Obstacles and Courses

Chapter 6: Obstacles and Courses

The chosen six, carrying their bows and arrows and spears, met before breakfast the next Monday to traverse the five mile hike and obstacle course through the Forbidden Forest that had been laid out by the centaurs.

On a steep incline, Hermione started to slide down the slope. Lucius grabbed her arm and held it until she regained her footing. When they came to a large tree that had fallen across the trail, Lucius gave Hermione a boost to the top of the trunk where she lowered a short rope for him. Hermione noticed that Severus and Narcissa followed their example and so did Draco and Bellatrix. When they came to a deep and fast flowing stream, Lucius stripped down to his boxers, tied a rope around his waist, and gave the other end to Hermione. The water swept him quite a distance downstream before he made it to the other side, but once he and Hermione had secured the rope, everyone else crossed easily.

The last leg of the hike found Lucius singing lustily.

In blizzard or storm,

In sun warm and bright,

The day hot as hell

Bone-chilling be the night,

Our bodies may be weary,

But spirits never fade,

No, never fade;

Fearless, the wizard

Like the whirlwind he strikes.

Hermione gave Mrs. Malfoy a puzzled look.

"My husband is fond of lost causes, and I could almost love him for it," said Narcissa. "But I'm not sure that's a good thing."

Hermione wondered if the lost causes or the almost loving him wasn't the good thing. Nevertheless, Hermione and the others joined in the marching song.

At the end of the trail, they collapsed on a grassy slope by a stream.

"Remind me, once again, why I'm doing this," said Bellatrix.

"Out of the nobleness of your heart," said Draco.

She swung at him with her bow, but he ducked.

"This is stupid," said Severus. "We'd be more valuable on our brooms as reconnaissance."

"We're working on it," said Lucius. "The centaurs are coming around."

They were reminded that magic had its uses as they opened their kits for a breakfast of cold juice, hot tea, warm scrambled eggs, and crisp toast. Hermione noticed that the pairing continued through breakfast.

They decided the first practice should be with the new weapon, and they spent the next half-hour thrusting spears into spider shaped objects. That was followed by an hour of archery practice with moving targets. Hermione and Lucius discovered they were more effective if Lucius was the primary archer with Hermione as backup. She noticed that the other two women had come to the same conclusion with Severus and Draco. The pairings lasted as they finished the morning with elementary maneuvering and shooting with the centaurs.

The centaurs assured them that spiders appeared to have no tactics except for attacking in a swarm. The centaurs also assured them that they were keeping the exercises a secret and not stirring up the spiders in any way whatsoever. The campaign to clear the land should catch the spiders by surprise.

The three pairs of bedraggled trainees arrived at the Malfoy estate a little after noon, and the men and women repaired to their respective hot-tubs to soak their tired and sore muscles.

After Narcissa was dressed, a house-elf informed her that Severus was in the library. She found him lounging in a leather chair and reading a book.

"Would you like lunch by the lake?" she asked.

"Love to, if I can walk that far," he said. "Where do you get your energy?"

She smiled. "From you."

They picked up a quilt, packed a lunch basket, and strolled to the shore. Halfway there, she took his hand. A mild shock went through her at his touch, and when they arrived at the lake, she stood confused while he spread the quilt.

She couldn't sort out her feelings. How had this happened? How had she gone from a radiant bride with high expectations to inviting the company of another man? She had a hazy memory that in the midst of many social events, her husband had gradually drifted away. She remembered trying everything, some of which she recalled with embarrassment, to be more pleasing to him.

"I've always liked the view over the lake," she said to hide her jumbled thoughts as she sat and accepted a plate with slices of fruit. She absent-mindedly munched some fruit while being torn between wondering how to find out if this reserved wizard had any feelings for her and wondering if she should.

The plate was empty. "You ate all the honeydews," he said accusingly.

"There's other fruit," she said.

He crossed his arms and glared out over the lake – a wronged man.

"I can peel you a sour grape," she offered.

Instead, she opened a bottle of wine, poured two glasses, and said, "I'm being trained as a warrior-princess full of woodcraft and deadly battle skills. I will hie me into yonder forest, bring down game, skin and gut it with my fingernails, and bring it to you as an offering."

"Good plan," he said. "Is there a ham sandwich to tide me over till you return?"

"Mighty warrior-princesses never go anywhere without them," she said, digging into the lunch basket.

She put the sandwich and a dill pickle, "for complete nutrition," on a plate and asked, "Won't teaching seem dull after this?"

"This may be less dangerous," he replied, "and the company is better." He sampled the pickle. "Won't masked balls seem dull after this?"

"This may be less dangerous," she replied, "and the company is better."

"Good one," he said.

Five ducks paddled close and then waddled toward them. The two tossed pieces of bread and fruit for them. After some initial squabbling, the ducks were in a line and getting their tidbits one at a time from left to right. While feeding them the last of the lunch, Narcissa was thinking her husband hadn't touched her for several years, but despite his liaisons, she had never considered being anything other than a dutiful married woman, a mother, and a hostess. True, there were other girls, but that wasn't going anywhere, and it looked as if the other girls were going to take up with her son and husband.

