Written for Hogwarts Assignment 3 (Mythology - Demeter - write about someone with a floral name)
Written for the Ultimate Writer Challenge (write from the POV of an OC)
Written for the If You Dare Challenge (207. diverse)
Payback
"...and the diversity gap between the magical races throughout the continents is significantly closing as magic becomes more common, known and mainstream."
A round of applause startled Jasmine Finnigan from her daze. She sat up, looking around the classroom, and then towards the front where, as usual, Rose Weasley, had done thorough research into such a mundane topic - which, of course, the teachers loved.
Straightening herself and the books on her desk, Jasmine watched as the tall red-head returned to her seat beside Jasmine.
"Nice," she heard Scorpius Malfoy mutter, to which Rose blushed and then flashed a grin.
Jasmine rolled her eyes. "You two make me sick."
Rose flashed her a scathing look. "Jealous, are you?" she mocked, her blue eyes digging into Jasmine's brown. "Just because you don't have a boyfriend, you think -"
"Oh, don't make me laugh!" Jasmine snapped back. "You think I'm jealous of you? I've been with more boys than you'll be with in your life, Weasley. And a Malfoy is not on my list."
"There's a word for someone like you," Rose hissed. "Someone who sleeps around, who -"
"Ladies."
Both girls snapped their eyes to the front, startled to discover Professor Binns hovering between their desks. According to Jasmine's parents, in their day, Binns had barely noticed his own existence, let alone the students'. It seemed that in the twenty or so years, things had changed.
"Sorry, Professor," they both muttered, shooting daggers at one another.
The lesson finished with Jasmine and Rose sitting across from each other in stoney silence, though Jasmine didn't miss the intentional slips to Scorpius about how she suspected the Irish played little roles in any magical history.
For Rose's sake, the bell sounded, ending the lesson, just as Jasmine withdrew her wand from her pocket. Instead of going after the Weasley girl, Jasmine left the classroom alone. Her only friend, Georgia, didn't do History of Magic. In truth, Jasmine wasn't sure why she even did it. It was a good time for revision of other subjects, she supposed.
Her rivalry with Rose Weasley went so far back, she doubted either of them could pinpoint the exact moment they decided they didn't like each other. For Rose, it seemed to have been the moment she laid eyes on Jasmine, though Jasmine hadn't done anything to cause that. Even Georgia, who Rose seemed to like, insisted that Rose was actually quite nice.
Well, not to Jasmine, and that didn't bother her one bit. Jasmine hated Rose as much as she hated her, and they seemed happy with that. Though, it did seem to bother those around them.
In fact, many said the reason they didn't get along was because they were so alike. They were both Gryffindors, their parents had been heavily involved in the Second Wizarding War, and they were both the same age, in the same year, and had the same level of intelligence. Both took upon the same attitude towards school, and valued their education. They each managed to pick up spells easily and way before the rest of their classmates.
Perhaps that was the reason, but Jasmine doubted it. Rose's dislike seemed to go deeper than that.
"Hey, Jas!"
Jasmine stopped midway up the staircase to the Gryffindor common room and spun around. She smiled.
"Hey, Georgia." She waited for Georgia to catch up and they set off the rest of the way together.
"How was History of Magic?"
"Boring, as usual." Jasmine shrugged. "You know how it is."
"I still don't know why you -"
"I had another fight with Rose," Jasmine said.
"Again?" Georgia asked, suppressing a sigh. "What was it about this time?"
"She just… put so much effort into everything she does!" Jasmine ranted. "Like… does she need to be such a show off?"
"She's really not that -"
"Oh, shut up!" Jasmine scolded. "You're my best friend." They reached the Fat Lady, and after giving her the password, crawled through the portrait hole. It was crowded in the common room this evening, everyone preparing for dinner at six-thirty. Searching for a place to sit, and not finding one, Jasmine and Georgia headed for the staircase to their dormitory.
