All warnings were given first chapter… please refer to it!
The Crow
(Second Arc: The witch from the Eastern lands)
(Part 08)
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A hand brushed lightly against hers. She could feel the intoxicating warmth radiating from the body beside her and she craved more.
…
It didn't take very long for Violet to see just how differently she was treated by Clow.
Her rooms were close to his, and he made sure to accompany her in at least one activity in the day. Unlike his fosterlings, whom he left mostly alone – though there was a great deal of magical surveillance going on – Clow was teaching Violet personally.
'It makes a biiiig difference when not learning in a classroom' The witch noticed wonderingly.
In a classroom, the teacher's attention is divided by several students, while this master/apprentice method is one-on-one and her "master" gives her all the attention she asks for.
'If only that's it… there is something else going on' And it was beyond the fact he's taken her as apprentice, beyond the fact she's come from another world.
Sincerely abashed and completely flattered, Violet accepted his very sought after attention and thrived under it anyway.
She liked being the one taken care of, liked not having more responsibilities than a normal student, even if it was studying under a master. Clow never gave her more duties than she could handle, and then they were things that would help her grow.
She felt normal.
'No, not normal. But close enough' Violet didn't feel like a child anymore. Much less like a teenager – she's skipped too many stages by now to be considered mentally healthy, so to protect her own emotional development, Violet clung to the few people whom she trusted.
'Needy, childish and jealous' In the darkest of moments, she'd admit to herself.
Only…
The more she showed this side of hers to Clow Reed – and it became inevitable when they spent most of their time together, the more he seemed to revel in her need for him.
A handsome, powerful man who has showed Violet compassion and attention – she's literally doomed.
"Will you teach me more about elements?" Violet broke her train of thoughts, focusing more on the opened book in front of her than thoughts of the man sitting by her side, staring at her from the corner of his eyes and smiling cheerfully.
Ever since he's spoken about her element being Light, Violet has been curious, and so, for the first time since she settled under his tutelage in the magical crafts, she prompted a subject.
Clow Reed beamed beatifically back at her.
"But of course!" He nodded, lifting his strangely shaped staff so he could summon a book right out the bookshelf in his office – where hung out together the most – Violet to study and Clow to work. "What do you already know about elemental magic?" The sorcerer asked the familiar question while leafing through the book he summoned.
'He's always asking me that before starting on a new subject… I'm sorry to say I don't know much about theory, though until he gives me a wand I'm stuck feeling like a loser… why did I have to listen to Ron instead of Hermione?' Lamented the witch as she once more was caught upon regret that she didn't take her studies more seriously…
'Well…'
She's a sink or swim kind of learner anyway.
"Not… a lot" Violet mumbled, fiddling with the sleeves of the dress she wore – one of the numerous ordered that first week he took her to Cambridge. "In my world, we give more emphasis to the spells themselves than to affinity. There are discussions about inherited familial magic or talents, but as far as I know, tittles like Dark or Light wizards refer to their moral compass more than magic affinity itself" Her voice sounded carefully.
'There are dark artifacts, but that's more about enchantments and traps – not necessarily dark, but evil' the witch remembered, thinking about how Mr. Weasley spelled a whole car to be able to fly and his creation did technically fall under dark object category due to the danger it represented to the Statute of Secrecy.
"You do know that by this… world's standards I am a Dark wizard" Her teacher commented, already knowing Violet wouldn't care about it. She snorted under her breath; 'even in my own world, Clow would be without comparison' so there's no escaping his weird humor – though it seemed as if Clow was serious "Miss Potter… Violet… I have lived for a very long time, there are things in my past that I am not so proud of. I hope you understand that I do not see the world in black and white"
"I know" Violet told him firmly, grimacing a little but meeting his eyes. "I see how the others are completely terrified of you; they must be for a reason so I won't go around judging you when I have no right" At the vaguely surprised look she received, the witch continued "Look, I understand. I've been there before and… there are stuff in my past that I wish I didn't have to do, too…"
Inside her mind, flashes after flashes of images, sounds, smells and feelings played in a demented loop.
