A/N: Replies to reviews!
xikum: You read my mind ;) Slashy goodness! Well, posted on my website, but it is done! And posted! That is the point.
ambrezwenko: Thanks. I still got some more things planned for this. I wanna say, but I will not. Cannot not. Must not ruin ending.
HPIceAngel: Erm…I can't say anything, because I am at severe risk of lying through my teeth and I don't wanna do that. All in due time, all in due time.
Shinigami Liliz Black: Next chapter here! E-mail should be in your inbox now! ^.^
Prongs: Thank you! *blush* I'm honoured.
Aliexx: Thank you. Hope you like this chapter.
Felinity: Brilliant? *scratches head and looks over printed off copy and shrugs* I don't think so, but hey, each to their own. Personally, I don't think I could even compete with Maeglin's fics. Or Nimori's; they're brilliant, plain and simple. I can't hold a candle up to them.
Bacon Bits: lol You always say that onna! So, how is it back at - as you affectionately dubbed - Hicktown by now? ^.^ You know, the one with 10 buses, but 1 of the 10 are imaginary? lol Don't worry. We will send you cake! Hopefully by the end of January. *crosses fingers* Cuz God knows it's been too long since you had a decent fruitcake. lol
Plastraa: Hope you're feeling better. Sometimes, it's just better to leave some things to the imagination. ^^ *authoress picturing a disgruntled Lucius in a frumpy hat* Yeap all those bits, thank my muses, Katashi and Ice Lily, for. They tag teamed on me *grumbles* And I know all about those ramifications…cuz I did the same thing once. Never again…friggin' chickens… And your story, 'Draco's Inheritance' is so good! I'm addicted…even though I'm taking my time and only on Chapter 4 part 1, but I am so bloody hooked!
lexie-girl88: I got this challenge from the Beloved Enemies website way before they moved. I went through a million hand written versions before I posted this one that I was satisfied with. Beloved Enemies is now hosted on ETC - www.etc.slashcity.net - along with After Class and Canis Major. So far as I know, no one else responded to this challenge.
And on a final note, if this chapter seems kinda small, it's because I had to cut out about a page and a half since FF.net won't allow what I wrote ;). If you read the full version, please, I need feedback! I think I am godawful at writing smut scenes and need to know what to improve. Oh, and the songs that you should be thanking for getting my mind going full tilt: Yuuwaku & Kuchibiru by GLAY, and - oddly enough - Tsuki no Uta & Dooms Day by Gackt. I listened to them and finally I wrote smutty goodness - as much as I dared to post here! Yes! That's right!! Finally!! Smutty goodness!!! Well, my first serious attempt at smutty goodness. ^.^;; That's all this chapter's about! Enjoy!
Chapter 9
The sun stared down from a cloudless sky. The blue was just as harsh as the bright beams on the eyes. Lucius found himself glad that he was in the barn today and looking out from the large hayloft window. It was sweltering and staying outside for too long wasn't exactly a good idea. But at the moment, it felt like he was baking in the barn, so this seemed as equally bad.
But there was always something that needed to be done.
Today, it was baling the hay. At least here, there was shade and the odd gust of wind that breezed its way through. Lucius paused from piling the hay up and tying it off. How on Earth did Harry do it? He didn't look that bothered at all by the heat, simply working, working, and working. Lucius paused for a moment watching as Harry bent down to pick up a bale and stack it on top of the others at the opposite end of the barn. Where shorts even supposed to ride up that much?
One step, two step and a slight sway to those hips. Repeat. First to the left and then to the right. And then to the left again and back to the right…why did the cursed hay need baling where there were much better things to be doing at the moment? Like cooling off; in the tub; with Harry on his lap; even better, with Harry kissing him, teasing him and-
"Lucius?"
Lucius' gaze snapped to Harry. "Yes?"
"You look a bit flustered. Did you want to cool off?" Harry looked down at the half finished bale. "I can finish this off."
"I think not," Lucius snorted as he quickly piled it up and tied it off before carting it to the pile. "But I am not making another dratted bale for at least fifteen minutes." And with that pronunciation, Lucius walked over and flopped down into the largest pile of hay. He looked at Harry, daring him to contradict him.
"I completely agree," Harry said as he came and sat down beside Lucius. "Even the goats are too hot to give you much hell."
"Hrpmh," Lucius grunted; if there was one good thing about this heat it had settled in early and had sapped most of the energy from everything. Namely the conspiring goats and primadonna swine.
Harry chuckled as he shifted a bit, resting his head on Lucius' chest. "I think it's even too hot to even eat much of anything."
"That certainly didn't stop you from working," Lucius paused. "Or making me work."
"I didn't hear you complaining," Harry pointed out as he played with the buttons on his shirt.
Lucius paused for a moment. This was the perfect opportunity. After a night of tea, long conversation and rather chaste kisses, Lucius wanted something more. Of course, some of it would just have to wait until tonight when everything had quieted down. Patience was a virtue after all.
"And why would I?" Lucius gave a rather salacious smirk. "Fume in the house all day or come here, and steal glances when you bend down?"
Harry's cheeks went a bit scarlet, fingers halting. "I knew you gave in far too easily."
"What would I have to complain about?" Lucius asked in mock innocence.
Harry simply gave a grumble, his cheeks flushing a bit more as he stared pointedly out the window and resumed playing with the buttons. Lucius simply chuckled a bit, brushing a stray lock of damp hair from Harry's forehead before he stroked the skin with his fingertips.
"There was something I wanted to ask you last night," Lucius started.
"Mrhpm," Harry grunted in a questioning tone.
"Have you had any other…boyfriends?"