Severus was watching the departing ducks. She had to know if he was thinking about her at all, and she said, "A Sickle for your thoughts."

"I'm not certain they're appropriate," he said. "I was thinking that seeing your determined and rugged side this morning made you even more attractive."

She was both glad that he was thinking about her and dismayed at how much she liked it.

He lay on his back on the quilt, looking at the sky. She copied him. Then she was lying on her side, facing him. Then she was closer. Then she was very close. He reached up and stroked her hair. Then she was snuggled against him with her head on his shoulder.

After a while, she began running her fingers through his hair. She was nibbling him. She was caressing him with her lips and fingertips. She was all over him and kissing him passionately. He reciprocated. Her entire being celebrated. Finally, she stopped and sighed and cuddled him. They held each other, enjoying the romantic phase of their relationship.

She surreptitiously checked to see if he had an erection. Yes, he did. Good. If he hadn't had one, the warrior-princess would have scalped him – with her fingernails.

About the time Severus was discovering his lady of the lake had gobbled all the honeydews, Bellatrix discovered her honey in the reading room duly waiting for her. She observed him from the doorway as he lay on a rug in front of the fireplace. She had an urge to gobble him up, but she was coming to appreciate the fruits of slowly building a relationship.

"Hey," she said from the doorway. She walked over and kneeled beside him. "Are you ready for lunch? We can eat on the patio. After this morning, I'm ready for something nutritious."

"Are you talking about one of your green monstrosities?" he asked.

"It's called a chef's salad, and it's very good," she informed him.

"After this morning, I'm ready for several beers and an aspirin," he said.

"That will put you to sleep."

"That's okay, too," he said.

The tugs of her heart had their effect, and she embraced him. She lay with her head on Draco's chest, listening to his heart beat. It was enough. His presence quieted her, and time passed as she lay next to him.

Draco, stroking his lady's hair, noticed the wildness leaving her eyes, and he was glad. He wasn't certain her insane streak was a good thing even in battle.

"I like it when you relax," he told her.

"I'm not sure I should," she said. "Family duties press."

"You're competent enough that you can remain calm and handle them," he said.

"You're telling me that I get too worked up, that I go overboard, aren't you?" she said. She raised her head and looked at him fondly.

He raised his head and brushed her lips with his. Years of loneliness met adolescent yearning. Her lips followed his as he lowered his head. Slowly building a relationship be damned. She needed this. Who cared about his inexperience and clumsiness? His affection for her was filling in and smoothing over cracks in her psyche she didn't know she had.

His ardor had changed their position from her being on top to her stretched out beside him to his being on top. She liked it. She felt his hand roam over her: her hair, her neck, her shoulder, her arm. She reveled in it. She had been deprived of human contact for so long – so long. Now, someone wanted every part of her – wanted her attention, her company, her affection – wanted to hold her.

For Draco, nothing else existed at this moment except for this lovely and desirable woman. She was everything. Her affection was completing him. Her combination of firmness and softness was driving him wild. He had to touch her intimate self. He paused, raised himself on his elbow, and looked fondly at her as his hand made it way over the outside of her skirt to her knee. He let his hand slide under her skirt and touch the inside of her knees. She looked back at him with longing and raised her knees. She let him nudge them apart. His head was swimming. Did he dare? Would she let him? His hand moved slowly up her thigh. It was incredible. Would any woman let him do something that was so wonderful? His hand moved further up. Oh, the feel. Her skirt slid down the slope revealing her thighs and a glimpse of knickers. His head was reeling. His hand moved up the smooth skin. She was letting him. This was unbelievable. His hand reached the smooth, silk-covered softness between her legs. It felt warm and moist. Could he hold his hand there? Could he hold her there? She placed her hand on his in approval. His heart was pounding. Never in his wildest dreams did he ever believe he would get his hand between his aunt's legs. And they were such lovely legs. And it was such a lovely place.

His aunt guided his hand until a finger lay in the cleft in the silk garment caused by the folds of her sex. His aunt guided his hand into a slow circular motion. "Yes, like that," she whispered to him.

Draco was floating in another world with just Bellatrix.

His aunt was rolling her hips in time with his hand between her legs. The beast within him wanted more. He moved his other hand to the top of a breast. Would she allow this, too? He cautiously let his hand move lightly over her breast. He caught his breath when she arched her back to press her breast against his hand. Would she allow this? Did she like it? He cupped her breast with his hand. He had always admired her breasts – on the small side, but shapely. Now, she was unbuttoning her blouse and unhooking her bra. She was bringing his lips to her breasts.

Bellatrix loved the way he lavished attention on her, both tender and eager. Who cared if he was clumsy? She liked this wizard, and he liked her. She could feel her guard going down and her concerns and anxieties slipping away. His attention had her on a new plane where everything was okay and he smelled wonderful. She moved and sighed and became wet for him.

Bellatrix was floating in another world with just Draco. She had been a wife to her husband and a mistress to her lord, but she had merely endured their stabs at intimacy. It was what was expected of her. Now, someone she wanted was paying attention to her, was doing the nicest things to her, for her.

