Amici ed Amanti

Amici ed Amanti

~*~

Roman Holiday - Part 3

"No she did not!"

Lucy Ann nodded emphatically. "And she said was I was 'sturdy'."

"No who didn't what?" Her brother, Ashton, appeared next to his wife in front of the fireplace.

She'd placed a floo call to her best girlfriend as soon as Isabella was out the door to destinations unknown. She was in dire need of feeling like someone was on her side because it was obviously not going to be Liam this time.

"Liam's little Italian bint called your sister 'sturdy'," Stephie explained, while trying to still her husband's roaming hands. "Not now, this is important girl stuff."

"Well, she is a little hippy like Mum," he said thoughtfully before yelping in pain as his wife punched him.

"Go on! This is important. We've got a murder to plot," she said shoving him away before turning her attention back to her sister-in-law. "Now, are we talking figment of your overactive jealous imagination beautiful or are we talking honest to Gods drop dead beautiful?"

"She's a Muggle fashion model," Lucy Ann sighed.

"Oh, well then, that lets murder out - she'd be missed. Do Meredith and I need to make a trip?"

"No, I think things will be all right now that she's gone."

"How's Liam?

"The same as he's always been. I think Italy really agrees with him though."

"It's more than likely the bint agrees with him," Stephie grumbled.

"Oh she does," Lucy Ann said in defeat, "but I don't think he knows what she's really like."

"Men never do, they only think with their cocks."

"I know, I know."

Her friend grinned. "So, now that you have him all to yourself just what are you going to do to him?"

Lucy Ann spluttered. "I'm not going to do anything to him!"

"Why not? You know you want to shag his brains out."

"I want to do no such thing!"

"Codswallop! You've wanted to shag him since fifth year!"

"All right, maybe I have. He's just so..."

"Damn beautiful?" Stephie finished for her. "Now is your chance."

"I don't know...with Isabella and all."

"He did invite you to Rome while the bint is away. I would take that as a sign."

"I'm not listening to you!" Lucy Ann covered her ears.

"Fine, just remember he's belonged to you since you were four!"

The pair bickered for a few minutes more before Lucy Ann finally made her goodbyes and headed into the bathroom for a nice long soak in the huge marble tub. After soaking most of her worries away and dressing in a pair of loose natural colored cotton trousers and a pale green top, she wandered around the flat reacquainting herself with the layout. It'd been several years since she'd last been there with the Malfoys to attend a special Quidditch event. She paused by Liam's bedroom door, sorely tempted to take a peek, but thought better of it.

She was in the library when Liam found her an hour later. "There you are!"

"Hullo, I was just looking for something to read." She gave him a warm smile.

"You'll not find anything interesting in here, trust me! Do you want some dinner? I've got pasta and clam sauce."

"Sounds divine. I'll help you in the kitchen."

The evening passed companionably as the two old friends caught up over dinner and a bottle of wine. He retrieved a second bottle of wine before they retired to the sitting room to finish catching up. They caught up on what had happened in the year that had passed since they last saw one another - his work in Italy and her new job at the British Museum; their respective families and anything else that caught their fancy. It didn't matter that they wrote each other frequently and fire-called often. There was just something about being in each other's company.

They had fallen into a comfortable silence after a long while. Liam was slouched down on the overstuffed sofa, his long legs stretched out with his feet resting on the coffee table. Lucy Ann was slumped down on the other end, her feet in his lap as he lazily massaged them.

The clink of her wine glass dropping from her hand as she dozed off roused him from his tipsy stupor. "C'mon Goosey, let's put you to bed. You've had a long day."

She could only nod as he stood and pulled her up by the hand, leading her up the stairs to her bedroom. He paused just outside the door.

"If you need anything I'm just across the hall," he said, looking deeply into her blue eyes.

"I know." She thought idly that he might kiss her at any moment. It just seemed right and it was making her heart race.

He managed to glance away. "Is that Sampson there on your bed?" he asked, referring to her blue stuffed elephant she'd had since before they'd met.

"Yes, you know I don't go anywhere without him. So where's Gustav? Still at home with your Mum?"

"No, he's sitting on my desk in the study."

"Oh" was all she could manage as he pulled her closer and laid his forehead against hers.

Liam took a couple deep breaths before he spoke again. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too," Lucy Ann whispered back.

He brushed a light kiss to her forehead before pulling away. "Good night, sleep well."

"Yes, good night." She slipped into her room, leaning heavily against the closed door, trying to make sense of the exchange in the hallway. Tears welled in her eyes as she readied for bed. She was just so sure he was about to kiss her. Disappointment didn't being to describe how she felt.

But what she didn't know was that Liam had stood in the hallway staring at her door for the longest time in hopes that she'd come back out looking for him.

~*~