A/N: So, I realize that it is well after Christmas, but I feel like this story still needs to be published and finished, and I know you feel the same. So this is the latest installment, and I hope you enjoy!
Chatting at Bella's
Bella's turned out to be a nice little café nestled between two shops farther down the walk. Draco kindly opened the door and gestured for the ladies to precede him, and the three witches looked around at the Italian décor that made the little place seem grand and inviting. The walls were a rich yellow streaked with gold, complimenting the various paintings of red flowers and Mediterranean views. The tables were dark cherry, with matching chairs. Each one featured a stained glass chandelier overhead and a unique vase with a floral arrangement.
Draco followed Luna, who had been the last witch to enter, then met with the hostess. After mentioning his name, she smiled at him and batted her eyes, which he failed to notice, but the redhead beside him caught. Ginny rolled her eyes at the blatant Malfoy worship, then glared at Draco when she saw him looking at her. She was sure that he knew the effect he had on most women, and it disgusted her that he was so used to their reactions and adoration of him. Too bad he has that effect on you too, huh? her unruly thoughts reminded her. Just because she appreciated his features did not mean that she was going to start worshipping him or anything, she reminded herself.
The hostess looked a little put out as she led them to a corner table. Severus and Blaise were quietly talking as the group approached, but turned their attention to them once they registered their arrival. Severus' eyes lit up as he noticed Hermione, but then turned to Draco in question. Their table was only big enough for four, where would the others sit? Clearly, Draco was insistent that Weasley sit with them, if his attempt to weasel his arm around her lower back was evidence. However, Severus fully intended that Hermione sit beside him in the open seat.
"If you would like, we can move you to a larger table, or simply add one here. Which would you prefer?" the hostess asked, risking another glance at Draco.
It was Severus who answered. "Adding another table would be preferable, if you wouldn't mind." The hostess turned to look at him, and Hermione noticed the interest there. While Draco was more handsome than Severus, the potions master was still a beautiful man; or at least, Hermione thought so.
"Certainly," the hostess replied, smiling before moving to the nearest table and pushing it closer to theirs. Once it was in place, Hermione, Ginny, and Luna took places on the opposite side of the table, leaving Draco the seat by Severus. Draco pouted when he realized that he wouldn't be sitting next to Ginny, who was instead across the table. At least he would see her while they talked.
Severus shared in his misery. The only comfort Severus had was that Hermione had confused his leg for the table's and was resting her foot against him. It was against his calf, so he assumed she had crossed her legs when she sat. When a particularly catchy song started playing, she bounced her foot in time with the beat, her toe caressing his calf. Oddly enough, Severus found it rather endearing, and refrained from correcting her mistake.
Blaise calmly hid his disappointment. True, it was unfortunate that his little moonbeam was not beside him, but he could live with the small progress of her eating and talking while sharing his table. Plus, he could look at her often without it being awkward, since she was directly in front of him. He smirked.
"Thank you for the invitation to lunch," Hermione said, breaking the quiet that had settled among them. "This place is so cozy, and judging by the aroma, it must have delicious dishes."
"Bella's has the best of everything, and is authentic Italian. Blaise says it reminds him of his grandmother's cooking," Severus answered, taking a sip of water from his glass. Their waiter had yet to return to offer the newcomers anything to drink.
"If you've never been to Italy, I suggest you eat at Bella's," Blaise seconded, smiling at Hermione before slanting his eyes to Luna. She had a dreamy smile, her eyes looking faraway and misty. "What are you thinking?" he whispered, unheard by anyone except Luna since Draco started talking.
"I was thinking of Italy. I've never been, but I used to plan vacations as a child for when my family had summer holiday. We never made it farther than France, but I planned for Italy and Spain. I wanted to ride in a gondola through Venice, and look up at the Sistine Chapel. Perhaps even picnic in the Tuscan countryside…" She drifted off again, her thoughts stealing her away from him.
He noticed her slender hand on the table and reached to lay his larger, tanned hand over hers. The contact brought her back, and she quickly glanced from their hands to his eyes. "Forgive me, sometimes I just get lost."
"There's nothing wrong with getting lost, but I would like to go with you," Blaise admitted. His eyes stayed focused on hers, and she blushed at his bluntness. It was very becoming, Blaise thought. Luna tugged her hand from his, and he let her go after a slight hesitation. She gave him a small smile of apology before tucking her hands in her lap.
