The Mistress and the Ministry (Tag: Landon Adwell, open)

*Winter moved in like an Arctic kiss. Clouds swarm the sky blocking out the sun descending over the horizon. Evening was fast approaching as day slipped into a bone chilling night, but still Godric's Hollow was all a buzz. Wrapped in their winter wear, the villagers surrounded the main square, moving from one shop to another, browsing the content of each store. There was one store in the center of the Square that got little to no attention at all. The shoppers strolling about their business moved from the used bookstore showcase window to a clothing boutique, ultimately not realizing cramped in between  those two stores was a pub.

Aries too went unnoticed. She clung to the shadows, clutching it close to her bosom as she kept a watchful eye on the pub that was there but not there. Soon, so very soon, Aries, the huntress, would stock her prey, let him fall on bended knee before she strikes. The excitement, the thrill of it all could not escape her golden lips as they shimmer in the shadows, like a beacon of light in the bleak of darkness. Her endeavors would soon pay off though because like clockwork, her prey appeared.*

Outside of the bustle and glamor of the London nightlife, which was Landon's usual haunt on weekend nights, the country air felt like daggers on his exposed face, puffing his breath out before him in clouds. The faint 'pop' of his Apparition went unnoticed from his origin point down the lane from the center of town, where many were congregating for an evening of shopping.

As he walked through the quaint streets strung with sparkling lights Landon let his mind wander and leap from one passerby to the next. This was an upside to traveling among so many muggles; their minds were ripe for the picking. Snippets and flashes of thoughts and memories wove through him as he wandered the sidewalks, smiling at each stranger he passed. It was like Christmas all over again and it left Landon feeling more than a little cheery. Before he even reached the pub that was his destination he was already drunk on the fantasies and psyches of the inhabitants of Godric's Hollow.

Stopping before pub, Landon withdrew his mind from all others and kept it to himself as he walked into the establishment. He pulled off his coat, slipped off his gloves, and ran his hands through his hair with a grin around the bar. Spotting an open seat at the counter he made his way over and ordered a beer, ready to start scouting the place out for any sign of the beginnings of an exciting night.

*The tendrils of nightfall coiled around Aries relinquish their hold on her. She once again was submerged in the ember glow of the streetlamps, surrounded by potential victims of her ravishing beauty. But she had her sights on one and only one, the unspeakable, Jasper told her about. Aries would have showered that man in gold and silver, if not for the poor incident with the Hit wizards. The thought of it still brought a delicate smile dancing across her golden lips.

Aries waited a few minutes to let Landon get comfortable in his chair, maybe let him take a few sips of his drink, before entering the establishment. She let the church bells do its merrily chimes before crossing the street, pass the memorial of James, Lily and Harry Potter, and into the pub.

The instant she enter, she gave a heavenly giggle, covering her mouth as if she found something very peculiar. Her cheeks turn a pinkish red from the sting of the cold, and still her breath fogged up, dissipating in the warmth of the cozy room. Her eyes purposely scan the room, with a slight pout as if she was looking for someone. Aries easily drew the attention of the room with her girlish figure and brimming blue flower coat, but no one caught Aries' eyes as she too approach the counter but not taking a seat. Instead she order a pint of beer from the bartender and proceeded to an open table in the back of the room. But halfway to the free table, her heel got caught on a barstool, slightly stumbling. The content of her mug splattered all over the counter and (surprise surprise) Landon.*

"I am so sorry. Oh, so sorry."

*Aries said a little embarrassed, as she scoop up some napkins of the counter and started to wipe the liquor off the man's chest. She played her part very well: the stood up damsel, concern about the welfare of others. All of it was an act, her bait to reel him in.*

A few moments passed as Landon casually drank his beer, checking out the bars patrons in turn. He was looking for a good candidate, someone who he could easily slip inside their mind and explore; find their secrets, their fears, dreams. It was almost like an addiction of Landon's, the pull of others innermost privacy. He watched as more people entered the scene, in particular a woman in a lavish coat drew his attention for longer than any other.  

He was just about to pick his target and enjoy himself (drunks were so easy) when the woman who had just walked in seemed to stumble right in front of him. In an instant he felt the cold wetness of her drink splash onto him, seeping quickly through his clothes. The thick smell of beer wafted up into his nose, mixing with the sweet smell of whatever the woman was wearing. His attention having been elsewhere, it came as a surprise and before Landon could react she was busy dabbing at his chest with a napkin, apologizing.

“Oh, no worries, it's ok, it's ok.” He smiled amicably, reaching down to take the napkins from her hands. “Here, let me.” While the pressure of her hands pressing the napkin into his chest had been pleasant, Landon didn't want the woman to feel required to clean him off. It was only an accident, after all.

“Are you ok? You know, most people stumble after they have a drink, not before.” Landon joked, the curve of his easy smile lighting up his face in the dim bar. He had been looking for something to divert his mind from its depths tonight and it seemed to have quite literally fallen into his lap. His gaze moved up from the wet counter to the woman's face, letting his eyes rest on hers once they had subtly taken in the rest of her features from this close distance. She was a remarkable sight, and one that Landon was eager to keep.