Unaware that the sorcerer was shamelessly snooping, Violet descended into her memories.
…
Tom Riddle's terrified scream still rung in her nightmares.
The large rotting corpse of the Basilisk curling hideously around the damaged diary, still bleeding black blood…
Professor Quirrel's wide, bloodshot eyes as his skin bubbled and blistered under her hands. The smell of charred flesh drifting into her nose and making her gag, mixing with the relief that screamed through her being –
'I'm going to live!'
-Hands reaching out of a dark lake, burning as wicked fire licked up the cavern walls.
Barty Crouch Jr.' sightless eyes staring glassily up Dumbledore's office, none of the madness she's seen in them before, Dementors waltzing in mockery around Minister Fudge.
Peter Petigrew's sorrowful eyes as he searched hers, begging for understanding and forgiveness as he was mercilessly cut off by Voldemort, just to give her one more second to-
'I'm going to live!'
…
She was brought back to reality by the feeling of magic churning around her, thinking quietly to herself as she watched Clow watch her.
'I'm not ashamed of what I did, though I do regret the line of bodies laid at my feet… how can I live with myself after those?' What right did she have to judge when she knew her sins could very well be worst.
Clow stilled, everything around him came to a stop as well, as if the very world was holding its breath.
'Did I surprise him? Maybe I shouldn't have said anything about the other's fear… but he was trying to bully me into being afraid of him, that's not happening…' If he wanted to harm her, there were better ways than teaching her and being a perfectly welcoming host.
His shiny dark blue eyes gained a shimmery, pearlescent hue as his magic touched the surface of his irises – silver bled into the blue as he stared deeply into Violet's green eyes, obviously searching for something he found, if the brief smile he allowed her to see was of any indication.
"You… you are a very impressive woman Miss Potter" Clow Reed said almost breathlessly. He took a moment or two to recompose himself, looking at Violet with reverent kindness. "However, I am not a good man. They are right to fear me, though rest assured you will not come to any harm while under my guard"
"Mr. Reed, I know" Violet let him know that, too. "I've always trusted my instincts, see? It's what been keeping me alive despite everything… I don't think I've said it before but I trust you… and you can call me Violet" She added shyly, unknowingly making a very timidly cute sight as her cheeks reddened.
"Clow" He whispered hoarsely, making tingles travel down her spine despite the heavy atmosphere between them. Violet was vaguely aware that they just had a moment. She smiled hesitantly back at Clow. "Now, where were we?"
'I don't think my heart can take this much longer' Violet thought to herself with a grim sort of fascination. 'I want to go home, yet I'm also starting to like staying here… is it wrong of me to think of myself in this situation…? But is it right for me to turn my back on the Enclaves and my friends, who must be worrying themselves sick by now…'
"Elemental magic" She answered, sighing despondently.
Violet turned back to the book Clow Reed was opening in front of her – trying futilely to ignore the tingles that rose up her hands when their fingers brushed.
…
It thrummed, pulsed, hot and heady. Her body and mind drowning into a haze of pleasure as they moved as one, in the beautiful, ancient dance between man and woman… He was drawing every breath away from her, every cry came out a beg, and every thrust of his elicited a gasp, further driving her breathless.
His lips met hers in a feverish kiss, mouths slanting and desperate and moist. His hands, braced on both sides of her head strained when she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, shifting under him until she could also wrap her legs around his torso, bringing him closer and closer until-
…
Clow had to blink a few times to dispel the daydream he fell in. It was happening with smaller frequency now that their bond is consolidating… not that he was against Violet unknowingly tapping into his powers, it was just two parts entertaining and a part frustrating. Well…
He left his other half resting in the library, adoringly staring at her as she nestled asleep between cushions until he felt he couldn't pull off his plans any longer – and left to contact the traveling witch.
The mirror' surface rippled as the familiar communication magic took hold. Clow stared impassively at his reflexed image, noting with a faint sense of dispassion the glow surrounding his skin.
