that you were the first to arrive here. Did they tell you anything more than they told us? I mean," she turned back to Theo and Hermione and spread her hands, "I knew nearly nothing except where I was working, the address of the flat and that Hermione was already here. The witch who escorted me basically shoved the medallion and an envelope of cash in my hand, said 'good luck' and left!"

"I wasn't told much more." Draco shrugged again. "I'm sure you both," he nodded at Theo and Lavender, "were subjected to the muggle crash course just before you arrived as well."

Lavender and Theo nodded as Hermione said, "What? What course!"

"Well you obviously wouldn't have needed it," Lavender said with round eyes. "It was all about, like, using money and what's electricity and how to cook. And there were all these magazines to look through." She looked at Draco, "Did you have that American instructor? He was so strange!"

"Yes." The one word conveyed a world of disdain, and Hermione couldn't help the snort that escaped in response.

"Was it that he was American or the prospect of living in the muggle world?" The words slipped out before she could stop them and pulled an immediate curtain of silence down on the table. Lavender and Theo's faces showed surprise and Hermione knew her expression was a mixture of chagrin and challenge.

Draco looked at her and sniffed once. He swirled his wine in his glass, and then amazingly the corner of his mouth curved up and his eyes actually twinkled.

"Both."

His brows flicked up and down, and Hermione felt surprise race through her veins like the wine she had been drinking rather quickly. A laugh burst from her lips just like the other morning. Theo and Lavender started laughing too and Draco smiled, the expression again transforming his face. Hermione felt herself relax for the first time that night. Who knew Draco Malfoy was funny?

"Sorry," she said a bit gruffly, "I'm supposed to be being open-minded." She cut her eyes to Lavender and wrinkled her nose.

"I'm sure you're not the one who's been lacking in that area." Draco's voice was soft and Hermione whipped her eyes back to him, blinking in surprise, but his gaze was cast down, to where his long fingers were playing with the stem of his wine glass. She opened her mouth to reply, but just then two waiters arrived with the antipasti and the table was suddenly noisy with chatter and the movement of plates and glasses.

Once the activity settled and they were all eating, Lavender spoke up again, telling the table that she was thinking of buying a scooter and asking Draco how he liked his motorcycle. From there on, it was almost like a normal dinner between friends, or at least friendly acquaintances. Hermione felt her reserve giving way bit by bit as they chatted through three courses and into the night. She'd known Theo was entertaining, so it was Malfoy who surprised her most. He was not only non-offensive, but actually seemed to be putting himself out to be interested and even charming at times. His natural reserve and prickliness were of course still present, but he was also engaging and Hermione felt herself responding. Of course, he'd probably been schooled in polite dinner conversation since he was a toddler, so it could all be an act, but at least the night wasn't the excruciating exercise in awkwardness she'd expected it to be—maybe because they managed to avoid all discussion of the war and the dark shadow it had cast over their lives. There seemed to be a tacit understanding that this meeting wasn't for that—that the deeper conversations might come later.

They were debating whether to have dessert or just order espressos like locals, when Lavender leaned forward with bright eyes and suggested that they all go to the disco. Hermione caught a flash of reluctance cross Draco's face and felt in solidarity with him. She didn't really want to go either.

"I've never been, but I've heard so much about it!" Lavender was saying. "Have either of you gone?"

Draco shook his head. "Not me, but Theo's a regular."

"It's not like I haunt the place," Theo said, shooting an annoyed look across the table. "But yes," he turned back to Lavender, "I've been a few times. It's ace. Outdoor and nothing fancy. Just a DJ and a bar and a dance floor. Some tables and string lights like these." He pointed up. "All kinds of people turn up. Lots of young folk from here and the other villages. Some of the French girls who do seasonal work around here. University students on holiday."

"Sounds brilliant!" Lavender shimmied a little in her seat. "Let's go! Oh come on!" she said, noticing Hermione's body language, which Hermione knew was displaying her skepticism. It was one thing to have a cordial dinner with Malfoy, but to dance in front of him, or with him for that matter? She felt her neck and cheeks warm.

"It's just, er, late," she said feebly, Lavender already starting to scoff at her words.

