What is power? Is it sound… or is it silence?

* * *

The world changed for me when I took up the Elder Wand. 

It doesn’t require any insight or great knowledge to realize that my choice opened more doors – to more enemies, and opportunities – than anything else would have. A more timid action would have been to lay the wand aside, but I couldn’t afford to be timid. 

In a world robbed of a Dark Lord, after all, people do strange things. Unexplainable things. 

By taking the wand, my role changed. I wasn’t just the Boy-Who-Lived, or the Chosen One anymore… I was the Master of the Elder Wand, the Hero, the Slayer of the Dark Lord. All manner of grandiose titles that mean nothing to me – and everything to everyone else. 

So it is no surprise when I awake in my flat, rising from under silken sheets, untangling myself from the pair of delicate legs in which I had enjoyed the night before. She was still sound asleep, but that was to be expected. She agreed to leave in the morning, of course – no need for unnecessary complications. 

I had learned very quickly that when one rises to power quickly, many strive to mold that power… take control, twist it to their own desires. And women are good at that… very good. 

Extricating myself from the bed is a tricky task, but I manage it. Swallowing the love potion antidote that I had left for myself in the bathroom the night before, I trudge downstairs. I have a busy day ahead, and the last thing I need is any more complications to my already complicated life. And I learned from Ron’s experience that love potions are not to be trifled with. 

I idly turn the pages of the paper as my mind focuses on women. Many of them tend to gravitate to the power I now possess. Men too, but for different reasons, and certainly not to share my bed. But then again, I can understand an attraction to power – the legacy of the Elder Wand proved that long before I took it. 

I know that the woman upstairs is no exception. She had been a Slytherin back at Hogwarts, and I knew she thought that sleeping with me, gaining ‘consort privileges’, would be a sure path to power. It was almost a shame that she wouldn’t remember anything about our night – a very precise memory charm would see to that – but she had been good. A bit of a screamer, but it makes for a change. 

Some would call my usage of Memory Charms a form of rape, but I’d disagree – after all, I can only remove memories, not the intent behind them. She was the one who sought this, not me – and in the end, it proves safer for the both of us if only I know the truth. 

“Harry? Are you up?” 

Hmm, she’s up earlier than I expected. “Downstairs, Tracey.” 

She descends quickly, tugging on her slinky red dress as she looks blearily around the austere kitchen. She holds her shoes in one hand and wipes her eyes with the other. 

“That was… incredible, last night, Harry,” Tracey Davis whispers, planting a kiss on my cheek as she sits down. “I’ve never had sex that good. Never. And the way you use –”

“Let us not discuss trade secrets at the table,” I interrupt with a smirk. “So, just the coffee before you head out?” 

She huffs. “No time for coffee. Have to get back to work, but I’m sure I’ll see you at the next Ministry function.” Her voice sounds surprisingly hopeful. 

I only shrug, keeping the benign expression on my face. “There are sure a lot of those.” Unsurprisingly, of course. People always liked to celebrate, and the Dark Lord’s fall was as good as an excuse as any to engage in drunken debauchery. Of course, I always received an invitation – and they were excellent places to pick up very willing women. 

She smiles sweetly and slides the coffee away. “I really have to be going, Harry. One last kiss before I leave?” 

This was what I had been waiting for. “Of course,” I replied quietly, getting to my feet. She practically throws herself into my embrace, not even noticing the Elder Wand sliding out of my sleeve…

Her lips meet mine, and I can taste her sweetness. Of course, it would normally make casting spells quite difficult for an ordinary wizard. 

But with the Elder Wand, I’m no ordinary wizard. 

Obliviate!

Her eyes unfocus, and she slumps in my arms as I carefully maneuver her through the waiting open door. Kreacher does not meet my eyes as I carefully place her on the street as she slowly regains her balance, but he does his duty, slamming the door shut the second I step inside. 

There is a twinge of regret in my mind, but I shunt it aside. After all, with great power comes great responsibility – and sometimes responsibilities can be difficult. 

