so in love with you // sirius black

chapter 8

    On the last day of class before Christmas break, there was a buzz of anticipation in the Potions classroom and I desperately hoped the class would pass quickly.

    "Settle down everyone!" Slughorn told the class. "Today we will be making Amortentia! Can anyone tell me what this potion does?" 

    Lily's hand shot into the air. 

    "Yes, Ms. Evans?"

    "Amortentia is one of the most powerful love potions, it's has a distinctive pearl color and it smells different to everyone, reminding them of who or what they find attractive," Lily stated, looking pleased with herself.

   "Very good Ms. Evans, five points to Gryffindor!" Slughorn praised her. "Now everyone pull out your textbooks and get to working, you have the rest of the class to complete your potions."

 I turned to Sirius who was grinning at me.

    "Maybe we'll find out who the mystery person you and Marlene were talking about is."

    "You never know," I said, trying to sound neutral. My cheeks went red, I really hope we won't find that out today. I went to fetch the ingredients before I embarrassed myself.

    When I returned Sirius had gotten the flame under our cauldron lit and had turned around to talk to James. I sat back down in my seat and dumped the ingredients onto our two desks.

    It turns out Amortentia was rather hard to make, and even Lily was looking frazzled. I glared at Sirius who had given up about 5 minutes ago.

    "Are you planning on helping anymore?" I grumbled. 

    He looked up at me, and I was expecting him to say something witty and go back to messing around. Instead, he  started cutting up the ingredients.

•••

    After an hour of frustrating work our potion was finally finished, it wasn't as good as Lily and James's, but it was finished.

    "So, shat do you smell?" Sirius asked. 

    I inhaled deeply, trying to discern the different and wonderful smells wafting from the shimmering liquid.

    "A dog . . ." I found this surprising because I had never owned a dog in my life. Sirius's eyes had widened and for a split second, but I passed it off as a trick of the light and continued. "...rain, and uh... some sort of expensive cologne," I now felt myself blushing, and I realized who I just described, hopefully Sirius wouldn't notice. 

   "So what about you?" I asked, in an effort to distract him.

    "Roses, something light and sweet . . . I'm not sure what it is and . . . old books." Before I had time to process his answer I heard James and Lily arguing behind us.

    "Lily you're wearing so much perfume I can't even smell the damn potion! wait. oh -OH" James turned bright red and Sirius was sniggering beside me.

    "Well, what about you Lily?" I said turning to face her.

    "I'd rather not share," she said pointedly.

    "Oh come on Lils!" I pleaded. 

    "Fine." She relented. "I smell broom wax, fresh laundry, and . . . the woods." She looked rather angry about this, and it took me a second to figure out why. But then it clicked.

    "Oh my god," I muttered under my breath, trying not to smile.

   "What?" Sirius and James said in unison, acting rather oblivious. Lily, on the other hand, shot me threatening look.

    "Uh nothing, never mind." 

    The boys pestered Lily and I for the rest of class to no avail and I was amazed by the slowness of their thinking.

    The minute class ended Lily stormed out. I wove through the bustling hallway, trying not to lose the back of her head in the throng of people.

    "Lily! LILY! wait up!" I yelled after her, trying my best to not run over a first year as I finally caught up to her. "Are you ok?" I asked.

    "NO! actually I don't know. It's just I didn't expect that at all." She sighed. "I mean we've studied together a couple of times and he's been less annoying." I just nodded letting her get it all out. "And ok maybe I do like him, but I wasn't quite ready to admit it to myself, and James might not be the smartest person ever but he'll make the connections eventually!"

     Lily was about to start another sentence when James and Sirius seemed to appear out of thin air. Sirius was laughing like crazy and James was gaping at us.

    Lily's face dropped, and I had to stifle a laugh.

    "Damnit! You heard all of that didn't you?" Sirius and James nodded. Lily groaned. "I need to go hide in a bathroom stall for all of eternity!" She said and promptly stalked off.

    I looked to James who who had a look of surprise painted across his face.

   "I think I'm dreaming," James grinned.

   "You're not dreaming mate," Sirius clapped his friend on the back.

    "How did you guys manage to eavesdrop on our conversation?" I asked. "You seemed to appear out of thin air!" 

    Sirius and James looked at me then each other and back at me again.

    "Unfortunately Maude, that is not a secret Prongs and I will not be sharing with you at the current moment, because if we did it would make said eavesdropping harder to pull off in the future," Sirius smirked.

•••

    With Marlene home for Christmas Lily and I's dorm felt much emptier then usual. Lily had just finished ranting about James for the third time that night. She seemed to have finally come to terms (at least somewhat) with her subconscious feelings for James.

    I could only hope they would figure out whatever they needed to before Christmas day.