Dropped by Phantom Planet

Everybody knows the way the eye goe

Moving like a curtain closes over the finale

From your head down to your toes

Up and down checking you out now beyond a doubt

BOOK 2: Awake, Tethered, and Utterly Catastrophic

CHAPTER 55: Progress, Or Lack Thereof

March 19th, 1980

Ivy was unendingly mesmerised by the door to the Death Chamber.

Face-to-face with it in the Entrance Chamber, she could only tell the black handleless door apart from the eleven others because of Hazel's bewitching voice. It was even sweeter than she remembered, and every day that she came into work at the Department of Mysteries, she stopped where she currently stood to hear the sound.

She was under no delusion that Hazel herself was beyond the Death Chamber door. Not in a corporeal form, anyhow. Her little sister was trying to speak to her, but the most she'd been able to gather at any given time, was her name being called amidst incomprehensible whispers. She theorised that, if she could only get inside, she might be able to understand - and she needed to understand.

It very well might be her only chance to speak with her sister.

And truth be told, she would do nearly anything for that chance.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" A smug voice came from behind her, while she heard one of the twelve doors close quietly.

Ivy didn't need to turn around to know who the voice belonged to. Unfortunately, she'd become all too familiar with it. Thus, she didn't respond to Rodolphus, she only continued staring at the Death Chamber door.

"Here you are again," he added emphatically.

"Here you are again," she said scathingly, albeit tiredly. She was starting to see why his methods were apparently so successful. She was exhausted from fending him off at every turn.

Rodolphus laughed. "That's no way to speak to someone who brought you a gift."

Apprehensive, she looked over her shoulder at him.

He was wearing expensive black robes, his equally dark hair lightly tussled. His electric blue eyes were fixed on her and slightly narrowed in his typical flirtatious manner. Hands behind his lean frame, he grinned at her in silence. Not for the first time, she wondered how some of the most outwardly beautiful people could be so rotten inside.

"Well?" Ivy prompted him with an impatient scowl.

He rolled his eyes and revealed a very small book, titled The Ways of Inferius. When she squinted at the simple black cover of the book, she noticed that the author was Anonymous, leading her to believe the text was rather old despite its well-kept condition.

"I guess you're useful for something," Ivy said wearily, taking the book from him and turning it over in her hands. "When do I need to return this?"

"If I'm anything, it's useful," Rodolphus told her lightly. "As soon as possible. The longer its gone, the higher chance there'll be of you getting caught with it, and of me getting caught without it."

"Thanks," she said flatly. "You can sod off now."

"You want me to sod off?" He snorted.

"Yes."

"Are you quite sure?"

"Yes."

"Even if I said that I could get you into the Death Chamber?"

Ivy glowered at him.

"That's what I thought," Rodolphus shot her a crooked smirk. "I'll owl you a date and time once you've returned that book to me."

"What exactly do you expect in return for such a favour?" She knew better than to just accept. If he was anything, he was transactional.

"Now that you've considered considering a date," he sounded thoroughly amused. "In exchange for getting you into the Death Chamber, I expect you to simply consider a date."

Was she was really meant to believe that this was all to get her into bed? Something else had to be going on - this was getting ridiculous.

Previously, she had written off his behaviour as a desperate attempt to get into her knickers, but the longer and harder he tried, the more she wondered whether he was masking an ulterior motive. Perhaps it was because he had begun bribing her; either he had zero pride -she highly doubted that- or he was up to something. Not to mention, she'd noticed the way he looked at her when he thought she wasn't paying him any attention. He studied her meticulously, in an entirely non-sexual way.

He was lying in wait.

But why?

"You must know how pathetic you sound," Ivy all but spat at him. "Begging for a date with a witch who has expressed no interest in you at all."

"Ouch," Rodolphus placed a hand over his heart in mock hurt. "Y'know, that's the kind of venom I save for people I'm especially attracted to."

Decidedly fed up, she moved to skirt around him. "I'm done. I've had enough of you."

"Wait, wait," Rodolphus caught her arm and firmly stopped her in her tracks. "Look, I'm sorry."