“Well,” I say with a low whistle, “that went as well as could be expected.” 

“Was she good, Master?” Kreacher asked in his low voice. 

“Not as good as Susan, and certainly not as good as Luna,” I reply shortly, returning to my seat and straightening my paper. “But then again, fucking a Slytherin is always somewhat abortive, considering most of their ambition is balanced out by cowardice.” Gryffindors aren’t much better either, considering most of them climax entirely too quickly and cannot sustain anything – my single experience with Ginny taught me that. Hufflepuffs were only marginally better, but they tended to be more timid and unwilling, and one eventually gets tired of having to drag them down that slippery slope. 

Damn, it was getting hard to satisfy my appetite these days. But then again, when sex begins to become routine, one only really remembers the special ones. 

“Any potential options tonight?” 

“The Malfoy family has invited you to the Manor again tonight –”

“My answer on that is still the same. Continue, Kreacher.” 

“There is the Gringotts Annual Associates Dinner –”

“Could be worthwhile, do you have a guest list?” 

Kreacher slid the official-looking invitation in front of me, and a few seconds analysis only brings a disgusted snort. “Not a lot of prospects.” 

“Political possibilities, Master?” 

“Undoubtedly, but I’m hardly in the mood for that tonight. I want something recreational. Anything interesting in Knockturn Alley?” 

Kreacher shook his massive bald head. “Sorry, Master, but there is nothing –”

“Damn. Is the Ministry putting anything on, tonight?” 

“Only Mister Bulstrode’s conference in the Department of Magical Finance, in which you received an invitation for –”

I snort with disgust. “Yeah, and the only reason he wants me there is so he can pawn off his daughter on me. Not gonna happen. And besides, Hermione’s going to gatecrash that little lecture anyways, and I don’t want to get involved in that.” 

Some say power changes people. Sometimes it makes them more mature, more dispassionate – and I’m living proof of that. And some people let it go to their heads – and Hermione looks like she’ll be a prime candidate to fit under that category. 

“Master, that is all the possibilities, and with Mistress Lovegood still in Sweden –”

I snort again, this time with disappointment. “Not a lot of choices, I know. I’ll go the Gringotts dinner and keep a low profile. With all my luck, it shouldn’t be that difficult.” 

Somehow, I doubt that I’ll remain unnoticed for long. It will likely not be a pleasant evening. 

Some call me dispassionate, almost cruel now in my pursuits, particularly of new thrills and new women. But I always have an easy counter for that accusation: if your life had been like mine, what would you now do, with ultimate power now in your hands? 

They can never answer that question, and I’m never surprised. People who crave power are often hotheads. People who possess power often have far more reservations, for they fear to lose it. 

And those like me, who disguise the amount of power we truly hold, allowing assumptions and gossip and legend to light the path… only the most perfect reservation is required. 

* * *

The goblin attendant is paid well to slip me in anonymously. As usual, I come late to this affair, wearing the crisp dress robes I know are required to blend in. And I have no desire to sit through speeches by men who can feel their power slipping through their fingers with every heckle – and from the unnaturally active atmosphere of the hall, I imagine there are a fair number of those. Young people, following a lead I have never claimed to hold, proclaiming a change I never intended to bring. Hermione supports them, saying they can help make wizarding society into so much more, but I know better. Most of them are just looking for something – and someone – to latch onto, to lash out at the establishment that ‘failed them’. 

I won’t deny that the Ministry failed, but chaos is far less preferable to sex, and after a year of hiding in the woods, I have no desire to topple a culture I helped to restore. 

I slide carefully along the side of the room, lurking in the background of all those self-important bankers and lawyers that are gossiping throughout the room. I have no doubt that I’ll be spotted soon, so I make my way towards the small bar at the side of the room. The older man working there, with a lined face and graying mustache, nods once as he approaches. 

“The usual, Mr. Potter?” 

