Author's Note: Sorry it took a while to post. I had to work the past two weekends and school's been hectic. There's Italian in this chapter but what's said isn't important to the plot. I just put it in there to make Draco look all studly and smart. I only speak English (and a few Spanish words that I can remember from class) so the Italian is purely from using AOL to translate. If there are mistakes just ignore them and continue on with the story. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Love on the Rocks
Chapter Seven: Alimento per il Cuore (Food for the Heart)
After a couple of hours of heavy-duty shopping, Draco pointed out a quaint looking restaurant that looked almost deserted and the duo headed towards it in search of dinner. Upon closer inspection of the wooden sign in front of the store, Hermione noted that there was a small brass placard that read "Alimento per il Cuore."
The tiny brick building had its shabby shutters closed tightly against the winter wind and that the entryway was surrounded by two scraggly snow-covered bushes. The sun had gone down and light was seeping out from the cracks around the old wooden door. Hermione ran the last few feet up the cobblestone path leading to the door and hurried into the shelter to get away from the harsh weather.
Hermione rubbed her hands together to get them warm again and shivered as Draco helped brush the snow from her coat. She was in a small tiled corridor furnished with two plump looking armchairs and there was a doorway at the end of the hall. A cheerful plump looking woman dressed in robes of chocolate brown walked through the doorway and, grinning from ear to ear, gestured for the two to follow her.
"Come siete, Draco?" Hermione recognized that the woman was speaking Italian but the only word she understood was 'Draco'. She was startled when Draco responded almost automatically.
"Grande! Abbiamo rifinito appena il nostro acquisto di Natale.. Come siete, la sig.ra Morelli?" The trio had reached a silk covered table in a secluded corner of the dining area and Hermione settled into her chair once Draco had pulled it out for her. Hermione was astonished that her boyfriend could speak another language and she hadn't known it. There were so many things she still had to learn about him.
"Sono grande! Lascilo andare ottengono Adrina." At this the squat little woman scurried off and Hermione was left still confused out of her mind.
Out of all the questions she wanted to ask him , the first thing to fall out of her mouth was, "Did you know her or something?"
Seeing the bewildered look on Hermione's face, Draco settled a napkin onto his lap and said, "Yes, that's Mrs. Morelli. She used to take care of me when I was younger until she opened up this restaurant. It has the best Italian food outside of Italy."
"I didn't know you spoke Italian." Hermione settled further into the cushioned dining chair and looked into the silver eyes across from her.
"Well I do. I speak English, Italian, Spanish, and French fluently. French was my first language and then I learned to speak English afterward. Mrs. Morelli taught me Italian and I picked up Spanish on my own."
Hermione's mouth gaped at the blond boy across from her and stuttered, "Four bloody languages! I only speak one! And not very well at that!"
Draco quirked an eyebrow at her accusatory tone and tapped his long fingers on the green table cloth. "It's not that big of a deal. You're not the only student that only knows English."
Hermione wrinkled her nose at that and said, "I know it's not a big deal but I'm the "Gryffindor Know-It-All"! I'm supposed to know it all! There are probably first years strutting around that know more languages than me!"
Draco laughed at that and responded, "Kitten, I hardly think they strut. Just think about it this way. I know a few languages and you know everything else. We're a dynamic team and even the forces of evil can't stop us!" Draco finished his sentence in a loud super-heroish voice and Hermione slapped at his hand. Out of nowhere a buxom raven haired girl appeared clothed in stylish robes of emerald green. She looked to be maybe 19 and Hermione didn't like the look in her green eyes.
"Draco! How nice to see you!" At this the two embraced and Hermione felt a surge of jealousy at their 'familiarity' with each other.
Draco looked pleased to see the girl and Hermione was ashamed to realize that she was unhappy that he was happy. "Adrina. It's so good to see you as well. What have you been up to?"
"I'm working for mother here at the restaurant but I'm about to start a job in the Potion's area soon." The girl's eyes flitted over to Hermione for about the hundredth time and she gasped as if she had just noticed the other girl. "Oh! I didn't even see you there, sweetie. I'm Adrina Morelli. My mother owns this restaurant. Are you a friend of Draco's?"
Hermione fumed at the older girl's superior tone but said nicely, " It's nice to meet you, Adrina. I'm Hermione Granger. Yes, Draco and I are…friends." Hermione trailed off at the end and looked over at Draco so that he would know to inform the little hussy of their relationship.
Draco just kept on smiling and didn't seem to have a clue that Hermione was feeling put out. "It's nice to see Draco making friends outside of his normal circle. You look like you'd make a great friend."
Hermione's teeth clenched at the girl's continued emphasis on the word 'friend' and responded, "Yes, I am a good friend. Too bad we can't say that about everyone."
Adrina's squinty little eyes flashed and her red lipstick clad lips parted to reveal sharp white teeth. "Isn't it though. Draco, honey, what can I get you tonight?"
A saccharine sweet smile dripping in fakeness spread across the girl's face as she turned and looked imploringly at Hermione's oblivious boyfriend. "I think I'll have the linguini con il marinara."
