Amici ed Amanti

Amici ed Amanti

Roman Holiday - Part 1

Never go on trips with anyone you do not love. - Ernest Hemingway

Lucy Ann brushed the ash off her shoulders and looked around the main Floo hub in Rome. She didn't see the distinctive silvery blond hair of her best friend.

The large clock on the wall read 9:37am, so no, she wasn't early, right on time actually. Maybe he'd gotten detained for some reason.

A sinking feeling settled in the pit of her stomach after she'd retrieved her luggage, shrank it down to fit in her handbag, and lounged over a cup of coffee. It was 10:29am now and still no sign of Liam anywhere.

It wasn't like him to leave her in a lurch like this. He'd never been late meeting her before, especially in a foreign country where she didn't speak the language very well. At least she'd been to Rome before and was familiar with the Malfoy flat and surrounding areas.

With a resigned sigh she Apparated to the alleyway behind a stately old white stone building with ornate stone work gargoyles standing guard at spaced intervals along the roof line. Flowerboxes bursting with blood red geraniums and white petunias accented every window. The alley was deserted; the neighborhood quiet, the noise of the bustling city seemed far away.

The ornate heavy black wrought iron gate closed behind her as she entered the marbled foyer, making her way to the iron gated lift. At 10:48am Lucy Ann was standing in front of the heavily carved wooden double doors that marked the entry way to the top flat. She rapped twice with the brass knocker and waited, figuring that at least a house-elf would be home. She could owl or floo Liam once she figured out where he was.

"Sì?" a very annoyed, very feminine voice asked as the door was pulled opened.

"Bella, who's at the door," Liam called in Italian from somewhere deep in the huge flat.

Standing there before Lucy Ann was the infamous Isabella in all her glory, lounging causally against the door wrapped in a pearl gray bed sheet looking thoroughly mussed. She had to admit that the Italian witch was beautiful - creamy skin, long shiny blue-black tresses, and deep blue eyes. It was quite the striking combination and couple that with a long, lush body the loosely wrapped sheet did little to hide, she was break taking.

It felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room suddenly as a rush of jealousy tightened in her chest. It was one thing to read about her in letters or deal with her over a floo call, but seeing her in person was quite another thing.

Lucy Ann had to remind herself that she was no longer in primary school thus it would completely inappropriate for her to pounce on the other woman and beat her to a bloody pulp. She flexed her fist anyway. Damn manners all to bloody hell.

"Sì?" asked the Italian witch again, a slow sultry smile spread across her lips.

Before she could answer, Liam sauntered up behind Isabella. He trailed open mouth kisses along her bare shoulder and up her neck, stopping short of her ear as he finally noticed his friend standing in the doorway. "Lucy Ann! What are you doing here? You're not due in until tonight!"

"I...I, uhm," she stuttered, unable to find her voice in the wake of Liam's display.

"Oh," Isabella purred in heavily accented English, sending Lucy Ann a very smug smile. "I must have confused the time."