Teddy Radiator (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
teddy_radiator) wrote2011-07-24 10:54 pm
teddy_radiator) wrote2011-07-24 10:54 pm
Entry tags:
The Sempra Deck 11 Strength
The amazing ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
mimimanderly has just released the next card of The Sempra Deck, a set of Major Arcana cards forming the Tarot. Each time Mimi posts a new card, I will post another edition of the story, so you can see how the story and the cards meshed together. Here is the next card - 11 Strength, and here is the next chapter of the story.
This Chapter is rated R for content and language. Happy Reading!
The Sempra Deck is dedicated to the real mystic goddess Mimi Manderly; to her beloved SeverusMuse, and to my precious Dahlra. All characters with the exception of Mimi Manderley, Peter and Dahlra belong to JK Rowling. I make no money from this publication.
Chapter 6 - Sizing Up The Pieces Part 2
Severus fell to the ground in agony, and his screams turned Mimi’s blood to ice. She looked in fury from Bella’s lustful smile, to the wand in her hand, to the ray of light streaming from its tip into Severus’ contorting frame.
Calmly, Mimi stepped in front of the beam of magic, and it dissipated instantly. Severus collapsed with a grunt of pain. Bella was no longer smiling.
“What manner of creature are you?” she hissed. She turned to Voldemort. “My Lord, how can this be? No mortal on earth can withstand my Crucio!”
Mimi walked up to the witch, a chilling smile on her face. “And therein lays the rub, Belltatrix. No mere mortal can withstand your mighty power. Put two and two together, witch!”
As if led by an unseen conductor, every Death Eater in the room aimed their favourite hex or curse at Mimi, and every hex and curse rolled through her and dispersed.
She turned to Voldemort. “Are you quite finished? I didn’t come here to play parlour tricks with your dogs, Tom!”
She knelt by Severus’, and picked up the Death Eater mask which had fallen from his face as he writhed under the Cruciatus curse. Grasping his arms, Mimi helped him from the floor. Her heart was twisted; it was truly awful to watch him being tortured. “Be healed, my lovely pet,” she said in a soothing voice. Severus, who was still reeling from the Crucio, forced his face into calm lines.
Voldemort watched her carefully. “And how did you come to adopt our dear Severus as your pet… goddess?”
Now that’s more like it, Mimi thought. He’s not sure what I am, but he’s pretty sure I’m not a mortal. She shrugged. “Why do you need to know? Where were you when I made the world, Tom Riddle?” She turned to Bellatrix, who still watched her with the unnerved eye of a madwoman.
“Enjoy your life well, Bellatrix Black. You will torture one Mudblood too many, and her mother will strike you down in the shadow of the castle.”
“Prophesies?” Voldemort hissed. “Are you here to tell me of my future, goddess?”
Mimi drew herself up to her full height. Here we go, she thought. “Your future is already prophesised, Tom. I am merely here to watch and favour whom I will. I have observed the boy Potter.”
She shrugged indifferently. “He has powers that you do not fully understand. But you are the great Lord Voldemort, after all, and your powers are formidable, when, of course, you’re not indulging these leeches you call Death Eaters.”
Bellatrix cried, “How dare you – “
“I DARE,” Mimi shot back, “because I can. I have seen the future, and it will be.”
“Will. Be. What?” Voldemort said, his patience waning. “You speak in riddles. No wizard can harm you. Are you an oracle, or are you immortal?”
Mimi smiled. “I am who I am. I have powers beyond your rational thought. I know the future. But I have returned to this earth for one simple reason. I, like your precious Death Eaters, suffer from the occasional ennui.” She pushed her lip out in a charming little parody of a pout.
“I am bored, Tom. I am ready to be entertained. Not with your petty depravity and twisted pleasures. I will leave your minions to those lofty pursuits.”
Mimi laughed, and reached up to Severus’ cheek and stroked it proprietorially. “I can entertain myself quite pleasurably in that manner. Can I not, my dark lover?”
Severus, playing his part well, kissed her hand worshipfully. “Yes, my goddess,” he said, his voice still breathy and unsteady, as if remembering the ‘entertainment’ he’d provided for her. His delivery was due more in part from the cursework, but he was and had ever been a good actor in the Dark Lord’s presence.
Voldemort’s eyes snapped with fire. “And I am your entertainment as well?” he said, anger crackling from him.
