Weft of Power, Warp of Blood: A Tapestry of Desire

Chapter Fifteen
The Day After The Night Before

Jasmine woke up the next morning with the worst headache of her life. She was also starving. Arielle was with Severus – good. Groaning out of the covers, she discovered that she was naked. She teetered for a moment after standing and trudged into the bathroom to rummage for a headache tonic. Quickly, Jasmine tossed the stuff back and followed it with a glass of water. She looked into the mirror to see just how bloodshot her eyes were and was shocked at the sight. Her lips were swollen, there was a small bruise on her neck and several small ones around her breasts and a red rash that looked as though she had been rubbed raw from her lips to her thighs. Mouth gaping, she reached to touch the marks. They were pleasantly sore. Her knees collapsed and she quickly sat down on the toilet seat, staring at her reflection. A small voice in her head reminded her that she was still wearing makeup from last night and she quickly banished it. It didn’t help. Now she could see that her lips were red, not from the makeup but from… being punched? Kissed? What happened?

She shifted and realized that her bottom was sore. She carefully spread her legs and looked into the mirror, fearing the worst. Her thighs were red and her sex was swollen. The movement hurt, though it wasn’t terrible. She had definitely been with a man. She didn’t know who.

Instinctively, she ran to the bathtub and took a scalding shower, scrubbing her skin until it was pink. She was shaking, with tears rolling down her cheeks in upset and confusion. She sat down, tailor-style, in the bathtub, holding the shower wand over her head while water streamed over her body. She sat still for what seemed like hours.

Slowly, she calmed and visions of the night turned into puzzle pieces that she fitted together. The dog going to The Three Broomsticks, laughing with her friends, drinking too much, Emily was lesbian, they talked about Sirius the dog and Sirius Black and… she didn’t remember walking home, but she did remember laying down in the living room to cuddle with the dog. An image from one of Arielle’s books flashed across her mind – a little witch in blue robes saying ‘bibbity bobbity boo,’ and making magic happen. That, of course, was a silly Muggle children’s story – it was silly showmanship rather than a real charm. Jasmine closed her eyes as the hot water coursed over her. But it had worked last night. She said those magic words and … no. That was ridiculous. The very idea of turning her dog into a man, especially as untalented as she was in transfigurations, was silly and rather disgusting. Jasmine giggled hysterically to herself.

As she massaged shampoo into her hair, Jasmine remembered strong arms and rain colored eyes and the sweetest kisses she’d ever tasted. There was a faint impression of a dark beard and long hair and lips that murmured to her in a voice that was sandpapered silk. One of her hands lifted to her breast. He had worshipped there. Need, she remembered that, almost crying for his touch and the heat of his hands. She remembered being filled, stretched so much that it hurt but then didn’t. She remembered orgasms, several of them, lifting her hips to his mouth, looking up into his eyes, being on her knees, riding him and looking down at him. After that, there was nothing. She didn’t feel… bad, she felt… confused. What had happened? The man…

In a daze, she dried off and dressed. Replaying the images running frantically through her mind, she couldn’t see them well enough to figure out what had really happened. All she knew was that there had been a man in her home last night and they had had sex. Apparently a lot of it. She didn’t remember pain or upset, so it must have been consensual. DAMN, who the hell was he? Where was he? What kind of jerk leaves in the middle of the night?

The water clock struck once. No wonder she was hungry, she’d slept all morning. Oh no! The animals! Jasmine rushed around, feeding everyone. All of the creatures except Albert came rushing to her for food (Albert never rushed anywhere, much less anywhere out of the attic, preferring moths to alfalfa.) Everyone but Sirius. Where was he? She looked around the barn for him as she cleaned up, then over the meadow, up the mountain and down the road as she reinforced the wards. After demanding to go with her last night, it was surprising that he wasn’t there. A panicked thought came to her mind – what if he was lost or hadn’t come home with her last night? No, she thought, she remembered cuddling with him in the living room when they got home. Oh, this day was turning into a very confusing one. Maybe she was still in a drunken stupor? With that thought, she set her alarm for six o’clock and went back to bed. There was only one way to deal with it all – a nap.