"Oh Violet, so possessive" the sorcerer uttered under his breath with a brief, but pleased smile… Violet's light shone through their bond lighting up into his darkness, Yin and Yang in complete and utter harmony. Peace.
'It is light enough that Yuuko might not notice' He honestly hoped she didn't – That roar of possessiveness and jealousy clawing at his insides with every thought of sharing his gift was already making blood pump loudly in his ear.
'She is mine. What she gives is mine'
He did not want share Violet with Yuuko.
'Too bad even the most powerful sorcerer in existence sometimes has to be told No' Clow told himself in a mix between amusement and regret – he needed Yuuko's cooperation for this, so it might be necessary to tell the traveling witch about his little gift.
"My, my Clow, twice in a month… Do you miss me that badly?" Yuuko's tone was seductive, her half lidded eyes appeared first in the mirror, followed by ruby red lips and the cascading black hair held up by a ridiculously complicated knot.
"While I do miss you occasionally" In which they'd draw together to create mischief, he still eyed the witch shrewdly though "This is not such a casual call, you were also signaling for me"
Their bond is flimsy at best – once it was a thick cord connecting them both. But it has lost potency over the decades they have not been together. Today, they can use such connection to warn each other in the way powerful magicians casually use impossible magic.
'So very dull' Clow Reed hid his derision at the situation. It was one thing to be warned by Yuuko about something inevitable. It was another to need Yuuko for something. She could be insufferable sometimes.
Her red/brown eyes sharpened.
"Well yes, I was. And it is only because I… care for you that I am doing this" Her tone was cautious, vulnerable in a way he's hardly ever heard coming from Yuuko before.
"Shall I go first or would you?" The sorcerer's left eyebrow rose above the frames of his glasses.
'Giving her the choice is dangerous depending on what she wants to tell me' And don't be mistaken, Yuuko wants to tell him something if the troubled cloud behind her eyes that flashed now and then was anything to go by.
"Ladies first? Always a gentleman" The dark haired witch mocked halfheartedly as she pursued her ruby tinted lips. "Alright, I can go first I suppose… Clow, I have said this before, but we were not the only ones who saw the 'event' coming. Almost every other diviner out there caught a glimpse of it, and although it seems to only affect you in a direct base… You cannot see anything about it at all, can you?"
Ice started to spread through his veins as what the witch was implying truly sunk in.
'I've been too shortsighted about Violet to see the bigger picture!' The thought was not pleasant in the slightly, and left a dry, bitter taste in his mouth.
"So the others know the event was coming for me and that I have a guest…" He maintained control so he sounded bored and aloof.
Yuuko's forehead wrinkled down as she furrowed her eyebrows.
"Be serious" She warned him tremulously. "Whatever you received that day can't be seen by anyone. Clow… the risks are too great"
'No one can see Violet. They don't know she's the so called 'event' so I still have some time' Clow thought furiously, a wave of darkness sweeping around his legs and tumbling upwards until the top of his head. Yuuko predictably backed down at the show of power, raising her chin and glaring at him like only she could.
"I know the risks. I am prepared to face them" He told her, angry swipes of shadowy tendrils enveloping his hands.
'Let whoever think they can cross me know just how absolutely dangerous I can be when properly provoked' The furious thought came unbidden. Yuuko's face fell a little as she offered him a tired smile.
"If you do know, then there is nothing else I can do" She said in a somber tone of voice, acknowledging his authority.
Sighing, Clow shook his head to dispel the creeping shadows waving tendrils all around him, banishing his magic back into his body with a thought.
"There is something I need your help with, however" He said after a moment or two.
Taking the subject change – or what she thinks is a subject change – the witch nodded. "What is it?"
"How do I connect to the other worlds?" The question tasted like fate in his lips for some reason.
…
Somewhere beyond time and space, light and darkness met and agreed to open passages through the ether. Two rabbit like creatures with large gemstones on their forehead were born at the hands of two powerful sorcerers. They took the mixed personalities of their creators, and were named by the female one – Mokona Modoki – the portal between worlds.
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TBC~