Chapter Forty Four
Hermione arrived by water taxi at St. Marks Square and walked across it to Gianni's, she entered the small bar and she saw Draw sitting at the table they had shared the previous night, there was a vase of roses set upon the table and a beautiful crystal candelabra lit the table with a soft and gentle yellow glow.
Seeing Hermione, Draco stood up, he pulled her chair out for her, gave her a sweet lingering kiss and then as Hermione sat down, he slid the chair under her before taking his seat again.
"You look amazing!" He said honestly.
"Thank you," Hermione replied, "so do you." Draco was wearing close fitting blue jeans, a charcoal-grey short sleeved shirt and a black leather jacket that was hung on the back of his chair, "I love your hair." Draco's hair was styled forwards, it was a sexy messed up kind of style, and Hermione loved the idea of running her fingers through it.
"Just got out of the shower and rubbed it with a towel." He laughed, "but I am glad you like me au natural."
Hermione laughed and then asked him if he had already ordered, he replied that he had, and as if by magic Gianni appeared with a large tray covered over with two shining silver, domed plate cloches.
Gianni placed the tray down on the table and removed the cloches with a flourish.
"Rixoto de go," he announced the name of their meal, bowing he then took the tray away and Draco and Hermione tucked into a delicious seafood risotto.
"This is divine," Hermione said, as Draco poured her a glass of wine, "I have never eaten anything with so much flavour in all my life."
"One of my favourites," Draco smiled. Celestial opera music was playing in the background, and the small bar was beginning to fill up with hungry diners. They chatted as they ate and before long Draco had ordered them dessert.
Gianni brought them another tray. This one bearing a fabulously presented tiramisu with two spoons. Draco fed Hermione until she was full and he polished off the rest. They finished their wine and were soon bidding farewell to Gianni.
"Ready to show me what you're made of on the ice?" Draco teased.
"Yes, but you'd better not laugh," Hermione said playfully.
"Cross my heart and hope to die," Draco said making the sign of a cross over his heart.
Draco led Hermione by the hand to a gondola he had hired, there was a bottle of champagne in the boat with a pair of beautiful crystal flutes. He poured her a glass and then he poured one for himself, then he took up the oar and began to row them down the canal. The water was perfectly calm and the air was fresh, the sounds of music and laughter were muted by the water and the lights were dazzling upon the still surface. Draco was a smooth rower and Hermione sipped her champagne without spilling a drop. After about twenty minutes Draco pulled up to a quiet jetty and tied the boat off, then he got back into the gondola and sat down beside Hermione, he poured her another drink and then raised his glass, "to another magical evening together," he said and they touched glasses with a resounding "clink". Then he leant towards Hermione and the couple shared a passionate embrace. They drank their champagne and the Draco stood up, offering his hand to Hermione to help her out of the boat, then hand in hand he led her through the narrow alleyways until they stopped at a piazza where a temporary ice rink had been erected for Saint Mark's Day.
They were given a pair of skates each; Hermione's were dainty and white and Draco's were large and blue. Then walking stiff-legged and strangely the couple went hand in hand to the edge of the ice. Draco stepped out onto the slippery ice first and Hermione followed, wobbling precariously, Draco took his wand out and pointed it first at his own feet and then at Hermione's "periti in glacie ," he whispered, and immediately the couple skated off together with the skill of olympic ice-dancers, they whooshed across the ice, spinning and jumping, Draco lifted Hermione and threw her into the air, catching her again and spinning her around him as she landed.
"This is amazing!" Hermione laughed as the whisked across the smooth glassy surface.
"And you said you weren't any good!" Draco said laughing.
"You do realise this is cheating!" Hermione said smiling.
"Why who are you competing with?" Draco asked with a wink.
"Good point," Hermione laughed, letting go of his hand, "race you to the other side!" With that she took off across the ice at high speed and Draco followed closely behind her. Draco reached the other side a split second after an out of breath Hermione, they stood together for a while laughing and then they embraced each other. Draco lifted her off her skates and held her above him at arms length before lowering her back down and kissing her firmly.
"finum exponentia", Hermione whispered as Draco sped away, but her spell hit him just as he was turning to look at her, and she barrelled into him with a thump, she landing on top of him.
"Oh god," she said with concern, "are you okay?" She looked at Draco's face which until now had been still with his eyes closed but as she watched him, a smile began to show at the corners of his lips and he opened one of his eyes with a cheeky look on his face.
"Got ya!" He laughed, then he grabbed her ass and turned her over so that she was flat on her back and he was above her. She stared into his sexy eyes and he bent down for a kiss.
"That was very naughty," he said as they hobbled there way to the edge of the ice, "I might have to give you a good spanking for that later on."
"Mmmmmmm... promises promises!" Hermione laughed and they took their skates back off and made their way back to the gondola.