Draco felt drawn to the beautiful witch in front of him, so much so that the rest of the people on the beach seemed to fade away. He arrived in front of her as she was bending to pick up her towel. She stood while wiping the water from her face.

'Oi! You're standing on my towel!'

Draco was brought out of his trance by the loud yelling coming from the man whose towel he was obviously standing on top of. He looked down to step away and apologize.

'I'm terribly sorry...Weasley?'

'Malfoy?' The red-head returned the confused look that was displayed on Draco's face.

Draco looked up at his coral clad beauty standing before him. 'Granger?'

'The one and only, Draco. I should think after everything we have all been through, you could call me by my given name?'

'Umm, I suppose so. Hermione.' Draco tested her name out for what he thought may have been the first time ever. 'What on earth are you doing in Italy?'

'Oh, you know, relaxing, taking in some culture. Generally getting away from the dreary London life. I could say the same to you?'

'Practically the same I suppose. How long are you in town for?' Why did he ask her that? Why did he care? This was Gryffindor Princess Hermione Granger.

'Just over a week. Ron and I arrived yesterday.' Hermione gestured to the man whose towel Draco had trod on. They nodded to each other and Draco turned his attention back to Hermione. He couldn't figure out why but he really wanted her to keep talking to him, but he honestly didn't know what to say to the girl. They didn't exactly have the greatest past, and other than knowing she liked to read, he was a bit stumped. He looked around at their surroundings and noticed a battered copy of War and Peace lying near her towel.

'Brought some light reading with you?'

'Pardon?'

'I see you've brought some light reading with you.' Draco gestured to the book lying near her towel.

'Oh! Yes, I've read it a dozen times already, it's an old favourite. Why do you ask?'

'No particular reason. I was just recalling how appalled Blaise was when I brought the same book down to breakfast the other day.'

'You're reading War and Peace? Forgive me for being ignorant, but you know Tolstoy was a muggle, right?'

'Why Hermione, I am offended by your insinuation that I would not read a classic simply because it was not written by a wizard.' Draco brought a hand to his heart in mock indignation to the brunette's insult. 'I feel like you owe me a drink this evening for your insulting manner.'

Hermione smiled at the blonde's joke. She looked into his eyes, searching for the truth in his request. 'I think that can be arranged, give me your address and I will stop by after supper.'

Draco returned to his lounger with a smile on his face to find Blaise had disappeared to find his own entertainment for the evening.

Their drink that evening had resulted in staying up all night, swapping stories and discussing anything they could think of. As the sun rose Draco couldn't believe how much he and the amber eyed witch had in common and how much time he had wasted on hurling insults. He wasn't sure they would ever run out of things to talk about or that he would find a better intellectual equal.

So that was it, the unconventional pair were inseparable for the remainder of Hermione's vacation, which wasn't long enough for Draco. They spent their days soaking in the culture and the sunshine and their nights learning every inch of one another's body.

Draco spent two hours moping after her departure from Italy before he made the brash decision to go back to the UK. He purchased a flat in the same neighbourhood as Hermione with the intention of making it his home base for his worldly travels. He surprised her at her flat later that evening with flowers and takeout, both of which were abandoned on her dining room table as the tore each other's clothes off to reacquaint themselves after their eight hour break.

Draco never made it around the world, he barely allowed Hermione to make it out of her flat daily.

On the eve of his scheduled return to reality, Draco gave Hermione his grandmother's ring in a grand proposal. He couldn't imagine his life without the beautiful witch and knew his parents would start asking him as soon as he returned to the manor to find a wife. He was interested in seeing the look on his parents' faces when he announced to them he had already found a bride and who it was.

What Draco didn't know was that his parents also had a surprise for him that would change everything.