Through the Hoop

Angelina had to resist the urge to hop back on her broom and fly down the corridor to the locker rooms. As it was, she was practically running, her excitement and happiness too much to contain.

Evidently Jeffries cared enough about winning that he didn’t let his anger about Angelina affect his play. He was an excellent Beater, and he and the other Beater Sam Elwood played brilliantly together; Angelina was hardly bothered at all by Bludgers throughout the game. Jeffries’ anger did affect his role as Captain, though; he pretended Angelina didn’t exist, giving all instructions for the Chasers to Pattinson, who was forced to relay to Angelina.

It hardly mattered – Angelina played a terrific game. Sixteen goals for a single Chaser wasn’t a record by any means, but it was unusual, and for a rookie it was almost unheard of. Pattinson’s call for Tentel’s Wedge was inspired; the Kestrels never found a solution for it, and Angelina’s nerves had disappeared once she’d flown out over the pitch. She ignored the boos and jeering she’d known were inevitable, both from the stands and the opposing team, and had shut all of them up in fairly short order by out-flying everyone on the pitch. In fact, the Cannons had won the game by fifty points despite the other team’s Seeker getting the Snitch, due largely to Angelina’s goals.

Even more gratifying had been the announcer; once he’d gotten over his shock, he’d treated Angelina like any other player – that is, until she started racking up the goals. By the end of play, he was calling Angelina’s game “one of the best debuts I’ve ever seen”. Angelina had to stop herself flying a pass over the stands and giving them a raspberry with her tongue: Not the best way to get the fans on your side, she told herself. But still damn tempting. Of course, by the end of the game many of the Cannons fans were cheering; apparently some of them were so desperate for a winning team that they would put aside their prejudices if she played well. Not surprising, since the last time the Cannons had won the league had been over one hundred years ago.

Angelina reached the locker room far ahead of the other players. She stopped in the doorway and looked around, confused; something’s different…Then it hit her – there was a door to her right that hadn’t been there before. Angelina’s confusion melted away when she saw the ‘Women’ sign above the door; during the game Mr. Dorkins had had a separate shower put in for her! Grinning hugely, Angelina snatched up a few things from her locker and stepped inside.

Her eyes lit up when she saw the shower room. Every surface was smooth marble in warm, neutral colors. The three silver showerheads gleamed and winked at her invitingly; Angelina needed no further invitation to quickly strip off her gear. When she spun the tap she got another pleasant surprise; the shower was Charmed to recognize the preferred temperature of the person showering – in Angelina’s case, scalding hot.

She was about to step under the spray when a voice behind her growled “Think you’re pretty special, don’t you?”

Angelina spun around, her hands instinctively covering her bare breasts and crotch. Jenkins was standing in the doorway, a sneer on his lips. Just behind him was Elwood, wearing a similar expression. “What the hell do you think you’re doing in here?” Angelina snapped, furious at her voice for wavering. “Get the fuck out!

“This is my locker room,” Jenkins said dangerously, stepping closer. “I can go anywhere I please, and no showboating little bitch who thinks she can play with the boys is going to change that!”

Angelina stepped back in alarm. The look in Jenkins’ eyes was frightening. Angelina’s eyes darted to her clothes, where her wand was stashed; she’d never reach it in time.

Without warning, Jenkins shot his hand out and grabbed Angelina’s arm at the elbow. He yanked her closer, and a yell slipped from Angelina when he twisted her arm back painfully. “Let me go, you fucker!” she shouted, swinging with her free arm, but Jenkins caught it as well.

“In this locker room, what I say goes,” he snarled just before Angelina’s knee came up and rammed into his gut. Jenkins was built like a rock, but Angelina knew how to aim; he was still wearing his cup so going for the balls wouldn’t work, but Angelina’s knee found the soft exposed side of Jenkins’ stomach. He let out a “whough!” and his grip loosened enough for Angelina to twist away and lunge for her clothes. Jenkins’ foot tripped her but she still got a hand on her bag, and yanked it to her, plunging her hand inside for her wand. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Elwood, who’d been silent and immobile until then, heading toward her.

Jenkins grabbed her by the ankle; his other hand swiped out and struck her backhanded across the face before clutching at her thigh. His hands pulled at her legs, trying to pry them apart…Angelina’s hand closed around her wand, and she Apparated.

She appeared in her flat in London, naked, and fought down a surge of dizziness. Apparating as far as she did was draining and very chancy, and it left her feeling weak in the knees.

