Elise's first lesson of the term was one she had been looking forward to since the end of the last term: Potions. Although the thought of having a new teacher made her unsure if she would continue to enjoy the lesson, she was still excited at the prospect of brewing potions.
As Elise waltzed into the Potions classroom that morning, an overwhelming smell of cherries mixed with peppermint began to waft through the air, filling her up as though it were a drink. "It smells like cherries and peppermints. Do you smell that? " She asked as she entered the classroom, finding her usual place at a desk.
"It smells like citrus fruits, not cherries Elise," Draco stated briskly. "Doesn't your nose work?"
Once Slughorn noticed the students settling into the classroom, he rose from his desk and made his way to the front of the class. "Everybody, please gather around the table! I have prepared a few concoctions for today's lesson."
She followed the Slytherin students towards the bench, staying behind the group of eager Gryffindors who stood at the front of the pack. "Who even is this teacher? I'm glad Snape finally got to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts but his replacement seems utterly incompetent." Draco raised his eyebrows at Slughorn.
"My mother has never heard of him so he mustn't be very good," Blaise added.
"As long as I can still pass this class, he and I won't have a problem."
"Oh, I'm sure he would be terrified if a sixteen-year-old threatened him Draco. Merlin, just pay attention and you'll pass the course!" Elise turned to face the front of the class, hoping Draco and Blaise would stop distracting her.
"If only you knew," Draco whispered under his breath, barely loud enough for her to hear.
"Right, does anybody know what any of these potions are?" He removed the lid from the first potion and as he did, the smell of cherries suddenly became stronger. Elise leant in, inspecting the potion as she did, finally raising her hand once she knew what the potion was.
Before she had a chance to speak, Harry and Ron stumbled into the classroom loudly, knocking over several books as they entered. "Harry m'boy! I was beginning to worry! And I see we've brought someone with us." Slughorn turned to face the pair, inspecting the boy he did not yet recognise as if waiting for him to speak.
"Ron Weasley, sir. But I'm dead awful at Potions, a menace actually, so I probably should just be going-" He started to turn around but before he could, Slughorn spoke again.
"Nonsense, we'll sort you out. Any friend of Harry's is a friend of mine. Right then, books out --"
"Um, sorry, sir, but I haven't got my book yet -- nor's Ron. You see -" Harry spoke quickly, the words barely forming in his mind before he spoke them.
"Not to worry. You can get what you need from the cupboard." Slughorn smiled whimsically at the pair, pointing them towards the open cupboard beside them. "Now, as I was saying, I've prepared a few concoctions this morning."
"Merlin, Potter always has to be the centre of attention doesn't he," Draco whispered to Blaise before pulling his copy of Advanced Potion Making from his robe pocket. Elise quickly followed suit, clutching her copy close to her chest.
"Any ideas what these might be?" He looked around the classroom for a student willing to share, eventually settling on Hermione Granger who had placed herself at the front of the class. "Yes, Miss...?"
"Granger, sir. That one there is Veritaserum. And that would be Polyjuice Potion. And that..." She leant in closer to the potion. " is Amortentia! The most powerful love potion in the world. It's rumoured to smell differently to each person, according to what attracts them. For example, I smell freshly mown grass and new parchment and spearmint toothpaste-" Once she noticed her cheeks beginning to flush an intense coral, she stopped in her tracks.
YOU ARE READING
Whisper → Draco Malfoy
Fanfiction"One whisper, added to a thousand others, becomes a roar of discontent" Elise wants to scream. She wants to shout. She wants to yell. But when she's around him, she can barely whisper.
