Work Text:
"Alright class! Settle down! Mr Black, I would appreciate if you stopped harassing Mr Lupin. Thank you Mr Black. Right" Slughorn clapped his hands as Remus was finally free from Sirius trying to get a piggy back ride from him.
"Before we sit down," the portly potions master continued "I'd like you all to gather round my desk." He said. There were shuffles and murmurs of conversation as the class went to see the demonstration or whatever old Slughorn had planned now.
At the front on his desk, there was a cauldron with a lid on it. Before Remus could inspect any further, Slughorn huffed over and addressed the class.
"Now I want you all to be on best behaviour today and this potion is not to be taken with you once it's finished brewing." He looked around at the students as if expecting someone to continue for him.
Then, he lifted the lid off the cauldron and inside was a bubbly pink liquid that emitted plumes of pink. Remus was instantly entranced by its smell; hot chocolate, old books, burning wood and- and-
"Right, as some of you may know" Slughorn continued. Many other students seemed to have been hypnotised by the scent as well. "This right here is amortentia. A love potion" Remus saw a few girls fidget with anticipation as he said it.
"However, as I have said, this potion will not be leaving the classroom." He explained. "Now, who can tell me the identifiable factors of amortentia?" A few hands went up, including Remus'.
"Lupin! Let's start with you, shall we?" Slughorn said cheerfully.
"Oh, right. Ok so, um, amortentia is pink and bubbly as you can probably see. Uhh it gives of clouds of smoke which emit an aroma. The smell of the potion is specific to each person depending on what they like most." He finished.
"Excellent! The perfect explanation! Now would you mind telling everyone what it is you smell?" Slughorn smiled at him.
"Uhh" Remus was about to protest but it seemed he didn't have a choice.
"Come on. Come round here. A little closer! There you go." He heard whooping and clapping and snapped his head around to glare at James and Sirius.
"Now." Slughorn clapped again. "What does the potion smell like to you, Lupin?" He looked at him expectantly. Remus really didn't want to say it. He really really didn't. However, he was left without a choice.
"Well, erm, I can smell" he inhaled the vapour. "Hot chocolate." Slughorn continued to look at him, urging him on. "And er, books. Old books. And umm" he glanced over to Sirius who was smirking at him. "And- and d-dog fur." He gulped and didn't dare look back up at Sirius.
"How lovely! Right, now head to your cauldrons and pay extra close attention to the instructions I give you." Slughorn droned on but Remus continued to stare at his feet as if his life depended on it. He dropped his bag by his stool and plopped down.
To his absolute despair, the first thing he saw when he looked up was none other than Sirius black, walking toward him. He was grinning, that stupid, handsome grin, and as he passed he whispered into Remus' ear.
"Dog fur, huh? Hope you haven't been meeting any other canine friends without me." he punctuated the sentence with a low growl which made Remus go sheet white.
Oh my god. He thought.