The next morning— after walking in between Cedric and Harry all the way to class— you checked on the wolfsbane underneath the lid. Snape didn't say anything as you moved to the back table that had become a home to you last year. The other seventh years watched you pull out your other cauldron before you paused. You looked up from your notebook, taking off your robe and rolling up the sleeves of your white shirt.
"Professor, it's prunus aloe. Grows in Uganda with the same properties as wolfsbane, it's gel instead of powdered. I'm almost positive it's not a one to one ration but a three to one. It's boiling point is also lower. Do you think I should keep the copper cauldron I use or a different one?"
"It's best to brew for longer until you've figured it out."
"Understood, thank you."
You looked around for a moment before grabbing your robe and hastily putting it back on. Snape couldn't help himself but chuckle as you ran out of the room yelling about accidentally leaving your prunus in the greenhouse. You came back minutes later, tenderly rubbing the plant and saying sorry to it. Snape didn't stop writing on the chalkboard as he asked you a question.
"Is your aloe alright, Ms. Black?"
"Just fine. It's not meant to be in humid environments," you explained as you walked back to your table. "The greenhouse is practically a rainforest right now because of the bubble lilies and I completely forgot but it's only been a day so I think we'll live."
One of the seventh years raised their hands. "Professor, do we need the aloe for something?"
"No, Ms. Jha. Ms. Black not only harvested the flutterby petals needed for this but she has successfully brewed Amortentia for her N.E.W.T.s over the holiday break so she is allowed to sit this one and work on her own potion."
The class turned to look at you. "You took your N.E.W.T.s already?"
"Only for Herbology and Potions."
You vaguely listened to Snape teach as you worked on the improved wolfsbane potion. Per his suggestion, you switched to a pewter cauldron which would take at least half of the class period to brew. As long as it got a good result, you would think it was worth it. You peeled a small glob of gel from the aloe leaf and began to stir it in, carefully watching for any changes in the potion.
"Ms. Black," Snape called you out.
"Yes, Professor?" You didn't look up at all while talking, noting every minute color change or swirl in the potion.
"Why does Amortentia smell different to each person?"
You stirred the potion twice before answering. "In order to create fake love, you must use the real thing. Amortentia takes the victim's current love and uses the scent to cover whoever brewed the potion for them. Like a perfume. Smells can change over time if you fall in love with someone else and they tend to vary between two to five scents."
"Victim?"
"It's a potion that forces you to become obsessed with someone who is essentially pretending to be your actual love. It's cruel, so victim."
You only looked up when Snape called you to the front of the class to smell it.
"Cinnamon, butterbeer, and wool. It smells like Christmas."
You shuffled back to your table. The potion hadn't changed and you noted the time for how long a brew took in a pewter cauldron. You brought the copper cauldron with the original version and began comparing potion properties. It was funny to hear everyone be called up one by one to smell the Amortentia. Some said what they smelled with confidence while others blushed and whispered what they smelled. Cedric walked up to the front after Snape called him. You were still detailing the potion properties, not even looking up.
"Pumpkin, chocolate, plants, and a Shirley Temple."
He caught your eye when you looked up at the last bit, giving you a smile. You looked back down and finished the instructions. The new potion smelled close to the wolfsbane. The seventh years began to brew, occasionally throwing out a question for you to answer. Snape had heard Headmaster Karkaroff muttering to himself as he came down the hall and left the class saying he would be back and if class ended to simply clean up.
Because the Slytherin prefect was in your class, Snape gave her the key and said to lock the Potions room if he hadn't returned. You were in charge of giving out grades which made the seventh years hope he didn't come back until after class was finished. When Snape let you not only teach felix felicis but grade the initial brewing, they all said that your system was the fairest they ever had. Snape immediately shut them down by saying that when it was time to check on the final potion at the end of the six month brewing time, he had the liberty to change the grade you gave based on success and effectiveness of the potion.