Or it might have been the fact that Angelina had just barely escaped being raped by her own Captain, she thought dazedly as she stumbled to her feet and staggered into her bathroom. Her legs gave out on her and she collapsed to the floor; she pulled the towels off the rack and wrapped them around her, suddenly feeling very, very cold. She didn’t trust herself to cast a Heating Charm, though – she was too shaken by what had happened. Thank Merlin they didn’t think to put up Anti-Apparition wards on the new shower yet, she thought distractedly. Otherwise…

Angelina couldn’t believe none of the others had heard her yells; which meant that they’d known what was going on, and didn’t try to help. Out of all of them you’d think at least one would have done something. I thought at least Pattinson seemed decent… She’d known it would be bad; she’d never believed being the first woman Quidditch player in the league would actually be physically dangerous, even life-threatening. But now it was clear to Angelina – if Jenkins believed he could get away with what he’d done, then a lot of other people would, too.

Now Angelina felt the warmth of anger spreading through her. Her fist shot out and slammed into the bathtub so hard it cracked both the porcelain and her finger, but she barely noticed the pain, and did it again, and again. If Jenkins can get away with it, she thought furiously, her gaze fixed on the chips of porcelain stuck in her fist, anyone can.

*****

Jenkins stepped off the lift and trudged down the hall to his flat. He unlocked the door, and as he stepped inside the take-out food under his arm slipped and hit the floor, sending food splattering everywhere. Cursing, he tossed his coat in the general direction of the couch and knelt down to clean up the mess.

A foot connected with his side and sent him sprawling, his back mashed against the food on the floor. He looked around at Angelina, who was drawing her wand. “Johnson,” he acknowledged warily, realizing that his wand was in his jacket, behind Angelina.

Angelina didn’t say anything. She used her wand to close the door and seal it magically, and cast a Silencing Charm on the apartment. When Angelina finished she turned back to Jenkins, who’d gotten to his feet and was still watching her carefully. With great show, Angelina stored her wand inside her robes and dropped her hands to her sides.

After a full minute of silence Jenkins growled. “What is this?” he demanded. “Want to pick up where we left off?” His scowl turned into a leer. “Maybe you do. That’s it, huh?” he oozed, stepping forward. “You think you ran out on the best part-”

Angelina’s foot shot out and slammed into Jenkins’ knee. It didn’t break, but the knee twisted in an ugly way; with a yelp Jenkins fell to his knees. Angelina’s right fist snapped around and there was a satisfying crunch as Jenkins’ nose broke. When his hands came up to defend his head, Angelina’s other boot connected hard with his balls.

Angelina never let up. Jenkins tried to defend himself, but he was all strength and no skill; he knew how to bludgeon and could probably brawl, but he really had no idea how to fight. The years of martial arts training Angelina’s parents had put her through proved invaluable, and before long Angelina had bruised or broken almost Jenkins’ entire body.

Angelina grabbed Jenkins’ wrist and used it to flip him onto his stomach. She twisted the arm up behind his back and planted her knee on his spine. Her other hand grabbed a fistful of hair and lifted his head off the floor. Blood was dripping from his mouth, which seemed to be missing a tooth, and from his broken nose. Ignoring the pungent smell, Angelina leaned over and spoke the first words since she’d arrived; “I trust I’ve made my point.”

She dropped Jenkins’ head, not caring that it connected with the floor with a wet smack, and Apparated back to her flat. She stood in the center of the living room for a moment, until she caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror. She was shocked at what she saw; the front of her robes were splattered with blood, and her fists were practically covered with it. Her hair was loose and drenched in sweat, and she became increasingly aware of how utterly filthy she felt.

Angelina walked into the bathroom and stripped off her robes, noting detachedly that one of her favorite sets was ruined. She heaped the clothes next to the trash bin and turned on the tap for the shower she’d never taken.

She stood under the scalding water, scrubbing off the slightly dried blood. Even when she seemed to have gotten it all, Angelina didn’t feel clean, so she stayed in the shower. The adrenaline rush she’d gotten in Jenkins’ apartment was fading, and Angelina had to fight the urge to vomit. I can’t believe what I just did, she thought in a bit of a panic. Yeah, he deserved it, but I totally lost control. I almost killed him.

It took a moment for Angelina to realize why her chest felt so tight; she’d started crying. Oh, this is stupid, she told herself. I don’t need to cry over that- that bastard… over what he almost…

Angelina couldn’t stop herself; the tears just kept coming, no matter what she thought or did. Before long she was trying in vain to hold back huge, racking sobs that shook her whole body; she dug her fingernails into her palms until her own blood dripped over her hands, and she kept on crying, like a lost child. I- I haven’t cried like this for years, she thought desperately. Not since before Hogwarts. What’s wrong with me? Angelina sank down to sit in the tub, and kept crying until the water flowing over her was ice cold. What the hell is wrong with me?