Chapter title from "Seven Wonders" by Fleetwood Mac.
Rhiannon pushed her plate of watery mashed potatoes and fatty roast beef aside and said a quick goodbye to Professor Flitwick, realizing she only had a few minutes to prepare the ingredients for her afternoon cooking class. She had taken advantage of the beautiful day yesterday to go apple picking with Tonks and Colleen, and had brought the harvest with her to teach her sixth and seventh year classes how to prepare an apple crisp utilizing Practical Magic, with a few Muggle techniques thrown in. She liked how Muggles were more hands on with their food, enjoying the textures and smells, and she liked to incorporate that into her teaching methods. Sirius refused to use magic in his home cooking with Colleen, being of the same mind. Food was one of their sensual pleasures that made life worth living these days. Rhiannon was excited to give that little bit of joy to the students today, and to fill their bellies with fresh apples and cinnamon after their disappointing lunch.
But Alecto Carrow had other plans. The short, frumpy witch was stalking back and forth throughout Rhiannon's classroom, directing house elves to crowd extra chairs around the long tables that Rhiannon used instead of desks. Rhiannon liked her classes to be interactive and friendly, and the large tables were conducive to getting to know her students and allowing them to work better together. Apparently today, they would be working at very close proximity.
"Did we invite guests to class today?" Rhiannon asked warily, not sure she brought enough apples.
"My classes will be joining yours for this session and next," Alecto informed her. "Headmaster's orders."
"Hmm, okay." Rhiannon wracked her brain for a multiplying charm that would work on food; magical laws were somewhat limited when it came to procuring and increasing amounts of sustenance. She was soon distracted, however, by Alecto's placement of name cards along the tables.
"Alecto, we have open seating in my class," Rhiannon began calmly.
"Not today," Alecto replied curtly. "The children will sit according to blood status."
Rhiannon felt a knot beginning to form in her stomach. "May I ask why the Headmaster wanted Practical Magic combined with Muggle Studies today?" she asked trepidatiously.
Alecto smirked. "He didn't tell you? Perhaps you need to reread the chapter in your own book on marital communication?"
A burning rose to Rhiannon's cheeks, and she felt her fists tighten. Her mind was already practicing her choice words for her husband.
"We'll be fast forwarding a bit to the chapters in your book regarding marriage and procreation," the Death Eater professor continued. "I've brought my own notes to add as well." Alecto snapped the back of a house elf's head, as he was evidently moving too slowly for her liking.
"Sexual education isn't until second term, Alecto."
"Surely you see the urgency of teaching birth control, given the times?" she responded with a saccharine note to her voice that reminded Rhiannon very much of working with Dolores Umbridge two years ago.
"I do," Rhiannon acquiesced, but she had a sneaking suspicion Alecto Carrow's take on the subject would be different from her own.
With a sigh, the Thunderbird witch left Alecto to her name card placement and sneaked to the rear of her classroom, where she kept a rolling cart. She discreetly placed her bags of apples upon it and departed for the corridor.
"I will greet the students and make sure they know to look for their assigned seat," Rhiannon called to her.
As each student passed, Rhiannon slipped one of the perfect fall apples into their hands with whispered instructions to slip them into their robe pockets before entering the classroom. Even the children of the Death Eaters appeared grateful; the need to enjoy one's food was one of the few areas where dark and light wizards could typically agree. Rhiannon was certain the Carrows were having their own separate menu delivered by house elf each evening, although she hadn't asked Severus to confirm. It would only increase her raging desire to hex them until their smug faces were beyond recognition.
Rhiannon shut the door to the classroom and assumed her position at the front next to Alecto, already feeling her teaching style completely cramped. She would normally start by asking everyone how their day was going and seeing if anyone had anything new or exciting in their lives that they would like to share. If no one spoke up, she would usually give a random ice breaker question that had little to do with the day's lesson but designed to lighten the mood and start the class on a positive note.
Alecto cleared her throat expectantly. "Professor Aspenfell-Snape, we're waiting. It is your classroom, after all."