It didn’t help. When she awoke, with Berri cuddled next to her, the redness had faded from her body, but she was still sore. Sirius still wasn’t there and she was still hungry. She dressed and ate dinner quickly, fed the animals and readied food for the next day. It was time to go pick up Arielle from Severus at school and watch the third and final task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament.


Arielle jumped into her arms when she saw her mother. They sat quietly talking about Ari’s night while Severus stared at the flirty chiffon scarf around Jasmine’s neck. Jasmine avoided looking directly at him and hurried Arielle out of the castle to the Quidditch pitch. They stopped to chat with Anne-Mette in the crowd. Her husband, Niles, a brutish looking Scotsman, looked on as Moira and Ari played an impromptu game of tag and Siobhan chatted with classmates.

“How’re you feeling, love?” Anne-Mette asked with a chuckle.

“Er…” was the response.

Thankfully, her friend talked over the non-response. “You got so sozzled last night, that dog practically carried you out of the pub!” Jasmine blushed and Anne-Mette giggled.

Jasmine gulped out, trying to sound nonchalant, “What all happened last night? I don’t remember much of the end there.”

People surrounding them stared as Anne-Mette burst into hysterical gales of laughter. Jasmine silently endured, her cheeks still pink. She fingered the scarf covering the worst of the love bites. Anne-Mette had calmed to snickers and said, “You were still going on about Sirius Black when we left, the dog supporting you all the way – you still can’t handle your booze, girl.”

“Yes, well, we drank a lot of wine last night!”

“You’re still a light-weight,” Anne-Mette laughed.

“I sort of remember a man…” prompted Jasmine, hoping her friend would give her a clue about her partner last night.

“There was a chappie in blue and gold that tried to chat you up when we left,” said Anne-Mette.

“Oh?” prompted Jasmine in a squeak.

Anne-Mette continued, oblivious to the discomfort of her friend, “But your dog growled and scared him off,” Anne-Mette grinned cheekily. “A man in powder blue robes just can’t be trusted to have what you want anyway.” Both ladies laughed but one was still befuddled.

“And that was it?” Jasmine asked.

“Then you went home, clinging to that dog,” said Anne-Mette, shrugging just as the gates to the stadium were opened.

The small group separated. Jasmine and Arielle headed toward the judges tables. Hand in hand they walked to see Dumbledore, kissing him quickly as he was in deep conversation with the other judges. The old man gave her a searching look, but she only smiled and hugged him again before guiding Arielle to their seats.

At nightfall, Arielle was cuddled sleepily into Jasmine’s arms and the school champions filed onto the pitch somberly. After a short conference with several teachers wearing glowing red stars, Ludo Bagman blew his whistle four times, releasing the school champions into the maze. The spectators could see down the twenty-foot high hedges for a good view of each student and the obstacles that faced them.

The crowd gasped as one of the Hogwarts champions, Cedric Diggory was almost cooked by a pair of magical creature hybrids that Jasmine couldn’t name. She murmured a soft “wow” as Harry Potter produced a large Patronus stag to defend against a dementor shaped boggart,- which he neatly dispatched. She was still watching Potter work through the maze, silently cheering him around corners to the right path when a woman’s scream echoed through the stadium. Trying hard not to wake Arielle by moving around too much, she scanned the maze to find the only female champion but couldn’t. The red-starred professors entered the maze, seeking the girl. Jasmine watched Potter deal with being flipped upside down and stupefy another of Hagrid’s creatures.

Then a curse was shouted – one of the worst curses in existence. Terrified, Jasmine tucked Arielle more tightly into her lap, looking for the person that had shouted the Cruciatus Curse. It was one of the champions – Krum, from Drumstrang, the professional Quidditch player. He had Cedric Diggory caught in the curse, yelling in agony. Potter was the first to reach them and quickly stunned Krum. The crowd collectively breathed a sigh of relief and several wizards tucked away their wands and sat down again, Jasmine looked around frantically, still holding Arielle, but there was nowhere to go. She discreetly drew her wand and prepared to defend herself and her child, trying to convince herself that it was only one of the competitors getting too involved in winning. Her heart pounded in her ears and she knew that she was holding Arielle too tightly. She tried to settle as she watched Professor McGonagall and Hagrid carry the bound Krum out of the maze. He would probably go to Azkaban for using the curse against a human. They sat him next to the veela girl who was being fussed over by Madam Pomfrey. Severus stood over him, his wand pointing at the dazed boy’s chest. So distracted was she, that she missed Potter getting by a beautiful tawny colored sphinx.