Mimi removed her hand from Severus’ and crossed to Voldemort. “Tom, I could tell you how the end game plays. But do you really wish to know? Wouldn’t you like to make your own history, your own destiny? I will tell you this: I will sit back, and watch, and wait. I will assist the one who is worthy and deserving of my assistance. If you and your Death Eaters prove worthy, I will smite the boy myself, in your name.”
Voldemort watched her, entranced. Mimi nodded, and leaned in closer, wrinkling her nose at the corpulent smell of him. Her voice was seductively enticing. “Think of it, Tom. You will reign forever over the world, as the living embodiment of the goddess’ favour. I will grant you these things.”
Voldemort stepped back. “For what price, goddess? You are giving me nothing more than I can already achieve.”
Mimi laughed. “Can you, Tom? Can you really? Can you withstand the Avada Kedavra Curse?”
Voldemort looked at her for almost thirty seconds. Suddenly, he raised his wand. “Can you?”
Several things happened at once. As if in slow motion, Mimi saw Voldemort shift his aim, and his wand pointed toward Severus’ chest.
At that second, Mimi jumped in front of Severus and held open her arms like a shield, as Voldemort bellowed, “Avada Kedavra!”
The blazing green light shot from his wand, and Mimi stood her ground as the Killing Curse hit her squarely in the chest.
The room was as still as death, as Mimi walked up to Voldemort. Her eyes were snapping with fury. She did not dare look at Severus. She knew she would cry. Instead, she focused all her attention on the Dark Lord.
It gave her some satisfaction that every Death Eater in the room looked frightened, including Bellatrix. Even Voldemort was stunned. With a voice as cold as death, Mimi said, “Is this your idea of ‘getting on my good side’, Tom?”
While she had Voldemort distracted, Mimi turned in fury to Bellatrix, and with a passing glance to Severus, Mimi thrust her hand in the air toward the dark-haired woman, and Bella was thrown across the room. Thanking her lucky stars that Severus had anticipated what she was going to do, and wondering how on earth she’d known he would make it happen, Mimi turned to Voldemort.
“My payment? You wound me, Tom. Here I thought you understood the gift I’d bestowed upon you, and you repay me by trying to kill my favourite toy.”
She walked toward Severus, who stood regally straight. His expression could not have been calmer. He looked as if he were attending a small, rather dull garden party. She stroked his chest.
“Here is my payment, Tom. I will leave you to posture and preen on the battlefield. I will wait until you are ready for my intervention. I will grant you victory. In the meantime,” she continued, and stood with her back to Severus. “You will leave this one alone.”
“Why?” This time, it was one of the male Death Eaters. Bella was still out cold behind the dais, where Severus had thrown her with his silent Protego.
Mimi turned away from him and faced Tom. “You will leave this one alone. If you do not, perhaps I will be forced to give the Potter boy further consideration.”
Voldemort’s inhuman eyes bored into hers. “Why Severus Snape?”
Mimi shrugged with a smug little smile. “He amuses me, but I will not be amused when I come to play and find him injured, as when I first came to this place.” A brainwave hit Mimi, and she went with it, having no idea if she was about to drive a huge truck through the hole in her story.
“It was his pain and his devotion to you that summoned me here.”
Tom was surprised. “Severus summoned you from the air?” He turned to the dark wizard. “How did you do this, Severus?”
To his credit, Severus was as cool as Mimi had ever seen him. Lying with the truth, she said, “He was distressed that he had given you cause to punish him. On that night, he called out to me in his sorrow, and I answered him. It’s been very enjoyable pretending to be the mortal right under Albus’ crooked old nose.” Severus bowed to Mimi, and knelt between her and the Dark Lord.
“I gratefully serve you, My Lord, and my goddess has rewarded my devotion to you. I do not know why, but I am favoured because I am yours, My Lord.” Severus looked up at the Dark Lord with his heart and soul shining in his luminous, black eyes.
They were as beautiful and fervent as a martyr, and glistened like black ink. Even Mimi believed him for a moment. She rewarded him with a slow, sensual caress of his cheek.
“And it will remain so, Tom,” Mimi said. “I will have no more torture for this one. It does not please me. Surely you have bigger game to hunt than to weaken your own troops.”
Voldemort gave her a sly look. “Troops must have discipline, goddess. Sometimes they must be reminded of their true purpose.”
“As I am reminding you of yours! If you wish to assume the ranks of the everlasting, you will do as I say, Tom Riddle! Clean the muck from your ears! I am giving you the keys to deification, and you waste your time in pointless, petty evils!”
