The Forgotten Zabini

XXIII

"Sorry for my tardiness, Aediva. Blaise, Briar," he nodded in greeting to the matriarch and children of the Chateau. "Hello, Ginevra," he said coolly as he sat down. Ginny glared at his seat beside Blaise but was interrupted by Aediva who raised her champagne flute. "A toast to our guests," she said elegantly, ignoring the animosity. Hermione sipped her glass and found that it was not champagne, nor was it alcoholized. It tasted like bubbly lemonade- it was very good. "This is delicious, mum," Hermione exclaimed, and Ginny nodded beside her.

"Homemade fizzy limeade, a family recipe from Italia," she said proudly. People began serving themselves to the dishes laid out on the table, which all seemed to be heavily influenced by Greek, Italian, and other Mediterranean cultures. One bite of gemista, Greek stuffed vegetables, and Hermione was immediately amazed at the extent of Lonn's cooking abilities. He may be old and grouchy like Aggie liked to say, but the flavors were exquisite. Ginny was no longer worried about Malfoy as she took a bit of everything- souvlaki, slices of prosciutto, orzo salad, bruschetta on baguette, and a dollop of tzatziki.

Little conversations were started as people ate, Ginny continuing with Ella, Orion with his mother, Blaise speaking with Malfoy, and Hermione enjoyed the momentary peacefulness of it all. The most unlikely of people were now reunited around a single table- 2 Gryffindors amongst Slytherins was no longer an issue. Hermione had never expected to be seated near a Malfoy anytime soon, yet here she was, across from Draco, who had even politely asked her to pass the bowl of olives. It was peculiar, how things changed, as Ginny had noticed.

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With lunch over, the table cleaned up, and everyone feeling rather full, Aediva decided to bring her work outdoors, and she spread out her papers on the large table. Orion was seated on her lap, head lolling to the side as he slept, Aediva gently stroking his curls. Blaise was back on his bench with his notebook, sketching something, Hermione now realized. Malfoy was climbing a ladder, basket in hand to fetch a few lemons from the fruit trees, and he stopped at the top to roll his navy blue pants up. He raked a hand through his blonde hair, now growing longer and getting in his face more and more.

Hermione stopped her thoughts right away. Why was she looking at him anyway? She was waiting for Aggie to fetch a quilt so she could take a nap in the grass, where Ella had already crumpled, not caring for the tickling green nature. Ginny was sitting on the wood swing attached to a large oak tree, gently swinging back and forth as she stared into space. Hermione frowned as she wrapped her arms around her knees, bare feet stroked by the grass. Why was she so entranced by the way the golden sunlight made Malfoy's eyes look almost blue?

She shook her head and the wind whipped her hair into her face. In one smooth movement, her hair was wrapped in a knot at the top of her head and she pulled on her sweater, glad for the tender warmth it brought from the cooling shade. Aggie popped into sight carrying a colorful quilt and she thrust it into Hermione's arms. "Is this what miss needed?" the little elf asked anxiously. "Yes, thank you, Aggie," Hermione said. "Could you help me lay it out, please?" she added. Aggie had it done in an instant, always so eager to please.

"Does miss need anything else?" Aggie asked again. Hermione shook her head no. "Would miss' nice redhead friend like anything?" Aggie asked Ginny. Ginny smiled and shook her head too, so Aggie swiftly bowed and popped away. Ginny gave a little laugh before pulling the swing back and launching herself into the air, much faster and higher than a regular person. Hermione could almost feel the slight magic Ginny used to propel herself up, always so attuned to the thrum of others. With a sigh, Hermione laid down on her side, arm cradling her head, and she fell into a dreamless sleep.

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Hermione heard a giggle and a quiet shushing noise. She was half awake but heard movement behind her. Her eyes gently fluttered open to see Ella, Ginny, and Orion grinning down at her. "Hmmm?" Hermione asked sleepily. "How long was I out?" she asked, sitting up slowly. The sun had lowered a bit- Hermione guessed it was about 3. "Just an hour," Ginny said, as Ella covered her mouth with her hand, stifling laughter. Hermione raised an eyebrow. "What did you do?" she asked. Orion had a wonderful poker face but Ginny couldn't hide a thing. "Nothing," she said innocently, as Ella ran off laughing.