“You do seem in need of a new drink, though. Since you did me the favor of saving myself from having to take a shower tonight, let me get it for you?”

*Aries was well rewarded as she mopped up the remanence of her drink off the man's chest. His clothing did not do his body justice as her nimble fingers glided over his abs and well endowed masculine body. She was inching so dangerously close to his crotch as she worked. Ideas blossomed in the insidious depths of Aries' mind. Those devilish ideas were cleaved away in an instant by Landon, as he took hold of the napkin and continue to clean himself.

Her wicked thoughts never came to the surface, reflected in her complexion. She adorn her role as the stood up damsel with such conviction. It came so natural to her as She laughed once again, turning away slightly to mask the pinkness of her embarrassment that infused with her pale skin.*

"I guess I do like a man freshly showered," she said continuing the banter.

*Aries promptly took the stool next to Landon as the barman came hobbling with a fresh pint of beer. The froth still rolling down the side. She took it, with a gracious smile, from the barman, taking a sip before setting it down.*

"I don't usually let men of mystery, especially tall, dark and handsome ones shower me with gifts, but we can fixed that," she said a matter of factly, a bit flirtatious. "My name is Adriana."

Landon watched as Adriana's cheeks flushed innocently and quite alluringly. Either she was a masterful actress or the action of speaking with him at the bar was causing her to become somewhat shy and demure. Both had its merits and Landon knew he could work with either personality she turned out to have. It would only take a while for him to get a better read on her; understanding peoples thoughts was his job, after all.

“Well we are ok, then, because I am an open book. I'll take the tall, dark, and handsome though.” His laugh rolled off his tongue and filled their little corner of the bar, completely unfazed by the hidden meanings he could most certainly discern in Adriana's words. He had encountered his fair share of women with thinly veiled motives before and he knew when one of them was trying to be more than flirtatious, even if they did not linger while touching his chest, as this one had. Not that it bothered him, in fact it could prove to be just the distraction he needed.

“I'm Landon. It's my pleasure to meet you, Adriana.” He put subtle emphasis on the word pleasure, letting her know he knew the game she was starting to play with him and was more than eager.

“So what's a girl like you doing here alone? Waiting for your girlfriends I bet?” He looked over into her eyes from the rim of his beer as he drank, searching them for a hint of whatever lay beyond. He could feel the pull of her mind, drawing him farther from his own, begging him to probe into her thoughts. Patience, he told himself as he placed his drink back on the counter and continued to smile over at Adriana.

"An open book, you say?" she said with a mild curiosity.

*The thought of Landon being an open book, appealed to Aries greatly, but she had to quell her desires to strum through his pages at the moment. She came for an entirely different reason, but she knew in all due time she would ferret out all his dirty little secrets in one way or another. Right now though, her index finger trailed the brim of the mug, making one circle and another. All of her actions were a coy distraction. The pale, winter skin she showed, to the pleasing smile she gave him, all of it was a flirtatious ploy that was no doubt eagerly reciprocated.*

"I was in search of an adventure, and I found one. It wasn't the one I was looking for, but exotic all the same and a little more exciting."

*Her arm brushed up against him for only a moment, testing the water of physical contact before retreating to take another sip of her beer. It was innocent enough but layered with hidden meaning, and overt advances she was making in this flirtation dance.*

“Sure, what have I got to hide from a beautiful woman such as yourself? I can't promise you'll like what I have to tell you if you ask me anything, but that's just because my life can be pretty dull.” Simple lies and half truths came so easily to Landon that at times he would worry over them and his ease with hiding himself beneath his words. Pangs of regret and guilt were seldom in his life and it frightened him when he thought too much on the reasons why. Instead of going down that darkened road tonight, he watched Adrianna slowly run her slender fingers around her glass before continuing.

“Adventure? Well you've come to the right place, then. I'm sure we can get into all types of trouble together in the name of adventure.” Landon said as he felt her arm casually brush against his, sending sparks of pleasure rolling over his skin. This was no mere damsel in distress that had walked in the bar, but someone who knew exactly what she was doing. It intrigued him, set his mind running over the possibilities of the night. He gave her a devilish look, brown eyes alight with the growing need to move closer.

He did just that, leaning forward in his chair so the space between them narrowed. He could see the clarity in her eyes and something more behind them, eager to be revealed, or so he assumed. He would of course be happy to give her that chance, to let her unwind and do whatever she pleased with him. It was would after all allow him the entertainment he craved as well and so with a smile dripping with thinly masked desire Landon cocked an eyebrow and asked, “So tell me, Adrianna, what type of trouble do you want to get into?”

*She could see it in his eyes, the subtleties in the inflection in his voice and the way he moved that he was well verse in the art of seduction. It did not escape her attention at all, that Landon was a people person; that his disarming smile, and sophisticated charm frequently influence his way into and out of dangerous situations. Where Aries thought her mark was a pawn, easily manipulated, turn out to be much more. This made all the better for Aries because she loved a good intrigue.*

"You bought the drinks, I can bring the trouble."

