Professor Stevenson made Minerva's heart flutter as she stood on the opposite side of the room. Back straight, chin up, her body clad in naught but a tight black top and sleek, form fitting leggings that reminded Minerva of the kind of clothing a stage hand might wear to avoid drawing attention in a play. She looked as if she had full mobility in the costume - and she looked as if she reveled in it. Her hands were clasped behind her back and she regarded Minerva cooly, before at last speaking.
"Your first lesson," she said. "Strike me."
Minerva looked at her wand, then back up at Stevenson.
"With a spell," Stevenson said, her tail twitching and her ears flicking with cattish annoyance.
"Right," Minerva said. She squared her shoulders. She lifted her wand, then aimed. "
Cidak Slan Wif!"
A bolt of light exploded from her wandtip and shot towards Stevenson. It struck the wall behind her as she stepped to the side, hands still behind her back.
"Again," Stevenson said.
Minerva frowned. She flicked her wand and spoke the words again. "
Cidak Slan Wif!"
And again, the bolt struck the wall behind Stevenson, who had not even moved her hands from behind her back. As smoke rose from the stonework behind her, she stepped forward.
"Again!"
"
Cidak
-"
Stevenson stepped into her arm, clasped her wrist, twisted her
so
, and the wand came flying free from Minerva's hand as Stevenson lifted her arm and pushed her down with one hand. Minerva wobbled, her shoulder aching and sweat beading and dripping down her chin as she was forced to look down at the ground. Stevenson's voice was a quiet, dangerous purr that excited every atom in Minerva's body. She was painfully aware that it would just take a tiny
twist
and Stevenson could have her on the floor. On her back. On her knees.
"As you can see...there is a certain disadvantage when it comes to attacking with spells."
"I bloody well can!" Minerva exclaimed, her voice tight.
"Ahem."
The pressure on her arm heightened ever so slightly. It didn't hurt. But it
threatened
too. The pressure made Minerva's knees go weak and her cheeks heated. "I-I bloody well can...P-Professor," she said.
Stevenson released her with a grin. "Very good," she said. "A spell travels through the medium it is released into. We are in the material realm - the propagation of magic is decidedly slower than a human's reflexes, or their muscles. This means..."
"S-Spells can be dodged," Minerva said, nodding.
"Very good," Stevenson said, her fingers tousling Minerva's head. Minerva's cheeks heated even more and she tried to not drop to her knees right then and there.
This woman just does things to my brain,
she thought. Or tried to think. The actual thought came out more as:
Pet oh my brain that...er, uh, head...girl...
Stevenson turned around, her tail swishing. Which, of course, drew Minerva's eyes down that long, sinuous tail to that taut, tight, firm-
"And thus, once the astral plane was discovered, duelists chose to fight there rather than in the material world," Stevenson said. She picked her wand from her hanging robes, flicking her wrist to extend it from the curved pistol-like hilt it had. Her fingers gripped the wand firmly as she turned back to face Minerva. "In that plane, it is a direct battle of magic against magic. Quite fair." She chuckled. "But that's not an option for us anymore. Now is it?"
"No, Professor," Minerva said, shaking her head.
Part of her had played, like one might play with a knife, the idea of leaving out
professor
on purpose. And as she looked into Stevenson's slitted, catlike eyes, Minerva could see the smug knowledge that the older woman had seen it. Minerva...was beginning to realize she was just an open book for this older woman. The memory of her vision in the Trial Temporalius tickled through her brain and her cheeks heated even more.
"Now," Stevenson said. "Magic is swiftest when it acts. Thus. If I were to fling a spell here." She tapped the ground before her feet. "That created a wall, the wall would be up before your spell reached me. Understood?"
Minerva nodded.
"When I ask a question, I expect a response, witchling," Stevenson crooned.
Minerva's knees trembled. "U-Understood, Professor."
"Good," Stevenson said. "Now that you know the basics, we shall practice your defenses. We shall begin with your dodging. Ready?"
Minerva gulped. "Y-Yes, Profess-"
"
Cidak Slan Wif
," Stevenson said, her wand whipping in a sword-slash of an arc. At the midsection, a bolt of crackling magic burst forth and whistled at Minerva. She flung herself to the side, stumbling. The bolt struck the wall with a spray of sparks, some of which stung against her back. Stevenson's voice cracked out - authoritarian. Domineering.
Sensual
. "I said dodge, not stumble. Minimum necessary movements!
Cidak Slan Wif
!" Her wand, which had been held up by her ear, slashed down in another arc. Again, a bolt flew out. Minerva jerked herself aside and the bolt struck the wall with another spray of sparks and smoke.
Stevenson arched a single eyebrow in approval. "Better," she said. Her wand slashed and her voice barked out the words again. Another bolt - but this time, there was no pause. WIthout missing a beat, Stevenson slashed upwards again, her voice ringing out as she cast again, then again and again and again. She timed her wand movement such that each time she said
Wif
, it was whipped down at the exact right angle. Minerva had never imagined there could be such...precision and talent in flicking a wand.