All warnings were given first chapter… please refer to it!
The Crow
(Second Arc: The witch from the Eastern lands)
(Part 12)
XxxxXxxxX
The next day dawned unusually bright.
The sky was illuminated by all shades of morning, no cloud in sight. Birds sang from the cherry trees and Clow was standing there, looking absolutely glorious, while Violet was squinting through the horrid brightness.
She's had a terrible night.
Not that Katya cared about the quality of her sleep, not when Clow said he'd be waiting for her at dawn by the foyer so they could go on their way across Europe and into Asia.
'Wonder why I'm not feeling well' The witch thought with a sparklingly bad mood. Oh yes. Let us feel excited for the trip that will bring Clow closer to his ex-lover and- 'Don't go there again Violet! Clow isn't… mine…'
Her mind was doing a sodding job at convincing her heart though.
'Dancing with him was the worst idea, ever'
The feelings of his deft, long fingers gripping lightly at her waist. The way he'd draw her close enough that the heat from his body would cling to hers – how his eyes never strayed from her face, and how tall and sturdy he felt against her. They'd sway, softly and sweetly like a spring wind, and Violet wanted nothing more than to melt into Clow's arms and never let go.
When she retired for the night, it took a lot of will power not to writhe and turn and coil into herself, as phantom sensations played across her skin, re-heating the path of his hands only moments before – turning a chaste, short dance into something a lot more sinful than it was supposed to be.
Only the memories of that night's conversation was keeping Violet half sane… 'What was the name again? Suyung something…'
'Gah! How infuriating!' Forget about Clow's past love life and concentrate on the future!
'And what about those dreams?' They rendered many frustrating times throughout night and day, in which the only thing preventing Violet from taking matters into her own hands was the profound feeling of shame and awkwardness – She's never tried pleasuring herself before, this isn't her home and she had the faint suspicion that Clow could read her mind.
And she couldn't let this weird, foreign feeling drown her anyway.
'Thinking about those dreams only bring them closer to mind!' Ignoring the way her breath shorted and her heart skipped a beat was now second nature.
Violet wanted to go home, she couldn't thicken her attachment to the sorcerer by tacking a big, sore, romance between them. It would only hurt more when she inevitably left.
It doesn't stop the insidious poison that is jealousy from clawing its way into her being. Twisting in the back of her head even now as she stared at Clow, hiding behind the small grin she greeted him with.
"Morning" Violet voiced coolly.
"I'm sorry for rousing you so early in the morning" Clow Reed's lips pulled into one of his customary smiles. "Unfortunately, any food now will be detrimental to transportation… we can have some light snacks later"
"If it is anything like portkeys, I completly understand" The witch nodded, she wasn't even hungry. Her stomach rolled into a dispassionate mess every time she thought of Clow going to meet with his- 'Stop it!'
Amusement settled in his features for a moment or two. Enough for Violet to notice and send him a dirty look – his next words cemented the fact he was teasing her.
"Do you have any more questions?" He asked innocently enough. Violet grimaced, remembering her reactions yesterday.
"Just one. What will we be doing at this festival…?"She asked staring pointedly at the large amount of baggage piled behind Clow's tall form. He patted a particularly wobbly stack of boxes with a grin that made her toes curl.
'Why do I feel so anxious?!'
It was maddening on so many levels! Violet wanted desperately to deny the attraction she felt toward Clow Reed, and it was easy in his manor where she knew how everyone stood in his regard.
But going to see an old student – something of a shock – who happens to be his ex…
External to her thoughts, said sorcerer just grinned brighter. He clasped his hands on his staff, and stood with a regal pose that did nothing to lessen the impact of his answer.
"Why! We will open our own magic stand!" Clow's good mood was nerve wrecking. 'He's planning something!' Violet noticed with suspicion. And then thought better of it… wait.
'Don't they have a Statute of Secrecy here?'
"Is that even allowed?" Violet questioned curiously, eyebrows twitching.
She was eyeing him now, trying not to be affected by his cheerfulness, not think much about it. Whatever he's cooking, he is bound to share it sooner or later.
"Of course. I wouldn't do anything illegal" Clow assured innocently. Eyes twinkling behind his glasses and grin full of teeth. Violet was liking this lighter side she was seeing, the side that wasn't a Teacher.