*The heir of allure worked in Aries favor, as Landon lean in closer. She too release all restraint as she narrow the gap even further. Her coy flirtation flourished into her own form of seduction as her heel trailed up and down his calf, and her fingers followed the curvature his bicep. His warm baited breath, that rippled across her moon-lite skin, coax her further until she was no more than an inch away.

She stared deeply into his eyes as he stared deeply into hers.*

"I want you."

*Her nimble fingers found its way to his neck than his cheek. His boyish stumble tickled the palm of her hand as she gently caress his cheek. Her perfume, which was sweet and subtle intermingled with another fragrance that infused the air. She left nothing to chance. With her well endowed smile and her feminine mystique, not to mention her way with words, she could go only as far as Landon's sense of morality could bend. Instead, she used her most powerful gift of all, manipulation through emotion, as she let her perfume, Amortentia, permeated the air from her wrist, enchanting him into a false sense of security.*

Landon was so close to Adriana now that he could smell perfume emanating from her wrist, wafting up in the air to reach his nose. He took a deep breath of it and it smelled delightful: the empty hallways stretching out from his office in the Ministry, the cold fresh air from high up so crisp and clean, and a sweet smell he could not place but knew with such familiarity that it ached. His eyes closed peacefully as he continued to breath her in, letting the intoxicating scent travel through his bloodstream and hit every nerve along its way.

When his eyes at last opened again there was a fog clouding them, a haze that had settled over him that was not all together unpleasant. He smiled brightly at Adriana and wished with his whole being for nothing more than her to smile in return. If she didn't...well, Landon didn't want to think about that. She was so beautiful, so perfect. If her face wasn't smiling and happy he would not be able to bear it. He needed to to make her happy, needed to be closer.

“I'm yours, then. Completely.” He reached out his hand, carefully placing it on her thigh, feeling the warm of her flesh under the thin fabric of her dress. A jolt ran through Landon's body at the sensation and his heart beat so fast he thought it would burst in his chest.

The little bit of Landon that was left to him from Adriana's spelled perfume was waiting contently in the back of his mind. It, too, was suddenly infatuated with her, but it still had motives and thoughts of it's own. They were weak and fuzzy and for now they were content with hiding in the background and letting this dazzling woman do whatever she wished.

*Aries, the Mistress of Enchantments, weaved her woven spell. Induce by Euphoria, Landon was intoxicated into blissful obedience, evident by his eyes sliding shut, the way his chest heaved up and down to a rhythmic pulse, the way his hand gentle skimmed over her bare thigh. Landon coiled around her nimble fingers eager to be a pawn in her little game.

The excitement, the thrill, all of it was quite alluring, even she had a tingling sensation running up her spine as her hands moved from cheek to the collar of his shirt. She unbutton the first clasp. Her lips grazing his cheek. She unclasped the second. She exhale slowly, her warm breath tickled his ear. She unhinged the third.*

"Kiss me."

*She whispers longingly into his ear as the fifth button gave way.*

The rest of the bar seemed to dissolve away from Landon and Adriana as she moved closer to him, reaching out to grace his cheek with her lips. He let out a small groan as her fingers raced across the skin of his neck, his finger tips tightening their grip on her thigh. She was unbuttoning his shirt, exposing first his chest, then slowly the top of his abs, all the while her hand scarcely making contact with the skin it passed. Landon was breathing heavy now, unable to take the teasing much longer.

At her words Landon wasted no time. His free hand reached up behind her and pulled her face closer to his. He could feel the silk of her hair beneath his palm, the way it tangled in his fingers and seemed to trap him there. In the breath of the moment before his lips made contact with hers Landon silently said the words in his mind that would allow him to enter Adriana's memories and thoughts. The blissful sensation that came with leaving his own mind behind washed over him, making the moment even more pleasurable.

The feeling did not last long; Adriana's mind was not that of the playful damsel she portrayed herself as. Landon felt resistance the moment he forced himself into her mind, pulling at him and demanding his swift exit. He pushed on, though, and was rewarded with quick flashes of images and words that rattled and sent shocks of unease coursing through him. There was Adriana looking regal and piercing sitting upon a elaborate throne in a dark hall, the buzz of chatter muffled in the background; here an hourglass spun dizzily round, the sands within dropping too slow for its momentum; here again was Adriana, this time far away with a satisfied smile on her devil red lips, lost in in swirling mists that parted to show a foreground focused on a motionless body abandoned on the hard ground, dark shadowed figures moving close by.

Landon's head throbbed in pain with the images and the confusion of what he was seeing. Something was very wrong and he had the distinct feeling he had just made one of the biggest mistakes of his life, but it was too late now to change his course. His body was already in movement, his lips already crashing into Adriana's with a force and intensity that startled even him. His eyes snapped open upon impact, now aware of exactly what a fool he had been. The smell of her perfume was more prominent this close and the truth of its spell revealed itself, moments too late. The taste of her lips was on his, slightly bitter and not the sweet release he had imagined, but another trick he was too distracted to notice in time.