Sirius watched the tournament from Hagrid’s garden. He had a clean view of everything from there, but was only watching with half his brain. Consumed with guilt for what he’d done to Jasmine, he’d left her bed at dawn, running to the forbidden forest to think. Sirius had, for the second time, violated the woman that he was in love with.

It hadn’t been rape, not technically. She hadn’t said no. She had tempted and tortured him until he broke. Jasmine had begged him to make love to her and he did, but he never should have. She hadn’t been in control of herself last night; she was beyond drunk. In taking advantage of that last night, he had dishonored her just as he ruined the last shred of his own honor. Making love to her last night, when Jasmine wasn’t in control of herself enough to really know what was going on, rather than just feeling, amounted to rape in his mind. It was low, disgusting, and utterly dishonorable. But she’d tempted him so sweetly…

He owed her the truth about everything, if she’d listen and he knew he would have to accept her choice if she wanted him gone forever. He would stay in touch with Harry, but deep inside, he knew that after he spoke with Jasmine, she’d never want him in Hogsmeade again. If dogs could cry, the large black dog sitting in Hagrid’s pumpkin patch would have been.

His thoughts were jolted away from Jasmine when he saw his godson being turned upside down by an Acromantula. Sirius stood to get a better look and barked in encouragement. The Hogwarts’ boys worked together to stupefy the huge spider. He heaved a sigh of relief when the spider keeled over and the boys stood to talk to each other. Harry’s leg seemed to be injured. Together both boys grabbed the trophy handles – and disappeared.


Jasmine gasped with the rest of the crowd. Cradling the sleeping Arielle to her shoulder, she leaned forward, in disbelieving shock. The crowd burst into sound, many people rushing to the fence, only to see Ludo Bagman looking like an idiot, hopping around in his too tight Quidditch robes, yelling “Where are they, what happened, what’s going on?”

Dumbledore stood and shot several bright, deafening fireworks into the air. Arielle jolted awake, terrified. The crowd silenced and watched him, seeking guidance.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, please sit down and remain calm. Teachers, please search the maze and grounds. Hagrid, collect all of the creatures. Judges will disarm the charms in the maze. All students, please return to your dormitories, lead by the prefects and wait for word from the Head Boy and Girl. Other guests are requested to keep to their seats until the students are out, then make your way to your homes.” Dumbledore radiated power as he said this and none dared to defy him by panicking. The audience followed instructions and quickly all of the students were locked inside the school under the supervision of the Head Boy and Girl. Jasmine sat, still in shock while a sleepy and scared Arielle clung to her. The crowd began filing out, each person murmuring – collectively it sounded like a roar.

The crowd thinned and Jasmine worked her way down to Dumbledore. She quickly kissed his cheek and asked if there was anything she could do.

“Go home, Jasmine, we’ll find them. Don’t walk home alone and put all of the wards up,” was his curt answer. She smiled bravely and moved away but was stopped by the screams and shouts of several people. She turned on one heel and saw Harry Potter, laying face down in the grass, clutching the trophy in one hand and the too-still arm of Cedric Diggory in the other.

Dumbledore rushed to his side and Jasmine tried to get out of the way. She shrieked when she felt large hands on her shoulders. It was Severus, looking shaken and in pain. He reached out to pet Arielle’s hair in comfort, her eyes were wide with fear. He looked at Potter and roughly pushed Jasmine to the exit.

“Go home, Jasmine. I’ll tell you what’s going on later,” Snape growled. “Go now,” he demanded, “and walk with someone.” With his dismissal, she snuggled Arielle’s face into her neck and hurried home.

Along the High Road, Jasmine found Mr. and Mrs. Percival walking home. Discussing the events in low tones, Jasmine felt Arielle fall asleep again. The group parted at the end of the road with quiet goodnights.