"Late!? This is Italy! It's what, 10:30?" Lavender looked wildly around. "People are just finishing dinner!"

She was right and Hermione knew she was right, but she still felt strange. She stole a tiny look at Malfoy to see that he was leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, regarding her with a ghost of his old smirk on his face. Instantly she knew that he knew exactly why she was reluctant, and she felt the heat burn brighter in her cheeks. Theo nudged her again.

"Come on, it will be fun," he said gently. "Open-mindedness?" His roguish grin emerged full force as Hermione tried to hold back a smile and did not succeed.

"Fine!" she said. Chancing a direct look at Malfoy, she met his eyes. "And you're supporting this plan too?"

"I don't think we'll burst into flame, Granger," he drawled in response, holding her gaze. She remembered her earlier words and half laughed, strangely reluctant to look away.

Theo cleared his throat and Hermione jolted back to awareness. Shite.

"Well, we're going to need that coffee then." She leaned back and signaled one of the waiters, not missing Draco's eyes dart down to her stomach as she stretched, maybe lingering a little longer than necessary.

"Oh quit showing off, you bitch," Lavender said. "I swear that's not fair. And no I won't be having dessert tonight."

Hermione straightened back up and sent Lavender a friendly rude hand gesture. Both boys laughed and it was like a final crack in the ice.

"So how are we going to get there?" Hermione said.

"A table!" Lavender squealed, "Let's grab it!" She pulled Hermione by the hand to a rustic wooden circle at the edge of the dance floor and threw her bag on it. Hermione followed and sat down in one of the low chairs ringing it. The disco was almost exactly as Theo had described; just a basic outdoor space with a little shack for a bar, lights strung over a dance floor, and a few tables. They were lucky to have gotten this one because the place was crowded. Hermione turned around to say that to Lavender only to see her back, deeply tanned against her white sundress, as she pulled Theo out into the dancing crowd. Hermione froze. Fucking Lavender.

"Would you like a drink?" came a voice from over her shoulder.

"Er, yes." She turned, grateful that Malfoy had come up with a simple solution to the problem of having to sit awkwardly and watch their friends dance. "Thanks." She glanced at him then lifted her tiny handbag and began to unzip it. "Let me give you some Lira…"

"Granger, please. You can get the next round if you must."

She looked up then and he was almost smiling her, the rainbow lights from the DJ booth playing over his handsome face. She blinked slowly and took a breath. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm being so awkward. I just—"

"Because it is awkward. And you don't have to apologise." He lifted a shoulder. "We can't all be stupidly outgoing." His eyes moved past hers to the dance floor, where Theo was swinging Lavender around in some kind of lift, while she laughed with giddy delight, much to the amusement of several other patrons.

Hermione saw a visible shudder pass over Draco's face and she laughed and caught his eye again. "Thanks," she said, involuntarily reaching out and laying her fingers on his arm. He looked down at the point of contact and she felt a little jolt. "Uh, vodka coke?" she said, hurriedly removing her hand and putting it in her lap. He just kept looking at her, so she said, "My drink order? Coke is the fizzy brown soft drink?"

He tilted his chin down, "I know, Hermione."

"Ok, ok!" She waved him off. "Sorry!"

He took a step toward the bar then looked back at her. "Stop apologising."

She just shook her head and he turned again and walked away. She swiveled back to the dance floor, looking for Theo and Lavender, who had both moved on to new dance partners, but her eyes kept wandering back to the bar, where Draco stood tall and straight shouldered in his jeans and black t-shirt, his bright hair so distinctive. Would she ever get over seeing him in muggle clothes—especially such casual ones? Not that he didn't look very good in them. A vision of his waistcoat and rolled sleeves from the other day flitted through her mind, which led to speculation about what he wore when he rode his motorcycle, and then she remembered what he'd looked like under his clothes at the pools.

She suddenly realised what she was doing and breathed out heavily, closing her eyes against the images. She'd obviously had too much wine with dinner. And now she was having another drink. Probably not the best idea—she'd need to cut herself off after this.

She craned her neck. Maybe Mauritzio was here. He could distract her from ridiculous imaginings. She scanned the place, but didn't see him, although she did recognize a few of the other waiters from the village. She gave them a quick wave and then turned again to the bar, wondering what was taking Malfoy so long.