*Her hands knew no boundaries as they rippled across his abs once again, this time bare skin to bare skin. She followed her fingers up the trail of Abdominal hair then back down again, relishing in her complete control over him. Her wish was his command, as he pulled back ever so slightly. His free hand pulling Aries in until there was nothing between them, except the tiniest moans that were exchanged between them.

What was once lost in the throes of passion, Aries demeanor swiftly turned rigid as Landon forced his way into her mind. The warmth in her eyes suddenly turn cold, as cold as death itself, but she continued the passionate kiss. Landon saw what she saw. Her sitting perched up on her thrown overseeing her "precious" students lively intermingling in the Great Hall. The image melted away molding another one. An hourglass rotating faster and faster over a sundial. The shadow of the sundial kept spinning counterclockwise until that image too shattered into pieces and another image emerge. The last thing Landon saw was a snow capped hill. An overgrown tree untouched by the winter weather, stood over the hill as guardian over what seem to be a graveyard.It wasn't Aries, but Landon who approached the hill. When he finally came too, two gravestones stood side by side underneath the ancient tree. One read Acantha Apollo, the other read, Markus Lestrange. No, Aries yelled echoing across both her mind and his. Aries did not allow this debauchery  to go any further as Aries patronus, Shiva, the goddess of ice, slammed into Landon, severing their connection.

Even though her interior was in a rage for Landon's blood, her exterior was calm as a drifting snowflake as she pulled him into a deep kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck so he could not pry her off him. She could fill him shuddering underneath her, realizing his mistake but it was too late. Aries was now in full control. It started subtle. His lips sealed with a kiss left behind by Aries lipstick. The gold flecks still sparkled under the candle light of the bar. Next his eyes flashed yellow and in an instant it was gone without a trace. Finally, his trembling stopped. He was hers, now and forever. After a minute Aries untethered herself from him, turning to the barman and upturning her purse. Galleons fell loose clattering on the bar.*

"We would like a room."

*She turn to Landon, her lips planting another kiss, he returning it eagerly as her infatuated lipstick took hold.*

"Come Sugar. I will give you a night that you will never forget."

When Landon's lip parted from Adriana's everything around him was hazy, the very air distorted in his vision. It seemed to gleam and emanate a pale gold glow, one that brightened and spun its way around Adriana until she was outlined in glorious light, shining like a beacon to Landon's unfocused mind. When he was not looking towards her he was lost, the world dark and shifting and altogether unfamiliar. While he would be loath to admit it in any other circumstance, it frightened him. So instead he kept his gaze steady on Adriana, unwilling to release himself from her.

Every movement was difficult, unless in relation to Adriana. Turning his head to look into her eyes, moving his hand to the small of her back – those were easy. Turning his head to look away, moving his legs in an attempt to escape – those were impossible. His limbs seemed to be resolutely ignoring the restrained voice far in the back of his mind urging, begging, his body to snap out of Adriana's spell.

When she spoke to him, promising an unforgettable night, Landon grinned widely, unable to contain his excitement. He could only imagine the unspeakable things they would get up to while all alone. He would treasure this night and what she allowed of him, knowing full well if he was not with her he would surely wither away and become nothing, so he must delay the inevitable and be with her every moment he had.

The dominant part of him followed his glowing master across the bar, up a flight of stairs and into a darkened room. If he had been in control of his actions or his thoughts Landon would know to never let his guard down here, to have his wand in his hand and ready to defend himself. But here, now, all he could think about was the softness of Adriana's hair in his hands, the pressure of her lithe body pressed into his, and the feel of every bit of exposed skin his hands could find on her. He was lost in a world she had created for him, falling deeper into her trap and unable to scream loud enough for his befuddled mind to heed the warning.

*Upstairs, Aries delicately, with sensual ease, glided gracefully down the hall claiming the last bedroom as her own. Landon on the other hand blundered in behind her, lost in his own little world, consumed only by his infatuation with her.

The bedroom was plain, with a four post bed worn with age, several nightstands, and a seating area cozying up to its own fireplace. Her eyes flicked back and forth scanning the corners of the room, nonverbally whispering spell after spell to test possible intruders or listening spells. For just a moment Aries let Landon graze his new surroundings, but when she was satisfied that no makeshift intrusion spell was in place and her anti-eavesdropping spells surrounded the room, she wrangled him in with a coy, flirtatious smile. Her midnight hair falling over her shoulders as she turn to look at him. It was easy to make him do what she wanted. It was as simple as a gentle hand guiding him to the edge of a bed, letting him melt into the covers.