Mimi turned to Severus. “Come, pet. I have grown weary of trying to make this one understand. You gave me reason to believe him worthy of my time.”
“Only I am worthy to join the gods!” Voldemort bellowed, enraged. “I am the one you seek!”
Mimi turned back. She gave him a look of cool appraisal. “Then do we have an accord? I will not make my offer again, Tom Riddle.”
Voldemort raised his wand. “By my wand, I swear it.” He looked at Severus, then back to Mimi. “While you favour me, no harm will come to your chosen one.”
It was an oath with a lot of wiggle room, but there was nothing Mimi could do about it. It would have to do for now, and by the time the battle was engaged, hopefully she could keep Severus out of harm’s way until it was all over. Now they could plan for the future. It suddenly occurred to Mimi that she'd very likely just changed the course of history. Did it mean that she could change Severus’ destiny as well?
“Very well,” she said, arrogance pouring from her in waves. “Watch. Wait. At the appropriate time, I will come for you.” Mimi turned on her heel and stalked out of the room. She knew that Severus was right behind her. She could feel every eye on them. She held her hands out toward the door, and like water, they parted to let them through. The anti-chamber was quiet now and Death Eater and victim alike watched Mimi leave the Dark Lord’s presence, her consort by her side.
The two of them were silent until they reached the Apparation point, and Severus put his arms around her and they spun away. Arriving back at Hogwarts’ grounds, Severus held her for a moment past what was strictly necessary. Numb with relief, Mimi held onto him, and gradually, he pulled her up into his arms, until her feet were barely touching the ground.
“You’re mad, woman! You’re insane!” He was kissing her feverishly, his kisses raining down on her lips, her cheeks, her nose, her eyes, her forehead. Each kiss was frantic and wild with relief and fear. “What on earth possessed you to say those things?” he moaned, between kisses.
Laughing, Mimi returned his ardor, and held his face in her hands. “I don’t know, Severus! It was as if someone was telling me what to say! It was as if there was a voice in my head, directing what to say!”
mimimanderly has just released the next card of The Sempra Deck, a set of Major Arcana cards forming the Tarot. Each time Mimi posts a new card, I will post another edition of the story, so you can see how the story and the cards meshed together. Here is the next card - 11 Strength, and here is the next chapter of the story.
This Chapter is rated R for content and language. Happy Reading!
The Sempra Deck is dedicated to the real mystic goddess Mimi Manderly; to her beloved SeverusMuse, and to my precious Dahlra. All characters with the exception of Mimi Manderley, Peter and Dahlra belong to JK Rowling. I make no money from this publication.
Chapter 6 - Sizing Up The Pieces Part 2
Severus fell to the ground in agony, and his screams turned Mimi’s blood to ice. She looked in fury from Bella’s lustful smile, to the wand in her hand, to the ray of light streaming from its tip into Severus’ contorting frame.
Calmly, Mimi stepped in front of the beam of magic, and it dissipated instantly. Severus collapsed with a grunt of pain. Bella was no longer smiling.
“What manner of creature are you?” she hissed. She turned to Voldemort. “My Lord, how can this be? No mortal on earth can withstand my Crucio!”
Mimi walked up to the witch, a chilling smile on her face. “And therein lays the rub, Belltatrix. No mere mortal can withstand your mighty power. Put two and two together, witch!”
As if led by an unseen conductor, every Death Eater in the room aimed their favourite hex or curse at Mimi, and every hex and curse rolled through her and dispersed.
She turned to Voldemort. “Are you quite finished? I didn’t come here to play parlour tricks with your dogs, Tom!”
She knelt by Severus’, and picked up the Death Eater mask which had fallen from his face as he writhed under the Cruciatus curse. Grasping his arms, Mimi helped him from the floor. Her heart was twisted; it was truly awful to watch him being tortured. “Be healed, my lovely pet,” she said in a soothing voice. Severus, who was still reeling from the Crucio, forced his face into calm lines.
Voldemort watched her carefully. “And how did you come to adopt our dear Severus as your pet… goddess?”
Now that’s more like it, Mimi thought. He’s not sure what I am, but he’s pretty sure I’m not a mortal. She shrugged. “Why do you need to know? Where were you when I made the world, Tom Riddle?” She turned to Bellatrix, who still watched her with the unnerved eye of a madwoman.
“Enjoy your life well, Bellatrix Black. You will torture one Mudblood too many, and her mother will strike you down in the shadow of the castle.”
“Prophesies?” Voldemort hissed. “Are you here to tell me of my future, goddess?”