'But even if he's making light of the situation, there is something else… something he is not telling me' It was in the way his dark blue eyes would darken when deviating from her gaze, or the way a shadow would stir lazily, even with the sun baking down on them.
Violet had to learn to read people to survive. The hat wanted to put her in Slytherin for a reason.
"Somehow I doubt that" The witch burrowed her creeping paranoia, smiling back at the sorcerer as she reciprocated the banter.
"You hurt my heart with your cruel accusations, apprentice" Clow spoke with a raised eyebrow peeking above the frames of his glasses "Not an ounce of forgiveness in your being for this old, foolish sorcerer?"
"Seriously Clow!" Violet snorted, then snorted again as a reluctant laugh bubbled its way out of her throat...
'If he wants to do anything, good or bad, who will be able to stop him?' And then, as if summed by a fountain of longing and hope…
'Me?'
An almost hysterical voice in her head was calling her insane, but her heart ached just a little more for the sorcerer's touch.
"We aren't doing anything illegal by opening a magic stand, there will be plenty of people doing the same though not every one of them have magic, of course, just mere parlor tricks and clever use of hands" His voice broke through her mirth, and Violet caught herself nodding once more.
"And your girlfriend?" the witch asked half playing, half callously - but didn't expect the sorcerer's reaction. He frowned down at her, eyes narrowed as all light fled from his face.
"She's not my... girlfriend" Clow told Violet seriously, a band of cold iron lanced across her heart as it flecked out the beats – it wasn't fear, far from it – the sorcerer's darkened blue eyes were piercing into her, urging her to see, to understand. She did. "And Su Yung opens a stand every year, so she should be there"
'I was right, there's something wrong' Goosebumps broke out across her body as the warm morning sunlight lost heat.
'Better stop being petty now before I truly irritate him' There was no reason for Violet to continue her jealous ribbing… She could, somehow, read from his very being that she had no reasons to be jealous.
…
There was this thrilling, dangerous call urging her to make Clow lose his patience. It made Violet nervous and bothered, a deep sense of dark anticipation lighting all her nerves on fire. He'd be gorgeous then, cloaked in wrath and darkness.
…
"Alright. Anything else I should be prepared for?" She wouldn't apologize. Not for the way she felt. 'I'm mad… utterly, ragingly, stupidly mad'
Clow Reed's temper is terrifying.
Violet felt as far as terrified as possible.
"I might need to leave you for a moment or two. There are special items that I must acquire, and I'd like to keep your presence a secret from the clans for a while longer" Clow explained, not smiling, but his face has lost that darkened torpor that caused butterflies to fly in her belly. "Violet… this is of utmost importance… it is not for naught that I want to keep you a secret. I ask that you trust me on this" He added seriously "It is for this reason that I was reluctant to leave you here on your own"
The green eyed young woman nodded slowly, conveying as much through her gaze as she could. 'I trust him… and I understand somewhat…' It didn't mean she liked it, or that she would happily sit quietly twidling her thumbs the whole time.
"I understand. I suppose I will have to sit in our stand for a while" She sighed, not happy, but 'What can I do? I don't want to create problems for Clow… if only I still had my invisibility cloak!'
"Don't worry" Clow finally broke out into a pleased smile. His countenance softened as he reached a hand to touch her hair – he hesitated for a moment, seeing that Violet was not protesting – before giving in and caressing a strand of dark copper carefully, achingly gently "My business will not take long and my presence should cloak yours… I'm sure that when you are free to explore, you will find something you've been wanting for a while"
Violet's breath shuddered. This felt even more intimate than the innocent little touches they've sneaked throughout the couple of weeks she's been here.
'Wait… what did he say?!' Heart beating wildly in her chest for a multitude of different reasons, the witch grinned in a way that she hasn't in a long time.
"A wand?" Escaped her lips almost before she could form the words. Clow smiled at her enthusiasm, the contemplative darkish mood they fell in completely gone now.
"Indeed. I've contacted an old acquaintance of mine. He will be at the festival and has very reluctantly agreed to part with a receipt" the sorcerer told her, Violet nodded eagerly "With it we will be able to create your wand from scratch"
Mildly surprised that someone was willing to part with a craft. 'But then again, it isClow' It really explained a lot of things. He is a scholar, and lived to collect or create magical crafts.
