~oOo~
As predicted, by five o'clock the rain finally arrived, the sky splitting open just as they reached their last climax, open mouths upturned in primal cries of ecstasy.
Sirius convinced Hermione to ride with him on Hector back to the house, promising plenty of opportunities for her to overcome her fears with many more horseback trips to the lake together. They loaded their supplies onto Roslyn's back before mounting the larger chestnut horse.
The return trip took much longer than getting there, as they carefully picked their way through growing puddles and slippery mud. Neither complained however, as the undulating movements of the horse caused its riders to rub against each other erotically, the rhythmic friction building yet another wave of need between them.
Sirius groaned into Hermione's neck, "I think there was more than truth serum in that tea." With his free hand he pulled her tighter against him as he suckled at the tender flesh just below her ear.
Hermione moaned in response, grinding with need against his hardness as the familiar heat pooled between her legs. She was about to suggest they stop beneath the shelter of a large tree somewhere, when she felt Sirius' fingers slip the button of her jeans through its hole, then tug the zipper down as far as it would go.
"Wrap your legs back around mine, love," he muttered into her ear. "Don't want you kicking at the horse again and sending us on another run, hmm?"
She did as told, hooking her legs behind his, the motion opening her wider to his fingers that were now sliding beneath the denim and dipping into her moist warmth. She came almost immediately, and was still shivering as the small stables came into view.
Sirius quickly guided them into the shelter, dismounted, then pulled Hermione from the back of the horse. He ushered each beast into a stall, not bothering to unsaddle them before pulling Hermione to him and ravaging her mouth.
She groaned, still flushed from their ride as they both fumbled desperately with each other's clothes. He backed her against the rough wall and dropped to his knees, sliding the denim down over her legs and quickly latching his mouth to her aching pussy, moaning as his tongue lapped at her wetness. Still sensitive from her orgasm just moments before, Hermione's knees buckled and she let out a sharp gasp. His large, strong hands reached up and held her in place, fingers spreading her cheeks slightly, slipping lower -first one, then a second pressing into her sopping cunt.
"Oh fuck, Sirius – yes…" Hermione moaned huskily as he began slowly fucking her with his fingers while his mouth sucked at her clit. When she felt a third finger slide along her wetness then press experimentally into her smaller, tighter hole, she shuddered around him. In an incoherent frenzy of broken gasps she came completely undone, bucking against him while chanting his name and several obscenities.
Before she could blink, Sirius was on his feet again, pressing against her through the combination of soft and coarse worn denim, his mouth still tasting of her climax. Hermione's hands worked feverishly at the opening of his jeans, finally shoving them over his hips as he kicked hers away from her ankles, just enough to grant them access for what they both needed. His fingers dug into her as he lifted her, wrapping her legs around him as he drove into her with a growl.
"So fucking tight, sweet one," he murmured against her bruised lips. "Don't think I'll ever let you go."
"Never," Hermione answered heatedly, feeling her insides tightening again. She clutched desperately at his shoulders and back.
"Did you like my finger in your tight little arse, love?" he grunted with a hard thrust. "Naughty little angel…"
"Oh gods, yes…" Hermione whined against his shoulder, reaching another crest as his movements became rougher. "Harder – p-please, Sirius!" She stuttered, just teetering on the brink of her orgasm.
The little restraint he had broke loose. With a growl, he pistoned in and out of her as she cried his name, her muscles clamping around his cock, pulling him to his own completion as he bellowed his release, clutching her tightly to him and covering her dampened face in frantic kisses.
As he gently eased her legs down from around his hips, Hermione began to giggle. Her legs slowly gave way and she slid to the ground, her laughs growing fuller. Sirius lowered himself to his knees as well, feeling slightly alarmed until he saw the expression of sheer giddiness on the witch's face. He found himself chuckling with her until they were both laughing uncontrollably on the earthen floor of the barn. He pulled her into his arms and brushed the dirt off of her bare backside as she lay across his chest, catching her breath.
"Alright, love?" Sirius asked as he tenderly stroked her hair.