I slide two Galleons across the bar, and a cool glass of wine, specially prepared with a new love potion antidote Slughorn discovered, is given to me. I take a long sip, wincing slightly at the dryness of the vintage, complete with the bitter tang of the antidote. 

It was only necessary – I couldn’t be too careful, particularly with the undercurrents of unease in the room. Many factions wanted my support – anyway they could get it. 

My eyes scan the bar. An old man, his eyes rimmed with red, drinking his goblin gin with a vacant expression. A middle-aged couple, bickering lightly and toying with their wands as they split a cheap bottle of wine. A few brash young men, laughing over a few smoldering Muggle cigars. And…

My eyes narrow as I focus on the trimly dressed woman sitting at the very corner of the bar, almost completely out of sight. Dressed in business-like Muggle garb, she had nearly escaped my gaze entirely… something I suspected was intentional. 

I know her from somewhere… she seems so familiar… hell, she’s young, she might have been at Hogwarts…

Black hair, wrapped in an intricate bun that only highlighted her pale skin and porcelain features. Dark eyes, almost like mirrors. A quiet austerity that said nothing about her but cool professionalism. 

For a fleeting second, I imagined what sex with her would be like. To my surprise, the picture was unclear. Perhaps it was because she’s someone I should know…

I make my decision quickly. Sliding quietly around the bar, and narrowly avoiding a passing waiter, I sit next to the woman. Her black Muggle pantsuit makes her seem unremarkable, but I know better than most that an unremarkable face often conceals some very remarkable secrets. 

“Excuse me, miss,” I begin slowly, modulating my voice to sound low, almost seductive. It tends to work. 

She turns to me. To my surprise, her expressionless demeanor does not change. If she hadn’t turned, I would have doubts that she even acknowledged my existence. 

“Could I buy you a drink?” 

She blinks twice before gesturing with a single delicate hand to the bartender. With a cursory nod, he pulls out another glass and fills it with wine – one of the expensive vintages. 

“You seem familiar to me,” I say quietly, meeting her dark eyes, “but I don’t remember your name. Who are you?” 

She only stares at me for a few seconds, as if expecting an answer. 

And suddenly it comes to me – there was only one girl who would ever respond to a direct query with utter silence – and she was definitely not one I had slept with. 

Her name is Su Li. She had been in my year at Hogwarts, in Ravenclaw. I had never seen her much – she had never joined the DA, or even seem to be much for socializing at all. She had spent most of her time alone, often in the library. Hardly the social butterfly. 

Reportedly, she hadn’t had friends in Ravenclaw Tower. Her silence, almost unnatural, was unnerving for a lot of students. She had been smart – most Ravenclaws were – but she had never gained prestige for her accomplishments, because she had never said a word. The general assumption was that she was extremely shy – or that was least what some of the Ravenclaw girls had said. 

But Su Li does not seem shy to me – for someone as reclusive as reported, why would she be present at a bar at a crowded Gringotts dinner? There’s something under the surface here…

“You are Su Li?” 

She nodded, and the trace of a smile moves across her thin lips. Alluring, certainly, but I’ve had enough experience not to fall for a pretty face. 

“Why are you here?” 

She gives me a look filled with exasperation and makes a gesture towards the room. My eyes narrow. Why doesn’t she just respond? Why play this game? 

Unless that is all this is to her… a game, and she wishes you to play along…

“So how long have you worked at the bank?” I hazard a guess, taking a quick swig of my wine. A guess only, but from the growing grin upon her pale face, I know I have struck home. It seems odd, though, that she works at Gringotts – surely they wouldn’t hire an employee who gives the customer the silent treatment? 

“Do you ever speak?” 

Her smile grows wider, with a trace of insufferable playfulness – except that this sort of play is far from what children dally in. A smirk touches my own lips, now – she desires a power game, it seems. A peculiar way to begin, but I’ll play along…

“You have not answered my questions.” 

The look I am given is as plain as if she had said the words aloud: and if you don’t know the answers by now, you’re more stupid than I thought.