You bottled up both wolfsbane potions and walked over to the desk where Cedric was brewing his Amortentia. You shoved the first original wolfsbane potion up to his mouth. He scrunched up his face at the taste. Reluctantly, he tasted the second one.
"That's a lot better."
"Good, everything's the same but taste. Of course, Uncle Remus needs to test it so I know for sure but I think I did it!" You leaned into his cauldron. "You need more peppermint leaves."
"You know that just from the smell? I'm not even done yet."
"Oil from certain leaves tends to stick to the brass and boil out. I don't smell enough cinnamon, lean in."
"I don't smell any pumpkin... more peppermint?"
You nodded and he reached for a couple more leaves. A shiver ran up your spine as he dropped the leaves in. The smell of butterbeer was so strong you felt like passing out. You looked around as Cedric dropped in another leaf, no one else seemed affected. Another shiver. Your eyes flitted to a corner where you thought you saw a dark cloud somehow. Weird things like this used to happen at the Black House, only now you were positive you knew what it was.
"Stop, stop!"
You ran over to Kenneth Towler, grabbing the box he was holding. The students turned to look at his table. They watched you hold the container up to the light and shake the box. With a nod, you dumped out the rose thorns into the trash can.
"These shouldn't even be here, the thorns are browning. Expired rose thorns in Amortentia creates a literal love bomb."
"Meaning?" Kenneth asked as you grabbed the rose thorns from Cedric's desk and gave them to him.
"If you even breathed in too much of the potion, your heart was going to explode."
Everyone checked their rose thorns after you said that. Kenneth thanked you for stopping him from dying in the middle of the Potions room. You made a note to Snape so he would know to check all the ingredients. You could've sworn the rose thorns were freshly harvested. You were glad you caught it because you knew that Harry and them had class in the afternoon and fourth years were brewing Draught of Peace that also required the rose thorns. Someone could have gotten the brown thorns like Kenneth almost did and possibly calm themselves so much that their body shut down completely. Browning rose thorns maximized potions effects and if not used carefully they almost always maximize the effects to a point of death or near it. You sat in your chair and continued to watch Cedric and the others. You looked around ever so often.
"And finished," Cedric said. "Wait, what are you doing?"
Your pinky was hovering over the potion. "Evaluating. Professor isn't back and class ends soon. I'm doing my job... they should pay me."
"But what if works, there's no ane—"
You got up and checked everyone else first, writing scores and notes on the chalkboard for Snape to see. Everyone left their potions because you all knew that he would want to verify for himself and if they cleaned up then they would have to brew them again tomorrow. The rest of the students left and you stood back at Cedric's desk. Without a care, you stuck your pinky in and swirled it around.
"I can't check your potion by smell because you brewed it. It would be impossible for it to mask your real smell if it is your real smell. A love potion technically can't work if I already..."
You stuck your pinky in your mouth to avoid finishing your sentence. Cedric's nose scrunched up as he smiled and pulled you close to him.
"What's it supposed to taste like?" he asked.
"Sweet yogurt... yours is a little tart, I can't give you an O. It'll be an E."
"Well, Potions was never my strong point, I'm much better at Charms."
You wrote his grade on the chalkboard under everyone else's grades and the two of you left class. Right on time, Harry was waiting outside for you two to go to Defense Against the Dark Arts. You said bye to Cedric and began to walk up the stairs with Harry. The two of you stopped holding hands as much and switched to linking arms— the same way you did with Hermione. You didn't want anyone to think something was happening between the two of you when you had Cedric and Harry had Cho. Harry went to link his arm around yours. You immediately paused. Your head whipped around which caused Harry to stop and look at you.
"Are you alright?"
You kept looking around but no one was in the hallway except the two of you.
"I smell butterbeer," you said.
"Butterbeer?"
"Today Kenneth al— never mind. Let's just go."