Ivy looked at him in mild surprise.

"I just…" He released her arm and avoided eye contact with her, running a hand through his hair as though embarrassed. "You entice me, Ivy."

"It's Lady Black to you," she snapped.

"Apologies. Lady Black." He stared down at his feet in what she could only describe as a bashful way. "I know that you love your husband, I do. But you could love me too. You can have both. Society is far more accepting of that sort of thing than you think."

"Why me?" Ivy asked bluntly.

"Because," he almost sounded in awe. "You're clever and beautiful and full of spite-"

"So is your wife," she told him frostily.

"Indeed," he laughed quietly. "But Bella is exactly what she presents. I know there's more to you than what I see at the surface. I want the chance to know you as you truly are. In my experience, the most puzzling people are the most worth getting to know."

He was so full of shit.

Rodolphus was convincing, truly, but a cunning liar could easily spot another. The meaning behind his pretty words was clear enough; he knew she was hiding something and he wanted to know what. Sexual flirtation wasn't working on her, so now he was coming at it from an emotional angle. Her performances among pureblood society were flawless, so she didn't think she had given herself away. But he either knew something, or at least was suspicious of her.

Her one advantage was this awareness, so she swallowed her scalding words.

"I'll consider a date," her slightly softened tone tasted like acid on her tongue. "But you better be damn well aware that I'm only doing it to get inside the Death Chamber. In my eyes, you are akin to a tapeworm."

"That's what they all say," he gave her an impish grin.

"Can't say I'm surprised," Ivy told him dryly. "You're downright parasitic."

"Don't lie," Rodolphus said playfully. "I'm growing on you."

"That is precisely what a parasite does," she headed for the exit.

"You can't seriously think that's a good idea," Ivy said in disbelief.

"Severus is one of us now," Theya insisted. "We need to treat him as such."

"He doesn't want to be treated as such," Regulus reminded her. "He doesn't even want to be involved."

"He still attends the bi-weekly meetings, doesn't he?" Theya pointed out.

"Yeah, in complete and utter silence," Ivy retorted.

"He's just easing into things," Theya said half-heartedly.

"Right," Regulus snorted.

The golden-haired witch pushed her chair out from the Haven's dining room table, the wood scraping loudly against the floor, and stomped over to the tea kettle with an air of icy silence.

Ivy gave a withering roll of her eyes.

Theya was still in denial, despite how Severus's every behaviour lately indicated his terrible unhappiness with being involved. It didn't take a genius to discern that, now that Severus was permanently back in Wizarding London, he was only bothering with the bi-weekly meetings because Theya was forcing him to attend.

Exchanging a glance with Regulus, she knew they were thinking the same thing.

Severus would be grateful to sit this one out. He was due in mere minutes, but Ivy was still pushing to turn him away for this particular get together. If possible, he was going to enjoy that night's meeting even less than he already would have otherwise.

Ivy opened her mouth, only for Regulus to shake his head at her from across the table.

Making a face at him, she stood and turned to Theya's back. "You really think Severus Snape would want to be involved in a conversation regarding seduction?"

"Yes, I do," Theya told her stiffly, pouring herself a fresh cuppa.

Ivy looked at Regulus and gestured to Theya's back as if to say: Can you believe her?

Regulus's expression said: Yes, yes, I can.

It was then that footsteps sounded down the kitchen's corridor.

Within seconds, Severus appeared, looking just as displeased as ever. He whisked right past Theya without a word. His girlfriend looked crestfallen as he sat himself at the two person dining set across from Regulus.

Part of Ivy wanted to comfort her, but part of her wanted to scream at her. Even though they were rowing, worse than ever, she could see that Severus was distancing himself from Theya. Really, he was distancing himself from all of them. Even Regulus hadn't spent a single minute of quality time with him since the truth came out.

Severus folded his arms and sat stiffly in his chair. He didn't bother with hellos or pleasantries, he merely turned his head to stare out the window, despite there being nothing but the pitch black to see.

