"I do apologise," Bambi said, after Draco had excused himself the second I showed up to try out some new recipe ideas one afternoon. "I just don't understand why he's lost interest in the wedding food lately. He had seemed so enthusiastic before."

"It really doesn't matter," I muttered, trying not to feel hurt by the way Draco had completely dismissed me. "Besides, I consider myself to be working for you. Not him."

"You are a darling!" She cooed. "And you are so much more than my caterer, you do know that don't you Ronnie, dear?"

"Of course," I said, trying to hide my face as I rifled through the fridge. I felt bad. Obviously she had no idea about my deal with Draco to stay out of my life after the wedding. A deal that would mean cutting Bambi out too.

"Good, because I'm having a pool party for my birthday this Saturday and it just wouldn't be complete without you."

I froze. A pool party meant people walking around in next to nothing. And as her fiancé, it was very likely that Draco would be one of them.

"I don't know, Bambi-"

"Oh Ronnie, you must say yes!" She implored. "And I don't expect you to cater for it, obviously. You're working so hard as it is for the wedding already. I want you there as my friend."

"But isn't it a bit cold for a pool party?" I tried desperately finding reasons to object. The idea of being half naked around Draco was too much. "It's October!"

"It'll be in the pool house, silly! Daddy had it recently renovated to imitate a tropical island paradise. It even has a beach and a cocktail bar."

Bloody hell, the rich know how to live.

So, not being able to think of any reason not to go, that Saturday I found myself outside Peverell Manor laden down with beach bag and complete and utter dread.

I was just wondering where the pool house was when I heard a shout from behind me.

"Ronnie!" Blaise panted, running to catch up with me. "She managed to talk you into coming then?"

"For some reason I'm unable to say no to her." I said, sighing wearily.

"That's our Bambi." He said jovially, plonking a very enthusiastic kiss on my cheek. "Come on, I'll show you to Peverell's paradise island."

"What's got into you?" I spat, furiously rubbing the wetness from my face.

He simply chuckled as he led the way around the side of the Manor towards a glass building that looked from the outside like a ginormous greenhouse.

The heat hit the moment we stepped inside, making me feel instantly over dressed and uncomfortable in my warm autumnal attire. I looked around in awe.

It really was like being at a tropical beachside; hot sunshine that did not reflect the grey skies outside beamed down upon us as a seemingly endless enchanted sea of deep blue water lapped a long strip of white golden sand; palm trees dotted everywhere, and a manned wooden hut which I presumed was the cocktail bar. Music was being gently pumped into the air all around as beautiful bikini clad women and toned shirtless men chatted, laughed, drank and swam. I couldn't help but find my eyes searching out for a particular white-blond haired Slytherin.

"RONNIE!" Bambi screeched from the other side of the beach as she came bounding across the sand, wearing a shiny gold bikini, dodging sun loungers and palm trees on her way.

"Damn," Blaise breathed beside me, not taking his eyes off of her advancing bouncing figure.

"Behave," I muttered dryly under my breath, "that's your best mate's fiancée."

"That bastard doesn't know how lucky he is." Blaise gritted, his words making my stomach twist unpleasantly.

"Nice get up," I said, as Bambi finally reached us and instantly threw her arms around me. "Very Princess Leia."

She giggled, letting go of me before looking up at Blaise.

"Hey," she said, almost shyly. "Glad you could come, Blaise."

"Me too," he said, and I couldn't miss the slight strangled sound in his voice. "Happy birthday, Bambi."

They couldn't take their eyes off of each other, both looking as though they desperately wanted to hug but neither one daring to take that leap. It made me feel as though I was imposing on an extremely intimate moment.

"Uh, I got you a present," I said, completely destroying the tension as I thrust the gift wrapped box in her face.

She blinked before quickly composing herself.

"Oh Ronnie, you absolute darling," Bambi said, taking the present from my hand, "you really shouldn't have. You just being here is the best gift I could have asked for."

I just shrugged modestly whilst she opened it anyway.

"Oh it's um... interesting." She said, bemusedly pulling the item out of the box. "What is it?"

"A shell necklace. I thought it was appropriate." I said beckoning around us.

Truth was, I was crap at buying gifts so I pinched it off of Luna's desk, recalling how Bambi had showed a previous interest in Luna's crappy homemade jewellery.

"Well it's simply darling! I shall wear it right now." She said, dropping it over her head. "Now come on you two, start stripping before you faint all over the place."

She pointed me in the direction of the changing huts which resembled quirky little shacks from the outside yet were predictably huge, stunning and immaculate on the inside.

I re-emerged ten minutes later feeling oddly self conscious in my very ordinary dark green bikini as I glanced around at everyone else in their expensive designer togs, all looking disgustingly glamorous for it.