Mimi drew herself up to her full height. Here we go, she thought. “Your future is already prophesised, Tom. I am merely here to watch and favour whom I will. I have observed the boy Potter.”
She shrugged indifferently. “He has powers that you do not fully understand. But you are the great Lord Voldemort, after all, and your powers are formidable, when, of course, you’re not indulging these leeches you call Death Eaters.”
Bellatrix cried, “How dare you – “
“I DARE,” Mimi shot back, “because I can. I have seen the future, and it will be.”
“Will. Be. What?” Voldemort said, his patience waning. “You speak in riddles. No wizard can harm you. Are you an oracle, or are you immortal?”
Mimi smiled. “I am who I am. I have powers beyond your rational thought. I know the future. But I have returned to this earth for one simple reason. I, like your precious Death Eaters, suffer from the occasional ennui.” She pushed her lip out in a charming little parody of a pout.
“I am bored, Tom. I am ready to be entertained. Not with your petty depravity and twisted pleasures. I will leave your minions to those lofty pursuits.”
Mimi laughed, and reached up to Severus’ cheek and stroked it proprietorially. “I can entertain myself quite pleasurably in that manner. Can I not, my dark lover?”
Severus, playing his part well, kissed her hand worshipfully. “Yes, my goddess,” he said, his voice still breathy and unsteady, as if remembering the ‘entertainment’ he’d provided for her. His delivery was due more in part from the cursework, but he was and had ever been a good actor in the Dark Lord’s presence.
Voldemort’s eyes snapped with fire. “And I am your entertainment as well?” he said, anger crackling from him.
Mimi removed her hand from Severus’ and crossed to Voldemort. “Tom, I could tell you how the end game plays. But do you really wish to know? Wouldn’t you like to make your own history, your own destiny? I will tell you this: I will sit back, and watch, and wait. I will assist the one who is worthy and deserving of my assistance. If you and your Death Eaters prove worthy, I will smite the boy myself, in your name.”
Voldemort watched her, entranced. Mimi nodded, and leaned in closer, wrinkling her nose at the corpulent smell of him. Her voice was seductively enticing. “Think of it, Tom. You will reign forever over the world, as the living embodiment of the goddess’ favour. I will grant you these things.”
Voldemort stepped back. “For what price, goddess? You are giving me nothing more than I can already achieve.”
Mimi laughed. “Can you, Tom? Can you really? Can you withstand the Avada Kedavra Curse?”
Voldemort looked at her for almost thirty seconds. Suddenly, he raised his wand. “Can you?”
Several things happened at once. As if in slow motion, Mimi saw Voldemort shift his aim, and his wand pointed toward Severus’ chest.
At that second, Mimi jumped in front of Severus and held open her arms like a shield, as Voldemort bellowed, “Avada Kedavra!”
The blazing green light shot from his wand, and Mimi stood her ground as the Killing Curse hit her squarely in the chest.
The room was as still as death, as Mimi walked up to Voldemort. Her eyes were snapping with fury. She did not dare look at Severus. She knew she would cry. Instead, she focused all her attention on the Dark Lord.
It gave her some satisfaction that every Death Eater in the room looked frightened, including Bellatrix. Even Voldemort was stunned. With a voice as cold as death, Mimi said, “Is this your idea of ‘getting on my good side’, Tom?”
While she had Voldemort distracted, Mimi turned in fury to Bellatrix, and with a passing glance to Severus, Mimi thrust her hand in the air toward the dark-haired woman, and Bella was thrown across the room. Thanking her lucky stars that Severus had anticipated what she was going to do, and wondering how on earth she’d known he would make it happen, Mimi turned to Voldemort.
“My payment? You wound me, Tom. Here I thought you understood the gift I’d bestowed upon you, and you repay me by trying to kill my favourite toy.”
She walked toward Severus, who stood regally straight. His expression could not have been calmer. He looked as if he were attending a small, rather dull garden party. She stroked his chest.
“Here is my payment, Tom. I will leave you to posture and preen on the battlefield. I will wait until you are ready for my intervention. I will grant you victory. In the meantime,” she continued, and stood with her back to Severus. “You will leave this one alone.”
“Why?” This time, it was one of the male Death Eaters. Bella was still out cold behind the dais, where Severus had thrown her with his silent Protego.
Mimi turned away from him and faced Tom. “You will leave this one alone. If you do not, perhaps I will be forced to give the Potter boy further consideration.”