"I'm so happy tomorrow is Saturday," Jasmine said as they neared the door. "I think a trip to the lake to cool off would be -" She froze, pushing the door wide open. Georgia, who was a step behind her, also froze, eyes wide and a mild look of disgust on her face.
"How did he get in here?" Jasmine demanded.
Rose, who'd clearly not heard them enter, turned a deep red as she pulled away from Scorpius Malfoy. The pair had clearly been planning to be intimate, for both appeared flustered and Jasmine swore she saw Scorpius' hand slip out from under Rose's shirt.
"What are you doing here?" Rose demanded in retaliation. She smoothed down her long, red - and now matted - hair.
"Um, this is where I sleep," Jasmine retorted, purposefully moving to her bed and sitting on it. "Boys aren't allowed in here. How'd you convince ancient old charms he wasn't a boy?"
"None of your business."
"So, you were planning to have sex with your boyfriend in a room you share with four other girls and now you're mad you got caught?" Jasmine looked towards Scorpius, who was trying very hard to hide the bottom half of himself with the blankets. She wondered if they'd already actually started and he wasn't wearing anything, or he was just trying to hide the fact that he was a typical horny teenage boy.
"Well, I wasn't expecting you to -"
Jasmine was pleased to see that, for once, Rose Weasley was lost for words. She'd been busted, and she knew it. The power was in Jasmine's hands, and whether or not she decided to tell Professor Longbottom what had happened.
"Listen," Jasmine began, shrugging, "I don't care what you do with Malfoy, alright. Merlin knows I'm not one to preach in that area, but, for the love of magic, not in our dormitory, alright? Not something I want to see, nor does Georgia or the other girls. You're lucky it was me who caught you. Can you imagine Nancy if she'd found you? Prim and proper Nancy…"
Despite herself, Rose seemed to realise she was lucky Jasmine had found her and not Nancy Honeydew, the Christian Muggleborn who - after six years of being here - still found it difficult to accept that magic was real and that she wouldn't be punished for using it. She made her views on Rose and Jasmine's ways with boys fairly well known.
"Er, I should go," Scorpius said, searching the four-poster bed for what appeared to be his pants.
"I need to sneak you out," Rose reminded him. "They won't take kindly to a Slytherin being here."
Scorpius nodded, gazing back at Jasmine and Georgia.
"Jas!" Georgia hissed. "Come on, let's go to dinner!"
"And risk these two being unable to control their urges again?" Jasmine asked. "No way!"
"No, to give Scorpius some privacy to… change." Georgia blushed, tugging Jasmine's arm.
Reluctant, but agreeing, Jasmine followed Georgia from the room and back into the common room.
"She's unbelievable!" Jasmine roared once they were by the fireplace. "Who does she think she is, having sex in our room, and not even being sorry that she was caught?"
"Jas, need I remind you about that time you and -"
"I've never done it in the room!" Jasmine said. "That's just disrespectful."
It was obvious Georgia disagreed, but she said nothing more, instead picking up a discarded Prophet and flicking through the pages. Still fuming when Rose came down, without Scorpius, she noted, Jasmine turned her head.
She'd make Rose pay for this, and she had the perfect way to do it, too. Grinning as she saw Weasley's last strand of hair exit the portrait, Jasmine stood and marched over to a group of seventh year boys in the corner, giggling over Merlin knew what.
Upon her approach, all but one straightened, nudging each other. Rose might have been more popular with the teachers, but Jasmine was definitely more popular amongst the boys, who were well aware of her reputation for getting around. Many, desperate to prove themselves for whatever reason, tried to impress her so she'd agree to sleep with them.
But she wasn't stupid, and certainly not now. She had her target, and he was the one bloke in the school that genuinely seemed to hate her. He was also the cousin of Rose Weasley, and genuinely seemed to adore his younger cousin.
"Potter," she said, drawing his eyes towards her. While Jasmine was lusted after with the boys, James Potter was the boy that many girls - including Georgia, Jasmine realised with a pang of guilt - fancied.