Harry looked at Lucius in surprise before he grinned. "Getting a bit jealous, are we?"
"No," Lucius gave a wicked smile; how quickly that assured grin of Harry's would be gone. "Simply wondering if you'd ever gone…skinny dipping with them."
Harry's jaw fell open as he stared at Lucius in surprise. "W-What?!"
"Skinny dipping," Lucius said patiently. "You do know what skinny dipping is, don't you?"
"I know what it is!" Harry spluttered a bit. "I'm trying to figure out why the hell you'd ask me that! I mean, it's not like there's a river here!"
Lucius' smile morphed into a wolfish grin. "And if there was?"
Harry's jaw fell open for a second before he snapped it shut with an audible click. "So what if there was? The water's probably too cold to go swimming."
"You'd think that, wouldn't you," Lucius mused. "It's perfectly fine for swimming and…other activities."
The flush spread steadily from Harry's cheeks down his neck. "I don't think skinny dipping is for me, thank you." He said a bit primly.
Lucius didn't say anything for a moment, simply licking his lips. Harry said that a bit too primly; plus the gleam in his eyes was rather easy to pick up on. "After today's heat you might change your mind. I doubt this will let up even into the night," he let his finger trail down to Harry's ear, stroking the soft skin there.
Harry gave a peculiar low little grumping sound, but didn't utter anything. Lucius simply took that as a cue to continue, his fingers sliding down to Harry's jaw.
"Trust me when I say muggy heat such as this warrants skinny dipping. All you have to do is go to the river, with its blue-green waters that undulate and curl slowly," Lucius' fingertips slid against Harry's neck, tracing out slight waves. "And then strip. You can feel the press of the heat against your skin; it's almost like an itch that simply won't leave you be."
Harry gave another low sound from his throat, this one much more half-hearted and laced with something else.
"Do you know what you do then, Harry?" Lucius murmured softly, moving his fingers down to dance along Harry's collarbone in feathering touches.
Harry shook his head, followed by a rather throaty 'No'.
"You go in. But you don't rush in; you walk in slowly; you have to savour the feel of it. You have to savour the feel of the water lapping at you feet, caressing you as if you never left its embrace. The way it curls around your legs as you step in further, drawing, pulling you in."
Lucius' fingers began a slow deliberate slide down Harry's chest, feeling the heated skin and the rather rapid breathing.
"It keeps pulling you in, the curling embrace growing stronger and stronger until it's at your hips and all you want to do is sink in farther," Lucius took a steadying breath as Harry's heart gave a hard thump.
"And?" Harry asked in a hoarse voice.
"What else can you do? You sink; you can feel the water moving up against your skin, soothing where the heat only itched," Lucius brushed his fingertips over one of Harry's clothed nipples, eliciting a stifled gasp. "Slowly sinking in, revelling," Lucius traced a lone finger down Harry's abdomen, with the slightest pressure. "In the way the water moulds to your body, from the small of your back all the way up to you neck. And you have to adjust to this change, however gradual it is, so your skin tingles the entire time, as if it were anticipating something wondrous," Lucius' hand halted just at the waist of Harry's pants, running just along the hem while pressing against the skin. "And then, it takes you in deeper and deeper until-"
"Bloody hell!" Harry scrambled up and promptly straddled himself on Lucius' lap.
Lucius suddenly found himself pressed back into the hay, Harry attacking his mouth. He started with a responding smirk and comment but the words dried up as Harry moved his hips sharply, grinding his semi-hard erection into Lucius' thigh.
"What's wrong Lucius?" Harry purred as he broke off for air. "Cat got your tongue?"
Lucius growled and pulled Harry back in for a kiss, the fingers of one hand tangling in Harry's hair while the other grasped firmly on his hips. Prickles of excitement trilled though him as he felt Harry's short fingernails dig relentlessly into his skin. This had to be the first time anyone had, well, jumped him and done it very well; not that he had anything to compare it to. But the rather enthusiastic kiss that Harry was giving him made it fairly hard to think of anything else.
"Mm," Harry purred, sliding his hands down Lucius' back and just beneath his pants. "You have a little…problem."
Lucius snorted. "I'll have you know it's not little at all."
"Oh?" Harry arched an eyebrow slightly, trying to repress his sudden bout of laughter. "And what is it? A magnum?"
Lucius' expression briefly clouded with puzzlement and irritation before he huffed and resumed kissing Harry, now up his neck. "I shall assume you are complimenting me on my size."
"What else Lucius?" Harry asked with an impish smirk. "Your wand size?"
A double entendre; and a very good one at that. Lucius wasn't exactly too sure how to respond to that one. Unfortunately in the second it took for that to register, a loud 'bang' made itself plainly known, and made them both look up in surprise towards the window.
"You don't think…" Harry trailed off, looking back at Lucius.
Lucius scowled, staring nastily at the window. "If there is any hope of Snape wearing a dress, it won't be what I think it is."
//Damn it Valencia, you said you filled the tire! \\ Ernesto's aggravated voice echoed up to them
//I did! \\ Valencia's equally testy reply came now.
//I would like to remind you both that there is still a matter at hand to be dealt with. \\ a strange voice said primly.
Lucius didn't say anything as Harry rested his head against Lucius' shoulder with an irritated sigh. Lucius gave a similar sound of agreement before sliding out from underneath Harry and standing up.
"Well, at least one good thing came from this," Harry murmured as he quickly did up his pants and rose.
"And that would be?" Lucius asked, dusting bits of flattened hay from his clothes.
"You found a good place to go skinny dipping." Harry said with a grin. "So…what kind of dress do you think Professor Snape would wear?"