I chuckle under my breath at her insouciant deviousness. It explains her poise, elegant but reserved, calculating but carefree. It also explains her lack of company, for many would be intimidated or angered by her silence. Few would have the nerve to approach her, unnerved by her lack of response, still features, and mirror-like eyes. 

But I am not one to be intimidated, and her silence does not anger me – it is a subtle challenge to my intellect, something I have been craving. 

And I can only imagine the sex will be unbelievable. 

No, I cannot even fantasize about that yet. Her hand remains unknown, and I know that she will be a very difficult one to take…

I drum my fingers upon the bar, hoping to draw her attention, but her eyes remain fixed upon my face. I can guess why many would find her unnerving, but I play along. 

“And as you are alone and have not banished me from your quiet presence, I can only guess you would not be averse to dinner in a few hours?” I ask, cocking an eyebrow in a way I know women find charming. “The private place, three doors left of Twillfit and Taddings?” 

She gives me a skeptical expression. 

“Why would I ask? Can I not ask to learn more about you through private conversation and a candlelight dinner?” 

She seems to consider this, and I hold my breath. I am still new at playing the sophistication game – which she seems to have mastered. 

Finally, she nods decisively and gestures towards the clock. 

“What time? Well, why don’t we make it ten o’clock?” I give her a winning smile. “I’ll have the table reserved.” 

Of course, at that restaurant, renowned for being notoriously exclusive and fiendishly expensive, I always had the table reserved, courtesy of my newfound hero status. I had only taken the women I was genuinely intrigued by out to dinner, though. It had started with Ginny and continued to Daphne, Susan, and finally Luna. Su Li would be the fifth girl I had taken out to my private table. 

And I could only wonder what to expect from that encounter. 

* * *

“Kreacher!” 

There is an echoing crack as I stride into my kitchen and open a cabinet. This one is filled with ‘personnel files’ that Hermione had laboriously created and wanted me to review, to see if any would be ‘viable for the cause’. A pile of files I only perused when making background checks upon the girls I was meeting and fucking. 

After all, one wouldn’t want to contract something embarrassing, particularly in my position. 

“Yes, Master?” 

“Set up a reservation with Pritchard for ten o’clock. Usual fee, and make sure the right wines are on tap.” 

Kreacher nodded and disappeared with another crack as I finally managed to pull a large blue folder out, stuffed with paperwork in Hermione’s tiny script. It only takes a few seconds to find the page…

There is no wizarding photograph, but I expected that. She does not seem to be the type of person to appear much in photos. I scan the few lines of text under her name with interest. 

…strong student, sorted into Ravenclaw, and deserving of her position. Pureblood (?), but no known political leanings. Allegedly mastered silent spellcasting in her fifth year, and only used verbal incantations when absolutely necessary. No known personality conflicts with teachers. Conflicts with other Ravenclaw girls were abortive and inconclusive. No known friends at Hogwarts. Reportedly strong in Charms and Arithmancy. Unknown role in Battle of Hogwarts. Results: inconclusive, more information required…

I snort with disgust and wonder how on earth Hermione managed to accumulate so much gossip, even about a girl she had likely never spoken to. Guess she’s making good use of Parvati and Lavender’s unique skills…

I slide the file aside and slowly pull the Elder Wand from my pocket. With it had come power, power that Hermione and many others wanted to exploit. But I knew better – with the Elder Wand came intoxicating power, which required delicate control. 

And one particular delicate control, I was becoming all too skilled with – much to the great pleasure of every woman I became acquainted with. 

I carefully swallow the cup of temporary sterilization potion that Kreacher leaves on the table every evening. It is foul-tasting, but necessary – unwanted pregnancies were the last things I needed now. 

I take a careful look in the mirror. Possessing the Elder Wand, even for a few months, has aged me, but it has also made me wiser… smarter. I am not the same Harry who nearly gave all that power up in Dumbledore’s office. 