"Tell me your favorite thing about fall," Rhiannon finally asked, deciding to throw caution to the wind. What would Alecto do, send her to the Headmaster's office for a paddling?
All the students' eyes fell on the pig-nosed Death Eater, and you could hear a pin drop in the room. No one was brave enough to speak up, not even the Gryffindors. Rhiannon noticed in that moment that two chairs remained empty, both on the Pureblood side of the classroom. Luna and Ginny hadn't reported to class. Immediately, Rhiannon knew to be concerned, flashbacks of the debacle at the Department of Mysteries floating through her mind. She pushed it aside, knowing she had to somehow get through these last two classes before she could give the matter the attention it probably deserved.
"My favorite things about fall are the smells on the air." Rhiannon answered her own question since no one else would. "Something about the chill makes the smells more pronounced, and every one of them seems to comfort you deep in your soul."
Alecto stifled a yawn. "Students, turn to chapter eighteen in Professor Aspenfell-Snape's book," she commanded, obviously having enough of small talk.
A chorus of murmurs fell over the class as they saw the topic at hand. A mousy-haired Ravenclaw's hand shot up, and she pointed out the mammoth skipping of chapters. She was promptly met with a firm tap on the hand from Alecto's wand.
"You will also immediately begin taking additional notes which you will find in front of you on the board. You will be tested on the board material, so do not make the mistake of relying on the book alone."
Rhiannon glanced behind her at the enchanted chalk which was currently scrawling "100% abstinence outside of Ministry-approved marriage." Rhiannon couldn't hold back a laugh.
"Now, class, focusing back on the book— which is the central textbook of this course," Rhiannon reminded them, "You'll find I acknowledge very early on the honest truth: that sex is amazing. You all are sixteen, some seventeen. You know this already. And if you don't, you've been told. That fact doesn't go away, no matter who might be currently trying to regulate it." She cast a smirk in Alecto's direction before continuing.
"So we employ simple magical potions and spells to ensure the consequences of the act are largely pleasurable, and not things for which we may not be ready. You'll find I've written extensively about those methods in chapter eighteen." Rhiannon was about to launch into a compare/contrast graphic on the contraceptive spell versus contraceptive potion, when Alecto intervened.
"The methods in chapter eighteen are not necessary, of course, if one is in a pureblood marriage or an approved Ministry pairing," Alecto barked. "Restoration of pureblood dominance should be your foremost goal, if you find yourself on the far right side of the classroom today. If you are seated elsewhere, abstinence is a virtuous demonstration of your faithfulness to wizarding kind. That being said, as my fellow professor so bluntly pointed out, there are tempting pleasures to be had with sexual activity, and the Dark Arts acknowledge their magical value. In such cases, the methods in chapter eighteen should be applied consistently and without fail, if your bloodline is less than satisfactory."
Rhiannon balked. So now these poor students were being taught they were unworthy of the joys and sacred duty of parenthood. And what was this nonsense about a "Ministry approved marriage?" Were they in the betrothal business now? She was grateful the Blacks and the Lupins were married last summer; it was almost certain their nuptials wouldn't pass muster nowadays. Their world was entirely fucked if something didn't change, and soon. Rhiannon herself was depressed at the thought of even bringing children into this bleak and depressing state of affairs, and it was this motivation she called upon to get through the next two hours of classes. It was indeed very useful material, if one ignored Alecto's disgusting take on it.
When the clock struck four o'clock, Rhiannon began her purposeful ascent to her husband's office without so much as another word to Alecto. Severus better have his wand ready to deal with her fury over what she'd just endured the last two hours. How could he not prepare her if he had indeed sanctioned such an ambush?
"Severus Snape, how could..." Rhiannon trailed off as soon as she rounded the corner. Hagrid was on his way out, his gigantic arms firmly leading Luna, Ginny, and Neville along with him. The trio all cast glares in her direction, a fact which still caused a pang in her heart. They so easily forgot that she'd tried to befriend them and be a fun and interesting teacher. Instead they only saw her as the woman sleeping with the man who had killed Dumbledore.
