Disclaimer: The characters and the milieu that we use in this story, just the plot and some characters.

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VII. The Stables

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When Hermione entered the barn where they kept their horses she was met with the strong scent of hay and manure. At first she nearly gagged, it had been a long while since she had visited the stables and she was unused to the strong smell. As she adjusted to the odour she was able to search for her family.

Instead of her husband and daughter she found the stable boy, Jack, loading hay for the horses' feed.

"Hello," she greeted. She noticed how Jack seemed to be shocked that she was there.

"The mysterious Mrs. Malfoy," he joked. "Out of the Manor, I see." Hermione nodded proudly. She didn't appreciate his tone. "Don't take offence, ma'am. I only meant that I've missed you down here. The horses take a great liking to you."

Hermione smiled. "Yes, I was fond of this place before."

"And now?"

"Caleb. I need to care for him. Perhaps later, when he can communicate his needs to Chrissy, I will have time to ride again." Jack nodded his approval of the suggestion. "Jack, where are my husband and daughter?"

"They took Blackie, Miss Malfoy's mare, and Prince, Mr. Malfoy's prize, out for a nice ride around the grounds. If you're in the mood, I can set up Ella for you." He motioned over to where Hermione's favourite horse stayed.

"No, I'd rather not. I'll wait for them here. I'll visit some of the horses."

Jack nodded and went back to his task. Hermione crossed the barn to Ella and let herself in the gate. When Ella noticed her owner's presence she turned and whinnied, lovingly tucking her nose into Hermione's neck.

Hermione patted Ella on the head and stayed with her for a while before moving onto the other horses. She had seen two others when she heard the trotting steps of Draco and Jaz's horses.

By the time she had made her way out of the pen, Draco and Jaz had both dismounted. Draco was teasing his daughter, insisting that he had won the race, but Jasmine was not going to give up her title very easily. She had always won before.

"I won, Daddy," she laughed as she undid her helmet and tossed it into a pile of gear.

"I really think that I won, Jazzy," he insisted.

"Nu-uh!"

Draco pretended to ponder the matter. "Maybe you were a nose ahead…" he said.

"Yeah! I was. See? I won!" She jumped up in joy, but her footing missed and she fell into a pile of mud. "Eww…" she said as she stood. She tried to dust the mud off, but it clung to her clothes. "Daddy…" she whined.

"Now, Jasmine," he scolded. "Don't whine. Go into the house and have Chrissy help you."

Jaz stomped her feet as she headed away. Hermione had to suppress a giggle as she watched her daughter pout all the way to the house. When she peeked back around a hay pile to where her husband had been, he was gone. She frowned and looked around for him.

Suddenly something grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her around. She fell back into a wall of hay and then saw Draco smirking down at her.

"There you are!" she laughed. Draco kissed her roughly and grabbed a handful of her hair in his fist. Some of the hay came with it as well, but it went ignored. "Draco," she gasped.

"Hermione, I want you now. Here. Jaz isn't around this time." His eyes were darkened with lust.

"Jack is," she reminded him. He swore and then left her standing by the hay pile. She watched him leave her sight but stayed where she was. A few moments later she was relieved to see Draco returning.

"Jack's gone," he said quickly as he covered her lips with his own again. He broke the kiss and dragged Hermione with him until he found an empty stall. There was hay and straw all across the floor, but it was otherwise clean.

"You can't be serious," Hermione said as she looked at it.

Draco smirked. "We've never done it before." He pulled her in and shut the gate behind him. He pushed her against the wall of the stable. He knew that he had told her that he would make love to her, but this was not the time to do it. He wanted her fast and hard and full of passion, and judging by the look in her eyes, so did she.

Draco's lips descended on hers and she gave out a moan, "Draco," into his lips.

"Hermione," he said softly, then took her mouth more roughly, letting her know that this was not going to be sweet and sensual sex. He didn't want that right now.

Draco pushed his hips into hers and kept his mouth on hers as he pulled down the straps of her dress, letting them fall and pushing the dress to her waist. They were now in a similar position to the one that they had adopted in the hall before Jaz had interrupted them. Draco lowered his head and took a nipple into his mouth, making Hermione let out a hiss in pleasure.

Draco took his time laving at her nipple before moving to the other. He unzipped the back of her dress and pushed it the rest of the way over her hips, letting it pool on the straw-covered floor by her feet. Hermione's hands were in his hair, pulling him closer to her breasts, smashing his face into the soft pillows. Draco's hands moved down and when he slipped a finger inside her she moaned out loud, she was too caught up by what he was doing that she didn't even notice that she was nearly naked and he was still fully dressed.

"Hermione," he said softly.

"Mmm, what?" she asked, smiling as he removed her knickers.

"Undress me, love," he said and she opened her eyes to look down at him. She took her hands out of his hair, freeing him from his pleasurable prison. Her hands spread across his chest, taking in the hard muscle under his shirt. He did have a great body. She then moved to the buttons and popped them open one by one. When she pushed the off-white garment over his shoulders, Draco leaned in for another kiss, he had to—it was like he would die without her mouth. Hermione's hands were then on his riding pants, undoing the buttons on the front, pushing the breeches down around his ankles along with his boxers, freeing his hardness which she then took in hand.

Draco let out a groan against her lips when he felt her small hand surround him. "Gods, Hermione," he said breathlessly. "I want you."

"I can tell," Hermione said with a smirk.

In the blink of an eye, Draco lifted her up and penetrated her with one sure stroke against the wooden wall. Hermione gasped in surprise and pleasure and wrapped her legs about his waist, pulling him in further.

As Draco thrust into her, again and again, sure strokes that set every nerve of her body of fire, Hermione had the sudden realization that this was the first time they had had sex. The first time that he had willingly taken her. The real her.

He wasn't pretending and Hermione wanted to tell him so bad that she loved him, but she could not give him her heart yet; it was still too delicate. She had loved him since Jaz was born and she could see how much of a loving father he was. A few days later was when he had finally submitted to her spell—so she could see the real him. After seeing the horrible image she cried for three days straight.

But that man was not the one that was with her now. This was her husband, her love. Hermione wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and smashed her lips to his. He was so sexy when he was pumping into her, setting her on fire like no one else could. Even when she hated him he still fuelled a passion that she thought she could never have with someone else.

Just then Draco sunk deep inside her, filling her and spilling his life-giving see and Hermione crashed over the edge with him, shuddering in his arms.

Hermione slowly slipped down his body, her feet regaining the earth. "That was—"

"I know," Draco smirked and then kissed her again, slower and sweeter this time. Tonight they would make love, tonight it would be slow and loving like she wanted it, but right now it was still light out and damn it, he wanted her again.

A/N: Finally, the lemony freshness that you all wanted!

Strawberry Lemons

Brittany and Amber