Within the Wings of a Storm

In the Eyes of the World

Chapter title from "Eyes of the World" by Fleetwood Mac
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The weeks leading up to the Yule Ball were a whirlwind of work. Occlumency lessons continued on, Apparition lessons began, the remainder of Rhiannon's sixth year curriculum was completed, and as promised, Snape schooled her in the Dark Arts as her curiosity arose. She still struggled with Occlumency, especially against his skilled Legilimency and with the added connectivity their soul bond afforded them. He pointed out that if she could overcome that truly remarkable magical bond, however, her skills against the Dark Lord were all the more assured.

Apparition came much more naturally. Snape led her to the rolling hills beyond the Hogwarts grounds in order to practice, and simply being one with the earth, sky, and wind again made Rhiannon more receptive to learning something new. She overcame the unsteadiness and the lurching-stomach feeling she'd experienced during her first side-along months ago, and she never even experienced a splinch during practice. She described it to him like being one with the wind— second nature for a true Thunderbird. Snape was grateful for one less worry; when and if the time of battle came, Rhiannon could transport herself without reliance on him, since his presence couldn't be guaranteed.

Dust fell away from the tattered volumes on Snape's highest shelves as he gave in to her insatiable curiosity, allowing her to pour over their contents with his guidance. He removed her initial problem of not even understanding what the subjects meant or what to look for, leading her to the dark spells, hexes, jinxes, and curses she was most likely to encounter— now teaching them from an offensive perspective as well as defensive. He also fed her curiosity for reading on blood, soul, and sexual magic; she seemed surprised to find much overlay with the some of the darker traditions in which she had grown up.

"You're insatiable, girl," Snape scolded her.

It was the evening before the Yule Ball. They had returned from their final Apparition lesson and were warming their frozen limbs by the fire, enjoying its flickering embers rather than resorting to warming spells. Snape sat reading in his armchair, Rhiannon prone on the rug by the fire, pouring over a text with her usual ardor.

"How so?" Rhiannon asked casually. "I've not seduced you in weeks."

"Precisely," Snape replied. "Your ravenous hunger for magical knowledge has conquered all else. You scarcely eat or sleep, let alone come to my bed."

Rhiannon smiled and beckoned for him to join her on the rug by the fire. "I want you to do these things to me," she told him, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Severus raised his eyebrow and eased himself down by her side, glancing at her reading material. She was reading about a particular form of mind-bewitchment similar to that employed in the casting of the Eros Absentia; however instead of being a passive but consenting recipient to the actions of the Authority, the spellcaster drove the actions of their partner as well, through control of their mind. The recipient of the spell was fully conscious of what they were doing, but was completely driven by the will of the leading partner. It was a complete and total submission, usually only practiced through coercion, and was considered a very taboo dark art almost on par with the Imperious Curse.

"You do not want this," he told her, snapping the book shut.

Rhiannon came up to her knees and grasped his arms. "No. I do. I loved you being in control of me last time." Her green eyes were spiraling in the firelight in that mad, possessed way that threatened to bend every last shred of his will.

"I wasn't in control of you," Snape corrected her. "You were still fully in charge of your own actions and could have said no at any time. This is different. This is me becoming you in the sense that I would drive your every movement and thought. Your only self-awareness would be your feelings of arousal and release."