"Well, then," Regulus cleared his throat. "We'd better get started. Ivy?"

"For those I haven't told yet," Ivy sighed. "Rodolphus isn't giving up on trying to seduce me-"

Severus's head whipped round to look at her, his black eyes wide with horror.

She winced at the look on his face, but continued. "-And while that's not normally something I would bring up, I'm beginning to think that he's not just trying to get in my knickers for the fun of it."

Her words hung in the air for a moment and she spared a glance at Severus.

It set her teeth on edge, the way he would sit in silence for the entirety of their meetings. He always listened to the conversations, but never participated. Even when asked a direct question, he would do little more than glare or sneer. And the second the meetings adjourned, he got to his feet and left haughtily.

Theya stared at her, having apparently temporarily forgotten that she was giving Ivy the cold shoulder. "How do you know?"

"Its just a feeling I have," Ivy said honestly. "I know when I'm being manipulated. He wants something from me and he's trying to use sex to get it. I think he's become suspicious of me."

"I wouldn't be entirely surprised," Regulus told them. "Narcissa told me the other day that, with how adamantly Ivy's been refusing, it's strange Rodolphus hasn't given up by now. She said he's been trying unusually hard with you."

"Do you think he knows something?" Theya asked, hopping to sit cross-legged on the kitchen counter. Her eyes continually darted to Severus, whose gaze was fixed on Regulus.

"I can't fathom what he could know," Regulus said. "We've been so careful. Iv, can you pinpoint when he started with all this?"

"He's always been flirtatious, even when I was underage. But it was when I started at the Ministry that he became so intense. As soon as I began, he started popping up everywhere. Definitely on purpose… I really don't know what to do about all this, I need ideas."

"What about Legilimency?" Regulus suggested.

Theya pointed at him approvingly. "Yeah, that's not a bad-"

"-Too risky," Ivy cut her off. "First, I would have to get him alone - really alone. Second, I don't know if he's an Occlumens. Third, he could overpower me before I get the chance to perform Legilimency on him. Even if I managed to, I would need to be quick enough after to cast a Memory Charm, otherwise off he'd go, running his mouth to the Dark Lord if I don't wind up dead first."

"I see your point," Regulus admitted. "Too many opportunities for things to go awry."

Ivy folded her arms and leaned back against the fridge. "Any other suggestions?"

"Well," Theya said slowly. "What if you let him?"

"Let him what?"

"Seduce you."

"What?" Ivy and Regulus shouted at the same time.

Severus's jaw dropped open.

Theya looked at each of them, seemingly unfazed by their reactions. "Hear me out. If he thinks he's seducing you, maybe he'll let his guard down or let something slip. We could figure out what exactly he's after."

"At the expense of… me." Ivy scowled. "Have you forgotten that he murdered my little sister? How could I ever let him seduce me? It's insulting to her memory."

"You wanted suggestions." She pursed her lips. "Do you think you can get him to talk any other way?"

Ivy didn't.

Still, she turned to Regulus. "You don't think this a good idea either, right?"

"Well…" Regulus trailed off.

Ivy gaped at him, dumbfounded.

"Theya has a point," Regulus cringed at the look on his wife's face. "Maybe just… pretend to be more receptive. See where it leads. You don't have to let it go so far as anything physical. Really, I see it more as playing nice than being seduced. A mere smile from you is probably a complete turnaround in his eyes."

"If he doesn't fess up straight away," Ivy said. "I'd have to flirt with him. Are you really alright with that?"

"It's not like you would genuinely mean it," Regulus shrugged. "I trust your instincts, Iv. If you think he's up to something, he probably is. You're rarely wrong about this sort of thing. You play nice with Bellatrix constantly, just do the same with him, see if it gets you anywhere."

"But what if he starts to expect more?" Ivy pressed.

"For fuck's sake," Theya huffed. "Nobody's asking you to shag the man. They're just words."

She narrowed her eyes at her.

Under normal circumstances -circumstances in which they weren't rowing- she knew Theya would've been more tactful about things. But the two of them had been utterly tactless with each other for months, so she didn't know why she was surprised. Perhaps surprised wasn't the word. Perhaps irritated was.