Ah. That was what. A beautiful girl with long dark hair was smiling up into his face as she talked and gestured. Malfoy was half smiling too, and looking down at her with polite interest. He had a drink in each hand and looked like he had been in the middle of turning to come back to the table. The girl grasped his upper arm and went on tip-toe to say something in his ear, and Hermione felt a hot pulse of … something. She didn't care to examine what it was, but she knew she didn't like that girl, who didn't seem to notice or care that he had two drinks in his hands. Rude. She kept watching them as Malfoy pulled back and shook his head gently, while the girl made a pouting face and tugged playfully at his shirt. He laughed and gestured with his head toward their table and Hermione, who realised she was glaring at them very fixedly, tried to look away and smooth her face into more neutral lines. But Malfoy had caught her looking—and the girl had also noticed, because she shot Hermione a glare before she tossed her head and walked away.

Oh dear.

"Thanks!" Hermione could hear that her voice was overly cheery as she accepted her drink with a wide, fake smile. Malfoy nodded and settled into the seat across from her. Hermione desperately tried to think of something to say, but couldn't, so she turned to the dance floor again and a painful silence settled on the table. Lavender was paired up with one of the waiters from town and Hermione tried to seem very interested in their gyrations, sucking down practically half her drink in about three seconds.

"So this is muggle dancing?" Hermione spun to see Draco looking out at the activity on the dance floor, his face a bit puzzled.

"Well, yes. A certain type," she said, eagerly seizing on a topic, any topic. "This is an R&B song, so the dancing is kind of… close." She grimaced as a nearby couple became fairly x-rated in their movements. "Other faster dancing, like what Lavender and Theo were doing before, is different. From a different era and a different style. That was a disco song, which is why everyone was twirling around. It's mostly from the 1970s, whereas this song is current."

Draco nodded. "Fascinating."

"Do you really think so?" Hermione cocked her head. "It must seem strange to you. I know wizarding dances seemed very strange to me when I first saw them."

"I do. And yes it seems strange, but I'm trying to learn. What other kinds of muggle dancing are there?"

"Well." Hermione turned fully around to face him and put her elbows on the table. "There's 80's dancing. That's kind of a style that goes with the type of music that was popular in the 1980s. It's very distinctive. If a song comes on I'll show you."

"Really?" His lips lifted.

"Or, I'll, er point it out at least." Hermione slurped the last bit of the second half of her drink.

"Does each decade have its own style of dancing?" Draco leaned his elbow on the table and put his chin in his hand, mirroring her. Hermione noticed his drink, which looked the same as hers, was barely touched.

"Not necessarily. There's no real distinct style for the 90s. But there are other types. There's ballroom dancing. That's much more formal and like wizarding styles—you won't see it in a place like this. And of course there's slow dancing."

"And what's that like?"

"It's sort of like the slower wizarding forms, but less… structured," Hermione said. "You basically just put your arms around each other and sway in time to the music." She laughed, remembering a trip to a disco with a muggle friend. "If you like each other, you stand close and if you aren't sure, you kind of keep your arms stiff." She held her arms out like a zombie and moved back and forth.

His smile deepened. "Sounds fairly simple."

"Yeah I find some of this—" Hermione waved her hand at the dancers, "a bit much."

"I don't know." He looked past her. "Looks fun."

He caught her eye and Hermione felt a prickling of anticipation. But then the music cut out and the tempo slowed. "Oh!" she cried, twisting to look at the DJ booth, "I love this song! It's from the 80's and a slow song. See how they're all coupling up!? See the swaying? And the arms!?" She turned excitedly to Draco.

He was smiling again. God, his smile was attractive. She didn't think she'd ever really seen it at school, but she was starting to understand what Lavender had meant. She'd just been blind to him. He opened his mouth and Hermione knew he was going to ask if she wanted to dance. And she knew she was going to say yes. And then maybe the whole world would burst into flame. Or maybe it wouldn't.

These thoughts flashed through her mind in the second it took for him to take in a breath and raise his brows, but in the next second she was being spun on her seat and pulled up and out of it by Theo, who was laughing and telling her he wasn't going to let her sit there like a lump any longer. She darted a glance over her shoulder and saw Draco look away and take a deep swallow of his drink. Hermione couldn't tell if she was disappointed or relieved, but then Theo was pulling her close and she gave in to the moment, looping her arms around his neck with a shake of her head and a smile.