She did not follow him in her pursuit, hovering above Landon. Aries hardly took her eyes of him, still ever present that lovely smile like it was her secret gift to him. He watched hungrily as she untethered her belt, slowly undoing all her buttons until the coat finally was able to freely slip off. Her dress mimicked the fabric of her coat but it was more low cut and the fabric flowed outwards as it got closer to the knees.  She spinned around for him, until she was facing the fireplace. Her head turn ever so slightly, seeing Landon in her peripherals, him wanting to feast on her bare skin as he ached to touch it, to have his firm body pressed up against hers. She wouldn't want to deprive him of that, as she said ever so sweetly.*

"Would you mind?"

Landon felt his body move to the bed in slow motion, as if he was moving through air so thick it resisted his momentum. Every sensation that should have registered in his nerves, the slippery silk of the bedsheets, the solid of the worn wood beneath his feet, even the faint heat coming out of the fireplace embers across the room, was dulled as if another body was feeling those things. The only sensations that Landon, the Landon in charge of his motions and actions, could grasp fully were the ones that Aries bestowed on him. His eyes took in her every step and when she dropped her coat in front of him and turned, reveling a back as smooth at the silk sheets beneath him, Landon could hardly function.

Her cloying words drifted back to his ears, her request burning through his mind. “Of course,” he whispered, his arm raising from his side, trembling despite himself. He reached the zipper and pulled it gently, slowly, down the fabric of her dress until it reached its end, the material now falling around Aries.

Landon could do nothing more than remain precisely as he was, sitting on the edge of the bed, his hand now resting against the small of Aries's back where he had just undid her dress. There was a pain starting in the back of his skull and he dared not to move in that moment, but to wait for it to pass. It felt vaguely like a needle drilling into his mind, a shrill voice trying to make itself known through pain. Landon did not like it; it was trying to tear him away from his reality, the reality of Aries and his adoration. Still, it persisted and all he could do for the moment was wince and remain still.

*Pedals fell as Aries dress slipped away. She was laid bare, everything expose except for black laced fabric strewn across her chest and thighs. Aries could not help herself but moan with excitement as Landon placed his hand on the small of her back. Her back arched as his rough hands moved back and forth on her silk skin. Like a ballerina in a music box, she slowly turned to face him, letting his hands move across her body, touching any part of her he wanted.

It did not escape Aries, as Landon feasted on her body and she taking in every ounce of him, that he was fighting her enchantments. His eyes told all, the war between succumbing to bliss and retaining his identity. Only a powerful wizard could resist her magic. But not for long as she pressed her hands against his shoulder blades, pressing him against the sheets. Aries took her place on top of him on the sheets. The warmth of his body became hers as they infused together and became one with one another. Her hands were over his, which were know firmly pressed against her thighs, helping her retain her balance as her body pressed against his. She planted another deep longing kiss. Each Kiss was more potent than the last as Landon willingly doused himself to her enchantments.

When their lips finally parted from each other, in Aries hands was Landon’s wand. It was slick and smooth, thirteen inches, fir wood and obviously well maintain. She expected nothing less from her prized puppet as he tried to comprehend in his little brain of his, what was going on. Now it was time to get down to business.*

“Strong as you are my pet, you cannot break my hold over you.”

*She found herself tracing the edge of Landon’s jaw, feeling every fiber hair between her fingers. On cue, Aries expression turned to that of distress and sorrow, knowing full well Landon could not bear to see his mistress in anguish.*

“Landon,” she said pleading. “I need your help. You are the only one that can save me. Will you help me?”

The shrill voice and the pain in Landon's head was soon drowned out and forgotten as Aries slipped her nearly bare body onto his, pushing him back firmly onto the bed. They sank down into it, entwined, and gone was all the fight that Landon had previously mustered. The smell of her perfume and the taste of her enchanted lipstick rewove their spell on him, again entrapped his mind in her web. There was no escaping her touch or her scent, and once it was on him Landon wanted no such release, other than the release of his urges for every part of her he could have.

After her lips had parted from his, and his vision and mind were yet again a hazy mess, Landon looked up from his position under Aries and into her eyes, waiting for her to make her next move.

He listened closely to the words Aries spoke, hanging on every syllable. He was astonished, and overjoyed, that he could do something for her. That, in fact, only he could do something for her. It was more than he could have ever asked for, it was what he seemed to live for, now. When he spoke his words were breathy and deep, dripping with the lust that wracked his body. “I'll help. I'll do anything.”

*The strings were being pulled, and Landon was performing adamantly to Aries whims. She gave her a gift only she could satisfy at that moment to one in such a shape as Landon. She gave him a smile. It was a small gift, but worth the weight of galleons to him. Instead of getting off Landon, she felt comfortable, secure. Her thighs embraced his hips, letting the arousal reaching a new high, before continuing with her plans. This would be the first time Aries would be straightforward and candid with Landon.*

“In the Ministry of Magic in the department of Mysteries, there is a room of time. I need you to get me a vial untouched by the time turners, during the beginning of the life cycle.”