"And even if he began to expect more," Theya continued in a blasé tone. "It's not like you would have to do anything you don't want to. You could tell him you want things to be special or that you're not ready. You are supposed to be a prudish high society wife, remember?"

Ivy shot her a distinctly dirty look, despite knowing she was right.

Something about letting him seduce her, or letting him think he was seducing her, didn't sit right with her. It wasn't really all that different from what she already did on the daily, but… If she put herself in a potentially compromising situation, what was to stop her from being compromised? Wilkes hadn't cared when she refused, who was to say that Rodolphus would?

Swallowing, Ivy could've sworn she felt Wilkes's belt tightening around her neck. Unwillingly, she could still feel his hands violating her, could still feel the cold and uncaring earth on her back.

Stop, she demanded of herself. Stop. This is not the time.

Even so, she felt shaky.

Taking a breath, she reminded herself that there was no need to go anywhere isolated with Rodolphus. She could do this - it was a good idea. She just needed to avoid being alone with him in private. Which was doable.

"Alright," Ivy finally said. "I'll do it."

Theya gave her a single nod, then hopped down from her spot on the counter. "Well, that's all we needed to discuss, isn't it? Sev-"

As though on cue, Severus immediately pushed his chair out from the dining room table, in a manner very similar to Theya's earlier that night. The wood once made an unseemly dragging noise as he got to his feet. Without wasting a second, he stormed out of the room in a flurry of black robes.

Theya was hot on his heels down the corridor, calling after him, though she got no reply.

The sound quickly faded into a slam of the double glass doors leading to the garden.

"What do we do about him?" Ivy asked Regulus once she was sure the others had gone.

"Nothing," he leaned back in his chair.

"Nothing?" She slid into Severus's vacant seat and slumped forward, leaning over the table.

"There's no fighting it," he told her decisively. "She dug her grave, now she needs to lie in it."

"I-"

"Love, its out of our hands."

"But shouldn't we be doing damage control?"

"I know for a fact that there will be no controlling this damage."

Ivy paused and eyed him for a long moment. "Are you sure you're alright with this? With me… letting Rodolphus seduce me?"

"Alright is too strong a word," Regulus laughed. "But like I said, it's not like anything physical needs to happen. Just give him a taste of the charming witch I know you are."

"Charming, huh?" She smirked and sat up from her slumped position. "I can honestly say that no one has ever described me as such."

"That's because no one," Regulus grinned and stood from his seat. Rounding the table, he knelt before her, gently parting her legs to kneel between them. "Knows you like I do."

"You're right about that." Ivy wound her arms around his neck, as he moved to hold her round the waist. Leaning in, she closed the distance between their mouths and kissed him softly, very aware of the fact that he was directly between her legs.

That was the funny thing about being married; she really could kiss him whenever she wanted. She really could shag him whenever she wanted. Although… since Wilkes attempted to rape her eight months ago, the two of them hadn't quite gotten back to having sex. They'd snogged plenty, but not much more had taken place. She was worried that it wouldn't feel the same, any of it. Which meant that they hadn't once consummated their relationship as a married couple.

The thought was enough to make her jerk away from him.

Regulus frowned at the sudden action and opened his dark eyes to look at her. "What is it?"

"It's-" Ivy swallowed thickly. "I think I'm ready to try again. Not to make love, but maybe we could try something else."

"Oh?" His face brightened. "What is it you wanted to try?"

"I'm not sure," she said quietly.

She suddenly felt like a underage witch again, shy and apprehensive about having a physical relationship with someone. Uncertain how to even begin the process. The notion made her beyond angry, so she set her jaw.

"Go down on me," she said firmly.

Regulus laughed and kissed her gently. "Is that a request or a demand?"

A smile fought its way onto Ivy's face as she kissed him back. "It's a demand."

"As you wish, Lady Black." Her husband surprised her, in that he didn't move. He only continued kissing her, gently, lovingly. He did, however, nip lightly at her lower lip.

