Feeling the cold, his eyes slowly opened and he rolled over in the bed. Reaching across the sheets, he was surprised to find himself alone. He rubbed his eyes and glanced at the clock. 3:46am. Sitting up, he swung his legs off the bed and reached for his boxers which lay discarded with the rest of their clothes on the floor. Pulling them on as he made his way to the lounge area of his suite, he was puzzled and a little perturbed to find Hermione at the table, reading the letters. He padded over to her and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her neck.

"Hermione, it's quarter to four in the morning, come back to bed" he murmured.

"It was bothering me and I couldn't sleep" she sighed, relaxing into his touch. "I just feel like I am missing something still" she said, reaching her hand to his hair and tugging it gently, pulling him closer to where she needed him.

"Whatever it is, it will still be there in the morning. You will make yourself ill working this hard" he told her, pulling her to her feet.

She melted into his touch as he pulled her into an embrace, his kisses slow and sensuous and his nipped, licked and sucked. A moan escaped her lips as he lingered on her collarbone and she allowed him to slowly pull her back towards his bed.

He lay her down trailing kisses along her torso, pausing as she pulled off the little vest she liked to sleep in. He slipped a hand inside her shorts and moaned into her skin as he felt the heat of her arousal. His finger quickly found her nub and she sighed with pleasure under his touch. Kissing her navel, he paused again to remove her shorts, laving the soft skin of her legs as he went. She spread her legs for him wantonly as she tugged his plantinum blonde hair. He smirked at her as she signalled her desires and he was all too ready to comply. With both his thumbs, he opened her up as though he was slowly ripping open a ripe peach. She gasped, drawing in her breath deeply, as he admired her salacious beauty. Blowing lightly on her clit, his eyes glazed over with lust as he watched how it reacted, listening to her guttural moan.

"Please, Draco" she begged, tugging at his hair between her fingers.

He flattened his tongue to her core, licking slowly the length of her slit, before flicking the tip of his tongue over her clit. She cried out and dragged him deeper into her, writhing under his ministrations. He slid two fingers into her, curling them up to meet that sweet spot and felt her hips buck to meet him. She came undone, shuddering deeply as she rode the waves of her climax, calling his name. He smiled, and she watched with lust filled eyes as he licked his fingers in satisfaction, enjoying the taste of her in his mouth. Her hand still in his hair, she pulled him down, thrusting her tongue into his mouth, moaning as she tasted herself on him. Kissing her deeply as he penetrated her core, he thrust into her searching for his own release. She threw her head back in abandon and he nipped and sucked at her neck. Wrapping her leg around his waist, she pulled him in deeper and he marvelled at her abandon. He felt her clench around him and he increased his pace as they shuddered to a climax together, moaning the other's name. He stilled, dropping his forehead to hers, sweat mingling. Reaching for his wand, she cast a quick scourgify before he crashed down on his side of the bed, pulling her with him. Tracing little circles on his chest, she slowly drifted off to sleep.

.

Her eyes fluttering open, she felt his arm around her waist, his head buried in her neck and smiled to herself as she pressed her back into him. Sensing her movement in his sleep, he pulled her closer, possessively. She idly stroked his arm as she glanced at the clock. 7:20am. They really should get up she thought as she reminisced over last nights activities. Having left Blaise at 10pm, they had quickly made their way back to the hotel where he had swiftly pulled out her black lace thong from his pocket.

"I thought you might like a present by way of apology for not backing down over the dress" she giggled as he growled at her.

"Bedroom, Granger. Now." he commanded and she willingly complied.

As if sensing her thoughts, Draco murmured against her neck.

"Last night was fantastic. But knickers on around Blaise in future, Granger"

.

Hermione sat chewing her quill, hunched over the photos, her face screwed up thoughtfully. Scribbling down thoughts as they formed in her mind, crossing thoughts out and re writing them as her mind played with the pieces of the puzzle, she tried to work out what she was missing. With a sigh, she put the quill down and got up, deciding to take a stroll. She jotted a quick note for Draco to find once he was done in the shower.

Gone up to the roof.

Hermione

Up on the rooftop terrace, she sighed, bracing her hands on the stone of the balustrade as she contemplated the view of the Grand Canal. Lost in thought she had no idea how long she had been up there before she felt a presence behind her. She smiled as he thread his hands around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"I just can't grasp what I am missing" she said quietly. "It's like it's right in front of me but I can't quite see it, like a misty dream that you can't quite remember when you wake." she continued. He pressed a kiss to her temple and she smiled.

"What time is it anyway?" she asked, "I forgot to put my watch on" she explained and he glanced at his own timepiece.

"Just after 9" he replied his chin coming to rest once again on her shoulder.

Their reverie was broken by the hooting of a Ministry Owl as it came to land on the stone balustrade. Hermione pulled away to undo the parchment, eyes narrowing as she read.

"Another body." she muttered "Sant'Erasmo." She handed him the note and he frowned as he read before looking up startled.

"Orto Di Venezia?" He said, eyes wide.

Hermione looked at him in confusion.

"That's Blaise's villa!"

A/N: Although all the hotels I have mentioned in this fic and R for Ronald are real, I take some licence over how the rooms are laid out. However, the rooftop terrace of this hotel really does exist and thanks to Google Maps I know what the views from it are! Also Orto Di Venezia is a real Villa on Sant'Erasmo but the description I give of it in the next chapter is how I imagine Blaise would have designed it to look like. Sant'Erasmo is known as the countryside of Venice because it is sparsely populated, meaning the landscape isnt as urban. I like to think that actually its warded so that muggles cant see it, so maybe it only appears to be a run down villa to us because of Blaise's wards ;)