Chapter Text
It was their sixth year at Hogwarts, and as expected, new advanced potions were introduced. While most students groaned at the complexity and monotony of the subject, Daniel Page thrived. For him, potions wasn’t just a class—it was a passion that had followed him since childhood. He could still recall watching his mother mix ingredients for pie tarts when he was only four, fascinated by the precision and alchemy of baking.
Today, however, even Daniel couldn’t suppress a flicker of nervous excitement. The lesson was on Amortentia, the most powerful love potion in existence.
The Potions classroom buzzed with energy, filled with the hum of excited voices.
“I wonder if mine will smell like sweats and bludgers from the Quidditch pitch,” Robyn murmured, leaning over to Daniel with a grin. “You know, the kind of smell that makes you think you’re going to pass out from the heat, but also kind of... exhilarating.”
Daniel couldn’t help but laugh at her offbeat comment, but before he could respond, Kevin’s voice rang out dramatically from the other side of the table.
“What if mine smells like... nothing?!” Kevin said, his eyes wide with panic. “Does that mean I’m doomed for a lonely life? Am I going to be stuck forever, completely alone? Someone, help me!” Robyn rolled her eyes, grinning widely. “Oh, stop being so dramatic, Kevin. It’s just a potion, not a prophecy.”
Kevin clutched his chest in mock despair. “But it’s Amortentia! It’s supposed to tell me what I’m most drawn to, right? And if I smell nothing, well, that’s just... well, that’s tragic, isn’t it?”
Daniel could barely keep his composure as he watched the exchange. Kevin always had a flair for the dramatic, and Robyn’s sarcastic humor was the perfect match for him. “I think if it smells like nothing, it means you’re just boring,” Robyn teased, nudging Kevin’s elbow with her own. “I’d have to say, that’s pretty disappointing, mate. But hey, at least you’d be free of any embarrassing crushes.”
Kevin shot her a glare, but his face softened into a grin. “Right, right. Let’s just hope it smells like something good. Like chocolate. Or maybe... bacon. Bacon’s always a safe bet.”
Even the typically indifferent Professor Brindlemore seemed amused, her black hood twitching as she set down the cauldron of shimmering pearl-like liquid at the front of the class. “Settle down, settle down,” she boomed. “Amortentia is not to be trifled with, so I expect absolute precision today. One wrong step, and your potion could become toxic.”
Daniel shot a glance at MC, his Potions partner. “This is going to be exciting,” he said, grinning. MC smirked back, her tone playful. “Let’s just hope we don’t mess it up and end up smelling troll sweat.”
Daniel’s grin faltered, and he grimaced. “That sounds terrifying as fuck. Do not jinx it, MC.” MC chuckled, nudging him with her elbow. “Relax, potion prodigy. What’s the worst that could happen?”
The duo set to work, their cauldron bubbling as they followed the steps to perfection. The anticipation in the air was thick as the silvery steam began to rise, twisting into delicate spirals. It wasn’t long before the scents started to emerge, faint at first, then stronger.
MC inhaled deeply, her eyes fluttering closed for a moment as the scent of Amortentia swirled around her. “Mmm…roses,” she said, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “Definitely roses. Maybe a bit of lavender too.”
Daniel leaned closer, eager to take in the mixture of aromas. He expected comforting scents—freshly baked bread, the rich musk of old library books, or perhaps even the metallic tang of laboratory equipment he found oddly soothing.
But instead, what hit him was sharp, overpowering, and instantly familiar.
“Ugh,” Daniel muttered, wrinkling his nose. “That’s disgusting. Colby Frey needs to tone it down with his cologne.”
The table fell into a stunned silence. MC blinked, the words slowly sinking in. Robyn’s mouth hung open, and even Ivy stopped stirring her potion, looking back and forth between Daniel and the potion with an incredulous expression.
MC froze, staring at him. “You do realise Slytherins don’t take Potions with us, right?”
Daniel blinked, confused. “What are you talking about?”
MC eyes darted around the room, the room was filled with the usual hum of chatter as everyone worked on their potions before she lowered her voice. “Colby isn’t even here, Daniel.”
His eyes started to dart to the other students, but they were too focused on their own work to notice his sudden reaction. The scent of Colby Frey’s cologne was unmistakable, and it lingered in his mind like a shadow, refusing to leave.
“Whoa, Daniel, are you okay?” MC whispered, noticing his stiff posture and flushed cheeks. She leaned in closer. Daniel’s face burned as he tried to focus. “I—yeah. I’m fine.”
But the moment didn’t pass. The scent of Colby, sharp and overpowering, continued to fill the air, and Daniel’s mind went blank. Before he could stop himself, his voice shot out in a mix of panic and disbelief, only loud enough for his friends to hear.
“No. No way. This has to be a mistake!” Daniel’s hands trembled as he pulled away from the cauldron, his wide eyes flicking between the potion and his friends. “I—I must’ve added the wrong ingredient!”
“Colby Frey?” Robyn echoed, barely able to hold back a smirk. “Are you serious?”
Daniel was scrambling for words, his face bright red. He motioned toward the cauldron as though it could explain the impossible. “It’s not what you think. There’s no way... I—I must’ve messed up the recipe.”
But Robyn wasn’t buying it. “Mess up the recipe? You just brewed a love potion, Daniel.” She gave him a sly grin, clearly enjoying the moment. “And it smells like Colby. That’s... something.”
Daniel couldn’t decide whether to punch Robyn or punch a hole into the ground to hide. His face burned with humiliation, and he buried his face in his hands, trying to block out the laughter that was slowly building around him.
“It’s not like that,” he muttered, his voice muffled by his hands. “This is a mistake. Colby’s just... just a jerk. I don’t—there’s no way that’s what this means.”
Robyn, still grinning, leaned in closer. “Sure, sure. You keep telling yourself that. But the potion doesn’t lie, Daniel.”
He groaned in frustration, his hands rubbing his face in an attempt to shake off the strange, unsettling sensation in his chest. “I’m not into Colby,” he insisted, though the words sounded weak even to his own ears. He pulled his hands away, trying to meet their eyes, but the discomfort still lingered. “I don’t care about him like that. He’s a total pain.”
MC glanced at him, her expression softening, though there was a flicker of curiosity in her gaze. “Daniel, you don’t have to admit it right now. But maybe... maybe it’s not what you think. Amortentia shows what your heart secretly craves, right? Maybe it’s more about how he affects you than actually liking him.”
Daniel felt a knot tighten in his stomach. The thought of Colby affecting him in any way, especially in this context, was deeply unsettling. The scent of Colby’s cologne, the sharpness of it in the potion, had stirred something in him that he couldn’t explain.
“I don’t want him to affect me,” Daniel said, his voice low, as if trying to convince himself more than anyone else. “I just—I just want to get through this class without... this. Without him.”
Robyn raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “Hey, if it helps, I won’t tell anyone. But I’m definitely watching you try to figure this out.”
Ivy, who had been quiet through most of this, finally spoke up, her tone more serious. “It’s not a big deal, Daniel. It’s Amortentia. It’s supposed to confuse you, mess with your head. It’s not like you have to act on it or anything.”
MC gave him a sympathetic look. “I don’t think you can just forget about it. Amortentia doesn’t lie, Daniel. But maybe you’re right. Maybe you’re just not ready to admit it.” The conversation died down, but Daniel couldn’t shake the weirdness in the air. As he returned to his potion, his mind was lost in a whirlwind of confusion. How could he possibly be feeling this way about Colby? The same Colby who had bullied him for years?
It didn’t make sense. None of it did.