I'm sleeping with Sirius, too. Do I get points for that? Rhiannonmumbled internally. She wished she could go home right now and sleep with any one of them to dull the ache of this day. Colleen would be her first choice at that current moment. That rich perfume, soft hair, and sweet, sexy voice was just the cure she needed right now. Plus Rhiannon didn't even want to think about contraceptive potions after that last class.
"Did we have a meeting scheduled, Professor?"
her husband asked her with raised eyebrows once Hagrid had departed with the children.
"Really, Severus? I'm not in the mood for games."
"Neither am I. State the reason for your visit."
Rhiannon gave him a blank stare. Severus's face showed no sign of knowing the source of her anger. He looked like whatever had transpired with the three students had left him a bit annoyed. She cleared her throat and smoothed her hands over the pumpkin colored fabric of her shift dress before speaking.
"If you are going to allow my classroom to be commandeered by Death Eaters, you should at least warn me before we leave home. I had a special lesson planned for the students today, and it was ruined. Not to mention I had zero time to plan how to counteract Alecto's message without giving myself away. I lumbered around like an idiot."
Severus stood from the desk and crossed over to her, lifting her chin in his hand. "I highly doubt you sounded like an idiot. Such a thing would be impossible. And I did not know Alecto would be inviting herself to your classroom today. She mentioned the possibility of such at the beginning of term, but I naively assumed she would ask my direct permission first. I was clear with her that I did not support the idea. I assume the topic was along the lines of blood status and procreation?"
"Yes," Rhiannon said sullenly. She rested her forehead against Severus's broad chest, encircling his waist with her arms. "I have to say I'm tired of all this talk about babies. It's making me never want to have one."
She heard Severus swallow and shift a bit, and she felt bad. He'd told her he wanted children, and he surprisingly didn't even insist they wait until after the war. The opposite was true; on the few occasions they had spoken about it, Severus attached a sense of urgency to it, as if he felt some clock was ticking. That fact alone added yet another ominous layer to the prospect in Rhiannon's mind. If she were to embark on such a journey, she wanted to celebrate it, not feel forced by some greater duty.
Severus's arms came around her, one circling her waist and the other up her back, pressing her into him. She let out a contented sigh. Her wizard still had the ability to ease her mind with the power of his body, and for that she was grateful.
"What happened with the new golden trio?" Rhiannon murmured against the black fabric of his frock. She breathed in his scent of lavender and cedarwood and suddenly became hungrier for him than she'd been for Colleen moments earlier.
"They attempted to steal the sword of Gryffindor," Severus replied with a bored sigh.
"Wow— ballsy," she laughed.
"I was down observing Amycus through an enchanted glass I installed, making sure the amount of blood drawn in Dark Arts didn't exceed the janitorial skills of our house elves," he continued dryly.
"Severus, you shouldn't joke about that," scolded Rhiannon as she toyed with his line of buttons.
"What the hell else can I do?" Severus snapped back. "When the manure pile continues to mount and one is not allowed to shovel it, one must learn to smile at the smell. That's what this school is now— the pile of shit upon which I am forced to stake my flag. At any rate, the portrait network alerted me to the break-in of my office. The foolish students were making off with the copy of the sword quite gleefully; I caught them, and now they are headed to their detention in the Forbidden Forest with the gamekeeper."
"Did you find a new hiding place for the sword?" Rhiannon raised on her tiptoes and pressed kisses to the sculpted lines of his face. His eyes closed.
"It's not the real sword," he said in a low voice. "But its attempted abduction allows me to make a move to ensure its safety and buy us loyalty points with the Dark Lord, as well as giving us a reason to communicate further with the Lestranges. I'm rather thankful to the witless teenagers for the opening they've provided. Would you care to accompany me on an impromptu visit to Malfoy Manor?"
"Most definitely," Rhiannon replied, thrilled for the chance to dig a little further into Bellatrix's secret. "But do we have time to play a bit first? We haven't christened this desk yet."
Her eyes drifted to the imposing wooden block with its arches curving around symmetrical carved trees. It was the perfect size for her to lay on it from head to toe.
"We cannot," Severus answered with a slight smile. "Your other daddy is watching."