Eliciting a small laugh from her, she kissed him more deeply. Tongues dancing together, she pressed herself more firmly into him. Hot passion was quick to form between her legs, as it had been a long time since she'd been properly touched.

Luckily, she didn't feel as apprehensive as she had previously. Regulus had been nothing but respectful to her, which had done everything to make her feel more comfortable as the months went by. And she couldn't let a disgusting waste of space like Wilkes ruin the historically unmatched sex life she'd had with her now husband.

No, it was time to try.

And so, Ivy tightened her arms around his neck and arched her back into him.

He responded by slowly bringing a hand up to her hair. Holding her flush against him, he gently tugged the ribbons out of the long white strands, the movement going straight to the heat between her legs. Grasping a handful of her hair, he used this control to guide her head back.

Ivy felt his mouth descend upon her neck, as he placed hot kisses there, occasionally rolling her skin between his teeth to tease her. He sucked lightly just below her ear, eliciting a whiny sound from her. Her thighs instinctively tightened on either side of his legs.

Regulus released a throaty chuckle. "Patience."

"I've never been very good at that," Ivy said breathlessly. "Least, not when it comes to you."

"That's just too bad, isn't it?" He murmured against her throat.

One of his hands left her waist to trail up the side of her body. His fingers moved slowly over the torso of her robes, skimming the side of her breasts. At the contact, she pressed her chest flush against his, though his hand continued moving upwards to slide over her neck.

Just as she was about to call him a tease, his other hand moved to the hem of her robes. He pulled them slowly up her legs, fingers trailing along the insides of her calves, then knees. He pushed her robes off of her shoulders, before resuming his actions. Fingers lightly gracing the insides of her thighs, just below the hem of her skirt, his hand slowed right where she didn't want it to. Just shy of her burning core, Regulus brushed two fingers along the area, making her whimper, before removing his hands from that part of her entirely.

Ivy scowled at him as he drew away, making him laugh.

But evidently, he wasn't done with her, as his hands instead began to tug at the hem of her shirt. Instead of unbuttoning it, he simply pulled it over her head and cast it aside.

Left in her dark blue bra and matching skirt, Ivy reached for him, only for him to catch hold of her wrists.

Regulus smirked at her in the most frustrating way, guiding her hands to her sides. He put pressure on their backs, silently telling her to keep her fingers there, on the edge of her wooden seat.

Then, he pushed her chest so that she was leaning back in the dining room chair. His hand lingered there, between her breasts, and slowly slid down. Functioning around her bra, he clutched one of her breasts in his hand, his mouth going to work on the other. His tongue circled her nipple, while his fingers plucked at the other, before he began to suck and nip at her gently.

Releasing her first full-chested moan, she arched into his touch, legs beginning to quiver.

It had been entirely too long since they'd done this. She'd actually forgotten why exactly that was…

Mulciber's face flashed into her mind.

No, she reminded herself against the tightening of her body. Focus. Relax. It's Regulus. Your Regulus.

Her Regulus, in fact, had begun to move his mouth away from her breasts, heading south.

"I want to touch you," Ivy groaned.

"But not letting you do so," he mumbled against her stomach. "Is so much more amusing."

She growled in retaliation, but he only laughed.

Sure, she could technically just go ahead and touch him. But she was already wet, already desperate to have his tongue on her clit. She knew if she made a move to feel him, he would only prolong his teasing, and she couldn't have that. So she kept her fingers tucked against the wood, eyes closed as he began to slide her stockings down her legs.

He made quick work of them, but moved tantalisingly slow while removing her knickers, his fingers trailing heat along her inner legs as he did so.

Even once they were off, however, he didn't seem ready to give her what she wanted.

She was just itching to grab a handful of those shaggy dark locks and tug, if only to make it clear that she was not to be messed with.

But it felt too good, having him hitch one of her legs over his shoulder, feeling his mouth upon her inner thighs. He bit her gently, kissing close to her core, then moving away again just to screw with her. One of his hands slid up over her hips and stomach to grab hold of her right breast. He squeezed her, ever so firmly, ever so lusciously, before hitching her other leg over his other shoulder.