*Every word Aries said, Landon held onto as if it brought the sun, the moon and stars out at night, able to bring life back into him. He was desperate making her triumph all the more sweet. Aries pulled out a small vial that was snugly held between her cleavage and present it to Landon. *

"You have 1 hour to perform this task, or your Mistress will be displeased, and when Mistress is displeased, you get punished."

*Aries pointed Landon's wand over his heart. In span of a heartbeat, she called his heart to her. She didn't stop until a blood curdling yell escaped his lips. She responded to his pleads by saying still as sweet as before.*

"You don’t want the Mistress be displeased, now would you?"

Watching with bated breath, Landon could feel his heart pounding in his chest as Aries shifted above him, somehow drawing his own wand into her long fingers. He could not recall her taking it from him, nor did he want to waste any thought on such a trivial matter. Instead he focused on her movements as she placed his wand tip onto his bare skin.

For one fleeting moment, as the pain ripped through Landon's body and a rough yell broke through his lips, his mind was his own and he could see clearly the danger he was in. The clarity passed too soon, and again his mind was fogged over, ready only to obey and please the magnificent and deadly woman sitting astride him. His breath came out in pants, an effect of the spell Aries had just used with his own wand. “No, no...you won't be displeased.” A low whimper, half lingering pain and half fright, sounded from Landon. “I'll get it for you; I'll get it in less than an hour! I know exactly how. I can do it. Please...I can do it.”

As much as Landon was loath to move from this position with Aries's legs wrapped around his sides and the pressure of her body on his, he struggled to his feet, already headed towards the door. The thought of retrieving his wand did not even occur to him; his mind was too focused on his task. Get to the Ministry. Get the sand. Return to Aries. It was a simple mantra that repeated in his head, over and over, blotting out all else.  He was out the door and down the snowy street before he even managed to put his coat on,  turning on his heel, his destination in mind. The spinning splitting feeling of his apperation was sudden and quick, over in less time than it took to take a breath.

Landon resurfaced in the Atrium of the Ministry, the roaring fires so cheery in the day now dim and casting shadows down the cavernous hall. A small smile played on his lips, knowing his goal was close. With a quicker pace than was usual for him, Landon traced the steps he took so often to the lift, then waited with growing impatience as it descended to the lowest levels of the building. He spotted no one on his journey; it was late and most employees had left hours ago. Landon was not worried about meeting anyone, in any case. It was not rare to see him working all hours of the night, tucked away in his office in the Department of Mysteries. He came and went as he pleased, as did many of those working in that department.

When the lift opened and the cool female voice called out his destination, Landon eagerly  stepped out and proceeded down the dark corridor, listening for any signs of others at work. His thoughts flitted to Mavis, his friend who happened to work in the Time department, and he fervently hoped she was not in her office, not so near to the object he desperately needed. There would be no fooling her and he dared not think what would happen if he were to return sandless. He was in luck, though, as he quietly opened the door leading into the Time Room.

Landon had only visited the room on occasion, and then only briefly as he walked through it on his way to see Mavis, whose office was off through a door in the back. Each time he was taken back by its beauty and the life it seemed to exude. There was light everywhere, sparkling off the many glass faces of clocks and bouncing off the white walls to rebound into Landon's brown eyes, taking in the sight with wonder. If he were not under Aries's spell surely he would have taken the time to marvel in the rooms splendor, but instead his mantra continued on in his mind. Get the sand. Return to Aries.

Looking around, Landon was filled with a growing sense of dread. There were time turners and sand all over the room. Which bit was he supposed to take? If he returned with the wrong sand there would undoubtedly be more pain...and Aries would be displeased. It was then that Landon heard the harsh scraping of what could only be a quill moving across parchment from the offices nearby. Without hesitation Landon started in the direction of the noise, letting his instincts take over. He was never one to over think his actions, trusting his natural gut reactions instead, as they rarely failed him.

One gentle knock on the door and a nudge to open it later and he was facing one of the employees of the Time department, looking haggard and half asleep. Landon gave the man an easy smile and a nod of his head. “Late night huh? I was just wondering if Mavis was in; thought I'd offer to take her home if she was. You know how she forgets to sleep.” He laughed then, his lies and deceptions leaving him unfazed. Even through his cloudy desire filled mind Landon was ever charismatic, his warm honest eyes winning over the tired man. What he then said, whether Mavis was in or not, Landon did not hear but instead was already silently casting the spell to let his mind wander into the other mans. Even without his wand, this was a spell that Landon had mastered.

Once he had found the information he sought within the confines of the mans mind, taking only as long as his answer, Landon smiled again and turned to leave the room. “Thanks mate. Don't work too hard, yea?” From that point on it was easy; he knew just what sand to take and where it was located. There were not more obstacles and Landon was out of the Ministry without incident in less than half an hour.

Taking the stairs back to the room where Aries waited two at a time, Landon entered the room in a rush, vial of pure sand held out in offering.

