The Bug Collector | marauders

Partners in Potions

Rose sat next to James and looked into his eyes, a fire still burning within her own.

"Don't ever make my sister cry, Potter." She said as a stern warning.

"I would never. That was bloody brilliant, Thorns!" He exclaimed

A slew of other compliments came from the other marauders but Rose's mind was only on her sister.

It was no secret James fancied Lily, though Lily still didn't feel the same way she knew her sister was at least starting to stand the boy, and with Severus out of her life James might even have a chance to be Lily's friend. Or acquaintance more like.

Rose usually stayed out of the boys well...girl business. Peter had a new crush on a new girl he'd never actually talk to every other day, and James and Sirius shared an ability to decide they liked a girl and be snogging her by the end of the day(expect Lily of course). Remus seemed just as disinterested in girls and Rose was with boys, but Rose could feel that starting to change.

Now when she thought of those girls around James and Sirius it made her stomach twist uncomfortably.

They never seemed to do anything more with the girls, or date them for that matter. Rose would ignore it or occasionally pipe up when she thought one of them was exceptionally cute to give the girl a compliment, James would playfully say Rose was trying to steal them away and Sirius would smirk and compliment Rose's taste, but now it all felt a bit wrong.

Rose sighed, the boys were all still watching her with astonished faces, all but Remus. He was watching Sirius watching Rose.

He often was.

She closed her eyes and thought back to a conversation she had with Regulus once.

"I quite dislike the company of other boys actually" he had said.

Rose was beginning to understand, though perhaps finishing her nap would ease her nerves and she would change her mind.

—

Rose's first class was potions, and when she arrived she was personally called up to speak with professor Slughorn, Rose could only assume it was about the train incident, she was probably the first Slytherin to ever lose house points on the way to Hogwarts before.

That's when Regulus Black stepped out from behind the large man with a little smirk on his face that rivaled his brother's, same cockiness but with a hint of- well evil to it.

Like a little goofy mastermind.

"Mr. Black has informed me that you feel as if you've been struggling in potions, but were too embarrassed to ask for help from me yourself, seeing as Mr. Black has done so well thusfar I've made the two of you partners for this term. Wouldn't want you to miss an opportunity to be part of the slug club!" He said cheerfully, like he was in onto something secretive and glad to be.

Regulus knew just how to use people, compliment them and make them feel needed.  He also seemingly knew how to lie well.

"We should take our seats, Ms. Evans." He said politely.

"Oh yes go on, the lesson's about to start! We're making Amortentia! A delightful draught!" Spoke the professor joyously.

"Of course." Rose said with fake enthusiasm as she took her seat next to Regulus.

"That was manipulative!" Rose whisper shouted at him.

"I learned it from my mother. Be grateful we get to talk now." He said quietly.

Rose took a similar look at him as she had her friends on the train, his hair was longer, tied neatly back with a dark braid going through it. Silver rings adorned his fingers and glittered in the light, his hands reminded Rose of Sirius'.

"I would have never called you that." He said brining Rose out of her trace and her attention back to his face.

"A mu— the muggle-born word. I would have never called you that, not like Snape did to your sister." He said quietly.

"Oh....that..." Rose trailed off before speaking again.

"If he ever does that again I'll throw rocks at him" She said after a moment of silence.

"I'm sure he'll be terrified" Regulus responded
sarcastically.

"Would you like another demonstration on how Muggle's fight, Black?" Rose whispered as the lesson began.

—

Like everything magic related, potions seemed to come easily to the young wizard Rose was partnered with, the potion required pearl dust, rose thorns, a dried, and then subsequently crushed orchid mantis and a few more ingredients.

Rose whispered condolences to the dead bug before Regulus added it to the bowl to be crushed. Even he admitted it was a beautiful creature.

By the time their potion was finished it was pearlescent and swirls of steam rose from it, textbook perfection.

Professor Slughorn had been pacing the class watching the students work but stopped when he got to their cauldron.

"Amazing work Ms. Evans, Mr. Black, we'll use this as the example for now. I want everyone to form a line, and give the potion a sniff." The professor said. The two of them backed up and allowed the other students to sniff their potion as the professor explained why he had them do this.

Amortentia was a love potion, more of an obsession potion to be honest. It made the drinker absolutely obsessed with someone.

The smell of the potion also heavily changed based on the individual, it would represent what they felt was attractive, comforting. Basically it smelled like things or people a person liked.

When it was finally Rose's turn to smell it she was perplexed by it.

She didn't quite smell someone, she more of smelt- somewhere?

By this time the students had dispersed back to their own seats to discuss why they smelled whatever it was they had smelled, Rose wasn't sure if she ever saw Regulus himself take a sniff.

"You look puzzled." He said.

"Well yeah, I smell...smoke, something green like pine needles maybe, and dirt, morning dew on grass, and that smell that lingers after a rain..."

She failed to mention a clean scent that had no name, a natural smell him and his brother shared, perhaps it was something from their home, Rose couldn't be sure. The smell usually made her feel at ease.

"Sounds like you're in love with Professor Sprout." He said plainly.

"Regulus!" She said and crossed her arms across her chest.

"I'm confused." She said with a huff.

At that curiosity must have gotten the better of him because the boy leaned down and sniffed the potion, scowling in response.

"You're suppose to like it." Rose said

"I don't smell anything." He said bleakly.