Lemon Grass and Sleep

DOWNHILL AS USUAL

Time since that fateful first encounter with Amortentia had been easily forgotten by yours truly, and I was instead freaking out over something entirely different. Something that loomed over every fifth year's head and lurked around every corner in Hogwarts.

O.W.L.s.

"We learned this?" I asked for at least the fifth time in the last hour, and Glinda lowered her book irritably.

"If it's in there, then yes. Less asking, more reading." And just like that, she'd walled me off again with the cover of The Standard Book of Spells.

I could barely focus on my studies with the pressure of passing my exams looming over me, which was extremely counter productive. Glinda and I were tucked away in a corner of the library nobody else had bothered to come into yet. A quiet, low buzz of students mumbling to themselves and quizzing amongst each other filled the large room, with all levels filled with fifth years freaking out over their exams.

"I'm taking a walk," I stood up, leaving my book on the table open to the same page it'd been turned to for at least an hour.

"Again? That's the seventh walk you've taken," she mumbled, eyes still scanning pages hungrily.

"And I'm sure it's not the last."

The halls were quieter around this time of year, with students tucked away in common rooms to stare at their textbooks instead of running around the halls to meet up with friends. It was oddly calming, despite knowing the reason behind the quiet, and the ever nagging feeling that I should be doing something other than procrastinating.

"Well, look who it is." Only one person could startle me to the point that my whole body would jolt with surprise. And I turned around to face him like he hadn't just taken five years off my life.

"Hi," I spoke simply, already feeling dumb five seconds into the conversation.

"Hello yourself," he responded coolly, much better at speaking than I was. "What's a studious Hufflepuff like you doing taking a leisurely stroll with O.W.L.s so soon?"

"Can't focus," which wasn't a lie. But the real truth was I was burnt out, and I couldn't bring myself to review topics I'd already looked at well over five times.

"Mm, it does get that way sometimes," he mumbled, seeming to mull over some ideas in his head. "Mind if I join you, then? Perhaps it'll help get my mind jogging as well."

"S-sure," I stammered, looking away immediately as Fred fell into step next to me. Merlin, this was a golden opportunity and I was squandering it simply because I had no idea what to say.

Fred looked occupied anyways, he had a look of laser focus that was rare and was only seen when I caught him and George brainstorming in the corners of hallways and muttering about charms.

"Come up with anything good recently?" I asked quietly, almost hoping he was too caught up in his thoughts to hear me.

"A few good ones, George has got this brilliant idea for a chocolate that makes the person look like a pig, but we haven't quite gotten it right yet. Animals are sort of hard, you know?"

"Of course," in reality I did not know.

"What about you, any potions you have brewing? I'm always down for a trade."

"None, but I'm always down for commissions."

"Got your hands on a seventh year textbook yet? I may or may not have the resources to make that happen if you can serve up some liquid luck."

"Liquid luck?" I asked incredulously, "I don't know about that one."

"I'm sure the potionsmaster can whip up some measly luck in a bottle," he reached over and ruffled my hair, something Fred had realized was extremely easy to do with the few inches of height he had on me.

"Oh come on," I laughed, fighting him off and fixing my hair. Tiny moments like these gave me hope and butterflies, I could only pray there was no blush to betray my feelings.

"So? How's about it? I get my hands on a seventh year textbook, maybe swipe some ingredients for you, what's in it for you?"

I stared at the ground as I thought about it, this was a lofty request Fred was asking of me, and he knew it. There must be a class he was dying to get N.E.W.T. level in if he was coming to me for liquid luck.

"I'll come up with it later, but count on me for some luck."

"That sounds like something I can work with," he smirked, holding his hand out for me to shake. "It's a deal, then."

"It's a deal," as we shook hands it almost felt like he had stolen another piece of my soul. Slowly, as Fred and I had grown a bit closer, it felt like he was stealing away bits of me that I wouldn't be able to get back--sort of like he was claiming sections of my heart as his.

Not that I thought anything would come of it except for a broken heart, but it was nice for the time being.

"I've got to get back, I told George I was just getting some leftover lunch from the kitchens. I'll see you around, Soot."

"Likewise, Weasley," I called out, watching his robes billow behind him as he took off down toward the basement level.

And just like that he'd left me once more. Our little meetings always happened like that, him leaving me. But that was to be expected, is what I thought as I walked slowly back to the library, obviously I didn't want to leave first.

I wanted to spend as much time as possible with him.

"I just don't understand why you can't just tell him," Glinda interrupted me as I recounted my conversation with Fred the previous day. This was going to be our last potions class before we took our O.W.L.s, and the last thing I wanted to do was actually think about classwork.

"I think you do, you just want me to shut up," I countered.

"Mm, for once I think you're catching on."

Stepping into the classroom I knew I had made a terrible, terrible mistake that day.

"We'll start off today's class with a popular request to wish you luck on your O.W.L.s," Snape spoke aloud as latecomers arrived and took their seats quickly.

"No," I whispered, glancing at Glinda whose eyes sparkled with mischief as she turned to share a look of cleverness with George across the room.

"Smelling amortentia."