"What do you want, Finnigan?" James said, rolling his eyes. He'd never tried anything on her, nor she on him. Both seemed to have a mutual respect for one another, and the games they played with the opposite sex.
"Guess what I caught Rose doing up in the dormitory?"
"What, studying?" James asked.
"You wish. Nope, I caught her naked and enjoying the company of one Scorpius Malfoy." She smiled at the hint of surprise on Potter's face, which he disguised quickly with a laugh.
"You're telling me this because?"
"Doesn't it make you angry?" Jasmine asked. "Your baby cousin, all grown up, doing the deed with a… Malfoy?"
"She's been dating Malfoy for some time, Finnigan," James said dismissively, though he was clearly agitated to an eye searching for such behaviour. "What she does, it's none of my business."
Jasmine turned to Potter's friends. "This is a private conversation now, boys," she said.
They left, confused and slightly put out, that Jasmine had paid them little attention.
"What's this about, Finnigan?" James asked.
"You know we don't get along, and her openly having sex in my room, where I sleep, is an insult."
"Did she do it on your bed, then?" James asked.
"No, but she -"
"So, what? How am I involved in this?"
Jasmine was having second thoughts about the way she'd gone about this now. She'd thought, well hoped, that James would be angrier about the incident than what he was. That he'd be so furious, he'd want to…
She shook her head. "I want to get her back. She did it on purpose, I know she did. She hates me."
"What, you've got a thing for Malfoy, too?" James asked.
"What? Ew, no. She can have him. No, this is more personal. This… I need you… to…" She was usually a confident person, but asking this of someone she had little desire for, made her stomach churn.
To her relief, James' head wasn't filled with as much fairy dust as she'd thought. For a moment, his eyes widened, and then he burst out laughing. "You want me to… you want us to…" He doubled over. "Forget it, Finnigan. Not happening. I don't hate the idea of Rose having sex that much."
"But she -"
"Absolutely not!" James said. "Not with you! Ever!"
Her ego hurt, Jasmine felt heat rise to her face. "I'm not that bad, am I?"
"I don't know," James said. "And I don't really want to find out. Now, are you done trying to seduce me? Can I go and have dinner?"
Jasmine said nothing, and James brushed past her. A moment later, Georgia came to stand next to her. "What did you want with him?" she asked, obviously trying to keep her tone neutral, though it was obvious she was hopeful her best friend had been trying to convince James how lovely Georgia was.
"Nothing," Jasmine muttered, watching Potter's foot disappear through the portrait.
"Oh."
"Come on," Jasmine then said, grabbing her best friend's arm, "let's eat."
…
The Great Hall was filled with students as they could all finally relax after a busy week. There was a lot of chatter, and to Jasmine's annoyance and Georgia's delight, the only spots at the Gryffindor table left were besides James and his cronies.
As the girls approached, they went suddenly quiet, which told Jasmine James had just revealed her plan to them.
"You're an idiot for saying no, mate," she heard one whisper. Henry, was it? She thought maybe she'd had an encounter with him once, down by the lake.
"I'm not sleeping with Finnigan," Potter hissed, though loud enough for Georgia to hear.
She looked to Jasmine, eyes wide.
Jasmine patted her arm. "I'd never do that to you," she assured her, ignoring the pang of guilt that loomed over her.
"Why's it always you they want?" Georgia sighed.
"Trust me," Jasmine said, "James doesn't want me."
Georgia smiled and began scooping up a pile of mashed potato and putting it on her plate.
Jasmine glared over her at James, who winked.
"Idiot," she muttered.
Dinner was far from enjoyable, knowing that James and his friends were secretly laughing at her failed attempt to get him to sleep with her. It was made worse when Rose came midway through, sliding in to sit with her cousin.
"So, you and Scorpius are getting it on up in the dormitories, huh, Rosie?" James asked the moment she joined him.
"What?" Rose asked. "How did you -" Her head turned to the side, glaring at Jasmine. "Well, thanks a lot."
Jasmine shrugged. "Any time."
