From Venice with Love

Thank you for the reviews! Here is Chapter 8!


Hermione woke up with a feeling of dread, and for a moment she couldn’t remember why. Then, in a rush, the previous night came flooding back. Oh, Merlin! She thought. I kissed Malfoy. She felt her cheeks blush with embarrassment at the memory. Embarrassment and horror at the thought that she enjoyed it. She pushed her head into her pillow trying to silence the voices in her head telling her how much she liked it- and wanted to do it again. Hermione sighed and pulled the pillow off her face. “Doesn’t matter anyway,” she said aloud. “I’m sure he’ll never do it again.”


A knock at the door startled her. “Hermione?” her mother’s voice called.


“Come in, mum,” Hermione called.


Her mother came in and sat on the bed. “Are you alright? You were quiet last night and you’re staying in bed so late.”


“I’m ok,” Hermione sighed. Without Ginny to talk to she felt a little lost.


“Did you and Draco argue?”


“No, not really,” Hermione screwed up her courage to tell her mother about the night’s events. She blushed when telling her mother about the kiss and did not look up through her retelling. When she finally finished, she looked up to see her mother smiling at her.


“I’m sure I don’t really see the problem, Hermione.” She said. “It was a miscommunication. You said you were leaving before he could say anything. And he did offer to walk you home, dear, you said no.”


“He should have insisted,” Hermione said lamely, feeling foolish. She sounded just like Lavender, whom she would have made fun of for having this conversation. “I’m sure he’ll run away from me now.” She said. “He just had too much wine- he’s surely regretting it.”


“I doubt that, dear.” Her mother said.


“How would you know?”


“I know because he’s in the sitting room right now, talking to your father.”


“WHAT?” Hermione shrieked, jumping up in bed. “Why didn’t you say sooner?” She leapt out of the bed and went tearing into the bathroom. She brushed her teeth and brushed her hair as fast as she could, wetting it down to tame it. Flying out of the bathroom, she went over to her dresser to find clothes. Her mother stayed on the bed and it seemed to Hermione she was trying not to laugh.


Hermione picked a nice shirt and pair of shorts and changed quickly. When she was done, she faced her mother who nodded her approval. “I feel so silly,” Hermione laughed shakily.


Her mother got up and hugged her. “Don’t be silly. Relax. Everything will be fine,” she said and walked out of the room. Hermione took a deep breath and followed her.


In the sitting room, she saw Malfoy and her father sitting and talking. Malfoy looked ill at ease, he kept looking around as he talked and his leg was twitching. Somehow seeing that made Hermione feel better. He and her father both stood as she had her mother entered the room.


“Finally up, sleepy head?” her father teased.


Her mother hit him and said, “Let’s go get ready for the day ourselves,”


“But dear-“ a look silenced him. “Alright, I’m coming.”


After her parents left the room, Hermione and Malfoy both stood there, looking at the floor. Finally, Malfoy said,”You left your book at Harry’s last night,” he motioned to the package on the sofa where he had been sitting. “I brought it up.”


“Thank you,” Hermione said primly. More silence ensued. “How was Alessandro’s?” she asked.


He looked up at her. “Oh, I didn’t go. I was tired.”


Hermione smiled, feeling better immediately. “You’re up early,” she said.”No massage today?”


Malfoy smiled back. “Of course, I had a massage, ages ago. It’s eleven o’clock, Granger. You’re the one who had a lie in.”


Hermione rolled her eyes. “I’ve been up for ages,” she lied.


Malfoy laughed. “If you say so,”


They stood in silence again, neither sure what to say next. Before it got to be too long, Hermione’s mother walked back in.


“I’ve ordered lunch. You’ll be staying, Draco?”


Malfoy looked at Hermione uncertainly. When she smiled, he looked back at her mother. “Of course I will, thank you,” he said.


Her father joined them as well and the four made polite conversation until the food arrived. It was pasta, of course, and as much as Hermione loved pasta she was starting to feel a bit bloated from all the heavy foods she’d been eating.


They ate in companionable silence and when lunch was over, Malfoy stood.


“Thank you for lunch, Mr. and Mrs. Granger, but I have to be going. I have some errands to attend to. I’m sure I’ll see you soon.”


Hermione felt very disappointed, she’d hoped he’d want to spend the afternoon together.


He turned to her. “Hermione, are you free this evening?”


Hermione could see her mother out of the corner of her eye nodding enthusiastically and she tried to ignore it. “I believe so, why?”


“My mother had tickets tonight to Gran Teatro La Fence. She was called away and will be unable to use them, so I thought you might like to go with me.”


“The opera?” Hermione gasped. “I’d love to go!”


Malfoy smiled at her. “Perfect. I’ll be back at seven.” He shook hands with her father and was gone.


Hermione turned to her mother and uttered words she’d never thought she’d say. “Mum, we need to go shopping immediately!”