Chapter 9

Blaise had to do something the next day, so Hermione took the time to explore some of the nearby villages on her own. Pansy had convinced everyone that the shopping in Milan was far superior and an excursion was deemed necessary. Hermione, feeling that she needed a break from the Slytherin company, made other plans.

She spent the days walking around medieval streets in small villages so far off the tourist track they rarely saw anyone. And no one spoke any English, but charades and finger pointing seemed to work well enough.

She returned to the house before anyone was back and spent a good hour reading on a sun lounge. It was really nice when there was no one there. Without the constant noise and talking, you could hear the ocean and the wind, the birds and insects.

But it didn't take long before Pansy's demanding voice broke the relaxing silence. They poured onto the patio with shopping parcels in tow.

"This is the perfect birthday present." Pansy said. "And now I have a dress worthy of the occasion. It is simply gorgeous. Thank you, Draco."

"You're welcome." He said and sat down on one of the lounges and closed his eyes.

Justine was seemingly not pleased, but she had her own parcel. Hermione suspected there would be an industrial grade sulk on if Draco had bought Pansy something and not Justine.

The whole maturity of the situation bemused her. Pansy had her own money, so this was about something else. More of the Slytherin politics, she guessed. She decided she didn't want to deal with them anymore and retreated back into the pool, where the water gave her that initial kick of cold.

She swam to the other side of the pool away from the politicking Slytherin girls. She missed her own friends, who didn't bring shopping into the proceedings at all. Just a pint at the pub, while just hanging out being happy to be with each other.

Marcus Flint joined her in the pool.

"Where did you go?"

"Just into the village nearby." She said. "Not much for shopping. Not really a social thing for me."

"You could have told me, I would have escorted you. Going alone, you are a strange one." He said.

Hermione gave a little smile because rolling her eyes would be rude, especially as he offered his services as an escort. While nice, it was a bit bizarre.

She suddenly decided that the white bikini might not have been a good idea because now she felt a bit self-conscious.

"So, you work in law." He continued. She really didn't feel like talking, but the ever present requirement not to be rude kept her there.

"Umhm." She said. "Do you know where Blaise is?"

"He had do go somewhere." Marcus said.

"I better go check if he's back." She said and pulled herself out of the pool. Even worse was that she had to walk past Malfoy to get to her towel and book. She could always leave the towel and go upstairs wet, but that would be weird. She was being ridiculous. She had nothing to be ashamed of.

She walked over and grabbed her stuff, then retreated back to her room. Luckily, no one said anything. She was absolutely sure Malfoy would say something to continued or even amplify her discomfort. She wasn't exactly sure why she was uncomfortable, she'd been in a bikini hundreds of times without much reaction.

It didn't matter, she was back in her room. Blaise wasn't back, but she enjoyed the silence and solitude.

He came back shortly before dinner. It would be an informal dinner for once, as tomorrow was Pansy's big night, requiring cocktail dresses and all. So she decided to go down in her comfortable beach pants that suited most purposes. They were fitted and stretchy and looked like something you could quite naturally wear over your bikini. The one she refused to take off out of principle.

And who knew, maybe a swim after dinner with Blaise might not be a bad thing. She'd barely seen him tonight.

The girls were still completely dressed. There was a cocktail dress for every occasion apparently.

"Well, you look gorgeous without making any effort whatsoever." Pansy said.

"I thought we'd perhaps go for that night swim, he's been promising me all along." She said as she sat down next to Blaise. How she wished it was just the two of them. She decided to tune them out and focus on him for a bit. She asked him how his day was, just loud enough for the conversation to be amongst the two of them.

"I really could help you with your hair." Pansy interrupted. "Give it a bit of sleek. Tame it a bit."

"I'm not sure I'd recognise myself." Hermione said, not really sure whether it was a genuine offer or just a barely covered insult. Not that she wanted Pansy anywhere near her hair. "I have grown quite used to it doing its own thing over the years."

"I love your hair." Blaise leaned over. "Don't you dare."

She laughed.

"She's one of those who believes that natural is better." Malfoy said with derision.

Oh, god, here we go, she said to herself.

"Mistakenly, I'm sure." She returned.

He didn't say anything more.

"Men always like soft hair." Pansy said. "A bit of potion and it would be straight and sleek. You must let me."

"Alright Pansy, since tomorrow is your day, I will let you do whatever you want to my hair." Hermione said. "Provided its not permanent."

"I wouldn't give her carte blanc if I were you." Malfoy said.

"Nonsense." Pansy said with a smile. "You won't regret it."

Hermione hoped like hell she wouldn't. She might be bald tomorrow. She might have just walked into a trap.

"So gullible." Malfoy said. "You trust everything anyone tells you. I don't know how your lot manages to survive in the world."

"I'm not going to destroy her hair." Pansy said, getting a bit offended, but Malfoy wasn't paying her any attention.

"Maybe I get by in the world because I trust the people around me." She challenged him back. "Maybe, its about the people you surround yourself with."