"Did you make your own staff?" She asked, absently looking at said staff, the sun half gleamed under the light of the real sun while the other half, the moon, was seemingly absorbing it.
"No. I just fused both my parents' staffs together as they longed to" Clow revealed with a reminiscent, sad smile "Now enough questions for today, get ready for transport" He offered a hand.
Violet accepted instantly.
XxxxxXxxxxX
Orchestrated by Clow right on the mansion's foyer, the magical circle grew, unfurling like a flower beneath his feet, radiating his power and will in little pulses that took Violet's breath away.
The sheer magnitude of his spell washed over them, and the only thing keeping the witch on her feet was the anchoring hand holding her own.
Clow's usual outfit – his dark blue, white/black and gold robes swayed along with their hair as a mythical wind picked up – The young woman could feel the sheer energy being drained from the sorcerer, sapping at his strength and straining his might.
The power build up, the circle stretching under their feet flickered minutely and then settled.
"Don't move" Clow's voice didn't even dither from the very visible drain on his power "It should be connecting soon" his warm, steady hand tightened its hold on hers.
'I wasn't going to move' Violet wanted to say, but the conjured circle coiled up like a giant, ethereal fly trap and swallowed them up.
…
After such a dramatic build up, Violet was expecting something more explosive.
What happened was a strange mix between apparition and floo, only the tumbling only lasted a scant second – though the toll it took on her balance was horrid. 'I'm glad we didn't eat anything!' Because if she was feeling queasy now, imagine having to do that with a stomach full?
"Are you alright?" Clow asked plainly, not looking even remotely ruffled after breaking through the fabrics of reality and transporting them to another continent.
'Every transportation technic has a limit… like apparition distance depends on the witch or wizard's mental fortification… Floo is sustained by a connecting network, and port keys are ridiculously costly to spell… and even then, they are crude and tap at ley lines… that's why they're religiously regulated' Violet might not have her apparition license, nor did she participate in the all the classes Hermione did… but she was there to listen to her friend's occasional rants.
…
"Why can't there be magical airplanes or something? Didn't Ron's dad spell a car to fly?"
"And look how that ended…" Ron uttered under his breath to Violet, who, as the co-conspirator of that particular plot, reserved the right to remain silent.
"But no! Magic and electronics don't mix… that's why witches and wizards have to depend on such archaic methods!" The bushy haired girl continued.
"What about the Knight bus? It's a two decker bus that's been heavily spelled, and is a viable magical transportation" Violet argued. She personally hated the Knight bus, but it was still transport. "The enclaves have not evolved past the nineteenth century… I'm sure that when they discover the brothers Grimm, we're going to have flying busses too"
The image of a bus with wings or a zeppelin hybrid filled Violet's imagination and she snorted in laugher at the thought.
"Rather fly on a broom" Ron noted.
"Ugh…Can you imagine the riot it would cause the muggles radar? If only instant transportation was less troublesome! Do you know the three principles for apparition? They are-"
…
That was one of the last conversation the trio of friends had before things with Umbridge went pear shaped in fifth year…
"I'm fine" The witch blinked, feeling her nausea receding and accepting the arm offered to her, as her muscles still spammed sporadically.
"It takes a while to acclimate to a new location" Clow supplied helpfully "Your body needs time to realign itself, if you need hold on to me" Violet, in a moment of weakness, debated what she should or shouldn't do…Well, he's voiced the invitation she needed to give in the temptation and lean against his strong, stable chest.
So that's what she did. 'Oh… ohhh… so this is what it feels like being in his arms…'
'His heart… it has picked up' the green eyed witch noticed with a blush staining her cheeks. She's been to forward! Risking looking up at his face, Violet sucked in a sharp breath when she found the most tender of expressions staring down at her. Clow's arm, which she held hostage in her quest to stay upright, curled around her back, bringing the witch closer against his side.
'Dangerous territory, Violet!' Her brain protested, but her heart was quite content to swoon and melt deliciously against him. The texture of his fine robes against her cheeks was strangely fascinating, as were her knees wanting to entwine between his.
With a flinch and a strangled groan, Violet pushed against Clow so she could stand on her own awfully doddering legs.
"I think I'm fine now, thanks" She strained not to stammer, hoping the rouge painting her cheeks had receded enough that Clow wouldn't think she was a pervert. "Are you alright? I could feel the cost it took to cast the transportation spell"
Clow shook his head lightly.