*The death rattling scream that seemed to rattle the windows, and awaken the long forgotten dust in between the close nit beams overhead, was music to Aries’ ear. Aries had a knack, a talent you might say, to cause the worse kind of pain imaginable, physically and psychologically. She took great pride and joy ferretting out someone’s deep rooted fears and manifesting that into a living nightmare. This was only the beginning, but sadly Landon begged for mercy. Wept and pleaded with her not to do him any more harm, that he will get her the sand of time. She was pleased to hear his full cooperation, but in the back of her mind, she wanted to get lost in her on throws of madness and continue Landon’s torment. Aries was reluctant to let Landon slip through her fingers, but she let him wiggle his way out from underneath her and out the door.*

*The fire, once roared in the fireplace, now had an ashen glow as embers faded in and out of existence. There, in the center of the room in one of the sofa chairs facing the door, sat Aries. The passage of time did not seem to faze her as she sat regal on her throne, still in her laced lingerie. Her skin supple to the touched had an inner glow even in the growing darkness. The way she moved her body sifting from one position to another, the way her head tilted up as Landon came through the doorframe, she had an allure about her.

Even though layers of fabric was parted from her body, leaving her expose, she had a dangerous elegance to her. Behind Her piercing grey eyes and disarmingly subdue smile, held an evil that cannot be cure. A person who can easily take life as she does breath that is what she is, who she is: Death’s Mistress. As her fingers curled around the vial in Landon’s hand, she thought about doing just that, take Landon’s life from this world, send him to the void to be forgotten. It would have been an easy matter to cover up.

Her wand laid already across her lap, posed and ready at a moment’s notice. Landon was defenseless, with no wand and still under her spell, she could easily poison him, or take the bejeweled knife hidden away but always in arm’s length and slit Landon’s throat. The thought pleased her, as the cruelest of ideas surface, but she did none of that. He was a mystery to be solved, and like she thought before, she would enjoy skimming through his pages of his past, and use him as a tool for the future.

Instead, she delicately spoke in an ancient language few have ever heard of, releasing Landon from her enchantment, and watched as the realization of what he done unfold.*

A sudden tight pain rippled through Landon's chest, his heart and lungs constricted, the air hard to breathe. The room around him burst into light, all corners of his vision now clear and visible; the fog that had clouded his mind since Aries's had first come near him was lifted. With the clarity of body came the clarity of mind, now all his own once again. What he had done that night, how had had acted, it all slammed into his abruptly coherent mind.

He had been played a fool, used like some sort of puppet that meant nothing more than a tossed aside article of clothing, such as the ones that still littered the floor. He had dedicated his whole life, all of it that he remembered, to being loyal and helping the Ministry in their cause – his cause. He owed them so much and this was how he was forced to betray them, at the hands of some up jumped woman whose lust for power made her the most cruel person Landon had ever faced. At her whim he had gone against the very people who had returned him from the shadowy abyss that was his lost time, only to steal for her what he himself craved so fervently; a way to turn back time, to change what had been done.

He felt the anger- no, the fury- of his manipulation surge through him, alighting his nerves and raising his heart beat. His hands clenched to fists at his side, his jaw set tight with thinly constrained outbursts. With the rage came something else, something that Landon could feel tugging at the snipped threads in his memory, pulling them ever closer together in an attempt to connect and seal. His burst of anger felt familiar, comfortable even, like slipping back into an old habit long thought abandoned. A smile crept its way onto his lips before Landon pushed it away, denying the wave of deja vu that was flooding his vision. He would have time to contemplate just what this new development in his memory meant after he had dealt with the witch in front of him.

“Give me back my wand,” he forced through gritted teeth, advancing on Aries. He knew not what he was intending, for she had both wands in her possession, but it seemed the only move he could make. A slight headache was forming in his brain, a common side effect when his memories started to pry their way back into his life. He shook his head quickly, trying to flush it out. He would need a clear head for his next attempt. Before the fateful spells had been cast on him Landon knew he had been able to infiltrate Aries's mind, if only for a moment. If he could do it now, just to distract her long enough, he could retrieve his wand. What he planned to do after that, well, he would decide when he needed to. The only spell he could perform without his wand rushed into him and pushed his mind out, seeking the entrance to Aries's, any chink in her cold hearted armor that would let him in. “I am not,” he said, still advancing, “your plaything. You're just not my type, sorry babe.”

*Aries relish in her power to manipulate people. It tasted like sweet nectar when her puppets disregarded their own moral code, every belief they stood for, for just a fleeting complement from their beloved Mistress, before reality came crashing in and around them. She could not restrain her smile as deadly anger raged in Landon's eyes. His posture once relaxed, even to the point of being a  goof, now was rigid. Every muscle were pronounce and rippled with tension as he weighed every contingency open for him to get out alive.

When he spoke, only sparks came out instead of his raging inferno which was bubbling under the surface.*

"Give me back my wand, Mistress," she corrected.

*Liquid water was Aries as she molded herself into a new role, her favorite role, the crown jewel of her success, the role of Headmistress. A role that deserved respect and acknowledgement from those less superior to her. The role that people flock too and look upon her with awe and tremble in terror for the powers she possessed but hardly revealed to anyone still living.*

"You're just not my type, Mis-."  

