The cocophonus hustle and bustle of muggle tourists meandering around St Marks' square was silenced with a discrete tap of the wand and a non verbal silencio as they sat in the booth, Hermione sipping from a bottle of cool spring water as they waited for Blaise Zabini.
It was May and the heat had forced Hermione out of her normal business attire and into a sundress and light canvas pumps.
Having caught a flight at 9am, they had checked into their hotel and opted to take a break from the case that was taking it toll on the physical and emotional well-being of them both. They had lunch in the hotel restaurant and then Draco had let slip he had agreed to meet with his childhood friend in the later part of the afternoon. Malfoy had assumed she would want to spend the afternoon either settling into her hotel room or in one of the cities many tourist attractions.
He wasn't sure how he felt about it when Hermione announced she would join him and Blaise, but figured it would probably be ok given she was in her yoga pants and a comfortable t-shirt. He had wondered if maybe it wasn't such a good idea when she announced she would have a shower and change to get rid of the sticky just-got-off-the-plane feeling. He had decided it definitely wasn't a good idea when she had come out of the bathroom wearing the chiffon sundress that made those calves he so admired look positively delectable.
He had groused at her all day and his mood had got worse as the day wore on. Now he sat across from her in stony silence awaiting his friend and she was still unaware as to the reason for his mood.
Opening her mouth to speak, she was silenced by his nod towards the door. Turning in her seat, she watched the dark Italian wizard slaughter in through the door and make his way over to the counter. Unaware of their watchful eyes, Blaise leaned across the counter, and taking the hand of the young blonde woman who was serving the customers, he planted a kiss on her knuckles. Even from her vantage point at one end of the cafe she could see the young woman blush a deep shade of scarlet.
Hermione turned back to Draco, who had now caught the eye of his close friend and rolled her eyes in response to his behavior. Reaching their booth, the man practically threw himself into the seat next to Draco.
"Well well well, what do we have here? He chuckled "Even though I could only see the back of her head from the bar I knew. That hair is unmistakable and could only belong to one person" he laughed as she self consciously touched her hair, remembering the way the Slytherins would tease her as a child. She caught the look on Malfoy's face who was glaring at Blaise with more than a hint of malice.
"Hallo Granger" Blaise grinned, his eyes travelling from her hair to her ankles in a matter of seconds "I must say like a fine Merlot, you have improved with age!" he finished winking.
"And how are you, Draco?" he cried slapping him on the back theatrically.
"Blaise" he ground out, his old sneer coming back.
Hermione was uncertain for a moment, and then she caught the glint in Malfoy's eye and the two men laughed and greeted the other in a way that made her reminisce of Fred and George.
Turning to Hermione, Blaise greeted her for a second time in a far more gentile manner.
"You will have to forgive my sense of humour, bella donna, I do like to wind the Old Man up" he said with a wink.
"Less of the 'Old' if you don't mind Blaise" Draco complained.
The blonde from the bar came along and handed Blaise a tumbler of muggle whiskey, blushing shyly as he undressed her with his eyes.
Hermione rolled her eyes at the display as Draco raised an eyebrow questioningly
"What?!" Blaise asked, winking.
"Isn't it a bit early for whiskey?" he asked, eyeing the glass.
"It's never to early for anything when I am in town" he replied, winking at Hermione who blushed.
Malfoy quietly seethed.
.
Loosening his tie, he brought his paperwork into Hermione's room, claiming his seat for the duration from the furniture in the lounge part of her room. He opted for the left hand side of the couch that faced the balcony, affording him a view over St Mark's Square.
She had changed again and this time wore her bed shorts and the ratty little Griffindor top which fell just bellow the shorts so it appeared as though she only had the top on.
They had a briefing the following morning at the Italian Ministry whose offices were not in the capital city as in many other countries, but in Venice, to make it easier for the Wizarding community who were mostly located on the Isola di Sant'Erasmo. They had therefore agreed to spend a couple of hours collating where they were up to so far so that they could be prepared for the briefing.
Malfoy worked in silence as Hermione went about sorting her own files from her briefcase. Coming over to the coffee table, she placed her files down with a thud.
Malfoy looked up and gave her a look of incredulity.
"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" she huffed, hands on her hips.
He turned his attention back to his paperwork.
"You've been in a mood all day!" she continued, determined to get a response. She had worked hard on getting a good working relationship with him, hell they had even become quasi-friends in the process and now he was ignoring her for no reason.
"Everything was fine until we left the hotel" she continued, growing impatient.
Still no response. He continued making notes.
Hand to her sleeve, she cast a non verbal silencio.
"ANSWER ME FERRET!" she yelled, cheeks flushed in fury.
"STOP FUCKING CALLING ME FERRET! Merlin, you get turned into a Ferret ONCE in your life, and that's ALL anyone fucking remembers!" he yelled, chucking his notes on the table, getting up from the couch and drawing himself up to his full height so he was looking down on her, a hairs breadth between them. She remained firm.
"What the fuck is your problem?" she cried, shoving his chest with the palms of her hands.
His seaker reflexes were on par tonight, and he reached out to grab her wrists before pulling them down by her sides.
"You" he hissed, glaring at her, before releasing her wrists with such force, as he stepped away from her that she tumbled onto the couch. He turned around to face her before she had righted herself and was momentarily greeted by her posterior in the air before she turned over on the couch. Pushing her curls away from where they had fallen across her face, she glared at him
"What have I done now?!" she hissed, her expression full of anger as she stood from the couch and went towards him.
He didn't answer.
Something about the way he looked at her quietened her and she thought of the way he looked at her in the elevator that morning when they left Rotterdam.
Her logical brain slotted in a piece of the puzzle.
"Oh my god" she quietly exclaimed, realisation dawning. "You're jealous" she whispered.
"Don't be ridiculous, Granger" he spat, his temper not yet subdued.
"Yes you are. That's why you were a prick in the cafe when Blaise was eying up my legs. Don't think I didn't notice what he did. And you have been a prick since this morning." she continued.
"I was so busy with checking out that I forgot to answer your question so you have been a complete prick all day." she pressed on, coming to where he stood by the wall.
"What, like when you were a complete bitch to me in Paris?" he questioned, not looking her in the eye.
"I wasn't a bitch" she muttered, a little incensed, before biting her lip in uncertainty.
"Yes you were" he replied quietly, looking at her now bruised lip.
"Ask me again." she said.
He wasn't sure he even wanted to know.
She stared at him, unmoving, unrelenting.
"How is it you can speak parseltongue" he asked, watching as she moved away to sit on the couch.
"Harry talks in his sleep" she said, matter of factly.
He wasn't sure if he wanted to ask the next question, the question he had asked her in the elevator that she had not answered.
"How do you know that?" he asked, coming to sit opposite her.
"Before the snatchers caught us" she started
"And brought you to the Manor" he grimaced, screwing up his eyes to the memory.
"We were on the run. We were staying in a tent. Not exactly much sound proofing in a tent. So all three of us are aware of each other's sleeping habits" she finished, giving him a small smile.
He waited for more information. None came.
"Is that it?!" his eyes widened at his own mistake.
"Fuck" he said as realisation washed over him.
"I have been a prick haven't I" he remarked, sitting back.
"Don't worry" she replied, picking up a quill, grinning.
"I'm used to it."