"It wasn't such a large hurdle... Transportation magic can be very dangerous if not treated with care. Since both you and I are fairly powerful magically, the vacuum our presence created upon leaving instantly had to be compensated against… the same can be said for our arrival here" He sunk into his teacher mode, making a fond expression make itself known on Violet's face "I had to send portions of my powers ahead to forge a path we could follow, upon arriving here, what was mine returned safely to me"
They traded smiles. Smiling was becoming easy the longer Violet spent with Clow.
"Will you teach me how to do that?" She asked eagerly. Her companion kept smiling amusedly, tilting his head to the side and looking at something above her shoulders… until Violet finally had the notion to focus on something else but him. Green eyes widened "Merlin! Where are we?"
The room they transported too was spacious and airy. There was a heavy looking wooden door, with golden decorations all around the frame and surrounding walls – which were a warm cream color. Beautifully detailed wood panels covered a long corridor that extended into the building, the arches above every visible passage was see-through, made of stained glass in flora motifs. A rough carpet covered most of the floor but the very edges and hand crafted paper lanterns hung above their heads, offering soft, wavering illumination.
Everything was covered in fine details, a cacophony of visual stimuli that was making Violet dizzy and ridiculously awed at the same time. From the very scholarly decorations ranging from book shelves and chests, to beautiful statues, crystal sculptures and gorgeous metal frameworks… Not to mention the absolutely breathtaking view that could be seen from the windows.
A peek outside disclosed a well maintained ornamental garden, exotic plants lined up stone laid paths, which snaked around the grounds and went above a lake in the form of an arched bridge, leading into a Chinese style gazebo.
"Welcome to my home in Beijing" Clow smiled, eyes sparkling and hiding his posturing. And he was posturing… in his own discrete and shameless way.
'Just like a blue and gold peacock!' the sorcerer couldn't hide from Violet's eyes the fact that he was proud of the effect this house had on her – nor was Violet hiding the overwhelming fascination she was feeling for this taste of foreign culture.
"Huan'ying hui jia, wo'de zhu'ren" A male's voice greeted politely from the corridor beyond the large entrance. The man was short and middle aged, long greying hair in a long braid and dressed in robes sporting Clow's house colors – with a sun and moon sigil on his breast.
Violet's eyebrow scrunched up, she didn't understand a word the man said. Clow apparently did, though, because the sorcerer perked up and stood forward, prompting the one who was clearly a servant to bow down so lowly, his braided hair touched the ground.
"Wei wo'de nu'shi zhun'bei yi'ge fang'jian" Clow said back, voice unwavering and commanding. The servant stood up once more and shot the witch a curious, discrete look before scurrying away to accomplish whatever Clow sent him to do. "I see, from your confused frown, that you do not speak Chinese" the sorcerer noticed with amusement.
"Not a word" Violet deadpanned dully, glaring balefully at Clow's upturned lips.
"I suppose that's one more thing I am to teach you" He stated so cheerfully that Violet had the sudden urge to hide. "Don't worry… the festival we will be going to is quite filled with foreigners, and if it becomes necessary, we can come up with a translating circuit… though those are a little problematic…"
"Then until I learn the language, you're stuck translating!" The witch snapped. The sorcerer chuckled, the deep sound leaving his lips and curling sensuously inside her belly.
"Gladly, my dear" The witch tried to ignore how smoldering his eyes looked when he met hers. "And in Chinese you say... Hen le'yi, qin'ai de"
XxxxxXxxxxX
TBC~
End notes for this chapter:
01: I'd like to thank all the wonderful reviewers~ I never got so many for this story, you guys are amazing! thank you for stoping and letting me know what you think - a longer chapter for you :)
02: I strongly advise you to take a quick trip to your search engine and look through traditional chinese castle interiors… my descriptions do no justice, you will be captivated like I was! I spent hours pouring over pictures and drooling over the archtecture and the interior design (my uni major~)
03 :A helpful person helped correct these~
Servant's line when greeting Clow: Huan'ying hui jia, wo'de zhu'ren – welcome home my lord.
Clow's orders to the servant: Wei wo'de nu'shi zhun'bei yi'ge fang'jian – have a room prepared for my lady.
Clow teasing Violet:Hen le'yi, qin'ai de – gladly, dear.