If Blaise kept touching her and smiling like that, Luna was going to jump over the table and snog him senseless. She could feel the heat spreading across her face, and hoped he took it for a blush of discomfort instead of desire. The Italian looked too good and talked like he was interested, something that Luna hadn't come across much. Normally, men thought she was too loony to be serious, and forgot she existed. But she could feel Blaise looking at her, and she knew those flirtatious words slipping from his sexy mouth were seeping into her and making her forget herself. She was going to do something drastic if he kept it up, and would be completely embarrassed if he wasn't really interested.
"What can I get you to drink?" a waitress asked, and Luna and Blaise turned to her. Luna ordered tea along with the other witches, and the waitress gave them menus to peruse. It successfully distracted her from Blaise, and he had to resign himself to the small progress he'd made. His girl wasn't a bold Gryffindor, and neither was she a subtle Slytherin. She was a Ravenclaw, one who tended to overthink or take time to assess situations before making decisions. He couldn't push her too quickly, or she would flee. Instead, he had to keep going slowly, and hope that she'd make up her mind sooner rather than later.
"So, um… Mr. Snape—"
"Call me Severus, Miss Weasley."
"Only if you call me Ginny," the redhead shot back, waiting for Severus' nod before continuing. "I wondered if you were still working in Potions, even if you are no longer teaching."
"You aren't teaching?" Hermione asked, clearly shocked at the news. Severus rewarded her surprise with a smile before nodding again to Ginny.
"Yes, I've gone into business selling various potions and supplies. Right now it's only an ordering service, but I hope to upgrade to a shop in either Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade soon." Severus returned his gaze to an awestruck Hermione.
"When did you stop teaching?" Hermione asked, finally regaining her wits. "What are the new students going to do? Who's teaching them?"
Severus smiled at her; forever the know-it-all, he thought. "I retired a year or two after you graduated, leaving the students in Professor Thorne's capable hands. She was an apprentice of a colleague of mine, and has earned her place at Hogwarts. Minerva found her quite adequate; though she professes that future students will be a little more successful under her tutelage than mine, mark-wise."
"That means she isn't as hard on her students, right?" Ginny asked, smiling. While she hadn't really suffered under Professor Snape because she was decent at Potions, she knew that Ron and several others had.
Severus smirked in answer. Then he shifted his gaze from the fiery redhead to Hermione, who was still looking a little shocked over his retirement. At that moment, the waitress returned with the witches' tea, and he watched as Hermione stirred in a little sugar and milk before holding her cup close. It rested below her face, so Severus assumed she was inhaling the aroma and letting it calm her.
"Are you ready to order? Or should I give you a few more minutes?" the waitress asked, politely tucking her hands behind her. Severus cast a quick look around before asking for a few more minutes. The waitress beamed at him and nodded before making a swift exit.
"I still can't believe you retired, how will the future generations learn?" she whispered, knowing he would hear her; she could feel his gaze on her.
"The same way they did before I became a professor, I assume. But I appreciate the compliment regardless." He lifted his water to his lips. Hermione let out what he could only call a growl, and he carefully hid a smile.
"Well, at least you left after me," Hermione admitted before taking a sip of tea. Then she pulled her menu open and browsed through the choices.
Severus' eyes widened momentarily at her compliment. Truly, she adored him, or at least his mastery of Potions. Added to her awareness earlier, he could argue that perhaps she fancied him, and that was something, at least. He smirked when she returned her gaze to his, and she blushed slightly.
The other girls took Hermione's cue and lifted their menus as well. Since the fairer sex wasn't keeping the conversation up, the men followed their lead and read through the selections. Ginny soon set her menu down, followed by Blaise and Draco. Severus was just shutting his when he noticed Hermione flipping from one side to the other, clearly undecided. Luna was gazing intently at one side, so neither Severus nor Blaise were sure if she was also torn between entrees, or simply daydreaming.
"And what are you doing, Mr. Malfoy?" Ginny asked, taking charge of keeping conversation flowing. Hermione was glad she'd stepped into the role of social leader—it wasn't her forte. Sure, she could make decisions, but she had some problems talking to people. Instead, she flipped her menu again, trying to decide if chicken primavera would be better than grilled shrimp caprese.
"You must call me Draco," he said first, giving her a hard look to reinforce the request. She shot a look that demanded that the request went both ways. He smiled. "I'm heading Malfoy Enterprises in my father's stead, since he's vacationing in France with Mother."
"Are you planning on staying there, or is it just temporary?" Hermione asked, moving her gaze away from the buttons of Severus' shirt (they were rather shiny black on the black shirt, and occasionally caught the light). She had finally decided what she wanted (the caprese) and had tried to rejoin the conversation, except she'd gotten distracted by Severus' damned buttons.