Draco's finger slipped under the intimate garment and from there slipped into his aunt. It was unbelievable that she allowed this, but she pressed against his hand with thrusts of her hips accompanied by primal noises. Did girls get excited, too? His aunt acting like this should have been embarrassing, but he liked it. He really liked it when she wrapped her arms around him and covered his lips with hers. He had always admired his aunt and thought her beautiful, and now this beautiful woman he had always wanted was all over him and moving as if she couldn't get enough of him. Her moves and noises became incoherent. She felt extra wet. She was still. He wondered if she was okay. His finger insider her felt contractions. He realized he had given her an orgasm. Nothing could be better.

Draco held his aunt, stunned at what he had done.

Bellatrix was thinking how good it was to have a lover.

"That was sweet," she told him. "Do you mind?" she asked as she unbuttoned his trousers and reached in.

Draco had never felt anything like those strong, gentle fingers. He wanted it to go on and on. It did go on and on with the most wonderful woman in the world. Then it felt better. Then it felt even better. Then it felt too good, and he made a sticky mess in his lover's hand. She kissed him and held both him and his limp member in a loving embrace.

"We have to change, dear," she told him.

In her room, she remembered that she had been destined for her husband and he had sampled the charms of his property. The Dark Lord had taken her twice, but those had been acts of power and possession. Draco's slowness with her was partly due to his inexperience, but the more experienced lady was now able to recognize a romantic nature and its need for more than sex. Her more mature self rather liked that.

She reflected that Draco was young and would change during the next several years. She hoped they remained compatible: it would hurt to lose him; she didn't want to think about losing him. It was a measure of Draco's influence on her that she thought about others and wondered about Narcissa and Hermione. She had seen Narcissa set off to find Severus and supposed Hermione had done the same for Lucius.

Bellatrix was correct. Once Hermione was out of the hot tub and dressed, she asked an elf where Lucius was.

Lucius was on an upper story balcony watching Severus and Narcissa walk to the lake. He saw Narcissa take her companion's hand. Lucius thought it about time that Narcissa reached out for someone. The problem was that very few wizards were worthy of her. But Severus, by his own efforts, had turned himself into an aristocrat – one of intellect and power instead of wealth, but an aristocrat nonetheless. Lucius thought it sad that Narcissa wasn't the type to have helped Severus become the outstanding person he now was. She had been raised to respond to success, not the struggle for success. Lucius wondered if his friend would be less bitter if his life and struggle had been less lonely. He wondered if the struggle for success would have enriched Narcissa. Lucius heard approaching steps and turned away from the scene at the lake to greet Hermione.

"I wondered if you would like a change," she said, "something different. I know I can't offer anything to match this place, but sometimes a change is nice."

"That sounds good, Hermione. What did you have in mind?"

"We can have lunch at my place," she suggested. "There's stuff there already, or we can pick something up on the way. I can get whatever you like. Or we can get something to eat on the way. What would you like?"

"Good idea," he said.

"I can fix anything you like, but it's not a magic flat. I'd like to cook something for you. I hope you don't mind."

"You're right. Something simple," he said.

"A tin of soup?" he asked. She nodded. He waved his wand.

"Some slices of fruit, a bottle of wine, and some petit-fours?" he asked. She nodded. He waved his wand.

"I accept your gracious offer," he said, putting the lot into a bag. "Let us go."

"A comfortable place," he said when they had arrived.

He divided the fruit and petit-fours among the plates she handed him and poured the wine while she opened the tin of soup. He was standing behind her while she stirred the soup. Then his arms were around her waist. She would have been glad to stir the soup forever. Then she felt things stir inside her and decided there was more to life than stirring soup. She finally brought herself to say, "I think it's warm enough." For a few minutes, she had been tempted to let the soup boil away while he brought her to a boil.

After lunch, Lucius said, "My wife tells me that you like a massage after the morning drill."

Hermione wasn't sure what to say. How much had Narcissa told her husband? She said, "Your wife was very kind. I don't do sports, and I'm not used to all this activity."

"We both, we all, appreciate your helping us," he said. "Would you like a massage?"

Her insides churned at the thought of his hands all over her. She stumbled out, "Just a minute," got a quilt, and stretched out on it.

He began with her neck. She was smiling by the time he moved to her shoulders. When he started on her back, she said, "Just a moment," sat up, and took off her shirt. "Don't peek," she said as she unfastened her bra and lay back down on the quilt. He resumed the massage. She didn't want him to quit. He could keep his hands on her forever.

"I'm falling asleep," she said.

"Don't leave," she murmured.

When she woke, he was reading in a chair.

"Fascinating character, this Nancy Drew," he said.

For the first time in her life, she thought Lucius Malfoy might be human.

Lucius's song is adapted from Panzerlied.

Ob's stürmt oder schneit,

Ob die Sonne uns lacht,

Der Tag glühend heiß

Oder eiskalt die Nacht.

Bestaubt sind die Gesichter,

Doch froh ist unser Sinn,

Ist unser Sinn;

Es braust unser Panzer

Im Sturmwind dahin.