Chapter Text
Come on Ron! We’re already late enough as it is!”
Harry sprinted across the hallway, bumping into people while Ron catched up — while also equally whining about their new course.
“But Harry, we both didn’t receive an Outstanding! How were we given potions?!”
Harry didn’t even look back, simply dashing his way inside the room, which had not gone unnoticed by anyone. Students began to look towards him, while Slughorn mindlessly looked back.
“Ah! Harry m’boy. Seems you will take this class then,” he exclaimed. Harry nodded while Ron gasped for breath.
“You also seem to have brought a friend of yours, come along now! Class already started so no more time to waste.” Harry then marched up to Slughorn, and asked “But sir, me and Ron don’t have any notebooks. We were just told to come here.”
Slughorn looked back and pointed to a corner of the room, “Not to worry, get whatever you need from the cabinet.” He then turned back to continue his rambles on the cauldrons in front of him.
Harry and Ron quickly went ahead to get their hands on the books, later bickering quietly over the nicer looking one.
“Well now class — come along, let me show you what is inside them.” Everyone went forward and peeked into the open cauldrons, while Hermione stared curiously into the middle one. Closed, yet had a slight scent steaming out.
“Now, can anyone tell me about this one?” Pointed Slughorn. Hermione instinctively raised her hand, and began her lightning-fast explanation on the potion.
”Wonderful! Now, can anyone take a guess on what is under this cover?” Hermione once again raised her hand, while the rest of the class stepped back again. Let it be known that Hermione Granger has got this.
“Is it the draught of the living death, professor?” Harry's focus shifted to Hermione's hair, something which he hadn’t focused on for some time.
‘Nothing harmful..its changed a bit’ he thought. Until he was shoved by Ron roughly, “Harry, you okay?”
Harry snapped towards Ron, almost smacking him back for being shoved, before he noticed Ron slightly pointing outwards.
His gaze then shifted to Slughorn, who was staring at him — eagerly expecting acceptance.
“Uh…yeah?” Slughorn seemed to beam. “Perfect! Now come around here for just a moment — Hermione as well please.”
Both of them would stand next to each side of the professor, as he popped open the lid. “Ms. Granger, the trust answer to my question would be that this — very powerful and dangerous potion — is Amortentia. It’s a special potion. You see, it also goes by another name, that being-“ Hermione then interrupted.
“A love potion.”
Slughorn smiled widely, “Harry, you were right to say that she is a very bright witch. That is correct Ms. Granger! Now, can you tell me the many uses of this potion?”
Hermione seemed to doze off into the steam that seeped from the cauldron, before rapidly focusing on the question she was given “Oh! Well, one could use it to add on cologne or perfume. Alongside slipping it into the drink of the person you wish to be with you. It can cause them to be infatuated with you, and high doses can be lethal — leading to many losing their senses and needing to depend on another individual, that being the person they like the most. “
Slughorn nodded slightly, “Yes..very wonderful job! Now, students, please observe while Harry and Hermione will tell us what they smell from the potion. One thing that was not mentioned, it smells differently according to what attracts an individual. Now, both students will give very different answers just to prove this claim — which seems to be something debated amongst many of us potioneers.”
Hermione went first, leaning slightly towards the Cauldron, before pulling away instantly. Her cheeks reddened slightly, before she looked ahead towards the floor. “I smell wood, but more closely to the scent of outside after it rains, and broom polish, and coffee..?” She turned her head towards Harry, before rapidly turning her head back to the counter.
Harry stared at Hermione keenly, internally confused as to why she reacted the way she did. Before mentally shrugging, whispering ‘my turn now’ as he leaned in.
The scent was strong, but light. It reminded him of parchment and ink. The smell of books as well, closely resembling the copy of ‘Hogwarts: A History.’ That Hermione owned, and finally — Vanilla.
The same scent of vanilla that engulfed him whenever Hermione was next to him.
A ghostly look appeared on his face, before facing the class and muttering his words.
“Uhm, I smelled books — specifically some older ones. There’s a very strong smell of parchment and ink with some kind of vanilla being the main focus.” He exhaled softly, before turning back towards Slughorn, his cheeks flushed pink in embarrassment, while the cogs of his brain seemed to have imploded itself.
“Very well then! As you can see, a very strong difference will always be present, all dependent on who you are and how things are. Now..”
Both Harry and Hermione walked back towards their former sides of the group, before looking away — in an attempt to distract themselves. Yet, one thought seemed to scream loudly in their heads.
“I might fancy Harry..”
“I think I fancy Hermione..”