Would I give up that power? Luna has asked me that question before we made love. Sometimes I consider it, considering replacing that wand back within Dumbledore’s marble tomb. 

But I always know, in the back of my mind, I will not. That would be too… altruistic. Sacrificing power for no other reason than to sacrifice power is pointless. It mocks everything I have won… everything I have lost. 

“Don’t expect me back tonight, Kreacher,” I call, closing the door behind me, as I walk out into the night, a cool smile on my face. Su Li, I’m in your game now. Let’s play.

* * *

Dinner is a quiet affair, like I expected. Su Li eats with both poise and dignity – and absolute silence. It is almost otherworldly, the way she behaves – it is as if she is above the affairs of normal conversation, and is seeking to communicate on a higher level. 

One could say that she says more with her eyes, than she does with her lips – at least for now. It is bizarre, and I can see how many found it antisocial and more than a little frustrating. 

I find it erotic, intoxicating like the heady vintage on the table. She is slowly attempting to entice me, and it is indeed stimulating, both mentally and physically, to play her little game. It is a battle of wits, but it will soon become something more…

“So, where to?” I ask slyly as we exit the restaurant. 

She smiles and points towards a small building – one of the many small apartment buildings in which young witches and wizards often lodge in Diagon Alley. 

“You live there.” 

She nods and gestures for me to follow – all part of the game. 

I follow her up the stairs and down the hall. At the back of my mind, I marvel how quietly she moves. Even in high heels, she makes little sound on the wooden staircase. I eye the décor with some surprise – this building is more than it appears. Likely a lodging for young, wealthy purebloods, I think as I follow her down the halls, ‘cause it’s certainly more well kept than many of these places I’ve seen…

She reaches the door at the end of the hallway and unlocks it with a short wave of her wand. Silently turning the handle, she moves inside, halting just for a second to beckon for me to come closer, to come in. 

I take a deep breath. Here it goes, I think with a cool smile spreading across my face. The endgame.

Su Li’s room is surprisingly small, paneled in dark wood. An old phonograph, barely used, sits on a tidy desk, next to a glimmering white bed, covered with blue silken pillows. The moonlight is creeping in through the single window, but pinkish blinds tint the light in deep crimson tones. 

I smile. She’s prepared.

Pulling two crystalline candlestick holders from a cupboard, Su sets them on the desk. Then, with a subtle grin, she slides her wand into the top, lighting it silently, bathing the room in dim, white light. 

Well, two can play at that game, I think, drawing my seldom used holly wand from my pant pocket. Like her, I light it wordlessly and slide it into the holder. Then I draw the Elder Wand. 

Her eyes widen with surprise when she sees the Wand of Destiny. I chuckle for a second as I step closer. 

“You didn’t think I was going to surrender this, did you?” I whisper, drawing ever closer to her lithe form. She has shed the black pantsuit for a form-fitting black gown, and I smile as she steps closer, her white skin glimmering in the moonlight. 

She does not resist as I draw closer and begin to walk around her. Nobody could say that I wasn’t inventive with foreplay. And besides, I had my trump cards ready. 

“You lured me here… thinking that you could control me,” I whisper, my hand slowly sliding around her thin waist. “And you nearly did. You’re not the shy girl many think you are… no, you’re a predator, just like me.” 

She shivers in my grasp as I step closer, to whisper in her ear. 

“And that’s your one strength, Su, and a devious strength it is… silence. You make yourself unattainable, unapproachable – and only bring the ones who can read your desires into your little game… and there have been so few of those…”

I plant a light kiss on the base of her next, and she shivers again. The mirror of her eyes is fracturing, revealing the hungry soul within. A hunger that is rarely seen – but something that both of us are craving. 