Rhiannon peered around his shoulder. "Oh, hi, Professor Dumbledore. It's been awhile. How are you?"
"Splendid, my dear. You are looking radiant. But I don't advise the desk — it has a few burrs in its old age. Perhaps Severus could bear a few moments in the Headmaster chambers instead."
Severus had disclosed that he spent most of his Hogwarts nights dozing in a wingback chair rather than sleeping in Dumbledore's old quarters. He'd ordered the house elves to refresh and redress the bedding, but Rhiannon knew he still had a hard time sleeping where the man he'd been forced to murder had spent so many nights.
"Come on, Severus, it's yours now," Rhiannon encouraged him. "All of this is. Dumbledore wanted you to have it. You might as well make the most of it."
"I do want you," he murmured reluctantly. "Alone— just you and me."
Rhiannon nodded. "Me, too." And she did. Wanting their companions was fun, and it felt good. They were beautiful, and she loved them. But making love to Severus was like the thrill of rolling through fire without getting burned. Being his, knowing a man with his power and might, his brilliance, his steadfast devotion— had chosen her to bond with him for life— it never failed to send her reeling on the most intense throes of passion possible.
With the wave of a wand, Severus locked the door in a manner impermeable to charms and passwords, and he led her by the hand to the headmaster's private rooms. The room was like a celestial paradise— its ceiling a majestic dark blue canvas for glittering constellations and a realistic looking three-dimensional moon that changed along with the actual moon's natural pattern. The bed was gilded and raised so high Rhiannon knew she would need to make use of the jeweled bedstairs to even have a prayer of reaching it. It was draped with a sumptuous satin comforter in the same blue as the sky, edged with braided gold and emblazoned with an iridescent blanket of stars. It was the kind of bed that promised a luxurious sleep, and although she understood her husband's hesitation, she found herself lured in by its heavenly perfection.
Severus wasted no time lifting her from the ground, and Rhiannon wrapped her legs around his waist, becoming drunk within seconds from the desperate ardor of his kiss.
"Oh, Severus," she gasped as he moved to her neck, his lips engaged in more than a simple movement. It was like the depth of their bond was alive and on display in that room, and his body was the medium charged with conveying it into hers. Her fingers trailed expertly down the sea of black buttons, having solved their puzzle hundreds of times now, but the thrill of the exercise was still as riveting as her first attempt. She shrugged the jacket down his arms as he lowered her onto the plush satin, diving in for the white shirt next, sending it aside just as easily. Severus rolled her onto her stomach and flicked open the large buttons at the back of her dress with his thumb, then slid it down her legs, leaving a trail of kisses in its wake.
With a quick deposit of his trousers on the floor, Severus laid his body on top of hers, his hand grasping her curls out of the way as he sucked the skin of her shoulder. His teeth, lips, and tongue always acted with the precision of a wand, his spell designed to electrify every cell at the most basic level. No one knew her body like Severus did; he understood that it wasn't just about her pleasure centers but focused equally on random, arbitrary patches of skin coming alive with a tingle just as real as the unabating burning between her legs. Severus began to arch against her, every inch of his firm length already seeking relief on the curve of her behind.
"Please, Severus, I want you inside me," she moaned into the duvet.
"Listen to you beg for me," he whispered in a hot breath on her ear. "Still so needy, after all this time."
"I'll always need you," Rhiannon whispered back. "I'm meant for you. Meant for you to fill me...to love me."
Severus slid her lace panties away from her skin, the only barrier between them now with his erection standing through the hole in his shorts. He pressed it against her slit slowly, drawing her wetness with it before swirling the head over her clit. The circular motion sent her eyes back with another moan. Her thighs spread apart, her body beginning to beg of its own will. Severus extended his arms over hers and gripped her hands, his body fully covering hers from behind as his cock slid into the tightness this position offered. His velvety shaft nestled against her front wall, and Rhiannon began to rut in her quest for friction along her most sacred spot.