"Well, I'm not sure. I played for the Falmouth Falcons for a few years after graduating, then I occasionally stepped into the business whenever Father needed me. But I haven't been working lately. Instead, I've been remodeling the manor to rid the place of the darkness the Dark Lord left behind." He shuddered, but it was over quick enough that only the people watching him in that moment noticed. Ginny noted the revulsion in his voice when he named the cause of the evil presence.
"So, you're doing interior design?" Luna asked, perfectly innocent in her curiosity. Blaise set his glass down before he took a drink so that he didn't accidentally spray her when his ability to hold back his laughter failed him. The blonde held her menu up just in case. Draco shot him a warning look before responding.
"Not quite, but close. I've been working with a designer on the project, making the decisions and whatnot, and then intermittently helping out with the construction. I've learned some very useful spells that way."
"What is Lucius' opinion on the remodeling?" Severus asked.
"He's just happy that it's starting to feel more like our manor again. The curse breakers were helpful with that; they were able to remove the heavy oppressiveness that helped darken the entire manor."
Ginny couldn't help the spark of happiness shooting through her. It was nice to know how far Malfoy—Draco—had come. He was being kind (even perhaps a little flirtatious) to her, he'd been purging his home of evil, and he didn't consider himself above a little designing or manual labor. Ginny found it fairly attractive.
"Perhaps I should visit and see how the remodeling is coming," Severus said, and Hermione could see the curiosity in his face.
"From what I saw of your home, it was very grand and beautiful. I'm sure the new additions and details will only make it even more glorious," Hermione said, trying to hide a shiver as she remembered the manor. Being tortured there didn't exactly endear the home to her.
Severus arched an eyebrow, and made to take her small hand in his when he saw the haunted look in her gaze. Draco sighed, his eyes softening as he remembered her screams echoing through the otherwise-silent house while Aunt Bella tore her flesh from her body. He almost wished he was closer to her so that he could hug her and offer her some comfort. As it was, he didn't feel that she would accept anything so intimate, so he left the consoling to Ginny and Luna. "Thank you," he said, making sure she knew he appreciated her efforts.
"Are we ready?" a cheery voice asked, pulling them from the topic. Severus nodded, before looking at Ginny. She met his eyes for a moment before she realized he was directing her to start. She turned to the waitress and ordered pasta marinara. Hermione followed with her order, then Luna, having them go clockwise for simplicity. Draco finished placing his order before grinning at the waitress and asking for a bottle of white wine to accompany their meal. Hermione and Ginny tried to protest, but he insisted, and they couldn't say no without being rude. The waitress smiled and nodded before retreating to put in their orders.
For a moment, the table was silent. Ginny looked around and could practically feel the tension that hovered between them, it was palpable. Draco looked up at Hermione, suddenly remembering something, but unsure of whether he should share or not. Hermione nodded slightly, and Ginny focused on Draco.
"You'll have the opportunity to see the new manor soon," he said. "And you'll notice that the drawing room you remember has been transformed. Father isn't quite sure about it yet, but I think he'll come around."
"Why will I be seeing the manor?" Hermione asked.
"We're hosting the ministry ball," Draco answered smiling brilliantly. "It's the culmination of my project." Draco almost laughed aloud at the expressions of the women across from him. All three looked like does caught in the light, their eyes wide and mouths slightly open.
"They didn't mention that, I presume?" Severus drawled. Hermione shook her head, before gathering her senses and remembering that it was not proper to leave one's mouth open, even if it was a big shock.
"So all three of you will be attending the ball?" Hermione asked, looking from Draco to Severus, then to Blaise.
"Yes, that's part of why we were out today," Severus responded.
"And you three are attending as well, so it should be a lovely event," Draco said. "I thought, at first, that it might be a tad suffocating to have all the ministry workers there and trying to be a good host might be difficult, but if you're there," he looked right at Ginny, "I'm sure it will be a night to remember."
A/N: So, we're starting to figure out where our characters are in life, and we're getting close to them, right? I hope you are all as much in love with these characters as I am. At any rate, there are so many ideas floating in my head right now, and I know I need to get a move on and get to the ball, but there are some things that need to happen before we get there. (I'll give you a little spoiler: Severus is going to send Hermione a gift). So know that the story is progressing, if slowly.
I want to thank all of you for reading (and maybe even reviewing?) and for continuing to support my work. I appreciate and love you all.
Until next chapter,
-Arciere