Voldemort’s inhuman eyes bored into hers. “Why Severus Snape?”
Mimi shrugged with a smug little smile. “He amuses me, but I will not be amused when I come to play and find him injured, as when I first came to this place.” A brainwave hit Mimi, and she went with it, having no idea if she was about to drive a huge truck through the hole in her story.
“It was his pain and his devotion to you that summoned me here.”
Tom was surprised. “Severus summoned you from the air?” He turned to the dark wizard. “How did you do this, Severus?”
To his credit, Severus was as cool as Mimi had ever seen him. Lying with the truth, she said, “He was distressed that he had given you cause to punish him. On that night, he called out to me in his sorrow, and I answered him. It’s been very enjoyable pretending to be the mortal right under Albus’ crooked old nose.” Severus bowed to Mimi, and knelt between her and the Dark Lord.
“I gratefully serve you, My Lord, and my goddess has rewarded my devotion to you. I do not know why, but I am favoured because I am yours, My Lord.” Severus looked up at the Dark Lord with his heart and soul shining in his luminous, black eyes.
They were as beautiful and fervent as a martyr, and glistened like black ink. Even Mimi believed him for a moment. She rewarded him with a slow, sensual caress of his cheek.
“And it will remain so, Tom,” Mimi said. “I will have no more torture for this one. It does not please me. Surely you have bigger game to hunt than to weaken your own troops.”
Voldemort gave her a sly look. “Troops must have discipline, goddess. Sometimes they must be reminded of their true purpose.”
“As I am reminding you of yours! If you wish to assume the ranks of the everlasting, you will do as I say, Tom Riddle! Clean the muck from your ears! I am giving you the keys to deification, and you waste your time in pointless, petty evils!”
Mimi turned to Severus. “Come, pet. I have grown weary of trying to make this one understand. You gave me reason to believe him worthy of my time.”
“Only I am worthy to join the gods!” Voldemort bellowed, enraged. “I am the one you seek!”
Mimi turned back. She gave him a look of cool appraisal. “Then do we have an accord? I will not make my offer again, Tom Riddle.”
Voldemort raised his wand. “By my wand, I swear it.” He looked at Severus, then back to Mimi. “While you favour me, no harm will come to your chosen one.”
It was an oath with a lot of wiggle room, but there was nothing Mimi could do about it. It would have to do for now, and by the time the battle was engaged, hopefully she could keep Severus out of harm’s way until it was all over. Now they could plan for the future. It suddenly occurred to Mimi that she'd very likely just changed the course of history. Did it mean that she could change Severus’ destiny as well?
“Very well,” she said, arrogance pouring from her in waves. “Watch. Wait. At the appropriate time, I will come for you.” Mimi turned on her heel and stalked out of the room. She knew that Severus was right behind her. She could feel every eye on them. She held her hands out toward the door, and like water, they parted to let them through. The anti-chamber was quiet now and Death Eater and victim alike watched Mimi leave the Dark Lord’s presence, her consort by her side.
The two of them were silent until they reached the Apparation point, and Severus put his arms around her and they spun away. Arriving back at Hogwarts’ grounds, Severus held her for a moment past what was strictly necessary. Numb with relief, Mimi held onto him, and gradually, he pulled her up into his arms, until her feet were barely touching the ground.
“You’re mad, woman! You’re insane!” He was kissing her feverishly, his kisses raining down on her lips, her cheeks, her nose, her eyes, her forehead. Each kiss was frantic and wild with relief and fear. “What on earth possessed you to say those things?” he moaned, between kisses.
Laughing, Mimi returned his ardor, and held his face in her hands. “I don’t know, Severus! It was as if someone was telling me what to say! It was as if there was a voice in my head, directing what to say!”
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
Of course, Tom's oath did cover a multitude of his sins, I'm still impressed that our goddess was able to manouver him into even considering making an oath, let alone actually doing it.
Now... about that return to Hogwarts' grounds... well, that is just about perfect. Lucky Mimi. Lucky Severus.
And for what it's worth, I've done the math and I think I've figured out who was standing behind the curtain in the Salem Witches Museum... and I think I may know whose voice it is in Mimi's head... and that's all I'm saying on that.
Great chappie, Teddy!!!!!
no subject
You know that Riddle is only going to give a little as possible without getting more in return, but he doesn't understand the power of love!
This is actually one of my favourite parts of the story - but the next part is really my FAVOURITE!!! lol
Oooh, now you've left me with a cliffie! Who do you think was behind the cutain? Tell, tell!!