Please enjoy chapter three and review! :)

Chapter 3 – An unexpected meeting

I woke up early today by a ray of sunlight streaming through the thin linen curtains, birds were chirping and the sky was bright blue. It was going to be a beautiful day. Yawning I got out of my bed and made my way to the bathroom. After a quick shower I felt entirely awake and got down to make some breakfast. I baked two eggs and was just pouring myself a cup of camomile tea when I heard the familiar ticking of an owl's beak against a window. It was Pig, Ron's little owl, he was carrying a letter with Harry's neat writing on it. The poor little owl almost fell in my kitchen sink when I opened up the window for him, I had told Ronald countless times that Pig was too small to handle great distance flights and that (until Harry had bought himself a new owl) he could also send his letters by muggle post service. But as usual, Ron doesn't listen to me and poor little Pig is always the victim of his stubbornness. I carefully picked up the bird and placed him on the big wooden kitchen table and gave him some owl treats (I always had them in house, in case Harry sent Hedwig to Italy) and water. Then I released Pig from his burden and opened up the letter Harry had sent.

Dear Hermione,

I hope that you'll receive this letter (Pig might get disorientated) and that you're save and well in Lucca. Why haven't you told us that you were leaving for Italy? I was worried sick when I didn't get an immediate answer from you! (You've got mail when you get home ;)) I heard the new from your grandma, she sent Pig back with a note. How is the weather there? Have you thought about bringing sun block?

Anyway, Ron and me are staying at Grimmauld place, the Burrow is still too depressing for Ron. He's feeling a tiny bit better but not that much. I honestly don't know how to handle him. I wish you were with me to cheer him up. I miss you Hermione, and Ron does too. I can see it from the ways he communicates with Kreacher: he's nice to him, he even smiles to him (Ron doesn't even smile to me!) because Kreacher reminds him of you. I see it in his eyes.

Most of the time we stay inside, writing those war rapports for the Ministry. I have no doubt that you've already finished writing yours ages ago. Ginny comes by now and then but she doesn't stays the night because of Ron. He might get upset and lonely.

Hey, here's an idea: maybe we (Ron and I) can come over for a while? The change in atmosphere might be good for Ron and then we'll all be together again. Think about it, we won't be a distraction for you, if you want to be alone, we'll just do boy stuff together and when you want us around, we'll be there whenever you want to.

Again, think about it and write back soon!

Love,

Harry

P.S. Ginny gives you love and hugs

P.P.S. I bet Ron does the same thing

A smile crept upon my face, Harry's so adorable and caring. And them coming over didn't even sounded that bad. Even when Ron was in a foul mood, he still was my friend and needed people to comfort him. I grabbed a quill and wrote back:

Dear Harry and Ron,

I'm sorry I didn't told you guys of my plans but everything was decided so quickly and I completely forgot while packing my trunk. The weather is nice indeed, actually I'm planning to go the beach this very day! I'm totally enjoying the change of climate and already feel less troubled. So I do think you and Ron should come over! It'll be good for Ron (like you said) and Harry, maybe you could bring Ginny too? Then you'll have some private time with her, it must be hard to have a girlfriend and not be able to spend time with her without her brother. My house is big enough so just ask her to come.

I think it's the best that you come from next week, so I'll have time to prepare the guest rooms. I'll come pick you up at Florence airport, just send me the arrival time and I'll be there!

Love and kisses,

Hermione

P.S I'll have to send Pig back, but please use the muggle post service or email me your answer. Because the poor bird won't survive another flight to Italy. If you decide to email, I'll check my email in an internet café in two days.

I would send Pig back when I returned from Viareggio, so the bird would have some time to gather it's strengths. I let Pig into the garden and ate my (now cold) breakfast. After doing the dishes I went back upstairs to get ready for my trip.

Today I would be wearing my new bathing suit underneath my new summer dress. I applied a bit of foundation, mascara and some rose coloured lip balm. To finish my beach look I wore a large sun hat with a red bow and red flip flop's on my feet. I gathered some books, my mp3, a bottle of sun block (silly Harry, thinking I would forget my sun block), two big fluffy white towels, my sun glasses and two green apples into my hand bag (with undetectable swelling spell of course) and was ready to leave.

I took the train to Viareggio and walked immediately over the broad boulevard to my favourite spot on the beach. Viareggio is a touristic town on the Tuscany coast, I used to come here almost every day with my parents. It's so touristic that every hotel or restaurant on the beach owned a piece of the beach where only costumers were allowed to come. You could also hire a parasol and a sunbed, but then you are paying at least 20 euro's each day. So my parents and I had a reserved spot on the beach, the spot belonged to the Astor Hotel, but we paid a certain sum of money every year to be able to come anytime we wanted and still have our own spot. The Astor is a very fancy hotel and our place at the beach comes with a personal waiter and access to the hotel's swimming pool.

At the Astor I had to prove that I was my parents daughter and that I was older than 18 but after those formalities, I could go to 'our' spot. It was still as I remembered: four sun beds and two parasols. And no plastic, uncomfortable sunbeds but wooden sunbeds covered with soft white pillows. The large parasol was provided with a heater for chilly nights and a table with the cocktail card stood between the sunbeds.

Contently I took out my books and my mp3 player and sunk back into the big pillows. I was really going to enjoy this day so I decided that I could use some decadent drinks and some snacks. So I picked up the cocktail card and carefully scanned it. I was going to have a Mai Thai cocktail (a cocktail based on rum, amaretto and Cointreau) to start and some bruschetta (something typical Italian: it's grilled bread with a tomato and basilica spread, served with oil and olives) to nibble. I laid back again on my sunbed and pushed the button that would call my personal waiter.

Two minutes later an impeccable clothed waiter appeared, the white with brown uniform spanned tightly around his broad chest and a brown bow tie completed the look. I was eying him with interest as he walked closer, he had something familiar over him. But I must be mistaken because I didn't know anyone in Viareggio except from the hotel boss. And then I realised what looked familiar on that guy.. His hair was white blonde. And his eyes were stormy grey. Just like..Malfoy's

"MALFOY?!" I screamed, not wanting to believe what I saw.

A pair of curious grey eyes looked down at me. "Excuse me, do I know you, miss?" His once so cocky voice asked politely.