"Always so wet, my love," Severus praised her. The weight of his body bore down on her, with his thrusts concentrated on sending his thick tip to just the right spot each time. Each impact sent a jolt through her nerves that had her seeing stars— not just the ones in the beautiful room, but the ones created through the magic of their aligned bodies in perfect synchronization.
"Severus, I love you so much," Rhiannon cried into the rich satin of the duvet. She clasped it tightly in her fists as her climax built, swirl by swirl, climbing upward amid Severus's grunts of escalating pleasure. It spilled over like a geyser reaching its breaking point, sending its surge of warmth down over her. Her fists remained tight on the folds of satin as Severus continued to ride her, and she added her own squeezes to his cock once her involuntary ones came to a gentle stop.
"Ohhhh, Rhiannon," he groaned appreciatively as her last one triggered his own explosion. Their position allowed her to feel every hot jet he sent into her, and her own purrs of delight at the sensation danced with his feverish sounds in the air. His head came to rest next to hers, his soft black hair feathering her shoulder. It was a truly beautiful moment of silence and repose after an exhausting day, finally broken by the dinner bell ringing throughout the castle. Rhiannon imagined the robed formation of students marching below them at its call. It was such a disconnect— the certain ecstasy of renewing their bond, sailing on the most beautiful heights of pleasure the universe afforded while in the midst of such darkness and pain.
"We should leave for Malfoy Manor before they can use bedtime as an excuse to turn us away," Severus muttered, his words far more motivated than his lack of movements betrayed. His hand massaged Rhiannon's back gently, the tender attention to her muscles spoiling her and making her excitement over the Lestrange mystery a distant memory. She agreed with a sigh and replaced her clothes. They made their way to the apparition point, their footsteps blending with the crisp melody of fallen leaves and the whistle of the autumn wind.
"The Snapes," Lucius assessed, his tone falsely bright. "To what do we owe this surprise?"
"I require an audience with your sister-in-law," Severus replied, taking a step over the threshold without awaiting an invitation. He clutched the sword copy in a traveling case at his side.
"She's not well," Narcissa said quickly, hurrying into the lofty marble foyer, folding her hands in front of her primly.
"Yes, we recall," Rhiannon spoke up. "We brought her a few get-well tokens also and hoped we may deliver them to her."
"I will see she gets them," returned Narcissa, her body language stiff and stoic as always.
"There is a confidential matter I must discuss," Severus insisted. "As her fellow lieutenant."
The Malfoys exchanged heavy glances with one another, then Narcissa silently indicated for them to follow her up the imposing white stone staircase.
"She will not be pleased to see you," the woman warned.
"I would expect as much," Severus replied. "But we shall not keep her long."
Rhiannon followed the pair into a doorway at the very end of the east wing's third floor hall, her hand clutching her wand where it lay in the pocket of her black traveling coat. One couldn't be too careful, especially when barging into Bellatrix Lestrange's bedroom.
"Oh look, a slimy little snake and a whore," the witch sneered. "And here I was expecting my supper. A little late tonight, huh, Cissy?"
"I will go check on it right now, Bella," her sister assured her. "Severus tells me they won't be long but that it's an urgent matter. Feel free to send them on their way if you tire of their intrusion." The blonde witch exited with her typical regal grace, leaving the Snapes alone with her wild haired sister.
Bellatrix was pale, her pallor more aptly described as gray, and she appeared swollen and round, her normally angular features almost balloon like. Rhiannon held a small basket toward her and offered the best smile she could muster.
"We put a few things together for you from Hogwarts, after hearing you were ill," Rhiannon offered. "Some flowers and a few different teas, some
potions for nausea, and for aches and pains. And a book on offensive spells. It's a classic, but always a good read."
In truth it was an antiquated tome whose usefulness had been disproven time and again by multiple wizarding scholars, but Rhiannon assumed Bellatrix wasn't much of a connoisseur when it came to academia.
The witch waved dismissively at her bedside table, and Rhiannon placed the gifts down while studying the woman's abdomen critically. It was certainly hard to discern anything with her overall puffiness.
"Might I inquire as to the nature of your affliction, Bella?" Severus asked calmly. "As you know, I supplied all of Madame Pomfrey's healing stores for years, and I'm sure I would be able to find you some relief for whatever ails you."
