Chapter Thirty Five
Hermione arrived by water cab at the Hotel per la Coppia Vigoroso, the hotel was not quite as extravagantly decorated as Aurelia's had been, but it was still stunning. Large real candle chandeliers were hung in the spacious reception and the marble floor sparkled in the firelight. Hermione approached the polished wooden reception desk and gave the dark-haired receptionist her details.
"Ah, Professore Granger," the woman said with a strong Italian accent, "Yes, yes, we expected you earlier in the day, here is the key for your room. When should we expect your partner?"
"Oh, I'm sorry." Hermione said sadly, "He... err... couldn't make it."
"Oh, this is a shame," the woman said, "as you are in the honeymoon suite. There are no other rooms available I'm afraid, we are decorating most of the rooms for next season."
"That's okay," Hermione said, feeling a bit silly, "I'm sure it will be lovely anyway."
"Oh yes it is a beautiful room, don't worry about that." The woman said and gave her directions to her solitary honeymoon suite.
The room was beautiful as she had been promised, it was decorated in a traditional Venetian way, with rich fabrics and drapery, the bed was huge and enticing, it had four pillars surrounding it and exotic drapes encased it. Some thoughtful soul had laid rose petals across the ivory sheets upon it. Complimentary champagne and strawberries had been set out upon a small glass table in front of the window and the bath had also been filled and sprinkled with petals. Hermione looked at the deep inviting bath, and put her hand into the clear water tentatively. "Brrrrrr!" Hermione said, the water was icy cold. "Of course,! she thought, "they expected "us" earlier." Hermione took out her wand, "Aqua Calefacta," she said, and instantly steam rose from the now, perfectly hot, water.
Hermione undressed and slipped into the bath, the water soothed her jet-lagged body and she closed her eyes and emptied her mind.
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Draco arrived at the Hotel per la Coppia Vigoroso, after leaving an infuriating Aurelia back at the theatre. Apparently the model had already left by the time he had got backstage, and annoyingly Aurelia would tell him nothing about her.
After some confusion about the room at reception, a fed up Draco took the elevator to his room and unlocked the door. He threw his suitcase down in a corner of the pretty room and Draco went out onto the balcony to take in the gorgeous night scape of Venice' Grand Canal. The water reflected an orange and yellow glow from the subtle lights spotted along the banks of the canal, and every building had windows that appeared to glow like the burning embers of a dying fire. The night air was cold but the visual rewards were worth a slight chill and Draco was intoxicated by the serenity and beauty of the place. The sky was a blanket of diamonds on a deep purple velvet background. He was glad he took this room rather than staying at his mother's hotel as the view was like an oil painting, almost too perfect to be real. With that thought his mind turned to his muse once more. "Like Hermione," He thought with a pang of guilt. He couldn't believe he had felt an attraction for that model.
Just then Draco heard a faint splashing sound coming from the bathroom of his suite.
"What the hell?" He thought, tiptoeing back inside. He snook across the room and held his ear to the door. "Nothing!" He thought, and then he heard it again. His hand slid down to the polished handle of the bathroom door, and quietly with conscious stealth, he began to push the handle down.