Theo mouthed the dramatic words to the song in an exaggerated way that made her laugh, and she could smell a heady mix of sweet cologne and sweat. The lights were pretty as they whirled slowly.

"You know the song!" Hermione shouted over the music.

Theo nodded. "Surprised?"

"Yes!"

"I have a few tricks up my sleeve," he said in a low voice, his smile fading into a more intense look. Hermione felt her pulse speed the tiniest bit, which surprised her. Thus far she'd noted Theo's attractiveness, but not been attracted to him. Unlike—well, better not to dwell on that.

Theo seemed to sense the change in the atmosphere too. He stopped swaying and blinked down at her with a strange expression on his face. They had almost stopped moving altogether when the song ended and a new, bouncy one struck up, and suddenly Lavender was there to pull Hermione away. Hermione was glad for the interruption, which allowed her to ignore her confused feelings, and she and Lavender danced for a while—eventually letting Theo and some of the waiters join in.

Hermione stole a few glances at Draco and saw him watching them, leaning forward in his chair with his elbow on his thigh, the smoke from a cigarette wreathing his face. Hermione thought about going to get him, about pulling him into their circle, but couldn't quite picture actually doing it. Although when another slow song came on, she looked for him again, a mad half-idea taking hold in her mind, but he was gone. She felt a distinct stab of disappointment that he'd left, and then a distinct stab of a stronger emotion when she realised that actually he hadn't left at all, but instead was just a few couples over, swaying with the pretty dark-haired girl from the bar. Slag, Hermione thought and then was immediately appalled with herself. She looked away as the girl laughed up into Draco's face.

"Come on, let's get a drink!" Lavender suddenly yelled in her ear, a welcome distraction.

"Ok!" Hermione grabbed her hand and led her up to the bar, where they waited for the bartender to finish another order. Hermione leaned over to see what flavors of soft drinks were in the fridge, turning the motion into a stretch. Suddenly a warm palm slid across her bare lower back, the fingers curling lightly around her waist. She sucked in a little breath and whipped her head around.

"Order me a lager, will you? I'll get the round." Theo winked at her and let his hand trail off her skin to rest on the bar.

"Heyyy," she slid down and turned around, catching Lavender's avid-eyed stare as she did so. Theo had her neatly trapped and she was reminded of her joke about him managing her. She looked up at him for a moment, then put her palm flat against his chest and pushed. He stepped back with a laugh, pivoted and grabbed Lavender to twirl her in a circle.

"Where's Draco?" he asked after he placed a breathless Lavender back against the bar.

"Last I saw he was dancing," Hermione tried for a nonchalant tone as Theo's mouth dropped open.

"Dancing!?"

"Yeah, with some girl." Hermione saw Lavender staring at her again and she shot her a 'stop it' look when Theo turned to pay for the drinks.

"Well maybe I'll get the flat to myself for once," Theo said with a double flick of his brows.

"No, I don't think so," Lavender spoke up, her eyes now trained on the dance floor. "I'd bet my last galleon he just told her no thanks."

Hermione turned as she spoke and saw the dark haired girl flouncing away from an amused-looking Malfoy. The girl shot Hermione a very dirty look as she passed by them and pushed out a side door to the patio. Lavender's eyes flew to Hermione's, surprise registering in them. Hermione gave the tiniest shrug.

"Anyone else ready to go?" Hermione turned at the sound of Draco's voice.

"Are you upsetting the locals? Do we need to get out before there's bloodshed?" Theo said with a smirk.

"Something like that," Draco murmured, his eyes flicking to Hermione. That amusement showed in his face again and she wondered what in the world had happened.

"I'm ready to go," her mouth said, surprisingly.

Theo looked between them for a beat. "Well let's go, then."

"I want to drive!" Lavender called, snatching Theo's car keys out of his pocket and darting for the parking lot.

"Does she even know how?" Hermione asked as she and Draco watched Theo run after Lavender.

"Who knows?" Draco said. "But I guess we'll find out."