The witch's mouth broadened into a toothy grin. Yes, she was going to play right into Severus's hands. He'd been convinced that if he could get in front of her, the need to gloat over her condition and presumed exalted status would take over from there.
"I'm with child," she hissed gleefully. "His child. But no one is to know."
"Does he?" Severus queried in a measured tone.
"I wouldn't trouble him yet," Bella scoffed. "Not when he's on such an important mission. But he will be overjoyed when he finds out. His own power, married with that of his most loyal follower, walking this earth as the only other living testament to his sacred blood. This child will inherit the earth. In fact, you both should bow!" Her dark eyes were on fire with her triumph.
Every fiber in Rhiannon's being wanted to smack the satisfaction off the woman's face, but now the villainous witch was the vessel carrying an innocent baby— Rhiannon's own brother or sister. She wanted to vomit, but instead she felt Severus's eyes bore into her, directing her to give a small curtsy. He gave his own solemn nod of the head, which seemed to satisfy the dark witch in her rather subdued state.
"Bella, I've come to entrust a valuable weapon to your care and the custody of your vault at Gringotts," he continued, setting its case on the foot of her bed. "Some bold students foolishly tried to steal it, presumably to send it to Potter. Clearly I can no longer give it the security it deserves, so I ask for your assistance in guarding it from those that would wield it against the Dark Lord."
Her eyes gleamed maniacally. "Is it...?"
"Yes, the sword of Godric Gryffindor."
Bellatrix let out a shriek of laughter. "I shall summon Rodolphus to take it first thing in the morning. I'm a bit surprised at you, Snape, putting your sad little ego aside to come to me for help. It's almost adorable, in a way." She tilted her head to the side with a smirk. Her eyes narrowed at Rhiannon.
"Rhiannon, my feet are cold," she barked. "Bring me my stockings— there in that drawer."
The woman's wand was right next to her on the bedside table, and she could have easily summoned whatever she needed. But she wasn't going to resist the chance to have her Dark Lord's "goddess" do her bidding. Rhiannon drew in a sharp breath and obeyed, allowing a servile smile to plaster itself against her lips.
"And a blanket. There, on that chair."
Rhiannon procured the blanket.
"And I want to see the last of the sunset. Open the drapes."
Rhiannon swept the heavy silver drapes apart to reveal a rainbow of a sunset over the moor, a brilliant contrast to the dreary sterility of the manor. She longed to transform and to fly into it head on, and she dreamed of such an adventure the whole way home.
"Your cousin is such a bitch," she declared, sinking onto the sofa by Sirius's side the minute she and Severus arrived. Severus headed straight upstairs to shower.
"Witch, Professor," Ben corrected her with a grin. Sirius was helping the boy color a chart depicting different types of wand woods and the leaves found on their branches.
"Which cousin? Though your chances of being accurate are fairly good no matter which one you're referring to," Sirius returned with a smile.
"The one that killed you," Rhiannon answered, resting her head on his arm. "I wish you had gotten to her first."
Colleen looked up from her book, the former text used in Defense Against the Dark Arts.
"Bad day, love?" she asked.
"Awful. I had my classroom taken over by a pureblood supremacist monster who likes to torture my students. And I just found out I'm going to be a sister."
A few moments of silence passed while the Blacks pondered this bit of news.
"What...?" Sirius said, attempting to put two and two together. "But she's so bloody old!"
"It's not impossible," Rhiannon admitted. "But I'm pretty sure she used Dark Magic. Both to get it working, um, down there, and probably to get him in the first place. Age-old entrapment. Hell, my own mom probably did that last part too. Not that it worked to keep him around. Bella's probably going to end up very disappointed."
Colleen shut her book and joined the two on the sofa, giving Rhiannon a hug. She grabbed Benji and brought him onto her lap.
"Ben, what do we do around here when someone needs cheering up?" Colleen asked her son with a kiss to his dimpled cheek.
"Dance party!" the boy replied.
Rhiannon smiled, immensely glad to be home.