*Her triumphant smile was purged in an instance, as Landon once again forsake his own mind to take refuge in hers. Her bemused demeanor was replace by cold fury, a blizzard of winter and ice. Her anger seep into every pore, every fiber of her being unleashing her full potential.The heir of allure of her role as a Seductress, the mantle of authority being the Headmistress of Durmstang was eclipse by her new role, the role given to her by her father no less, Death's Mistress. Her features twisted into madness as she lunged upwards.

Landon was quick with both his speed, trying to retrieve his wand from Aries and his mental process as he tried to find a chink in her mental armor, but Aries was much quicker. simultaneously, Shiva, the goddess of ice did a full frontal assault on Landon's already unguarded mind, while Aries Lestrange, the Ice Queen, unless her magic.*

"YOU DARE USE LEGILIMENCY ON ME."

The room, which once roared with fire in the fireplace that long since burnt out and only the faint glow of the streetlights filter through the curtains of the room, buzzed with light as lightning as tangible as liquid, hot as fire, burst from Aries wand. Darkness that engulfed this room was cast aside illuminating the for corners of the bed chambers in acid blue light. The air all around her cracked and sizzled with her unleash fury.

Aries power sought out his. It had a need, a hunger, that could not be satisfied until it found its mark and unleash its paralyzing destruction. Torture was worse than death, and this was unimaginable torture. It did not kill, but rebounded his innate magical abilities, triplicating it, and turn them against its owner. Even unconsciousness could not be solace, a means to escape this art, only the Mistress can stop it when and if she desires.*

"Is this what you desire?"

*She asked slipping Landon's wand from its hideaway place near where she stood. Instead of destroying it like she should have, she tossed it at Landon. It rolled just out of reach like a slab of meat inches away from a restrain dog. That is what Landon is to Aries, just a dog to amuse her.*

Landon managed a pained chuckle as he watched the cool countenance that Aries had been maintaining break into furor. A glint of madness was in her eyes, and while it was indeed terrifying, he laughed nonetheless. He was getting under her skin, finding out what made her tick and what turned her moods. He was finding she was easy to play, once he knew what triggered her. And oh, he knew things about her now, things he was certain she didn't want him to, that he could and would use to play with her again, once he was in a less vulnerable position. For now he just needed to get out of her grasp, to escape and then start his research in how to destroy a part of her as she had destroyed a part of him: his perfect loyalty the the Ministry. The thought of vengeance already tasted sweet to Landon, another wave of feeling he did not know could be so familiar.

As Aries's frenzy reached a peak lightening burst into life around the room, bringing into bright brilliance everything that was once shrouded in shadows. The light alone was painful to the eyes but the heat and sparking energy that crackled along with it tore into Landon's mind and body, causing him to crumble to the floor, limbs trembling. It felt as if the lightening itself was shooting through his body endlessly, setting fire to his very blood in its wake. His scream ripped through the charged air, resounding through the entire building. Eyes narrowing in determination, he tried to push the agony away instead of succumbing to the blackness that was encroaching in the form of unconsciousness.  

“I don't need to...I can see right through you al-already.” Landon groaned in response to her outburst, his jaw clenched through the immense pain that was filling his body. “A spoiled brat with..ugh,” his head lifted from the floor as he stared into Aries's deadly eyes, “...daddy issues.”

While Aries's attention was held by his words, insults he knew had the potential to rip right through her and increase her anger, even if he was unsure of their truth, Landon lunged forward. Every nerve in his body screamed out in pain as he moved, sweat glistening down his back and a beating in his ear drums that pounded out his racing heart beat. The burst of effort was well worth it, though, as his hand tightened around the cold wood of his wand and Landon was no longer powerless. Pulling from his mind all he could, Landon shot a burst of energy from his wand towards Aries, his power no where near hers, but then again, this was not Landon's forte, just a quick counter attack to distract as he regained the use of his limbs and started a scramble for the door.

*The manic chuckle that escaped Landon’s lips was a laugh at his own undoing. The whole room trembled under Aries’ spell. The walls and roof shook with such ferocity that pieces of woodchips and drywall rained down around them. Aries’ spell crackled. It wanted more and more of Landon until it devoured his very essence, until madness settled in.

Aries wanted more. She wanted to revel in Landon’s own destruction. She would not be satisfied until everything Landon hold dear was torn away, ripped from his grasp. Everyone he ever loved, gone one way or another, Landon’s prospects of the future, shattered before his very eyes. Landon stole a piece of her; she will steal everything from him. This was personal for her.

Aries bombarded Landon’s mental barriers until they crumble to ash and dust. She tore through his memories like a hurricane, gaining access to his most precious of memories. For a time, his inner most thoughts, his meaningful memories were hers until Landon lunged for his wand, even under tremendous pain for Aries spell. She was too quick for him. She flicked her wrist, changing her spell in mid cast, sending him flying into the wall. His spell veered to the left, destroying a piece of furniture behind her.*