"Good choice! You taste so good…I mean you have such good taste." Hermione almost spit out her water at that and glared at the stupid twit. What an idiot!
"What can I get for you, Herman?"
"Excuse me?"
"I said 'What can I get for you, Herman'?"
Hermione resisted the urge to throttle the stupid cow and said sweetly, "My name's Her-my-own-nee and I'll have the Caesar salad. Thanks."
"Salad? Good for you! Have to keep an eye on that waistline! I'll have your food out soon. I don't want my Draco to have to wait." Adrina winked at Draco in a suggestive way and flounced off no doubt to harass some other helpless girl's boyfriend.
Hermione looked at her fingernails to keep from shooting daggers out of her eyes at Adrina's retreating back and almost immediately the corner was suffused in silence. Tension seemed to seep from the walls and Draco was the first to speak. "Why so quiet, kitten?"
Hermione looked up into Draco's face and felt a stab at the sincere look on his face. Then a rush of indignation flooded her body. How dare he sit there and look so innocent! First he doesn't even bother to ask her to the Yule Ball and then he failed to let Adrina the skank in on the fact that they were more than just friends.
"Why so quiet? I'll tell you why I'm sooooo quiet! Adolfo, or excuse me, Adrina over there is flirting her bum off with you and all you can do is sit there! You didn't even tell her that I was your girlfriend!"
Draco got an indignant look on his face as he said, "Adrina is a family friend and nothing more. I thought it was self explanatory that we were dating! Why should I have to announce it to everyone we run in to?"
Hermione screwed up her face as she whispered harshly, "You don't have to announce it to everyone but you can at least tell other women who are trying to…to…seduce you!"
Draco burst into laughter at that and Hermione felt slightly sheepish. "Kitten, she was not trying to seduce me and if she were I wouldn't let her. I love you."
Those last three words stunned Hermione and she gaped at the Slytherin across from her. "You…love me?"
Draco reached out and clutched both of her trembling hands in one of his larger ones. "Of course I love you. Couldn't you tell? I think about you all the time and I can hardly concentrate on anything else. You're everything to me."
Hermione's eyes teared up and she took a deep soothing breath. "I…I mean…I love you too but…"
"But what?" Draco looked decidedly uncomfortable at Hermione's 'but' and she saw a flash of real fear in his silver eyes.
"Why haven't you asked me to the Yule Ball?"
Relief seemed to blanket his features as he squeezed her hands and grinned lopsidedly. "You scared me there for a minute. I thought you were going to say you didn't feel the same way," at that Hermione leaned forward to kiss his cheek before he continued, "I haven't asked you to the Yule Ball yet because I was planning to ask you tonight at dinner. I had Ginny spend the night with you last night so that I could set all the details for tonight. I had this entire restaurant rented out for us so that tonight could be special."
Ginny's earlier guilty look came back to Hermione and all the pieces fell into place like a puzzle. "That's why Ginny looked so guilty! I thought you were staying with friends…and here you were planning this." He had planned this whole thing for her and she had been yelling at him for being inconsiderate of her feelings. All that frustration had been for nothing. He really did love her.
"Draco that's the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me!" At that Hermione leapt up from her chair and planted a warm kiss on his lips.
"Should I take that as a yes?"
Hermione laughed against his lips and held him tighter to her body. "Of course that's a yes!"
A cough came from behind Hermione and a blush rose to her cheeks at the sight of an annoyed looking Adrina. Scurrying back over to her seat, Hermione couldn't help but feel pleased that the snot had seen her kissing Draco. That should wipe the smirk of her face.
"I see the two of you are comfortable. The food is ready." Two plates heaping with food levitated down on to the table by magic and Hermione's water glass re-filled itself. "Will that be all?"
"Yes, thank you Adrina." A very testy looking Adrina turned on her heel and stalked from the corner table.
"Are you happy, kitten? I don't think she has any doubt that I belong to you now."
Hermione stabbed her fork triumphantly into a chunk of lettuce and responded, "Very happy."
"Good. I wouldn't want my possessive Gryffindor getting mad at me. You can be quite fierce when you apply yourself." Hermione grinned at his reference to the time she had punched him in third year and stuffed a bite of salad into her mouth.
Draco swallowed a bite of his pasta and took a swallow from his goblet. "You never did let me see your robes for the Ball today? What do they look like?"
Hermione shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. "You'll just have to wait until the dance. It's a surprise."
"I can't wait."
Author's Note: Okay so it's fluffy but it's not all fluffy. The Yule Ball is coming up and then Christmas. Then Valentine's Day. Something bad has to happen but I'm not sure when. We'll see. Thanks for the reviews and keep 'em coming. Bye!
Lots of Love - Miss Dissendium
Translations:
Come siete, Draco? - How are you, Draco?
Grande! Abbiamo rifinito appena il nostro acquisto di Natale. Come siete, la sig.ra Morelli? - Great! We just finished our Christmas shopping. How are you, Mrs. Morelli?
Sono grande! Lascilo andare ottengono Adrina. - I am great! Let me go get Adrina.
linguini con il marinara - linguini with marinara
Again I don't know Italian but it sounded good so why not?