"That's it. Now turn around."

Hermione turned her back on the lovely creature that had begun to paw the ground and turn away.

As she turned a pair of rough hands grabbed her shoulders.

Hermione squeezed her eyes shut and when she opened them directly in front of her was a shiny bronze armor chest plate.

Looking up Hermione met the fierce gaze of the warrior in a Corinthian horsehair helmet.

"Get your hands off me, you brute." Said Hermione with more bravado than she felt, to the hands gripping her.

The warrior chuckled.

"Sister, This one has spirit." Said the warrior turning to the figure behind Hermione.

"Ah sister, spirit is all well and good but what about some actual talent."

Surprised Hermione looked hard at the warriors face sure enough there was a certain feminine cast to her features.

Hermione looked around for Draco and found him kneeling, gagged and bloody furious. A band of warriors encircled him spears and javelins pointed unwaveringly at his torso.

Hermione drew a sharp intake of breath.

"So are you?"

Hermione blinked then realized it was her being addressed.

"I…er…what were you asking?"

"Do you have any ability?"
"Er, yes." Said Hermione uncertainly then something clicked. "Oh my, your Amazons aren't you?"

"Yes. What abilities do you claim to have?" Said the one Hermione had mentally nicknamed as Bronze.

"I…um…I'm a scholar."

Draco, whose eyes had shot wide open at the mention of Amazons, let out a grunt.

Bronze regarded him, glaring at him for even daring to exist.

"Who is he?" She asked sharply

Who the hell are you to ask me that let me go! I'm not doing anything wrong." Shouted Hermione outraged.

"Your trespassing onto Amazon lands, a heathen and a…" Bronze pulled a face like she had to swallow a lemon, "Man."

She threw a contemptuous look at Draco.

"You haven't gained the right to pass and so I shall make sure you can never trespass again."

She advanced menacingly.

Suddenly Draco broke free. He ran intercepting the woman advancing on Hermione.

"If you dare touch one hair on her head I'll..." Draco began threateningly

"You will do what?" Asked Bronze full of contempt.

"Petrificus Totalus" Said Draco nonchalantly his demeanor at odds with the passionate menacing figure of before.

As Bronze stopped mid stride Draco aimed a hex at the Amazon holding Hermione captive.

The woman shrieked as her hands and arms became hairy and her head began to morph. Armour flowed into hair also. Her spine changed she went down on all fours her booted feet becoming hooves her fierce helmet with its red horse hair decoration attached to her skin the mane inching down her spine. After a few moments instead of a proud warrior there stood a beautiful mare with caramel coloured hair a red mane and tail. Her eyes had not changed remaining a vibrant blue colour.

All the Amazons that had rushed to defend Bronze stood stock still in shock. Draco muttered under his breath waving about in a full circle with his wand. Vines grew up from the ground and quickly captured the remaining Amazons, all but one who hacked away at the vines vigorously with her sword. She was behind Draco and when she was free she charged at him. Hermione reached for her own wand but Draco whipped around and a thin white thread shot from his wand and cocooned the woman in spider's silk, leaving her head free to breathe.

His body still tense Draco cast a wary eye around for any more would be captors. All the women were incapacitated. Breathing a sigh of relief Draco turned to see Hermione when some thing flung at him so hard it knocked the breath from his body. He lost his balance and tumbled to the ground. As he fell he looked down to see Hermione hugging him fiercely.

He landed on the ground with a thud.

"Hermione..." He wheezed.

Anything he was about to say was cut off as Hermione kissed him hard on the mouth.

After some surprise Draco kissed her back his tension melting away as he gathered her in his arms. After a brief moment- far to short in Draco's opinion he pulled away to breath.

Hermione stood up immediately. "I'm so sorry Draco I don't know what came over me, I didn't mean …I mean I meant to say thank you but I…Sorry." She said backing away in embarrassment.

Draco took a moment to recover from being winded then he stood up wincing as his back cracked.

Taking two swift steps towards Hermione he smoothly gripped her shoulders and then cupped her chin in one strong hand. Looking into her eyes he smiled then he leaned in to her and placed a gentle quick kiss on her lips then her lightly freckled nose, cheeks, jaw and then back to her lips this time savagely capturing them. Blankly Hermione responded tentatively at first then she matched Draco's passion with her own pressing her curvy body against his solid frame and pressing her tongue against Draco's mouth demanding access and tasting his warm mouth when he complied. He groaned deep in his throat and pulled her even closer to him her body completely flush with his, his tongue battling with hers in a dance that ignited a fire in Hermione's belly. Hermione found to her surprise that he was just as affected by the kissing.

Dimly hearing the captured woman yelling Hermione broke off the kiss a huge smile on her face.

"Um, Thank you." She said quietly looking into his silver eyes before she stepped back and looked around the beautiful glade.

"Not to criticize your work or anything, I mean she makes a beautiful horse," said Hermione gesturing to the vibrant haired beast now grazing nonchalantly nearby, "but I think you should change her back."

"Oh I suppose." Draco agreed and with a casual flick of his wand the horse morphed back into a woman who promptly began spitting out the grass in her mouth.

"Just be thankful I'm in such a good mood." He said as he stood next to Hermione and wrapped his arms about her waist.

Leaning her head against his chest Hermione said firmly. "And now the petrified one."

Draco muttered something under his breath good-naturedly and turned his attention to Bronze.

Bronze collapsed on the ground when the spell was broken but quickly she regained her footing.

"Oh mighty gods forgive me I knew not who you were." She said kneeling on the ground in reverence.

"But we're not…" Hermione began but Draco cut over her smoothly

"Not angered anymore you have learnt your lesson. We will spare your live, in return we ask that you give us the tail hair of a Unicorn and a safe lodging."

Hermione was still slightly bewildered the next day when they left the next morning well feed and with a unicorn tail hair wrapped in a cloth and stowed in a one shoulder bag along with a sharp knife and some food. They left the camp of the nomadic Amazons and passed through the beautiful glade. The music was still there and it still called to Hermione.

The Amazon had explained it to Hermione the night previous. It was the unicorns' own special magic. Only women of purity could hear it. (Hermione blushed when she realized what they meant by purity, it vaguely explained their loathing of men) And when they responded, it formed a bond between Amazon and Unicorn.

Simple really and a little frightening, Hermione thought with a shudder.

They journeyed on using Hermione's map. To save time they conjured Draco's broom and flew as much as possible. Hermione felt her stomach lurch at the very thought of flying. She spent the terrifying rides hugging to Draco painfully with her eyes crammed shut.

They finally reached Thrace. It looked like an ordinary forest and Hermione was a little disappointed when she got there. After the Unicorn glad nothing else had occurred with Draco. In fact it was getting quite awkward around him. Hermione was also vitally aware that she was in need of a bath or shower. She would even accept a damp sponge at this point. Fortunately she was a witch and didn't have to.

She mentioned to Draco about cleaning up and then slipped off to the pond near where they had camped.

The water was cold, clean and so wonderful against Hermione's skin that she just exhaled and sunk beneath the surface feeling the dampness envelope her in a safety bubble.

Resurfacing she swam over to her clothes and used her wand to charm wash her hair then her body letting the soft smell of Jasmine float around her. With a sigh she pushed off from the bank and relaxed in the blue water.

Draco was setting up camp with practiced ease when he heard screaming coming from the pond.

'Oh gods, Hermione!'

He ran in the direction of the water clutching his wand tightly, his robes streaming behind him.

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Ah this story has gotten away from me and it is getting so long that no one will read it.