Regulus's breath was hot against her core and she knew immediately that he was doing that on purpose, too.

It had really been too long.

Opening her eyes, as soon as her silver hues met his dark ones, he pressed his tongue against her.

Instantly, she cried out in pleasure.

But there was more to be had, as his tongue began to move along her clit. Every lick and gentle suck built the heat between her shaking legs. When he inserted two fingers inside of her, she cried out again.

Without meaning to, she grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked hard.

Just like that, he removed himself from her entirely.

Ivy's eyes shot open at the unwelcome change to see that he had gotten to his feet and stepped away.

The most wicked grin upon his supple lips, he removed his outer robes and began to slowly unbutton his own shirt with one hand. The other ran through his lustrous, shoulder-length hair, as though he knew precisely what just that simple, carefree action would do to her.

Sitting up in her chair, Ivy got to her feet too.

As he finished unbuttoning his shirt and tossed it aside, she stalked over to him.

Just as she was about to jab a finger in his chest angrily, he grabbed her by the waist. Forcibly turning her round, he pressed his hips against hers, his hardness grinding against her arse.

Eyes rolling back into her head, she felt herself melt on contact, and Ivy pressed back in response.

Regulus kept one hand on her hip, holding her arse against him, while his other undid the latch on her bra. He yanked the straps roughly down her arms and discarded the garment quickly. His free hand moved over her hip down her thigh. He dug his nails into her inner thigh hard, dragging his fingers up until they reached her core, at which point, he began to make a circular motion against her.

Head tilting back to make contact with his shoulder, she felt him grind into her again, causing her to release a needy whimper.

The second the sound left her lips, his fingers pleasuring her clit slid back up, over her stomach, to clutch her breast. He plucked at her nipple, before turning her back around to face him. Taking her face in his hands, he kissed her gently, sucking her lower lip into her mouth, before breaking all physical contact once more.

"Sit," he ordered her sternly.

Flustered and unable to think beyond their bubble of a moment, Ivy did as she was told.

"Sit on your hands if you really can't control yourself," Regulus added.

Swallowing hard, she acquiesced and sat on her hands.

He smirked and started towards her again, her eyes fixed on him all the way. He loomed over her, tall as he was, and bent down to give her another kiss. Then, he got back to his knees.

Beginning again on her thighs, she let out a groan of frustration, but didn't dare touch him again. Fortunately, he was quick to resume his work, as his mouth found her clit. Immediately reinserting two fingers, he licked at her hard, his tongue just as skilled as she remembered.

Indeed unable to control herself, she ground her hips against his mouth, growing ever closer to that peak she yearned to tumble off the edge of. It was rapidly approaching as he sucked the little nub, eliciting a particularly invigorated moan. Apparently taking that as the sign it was, he continued pumping his fingers and sucking at her, arms around her thighs to hold her in place. Her hips jerked against him, involuntarily, and she breathed hard.

Ripples of pleasure crashed over her, peaking and peaking and peaking, until she plunged straight over the edge. Letting out a deep, amorous groan, she undulated against his hot mouth, which continued its work as she rode out the orgasm. He only slowed when she did, when she broke into erratic spasms, letting the exquisite satisfaction roll its waves over her.

Breathing heavily, she eventually opened her eyes blearily and sat up.

Regulus was sitting back on his heels, watching her with a flushed smile.

Ivy leaned forward and made to grab for his cock, but instead, he took both of her hands in his.

"What about you?" She frowned.

"What about me?" He narrowed his eyes tauntingly.

She rolled hers. "You don't want me to go down on you?"

He kissed the backs of her hands, each in turn. "Going down on you was pleasure enough, my love."

The corner of her mouth twitched up. "Can I at least touch you now?"

"Yes," he chuckled. "Yes, you can."

"Good." Ivy took full advantage of this and pulled him back onto his knees before her. She kissed him deeply, reverently, before leaning her forehead against his. "Because that was torture."