“But,” I whisper, in between kisses across the nape of her neck, “you weren’t prepared for me. The predator… has become the prey…”

She twists suddenly, to face me, and her lips meet mine. She tastes different than Tracey, a deeper, more fulfilling flavor – one I can tell has rarely been sampled. Like the fine cognacs that the older pureblood bankers drink and I have sampled, there is something inherently different about Su Li. Forbidden fruit, rarely tasted…

The Elder Wand sparks in my hand, but Su does not notice it. Raising it carefully with a practiced gesture, I drag the tip of the wand down the zipper at the back of her dress. She shivers as the filmy black fabric becomes looser, only tied now behind her neck – a knot I can easily loosen. 

Our kiss breaks, and her smile is now rimmed with cool triumph – as is mine. She found someone worth her time, up to her high standards, and I found a very delicious prospect for the night…

“You’ve liked this little chase, this little game,” I murmur, a familiar huskiness creeping into my voice as my left hand moves towards the final tie of her dress. Her hands are moving too, pulling away the catches of my dress robes towards the white shirt I wear beneath them. 

I know better than to expect a response, but I am slightly startled when Su’s eyes gleam. The mirrors are not just reflecting light any more, this I can tell. Her own lips slide along my neck, leaving small red marks as I feel her teeth. We are close to the same height, so it very easy for her move. Her hips slide enticingly against mine, but I know I must be patient. 

After all, when one spends so long looking for a good thing, one must savour it. 

The knot behind her neck comes loose, and her dress falls away, revealing a lacy black bra and panties, even as she begins to unbutton my shirt. My lips return to her neck, slowly sliding down towards the straps of her bra…

But unlike nearly all of the girls I have been with, she does not moan with pleasure. Even as the throes of ecstasy flood through her – her trembling is evidence of that – she does not make a sound. Not a word, not a noise are escaping her lips – perhaps because her lips are now moving down my now-visible chest, I cannot be sure. 

I raise the Elder Wand again, and with a slow, deliberate motion, I slide it downwards, towards her panties. She quakes with pleasure as the wand slides between her naked buttocks and the lace, sliding ever closer…

Voluptas!

My unspoken spell sends a surge through Su, and this time, a gasp escapes her mouth. She cannot help it this time – my Pleasure Charm, erupting through her body from the base of her spine, has sent her nerves haywire with sensation. She is climaxing, this I can tell, and I press my lips to her, kissing her deeply –

Her moment arrives. Her moan is swallowed up by my lips, and even as I draw the Elder Wand away, I know that it is wet in my hands. 

Some say I’m cheating, using this type of magic. Some even consider it below them. I disagree – when you are with a woman, you satisfy her, and make her ache for more before you’re through. And why not use all the tools at your disposal, particularly if your tools are the best in the business. 

She’s breathing heavily now, straining to keep her silence, but I know more than anybody that her task is futile. I’m stripping away her resistance and control even as she’s stripping away my clothes – and we both know the truth. 

She backs me onto the bed, and I can only smile with satisfaction as my pants and boxers slide away. Clad in nothing but lingerie, she slides up between my legs, her eyes gleaming as her lips move towards my shaft, hard and erect for her arrival. 

She wants to give me a taste of my own medicine, but I know better. Even as she tries to reestablish her control, the scales will not move in her favour – not while I have the Elder Wand. 

Her mouth slides along the base, and I cannot restrain a moan of pleasure. For one as quiet as she is, she is incredibly good with her tongue – far better than most women who use their tongue for other, less stimulating pleasures. 

Even as I feel my own climax approaching, I slide the Elder Wand towards the back of her neck. She does not notice – her eyes are focused on mine, and mine only, as her tongue slides tantalizingly around my cock… her gaze filled with soft triumph…

Voluptas!

The spell, buoyed on the flight of my own climax, strikes Su in the back of the neck, and she swallows the cum filling her mouth. Her eyes glaze over with ecstasy, and the simultaneous tremble of her body sends a shiver down my own spine. 

She wasn’t going to win at this game, but she sure as hell was going to go down fighting. 

Her lips leave my cock, and she begins glding up my body towards my face, her mirror-like eyes shattered to pieces and ablaze with hunger. I carefully move the Elder Wand back as she approaches. 

