Warp and Weft

Disclaimer: I have no delusions about owning Harry Potter. I'm deluded, but not that way.

Author's Notes:Mucho thanks again to Verity for beta reading!

Chapter 5: Warp and Weft

Rowan spent Friday evening in the library researching potions for her invisibility fabric project. She would have the fabric soon and needed to have at least some of the dyes prepared. Hermione Granger sat across from her, taking extensive notes for an Arithmancy paper. Suddenly Rowan's eye was caught by a long row of jet black buttons as Professor Snape stalked past their table and went into the Restricted Section. Rowan and Hermione both turned curiously and watched his departing back. Unless there was a secret exit from that part of the library, he was still there, hours later, when Rowan and Hermione left for their respective dorms and some much needed sleep.

The next day was Saturday, the day of the Hogsmeade trip. Rowan wished she could hide behind the bed-curtains till suppertime, but that wouldn't really help anything. Anyway, if she got up, she could start weaving now.

She walked over to the loom on her desk and picked up the shuttle. The second half of the yarn she had spun would be the weft. She wound a long narrow bobbin full of the weft and placed it in the shuttle. When she lifted the first harness all the odd numbered warp threads lifted, making a space at the side. She pushed the shuttle through the space, leaving a trail of thread behind, then lowered the harness again. Finally, she pulled the beater with its reed sharply towards her, pushing the new weft thread through the warp to lie straight across and just ahead of the front beam. There was the first pick of weft, snaking over-under-over-under the warp threads. When she lifted the second harness, the even numbered threads lifted. She pushed the shuttle back through the warp in the other direction and beat a second time. This thread went over the warps the previous one had gone under. A few more throws of the shuttle, and she had an inch of actual fabric growing in front of her. Lift, throw, beat, lift, throw, beat. The rhythm was hypnotic and eased away her cares. The sense of wonder never left her, to watch the fabric grow under her fingers. She released some warp from the back beam and wound up an equal length of woven fabric on the front. Eventually her fabric would be all wound on the front beam and the back would be empty. Suddenly realizing the time, she put down her shuttle with a sigh and headed down to breakfast.

Weaving always made Rowan feel relaxed and happy, put her troubles at bay. It also kicked in her tendency to daydream--which unfortunately kept going, even after she put down the shuttle. The incessant background chatter of the Great Hall during mealtimes only served to lull her further. She was sitting towards the head of the room this morning where she could watch Snape out of the corner of her eye. She observed his hands as he idly played with his fork and imagined them instead on her, stroking her hip, playing with her hair. She picked up her pumpkin juice and took a sip, concealing her thoughts, with her eyes in her cup. She wondered what he would be like in intimate circumstances. Rough and demanding she imagined with a thrill; it was hard to imagine him tender and sweet, and she didn't really want to. Would he murmur acid comments into her ear, in a voice like honeyed wine? She smiled inwardly at the mental image: If you cannot think of a position, Miss Bourne, you will be assigned one.... The sudden start of laughter which that thought brought on sent Rowan's juice flying through her nose and onto Ariadne, who was sitting across from her. She choked and apologized. She said some juice had just gone down the wrong way. Keeping her face firmly away from the staff table, Rowan resolved to keep a closer reign on her thoughts.

Snape noticed the disruption at the Ravenclaw table--his attention was rarely far from it at mealtimes anyway--but he had no idea what had occasioned the hilarity there. Miss Bourne had appeared to choke on her pumpkin juice for no apparent reason. He smiled inwardly at seeing her, for once, less than perfectly collected. He would like to see her really lose that cool gaze sometime and see those grey eyes turn smoky with desire. Would she beg him? He thought not, it didn't seem her style. Realizing how far his thoughts had strayed from the appropriate, he turned his face back to his breakfast and his mind firmly to other things.

Unaware of Snape's musings concerning herself, and firmly resolved to banish her own, Rowan slipped into the conversation going on around her. Ariadne had gotten The Quibbler by that morning's owl post and was getting plenty of laughs from them all by reading the sillier bits out loud. Fortunately, Luna was currently at the other end of the table, Rowan realized as she looked around guiltily.

Looking up at the ceiling, Rowan admired the early morning sky. Thin wispy clouds were whipping past, high in the stratosphere. It would be a clear, cold day, fine for walking. Suddenly Rowan wondered to herself, why do they make us freeze our arses off up the Astronomy tower? We could be doing our observations here where it's warm, and have hot chocolate and crumpets to boot. Ah well, she sighed. I always suspected school is always at least half about torturing students for the fun of it. I guess Snape isn't the only one with that hobby. She snorted affectionately, and poured herself another cup of pumpkin juice. Finally, it was time for all of them to put on their warmest cloaks and head out for Hogsmeade.

Edgar was waiting for Rowan at the gate. To make conversation as they walked, Rowan asked him about his plans after graduation.

"I'll probably go into the family business; my folks have a sheep farm and magical parchment making business."

"That sounds very nice. I'm from a Muggle family, so it's hard for me to know what to do after Hogwarts. I'm interested in magical research, kind of hoping that my Muggle background," here she glanced at Edgar to see how he took that, "will help me see problems in a different way. I want to apply to work in the Department of Mysteries."

"That's right, I remember your research project in Potions. That sounds really cool. How is it coming along?"

"I'm working on making samples of thestral-wool fabric to try my potion experiments on. You can't just buy the stuff. I got some of the hair from Hagrid's herd and made thread from it. Now I'm weaving it into fabric. When I'm done, then I can finally start dyeing it".

"You were really brave to talk back to Snape that way."

"Professor Snape," began Rowan, with a slight emphasis, "was worried that my project wasn't suitable for Potions. And as it turns out, he's nearly right; I'm spending hours just making fabric. I've barely started any actual Potion work yet."