She lifted her head to gaze into his eyes, so dark now they were almost blue. "I'm wonderful," she replied with a wide grin, feeling a wave of affectionate amusement at his repeated question. She was just about to tease him about his concern for her post-orgasmic welfare when the crunch of gravel interrupted her.
"Sirius? 'Mione?" Hugh Ross' voice called from the open doorway at the other end of the barn.
Both witch and wizard cursed softly and Sirius, being the one mostly clothed, stood and fastened his jeans, practically jumping around the side of the wall that was conveniently hiding them.
"Yeah boss, we're in here," he said, walking down to the other end of the stable to intercept Hermione's uncle and prevent him from witnessing the evidence of their indiscretions.
"Ah, Lou said she thought she saw you two ridin' back. Hope you didn't get caught by the storm," the older man said casually.
"Well, we did actually – I was just about to clean the horses up and head to the house."
"Where's 'Mione? Did she do alright? She used to be a little nervous around horses…" Hugh inquired.
"Right here, Uncle Hugh." The witch in question appeared from around the corner with a sheepish smile. "I found a few ticks on me and I'm afraid I made Sirius check me for more. You know how squeamish I am about them…"
Hugh's sharp blue eyes darted from Sirius to Hermione, taking in their dishevelled appearances and bits of hay poking out of his niece's unruly mane of brown curls. Unable to suppress his knowing smirk, he simply nodded. "Well, your aunt says dinner's in an hour so you might want to think about washin' up." He turned and sauntered up to the old farmhouse, whistling softly in the fading evening.
Hermione and Sirius simultaneously let out a loud breath and turned to each other. "They're going to be unbearable, you know," Hermione said, knowing full well her uncle wasn't fooled.
"Yeah." Sirius grinned affectionately and plucked a piece of hay from her hair.
Hermione nodded to the two stalls where Hector and Roslyn were still patiently waiting. "I'll help you with them if you'll show me what to do."
~oOo~
Louise Ross seemed busier than usual with dinner and house chores, but stoutly refused any help from either of her guests, shooing them out of the kitchen with a satisfied grin. "Did you two enjoy your picnic by the lake?" she asked as an afterthought, though her drawling tone was heavy with meaning.
Hermione's eyes widened as the truth about her Aunt Louise hit her like a stunning spell. The older woman had seemed so unfazed by the bits of magic she and Sirius had performed around the house, but Hermione had brushed it off, since her aunt had explained that her mother had filled her in on the details of her background. Now, though, she suddenly understood better. "Aunt Lou!" she exclaimed. "You – you – but…"
"No time, darlin'!" Louise interrupted. "Now, you and Sirius best just go on and get yourselves cleaned up – you look a mess!" she said with a smirk
Hermione self-consciously smoothed her hand over her bushy hair and frowned incredulously as Sirius pulled her away by her elbow and led her upstairs
"She's – she… my Aunt Louise, Sirius!" Hermione stammered as they entered the spare bedroom. "Why didn't anyone tell me? Did you know about this?"
"I… kind of had a sense. And then after today with the tea, I pretty much figured…" he answered sheepishly.
Hermione plopped down on the small bed, dumbfounded.
"Are you alright?" Sirius asked, sitting next to her and taking her hand in his.
She shook her head slightly, dazed, then looked up at him sadly. "Mum said that Aunt Lou was sent away to stay with their great-aunt in America when she turned eleven. She never knew why, and never saw her again until their parents were killed in an automobile accident. That was before I was even born… I bet she even got a letter from Hogwarts, and they wouldn't let her go."
Sirius gave a small smile and rubbed her back. "Well, whatever happened, she obviously did alright. I daresay she's feeling quite pleased with herself after watching us dance around our feelings for each other for the past ten days." He frowned suddenly. "And speaking of dancing, aren't we supposed to be getting ready to go out tonight?"
Still dazed, Hermione nodded absently in reply.
"Brilliant!" He grinned and pulled her up, quickly ushering her across the hallway to the bathroom before she could reconsider. "You go first since you always take longer, and we'll leave right after dinner."