He raised his eyebrow at what sounded like an insult to the company she was presently with. Ok, that sounded bad. She had to fix this before the silence around the table turned nasty.

"Maybe if you give your friends the benefit of a doubt, maybe you will find that your friends will have your back." That wasn't exactly what she was planning to say, but she couldn't find something else that didn't come across as insulting.

"How do you make it through the day being so naïve?" He asked without humour. You've been buying into the Gryffindor goody-two –shoes crap for years and you let people take complete advantage of you. You do the job of three people for the pay of half of one person. At some point you have to wise up, for Merlin's sake. Same with Potter. People just hand responsibility and you just accept it. For all your book smarts, you the dumbest person I've met. Even Goyle's more equipped at getting by in the world."

"What?" Goyle looked up on hearing his name.

"Hey, lay off her." Blaise demanded. He took her hand and she turned her attention towards him. This was not a discussion she wanted to have with Malfoy, not that she wanted any discussions with him. Why couldn't he just go away?

The food arrived and everyone's attention turned towards the food. Except Malfoy, who just watched and drank whatever foul stuff he was into.

"Don't mind him." Blaise said. "He's just a bit of an arse. I think he got sunstroke today, plus he gets particularly grouchy when the girls drag him around the stores."

"Then why does he go?" Hermione asked.

"Its kind of a part of it." Blaise said. "You have to, its a Slytherin thing. A Pureblood thing."

"What, you have to go shopping and buy things for girls?"

"Yes."

"I'll never understand your customs." She said.

"And that's not a bad thing." Blaise said. "You don't play games, and I adore you for it."

There was a fair bit of drinking that night. They didn't end up going off for a swim to Hermione's disappointment. When it was apparent that they weren't really going to leave, she decided to get a jumper as the night cooled a bit. Blaise was getting a little bit drunk and she felt a just a tiny bit tipsy, but she was moderating her intake.

She retrieved a jumper from her room and went to return to the patio downstairs.

"There you are." Marcus Flint said. He had obviously had a bit to drink as well. "That is a smashing outfit by the way. Really good."

"Thanks." Hermione said.

"You know," he said and gently grabbed her arm, "Blaise is a lucky guy. I don't think he quite appreciates it."

Hermione didn't say anything. She wasn't sure where this was going, and she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to know. And then he moved and he was on her, kissing her.

It had been completely unexpected and she hadn't gotten a chance to object. And it was a strange kiss, a kiss from someone who held nothing back, she noted as she pushed him away. Not a quality she had expected in Marcus Flint. She was about to say something when a gasp brought her attention away.

Daphne Greengrass stood not far away with a look of absolute glee on her face before she disappeared.

"Daphne!" Hermione called after her, hoping to explain what she saw was nothing, but the girl was gone. Marcus still had hold of her arm and Hermione pulled her arm out of his grip.

"You can do so much better." He said.

"No Marcus." She said sternly. "I can't and I don't want to."

She walked away and down the stairs towards the patio. The whole area was silent. Blaise was standing still and looking away, refusing to acknowledge her. Daphne and Pansy were sitting together, ready to watch a show.

"Blaise." Hermione started, but he refused to look at her. "It wasn't like that. He took me by surprise, I didn't see it coming and you know I'm not like that."

"Seems I don't know anything." He said curtly. "I think you better go."

Hermione's eyebrows shot up with surprise. This was not a reaction she was expecting. Understandable that he might want to ask her what was going on, maybe in private, but to do it so publically, without any chance to let her explain, that, she had not expected. Or even the fact that he thought she would do that, what did that say about their relationship? She guessed she had read it wrong.

The look of complete glee was still on Daphne's face. Pansy was a bit more guarded, but there was a challenge there. The person she dreaded the most was giving her less of a reaction, surprisingly. He was sitting with his elbows on his knees holding a drink. He was looking at her, but it wasn't the look of triumph she'd expected, it was more a look of disinterest.

Whatever, Hermione thought and turned on her heels. Fine, she would leave. If he wasn't so much as prepared to let her say her side of it, then what more was there to say?

She stiffly walked upstairs and packed her things. She was hoping he'd come up and they would talk about it, but he didn't. Her disappointment only grew.

She packed her bag and walked out of the room without closing the door behind her. A little point of protest at being treated such. The silence returned when she walked out on the patio again. It stretched for a whole minute. He still wasn't going to engage with her, not even bothering to find out that this wasn't her fault, or giving her the chance to talk to him in private.

"Well, I'll go then." She said with all the dignity as she could muster. She certainly wasn't going to look like she was skulking away. This was his doing, and she was not going to take any ownership of it. "See you."

She walked down towards the jetty where she could apparate to the close-by village. From there she would find her way to an airport. She didn't know a step wise route to apparate towards London and it would be cumbersome to organise a portkey, not that Blaise had offered to help in that department, so she would fly the old fashioned way. Luckily, she'd brought her credit card, as it turned out, Slytherins were highly unreliable travel companions.