Unable to locate Bambi or Blaise, I decided that my best bet would be to head for the cocktail bar.

As I placed an order for Sex on the Beach, I heard an unpleasantly familiar voice behind me.

"Red hair and a high street bikini? You must be a Weasley."

I whipped round to angrily face the owner of the cruel voice.

"For fuck's sake, Pansy, what are you doing here?! I'd thought I'd seen the last of your pug ugly face at Hogwarts."

She stood sneeringly at me, hands on her jutted out hips looking annoyingly classy in a white and gold bikini.

"I might ask you the same question! This is high class society you're mingling with. What is Bambi even doing inviting the likes of you here?"

"If you must know I'm a good friend of hers." I sneered, turning back to accept my bright red cocktail.

"Aren't you her wedding caterer? You do realise that hired help take their refreshments in the servants quarters?!" She spat, glaring at the cocktail in my hand.

"If you don't shut the fuck up Parkinson, then you'll be wearing this refreshment down that darling bikini of yours."

"You're still the same old foul mouthed mongrel I see," she said her eyes glinting. "Just like those moronic brothers of yours. It's no surprise that one of them ended up getting themselves killed-"

People around us gasped as I not only threw my drink all down her but I smacked her one too.

"How fucking dare talk about my brother!" I hollered, spitting in her face, not caring about the scene I was causing.

"You little bitch!" She screeched, grabbing a fistful of my hair and violently yanking it before I could walk away.

The next thing I know we are rolling on the sand tearing, smacking screaming at one another.

"Damn it, Ronnie!" A deep voice growled above my ear as arms clamped tightly around my middle, pulling me off of her.

It took me a moment to realise it was Draco, and judging by the amount of skin I was feeling against my back, he too was stripped down to swimming attire.

"That bitch doesn't deserve to be alive when my brother is dead!" I screamed, writhing against Draco's restraint to get back at her.

"See. I always told you she was nothing but a savage dog." Pansy smirked wickedly, rubbing her glowing cheek where I'd smacked her.

"Leave it, Pansy," Draco snarled down at her; a dangerous edge to his voice.

Draco kept hold of me as I continued to struggle to free myself. He pinned me to him tightly so that my back pressed firmly against his chest as he dragged me further and further away from her.

"You need to not let people like her get to you!" He hissed, halting underneath a palm tree and finally deciding it was safe to let me go.

I wheeled round to face him, ready to yell at him, but instead finding my breath hitch in the back of my throat as I took in his bare toned torso above his dark green swimming shorts.

"Well, what do you know, we match," Draco drawled, his grey eyes glinting amusedly as they roamed down my body.

I suddenly longed to be pressed up against his body again. I should have appreciated it more.

"Yeah, except for the fact that I don't belong here because I don't have a fucking name stitched into my bikini! Stupid bunch of pretentious hoes!"

"Jesus, Ronnie, was that what that fight was about? Because let me tell you, nobody cares about that shit. Why do you let idiots like Pansy rile you up? She's just jealous because you look so h-"

He quickly stopped himself, his cheeks rising in colour as he suddenly drove a hand through his hair. "Nice. Your bikini, I mean- it's... nice."

"Um thanks, I think." I said, looking down and not seeing anything special. "Anyway, I don't belong here. Not with people like you. I'm only here until my job is over and then I'm back out of your lives for good."

"Don't say that, Ronnie." He said, his expression pained.

"Why? You've been acting as if you'd rather I wasn't around for weeks now."

"You know why that is," he said quietly, casting his eyes downwards.

"No, tell me, Draco. Because I'm finding this whole situation confusing. You're the one who insisted I come back and do this job and you're the one who said we should be adults about it. Acting as though I don't exist isn't exactly being mature. And it hurts."

"I know, I'm sor-" he looked down, stopping himself before he would say the word that I had grown tired of hearing.

I sighed heavily, looking around. Hoping to catch a glimpse of Bambi or Blaise, but they were still nowhere to be seen.

"Look, go and find somewhere to sit, I'll grab you another drink," Draco ordered, breaking the sudden tension between us.

Five minutes later we were lying side by side on sun loungers, sipping colourful cocktails and looking out across the 'sea'.

"You know, one good thing has come out of that spat with Pansy," I mused, turning my head to look at him.

"It's made you realise you want to venture out in fashion since redesigning her swimwear?" He smirked.

"No, it's got you talking to me again," I said, not being able to help smiling as our eyes locked together.

"I'm glad too," he murmured softly, a warm smile tugging at his lips. And, as silver grey eyes twinkled into mine, he reached out a hand and lightly brushed his fingers against mine.

In that moment, at least; it felt like he was mine again.

*****