"Still, lots of people would have backed down and let him assign a topic."

"Maybe I should have," Rowan answered glumly. "Right now I'm really out on a limb; if it works that's great, but if it doesn't, he's going to take off so many points, I'll probably fail."

Edgar looked sympathetic, but couldn't honestly disagree.

The two shopped together in Hogsmeade, mingling here and there with their classmates and gossiping. Ariadne and her boyfriend joined them for butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks. Rowan had a good time. She felt some of her tension ease, knowing her friends would stop wondering for a while why she didn't seem interested in boys and dating. For now, she was just one of the crowd. Late in the afternoon, she and Edgar walked companionably back to the castle along the lakeshore.

Snape, meanwhile, used the opportunity afforded by the students all absenting themselves to make a journey of his own. He had scoured the Hogwarts library Restricted Section thoroughly, but there was no information on the Aversion Serum to be found. Today he would visit the library at the Ministry of Magic. Taking up a handful of Floo powder, Snape approached the fireplace in his study. He threw the powder smartly into the flames, saying "Ministry of Magic," then stepped through.

At the library, Snape gave the signal Voldemort had provided him to the librarian on duty. He was swiftly ushered into the restricted section without being required to sign in. Proficiently, he charmed the card catalog and obtained the names of five likely books.

Snape found the first four books easily, but none of them had the Aversion Serum in them. After some hours of fruitless searching for the fifth book, Snape noticed a large and otherwise uninteresting book on Flobberworm husbandry protruding somewhat farther out of the shelf than seemed necessary. Pulling it out, he found the slim volume of Dark Potion recipes hidden within it. A brief inspection of this tome proved that it had the recipe he had been seeking.

Taking care that he remained unobserved, he studied it carefully. The preparation was rather finicky, but his experience was easily sufficient to the task. No surprise, the potion was very Dark magic indeed. It was similar to the Imperius Curse because it involved stripping people of their free will, making them behave in ways they would despise when they recovered. Just as he had described to his N.E.W.T. class earlier in the term, the key ingredient was entirely repellent: "reft virgin's blood." This was not good. If there were Unforgivable Potions, this ought to be one of them.

Carefully, Snape considered what he should do. Did he dare misrepresent the instructions to the Dark Lord? He would be blamed, of course, when the potion failed, but he had endured minor examples of the Dark Lord's wrath. He would be punished for failure, but so long as he was not suspected of betrayal, he would live.

Following a sudden thought, Snape picked up the Flobberworm text in which the potion book had been hidden and flipped to the inside cover. Published in 1995, it could not have been hiding the other book for very long. Perhaps only a few weeks. This was a very telling circumstance; it was certainly no accident that the book he needed had been hidden. Snape realized that he had better report the potion ingredients and instructions accurately--it was all too likely that he was being tested. Probably one of the others had been sent ahead of him. Malfoy. It would be just like him to sabotage Snape by hiding the book after he had found it. Snape carefully wrote down the precise instructions for the Aversion Serum. With a sardonic thanks to Malfoy's short-sighted craftiness, Snape returned the book to its proper place and returned through the Floo to his study.

Snape sat at his desk, gazing towards the jars of slimy things without focusing on them, and considered the problem of what to do now. He knew he should warn the Headmaster, but he also knew it would make difficulties.

Dumbledore had been very unhappy lately with Severus' double role. At first, Snape had taken on the task at Dumbledore's request. When that Potter creature had first brought back the news that the Dark Lord had regained a physical form, they both knew what Severus must do. He had known it already when the Dark Mark had burned on his arm for the first time in fourteen years. He had been terrified, but his duty had been clear.

Now it was nearly a year and a half later. Dumbledore (and Potter) had been vindicated and their story believed; Dumbledore no longer felt that the information Snape brought was worth the risks he took. He wanted Snape to cease pretending to be a Death Eater and to remain at Hogwarts. Severus himself felt that now that the Dark Lord's return was publicly known, he was more vulnerable and that he needed Severus too badly now not to risk trusting him. Severus felt the Order desperately needed to know what the Dark Lord planned to do with the Aversion Serum once he had it. So far, Dumbledore had not explicitly ordered Severus to cease spying, but when he learned about the Aversion Serum and what it involved, he most certainly would. No, better to find out the whole plan first. He could quit later, once he had learned what they needed to know.

He had better be prepared with the ingredients. He would have to at least begin brewing the potion in case the Dark Lord checked up on his progress. He looked over the lesser items and was satisfied that he had most of them in store. He would Floo over to Knockturn Alley soon and obtain the rest from the apothecary there. The 'reft virgin's blood' was going to be hideously expensive, especially on a teacher's salary, but Snape had few personal expenses; his savings would cover it.

It was too late to do his shopping now, though; that would have to keep for another day. Meanwhile, he had some errands to do around the castle. He had a fresh batch of Skele-Gro finished; Madam Pomfrey had told him her supply was getting low. Sometimes it amazed him that so many students managed to survive till graduation. He bottled the potion and went up to the hospital wing.

On his way back, he stopped to look out a corridor window and observe the students straggling back in from their Hogsmeade outing. His dark eyes immediately picked out Rowan and widened when he saw she was with a boy. They narrowed again as he observed the boy kiss Rowan on the cheek when they parted. The boy looked elated, and Rowan appeared flushed with pleasure.

Snarling to himself, he castigated himself for his foolishness. How many kinds of an idiot was he to imagine such a remarkable young woman would remain unattached the entire year? He was more of a dunderhead than that dolt Longbottom! His mood black, Snape stalked down the stairs to the dungeon, thoroughly alarming the students who saw him pass.