~oOo~
Hermione had always thought cowboy hats looked silly, but when Sirius came out of the farmhouse in a pair of tight blue jeans, a black silk shirt, and a black Stetson hat, something ridiculously girlish in her was reduced to a quivering mass. They almost didn't make it to Harlan's in fact, but as they'd driven Uncle Hugh's pickup truck, and neither had an American Muggle drivers license, and the ones Harry had acquired for them in England were fake, Hermione insisted they couldn't risk pulling over to 'park' like a couple of randy teenagers in case they got caught.
After an evening of dancing close to the ragged, earthy rhythms and raunchy wails of electric southern blues, however, her defences were worn to a thin unravelling thread. Sirius' hand sliding up the tight denim seam along her inner thigh finally prompted her to swing the large truck off the one-lane country road with a jostle.
"Hermione, love - ?" Sirius asked jerkily, quickly grabbing onto the 'oh-shit handle', as Jake referred to it.
Hermione simply smirked and downshifted confidently. Maybe she was pants at horseback riding, but there was a reason her uncle entrusted his truck to her while her cousin was still restricted to his own battered vehicle. Like the tooth-rotting sandwiches Aunt Louise kept secret from her parents, Uncle Hugh had long ago taken great delight in covertly teaching his prim little British niece how to manoeuver the beast of a truck for a 'proper' four-wheeling experience. Not even her aunt knew that secret.
Several more violent bumps brought them to a deafening silence as she cut the engine and the truck gently rocked to a stop in a secluded clearing under the stars.
For a long, shocked moment, Sirius stared speechlessly at the young witch whose face was softly illuminated by the dim lights of the dashboard.
Marry me, was the only thought his mind could seem to grasp, but he thankfully had enough sense not to say it just then.
"It's all about physics, really," she began to explain. "Once you understand how the weight of the truck plays into the whole equation of you versus the terrain - "
He cut her off with a ravenous kiss, grinning against her soft, sweet lips as he eased her down on the bench set of the pickup truck. He marvelled silently at how bloody young she made him feel, young and randy and truly carefree. Even with danger looming and looking for them both, life seemed suddenly alright as long he had this beautiful, bright, and ever-surprising witch with whom to share it.
"I love you so much," he rasped, breaking away from her lips to taste the sweet-salty skin of her neck.
"Sirius," Hermione panted, pushing gently at his shoulders and shifting under him.
"Mmm?" he responded, his attention focused on working at the little buttons of her sleeveless silk blouse. It was the same one she'd worn that night, the night he'd first fully realized he wanted the brainy witch. When he'd seen her leaning against her uncle's mammoth pickup truck in painted-on jeans, high-heeled leather boots, and that same low-cut blouse, he'd known he was doomed.
"Sirius," she repeated a little more clearly, nudging him off of her. "Come on," she said, scooting away from him and opening the driver's side door.
He frowned unhappily, knowing only that for some reason she was suddenly moving away from him, out of his arms, and apparently out of the cab of the truck.
Once her feet were planted on the soft soil of the clearing they were in, she turned to him and tilted her head. "Are you coming?" she asked.
Even though her face was hidden in shadow, he knew her eyebrow was quirked in that know-it-all way that he found so sexy, as if it were an unspoken challenge or dare. With a soft huff, Sirius opened his door and stepped down into the tall grass. Before his eyes could completely adjust to the near-pitch darkness of the rural nighttime, his senses were jarred by the sudden metallic thump of the tailgate of the truck falling open. A slight creak followed, a sound he was well familiar with by now, indicating Hermione had climbed up into the bed of the vehicle, then the soft clop of her heeled boots and finally the tool chest that spanned the width of the truck being unlatched and open.
"Ah," she muttered in a pleased tone, "knew it."
By the time Sirius had joined her, the truck dipping briefly under his weight as he hoisted himself up into the back, she'd spread out the two large sleeping bags that her uncle apparently kept stored in the back.
His eyes were fully adjusted to the dark now, and he was able to see the deep breath she took before smiling shyly at him. It amused him to no end that even after they'd laid their bodies and souls bare to each other, she still had these moments of bashfulness.
"So, what are you trying to tell me?" he rumbled teasingly as he backed her against the large tool chest.
~oOo~