Mico, I think carefully, and immediately the Elder Wand begins to vibrate in my hands. I carefully modulate the frequency until the wand is silent as Su, but she does not notice my silent spell. A shame, really – anticipation makes the heart grow fonder, and the sex all the better. 

“I think,” I whisper lightly, “that you’re enjoying that.” 

She slides ever closer, and I can feel my shaft erect beneath her body, but my concentration does not falter. I want her to feel this, and my timing will have to be impeccable if I am to pull this off…

Her lips rise to meet mine, and already I can feel the pre-cum leaking, but my attention is on the Elder Wand. Slowly, slowly…

With a silent wave, I Vanish her panties, and slide my wand into her garden. She shaves well, and the wand does not catch on any hair as it slides towards her pussy…

Her head slides next to mine, and I look into her eyes with smug satisfaction. I’ve got you now.

But then she moves close, her lips sliding close to my ear. She opens her mouth, and I prepare myself for her kisses again. 

What comes instead is something I never would have expected, not from her. 

“More…”

Her voice, soft, but husky with desire, sends a thrill down my spine as my wand brushes her clit. So she does speak, after all…

“Of course, Su.” 

Voluptas!

She convulses silently, and cum leaks from my shaft as she writhes in pleasure upon my naked chest. As I slowly slide my wand free, I can see it glisten in the dim wand light – and not just from the vibrations. 

I can tell now, that we have shared something special – an intimate moment of sorts. Su Li spoke to me… and that means she knows she cannot control me. But can I control her…

“I think I know what you want.” 

She kisses me behind the ear – she’s definitely listening. 

“I know what gives you pleasure – and I know how to place it in your grasp.” 

Another kiss, an encouragement. She’s definitely paying attention now. 

“You crave silence,” I whisper, between my own kisses dragging across her body. Her bra is Vanished with a wave, and my mouth travels to her well-formed breasts. “You ache for it, for it is your power. To you, it is a perfect defense… and the best offense is a good defense. But I can give it to you – forever.” 

Her kiss is long, and her intrigue is plain in her eyes. She still seems to have plenty of energy. After three successive climaxes to sexual magic, that is impressive…

“The ability to control sound… to silence yourself, and others if you desire… I can give this to you, if you wish… but you know as well as anyone that said power comes with a cost…”

I kiss her breasts, and she kisses the base of my neck. I can feel her tongue’s seductive motions – they do not falter. She’s not hesitating. 

“Are you sure?” 

Her tongue slides along the base of my larynx, and she cannot see me smile. 

“Very well, then, if you’re sure… lie down…”

She turns over, allowing me to maneuver her carefully onto the bed. She is looking up at me as I give the Elder Wand an experimental twirl. 

“This might hurt a bit,” I say carefully, touching my wand to my shaft, still erect and pointed towards its target. A muttered word, and my shaft glistens, as if soaked in oil. It is really far more than that – the book I retrieved from the Restricted Section suggests it is magic made fluid – but her eyes still widen with surprise just the same. 

“Close your eyes…” I whisper, as I slide on top of her. She is shivering with anticipation, aching for every moment. My shaft slides towards her pussy, moving with the slow deliberation of a massive battering ram. 

She is tight – very tight – and the secret smile spreads across my lips again. She’s a virgin… nobody’s ever gotten this far. It doesn’t even feel like she plays with herself much… then this will be an experience she’ll never forget…

She cannot restrain herself. She moans audibly – the last sound she would ever have to make, if my plan worked – even as my hands gently caress her breasts as I lean closer and closer, as I penetrate farther and farther…

“Silencio,” I whisper, and the Elder Wand jolts with power, but the spell does not erupt from the wand – I have stilled it within the wood for but a few seconds. 

The wand touches the base of Su’s neck, cradled by my other arm around her. My lips meet hers, tasting her rich flavor even as my shaft completely penetrates –

VOLUPTAS!

