fatal love

Chapter 46

He did tell Marlene about going to Hogsmeade with Benjy, and her face lit up in a huge smile, as she assured him that going on a date with a boy wasn't actually the worst thing that he could ever do. The whole week leading up to the weekend, Sirius was jumpy and anxious, as worst-case scenarios flitted through his mind.

Thursday was Halloween, but they couldn't do anything to celebrate, because it was the full. That meant Remus had to transform, while Sirius, James and Peter all got to finally spit out their horrid Mandrake leaves.

They waited until the moon was high in the sky, and then Sirius undid the Sticking and Concealment Charms in their mouths. They all spat their leaves, which by now were soggy and a putrid brown colour, into crystal phials.

"Okay, now a hair each," James said.

Sirius pulled out a strand of his hair, adding it to the phial.

"And the moth chrysalis. Sirius?"

Sirius grabbed his bag of moth chrysalises and gave them one each, dropping one into his phial as well.

"And the dew. Pete?"

Pete grabbed a glass beaker of the dew that he had carefully collected from the pot of grass he'd kept in the cupboard for a week now. With a silver teaspoon, he added it to each of their phials.

"What now?" Peter asked.

"Put the phials in here," James said, putting a box in front of them. "We need to make a potion next, which will take at least three months, and we can't even look at these until it's done. No one open this box, okay?"

They nodded seriously, laying down their phials gently, and James snapped the lid shut, putting the box under his bed.

"We'll start the potion tomorrow," he said. "But we're getting there, guys."

They did start the potion the next day. Once Remus was let out of the Hospital Wing, they set up a cauldron in the corner of the dorm, with a charmed fire underneath it to simmer all the time.

"We're definitely going to get caught," Remus moaned. "You can't just brew an illegal potion in the dormitory!"

"Sure we can," Sirius grinned, "we're the only ones who are ever in here."

"Who do you think cleans this place? House Elves are in here everyday!"

Sirius smirked. "Nispy!"

The little House Elf appeared in front of him at once, beaming. "The Gryffindor Boys called! What can Nispy do for Sirs?"

Sirius smiled. "It's nice to see you, Nispy. We just wanted to let you and the other Elves know that we're brewing a potion in our dorm. It's sort of a school project, so maybe you could just not touch it. In fact, maybe you just don't even mention it."

She eyed them all cautiously. "What is you boys making? Students is not supposed to do potions in their dormitories."

"It's a surprise, for Professor Slughorn," Remus said quickly, glaring at Sirius, "this is just the only place we have to brew it where he won't find it."

Nispy relaxed instantly, and beamed at Remus. "The Gryffindor Boys is such good students! Nispy will tell the other Elves not to touch the potion, and that it is a secret!"

"Thanks, Nispy," James grinned, "we knew we could count on you."

She beamed wider, batting her eyelashes at Remus before disappearing.

"Moo-ny," Sirius sang, "the elf has a crush on you!"

"Shut up," Remus laughed, "we're just lucky that she said yes."