"Please don't tell Mum and Dad," Rose begged her cousin. "I'm pretty sure Dad still thinks I know nothing about sex, let alone doing it."
"As if I'd tell them," James said. "I'm the last one who should be tattling about that."
Jasmine spent the rest of dinner in stony silence, knowing she'd now never hear the end of this once she went to bed.
As she left with Georgia an hour later, a pull on her arm stopped her. She spun, surprised to see that it was Potter.
"A word, Finnigan," he said, serious.
"Sorry, I'm going to bed," Jasmine mocked.
"It'll only be a moment."
Jasmine turned to Georgia, who was standing terrified that the boy she so liked was standing so close. "I'll… be a moment," she said, uncomfortable.
Georgia nodded, turning and hurrying to catch up after Rose.
Jasmine glared up at Potter. He had a Quidditch build, tall and nothing like his father had at that age, based on all the pictures. Jasmine was also certain Harry Potter had not been such an arse either.
"What is it?" she demanded.
"I've changed my mind."
"Huh?"
"I do want to. Tonight. Now."
"Excuse me?" Jasmine's face flushed red, though she wasn't completely sure why. He'd taken her off guard, that was for sure.
"I've changed my mind," James said. "I'll do it."
"Well that makes me feel better," Jasmine said. "You're probably horny after thinking about it and I'm the easy option, right?"
"And you only want to do it because you're mad that Rose is doing it in the dormitories." He shrugged. "We're a perfect match."
"You lost your chance," Jasmine said, turning from him. He pulled her back, roughly, and before she realises what was happening, he slammed his lips against hers.
"Gerroff, Potter!" She pushed against his chest. "Not happening anymore."
He raised an eyebrow. "Really? You're not still mad at my cousin… the one person you truly hate. Wouldn't it be the perfect way to get back at her? By sleeping with me."
Jasmine glared. He had a point. She was still very angry… and also a little curious. The rumour on the girls' toilets suggest that James Potter was a good lover to have.
"Fine," she said, "but just this once. Georgia is totally in love with you - for whatever reason - and if she ever found out…"
"She's a nice girl. Too inexperienced and nervous," James said. "Not my type."
"And I am?"
"Absolutely not." He pulled her hand, dragging her in the direction Jasmine was all too familiar with. The broom cupboard.
…
Jasmine returned to the common room an hour later, rather dazed. She'd heard he was experienced, but not that experienced. He knew exactly what he was doing, and so did she, and that made everything rather… interesting.
And now that it was over she wondered just how James' plan to annoy Rose had played any roll in that. Rose was never going to magically walk into a broom cupboard when she could have been studying.
Georgia was nowhere in sight, and she wondered if her friend knew what had happened. Jasmine would feel guilty in the morning but right now she was still remembering the kisses he'd pressed down her neck.
That hadn't been a once off, and she knew it. Maybe it had started that way, but she hated to admit that their constant bickering could have meant a build up of sexual tension.
The encounter at been passionate, long-lasting, and had involved more kissing than a once off might have had. No, he'd planned that, he'd known it'd turn into more. He'd wanted more.
She collapsed onto the armchair by the fireplace, running fingers through her hair. Perhaps this was the reason she so hated Rose. Rose Weasley was close to James, and perhaps Jasmine had wanted that too.
A smile graced her lips as she felt his presence beside her, fingers running through her hair. She couldn't even pull away as he brought his lips to her ear.
"That was good, Finnigan," he whispered. "We should do it again."
"In your dreams," she retorted playfully.
"Rose never caught us this time," he said.
"You have a point."
It was that moment that she knew… she would lose a friend if this continued. But it would continue, because she was Jasmine, and since she was fourteen, she'd always put her own pleasure above any friendships.
And, by Merlin, did James Potter fit that bill.
For judging purposes, Google Docs tells me 3982 words. Also, Jasmine is an OC I've had in my head for ages, and you can also find other stories of mine with her (and James). She is not a character I just made up. I hope an OC is okay for the purpose of the floral name prompt, though Rose also plays a prominent role.