She shakes underneath me, and her eyes go wide as my power and seed surge through her. Her gasp is swallowed into my mouth, and I can only ride the wave of her exultation as both magic and pleasure lights our veins like a surge along a wire…

Her climax is the hardest yet, but gasps of shock and moans of pleasure are swallowed up, as our tongues are in each other’s mouths. Her pussy is very wet now, and the liquids mix with cum… and mix with magic…

The surge lasts exactly forty-two seconds – seconds of utter bliss, of raw sexual ecstasy, as magic that I doubt has been worked for ages streams through our closed circuit…

It stops. 

I roll off of Su, my own pants filled with pleasure. My shaft is soaked in fluids, but I do not care. I can clean up later. 

She is panting as well – but no sound passes through her lips. Her breathing makes no disturbance of the air. Her chest rises and falls, but despite our closeness, I cannot hear her beating heart. I can feel it, but there is no sound. 

My grin is one of satisfaction. It worked.

She rolls over to face me – soundlessly, of course. She tries to mouth a word, but no vibrations escape her lips. Her eyes are wide with shock and pleasure, and I expect that new fluids would likely be running down her legs in seconds. I had given her a gift – a power beyond anything she could imagine. 

But with all power comes a cost. 

“Do you like it?” I whisper, my eyes gleaming as they meet her shattered mirrors. 

She nods slowly and pulls me tight against her. I can feel every supple curve of her body, and much to my surprise, it still appears that she has energy to keep going. Incredible stamina, she has…

“But before we continue, I must ask you one thing.” I close my eyes and concentrate, anticipating the rush of sweet success, almost as tasteful as Su…

Would you want to do it again, Su Li?

She freezes. I’m not surprised in the slightest, and I can barely restrain a chuckle from emerging from my throat. She begins to shiver, and I can hardly blame her. 

After all, if I was hearing a voice in my head, I’d be surprised as well. 

Yes, Su, it is me, Harry. I warned you that such a power comes with a cost… and now I’m here, and you’re mine.

Her eyes go wide. I don’t think she was expecting this, but she was the one who chose to give into my temptations. She wanted power, and she got it – but I got something more. 

You see, Su, our last little climax was laced with magic – and it formed a link between us. I can see through your eyes, read your thoughts, and sift your memories. I gave you all those powers of silence you were so desperately craving, but those powers came with a price – namely that I can strip them away in an instant, and stop your heart with exquisite pleasure an instant later. That is the power of our link. Now I would have no desire to remove such a delectable woman, but I do need your services. Your silence makes you an invaluable listener, and I can always use an extra hand to go where I cannot. And I would not mind having a gorgeous escort in which I know cannot betray me.

I shrug my shoulders. Of course, we’ll have to renew our little ritual in forty-two days if you want to keep said powers – and you will want them. Power is addictive, and I know that better than anyone. And besides, the price I am charging you is hardly anything compared to what you are gaining – ultimate silence, and a man who can more than satisfy your appetites – which are nearly as voracious as mine, just far more selective.

So what is your choice, Su Li, my beautiful little silent slave? Do you agree to the terms, or must I leave your cold, exquisite body on your silken pillows, bound a silence all too permanent?

She looks at me hard, for a long few seconds, and I watch as emotion flits across her eyes. Her face is an ivory mask, emotionless, but her eyes… ah, there’s fear, anger, betrayal, surprise, grudging admiration, lust, cold satisfaction…

She finally stretches out a trembling arm and guides me closer, towards her pale white form, gleaming in the crimson moonlight. 

Her lips meet mine, and my shaft is once again erect, this time buoyed not by physical pleasure, but by sweet, terrible triumph. 

I take that as agreement… and you are mine.

She kisses me fiercely, and I respond in kind. Her energy is hardly exhausted, and I know I have only just begun. The game is over, though – the winner just has to collect his winnings. 

It would be a long night for both of us. One silent, the other the silencer, bound by cool magic and hot lust. 

Great power with great responsibility? Perhaps. But one thing is certain: for those who know true power, the sex is always better.