You couldn't focus at all in Defense Against the Dark Arts. The smell of butterbeer had only gotten stronger the closer that you got to the classroom. It didn't go away once inside either. You could've sworn the corners of the classroom were getting darker. But there wasn't a chill going through your body. There wasn't a complete darkness to the room. And there wasn't a cloud hovering over someone. Your breathing was shallow and quicker. The moment Moody dismissed class, you packed up and left. It didn't improve when you got to lunch. Cedric looked up immediately when he felt your presence— you always ate with the rest of the Golden Quartet. His hand went to your knee when you wouldn't stop bouncing it.
"Are you alright?"
You shook your head fiercely. "I keep smelling butterbeer, someone's dying. I don't know, I don-don't. It won't go away but I-I-I—"
"Shhh, calm down, (Y/N). You said butterbeer, why is that important?"
"When Kenneth almost used the bad thorns, all I could smell was butterbeer. Then it went away until Harry came and we went to class and I'm smelling it again and now the dark shadows won't go away."
"(Y/N), did you know the thorns were bad because you spotted them or because you felt like it?"
"The shadows, it got cold— the smell is getting worse. What if someone's dying? I need to help, what if..."
You began to look around the room. Cedric watched your head go from person to person as you tried to look for a semblance of a dark cloud or feel a chill when you looked at someone. You were even waiting for your least favorite part— the voices that used to make you think you were going insane as a child. Cedric pulled you from the table. His face morphed into one of concern as you kept looking around the entire time you guys walked up to the fifth floor.
"Pine fresh," he whispered to the large portrait of a river troll.
You entered to see a small entryway lined with cubby holes. Cedric walked over to the one that had his name labeled on it, pulling out a fresh stack of towels. You continued to follow him. Near the entryway was a hallway that broke off into toilets. Further in, you saw some shower stalls. But the crowning glory was clearly behind a stained glass wall with a little open archway. You saw the large bathtub that was like a swimming pool, surrounded by comfortable lounge furniture.
"Prefects' bathroom, perfect for a bath."
"Do you all... there's only one."
Cedric chuckled. "It's a Roman bath, we're supposed to be in swimsuits if not using the showers... just be careful if you only see two people head in, unless you want to join."
"You guys are disgusting."
"Hey, I've never taken anyone here. It gets cleaned."
"I wasn't really worried about that... what am I doing here? Cedric, someone could get hurt. You saw what almost happened with Ke—"
Cedric set the towels on a chair and went to turn on the warm water taps. He pulled you in for a hug and then held your head in his hands. You shook your head slightly with wide-eyes, tears starting to rim up in your eyes.
"You don't believe me," you whispered.
"Hey, hey, I believe you okay. I believe you. But Kenneth is safe, you saved him."
"Someone else has to be in danger. I keep s—"
"I started reading about banshees. There's a memoir by Aevus Govel, she calls it residual death. She said the only way the warnings left her alone was to scream. You didn't even shout when you saved Kenneth, I think you just need to scream. No one can hear you in here."
"I'm not going mad?"
"You're not... I'll be right here in this chair."
Cedric sat backwards in the chair. You made sure your uniform wasn't near the water because you did have class and didn't feel like going back to Hufflepuff just to get a new, dry one. The warm water helped you relax. You took in a deep breath and then plunged beneath the water. Cedric's hand flew to his ears. You were actually surprisingly loud even underneath the water and he could only imagine how much worse it would have been if you were on dry land. He was sure that you would have broken all the stained glass. It was quiet for a moment before he heard another scream and the sound of water hitting ceramic tiles. You dried yourself off and slipped back into your uniform. Cedric looked over when you sat down next to him.
"Better?"
You nodded. "No more shadows, no more butterbeer smell."
The smells and shadows were gone for not only the rest of the day but the rest of the week as well. While you focused on your herbology and alchemy, Cedric spent his free time reading more about banshees. You were in greenhouse number four to start your big alchemy project. The salts for your school finals were sitting in the Alchemy classroom being melted down. Flamel allowed you to have a student with more magic help you so Cedric was the one that actually created the flames because you needed an eternal fire spell— you weren't risking a normal fire going out. The salts were going to sit in their extravagant contraption until all the chlorine had turned to gas and been boiled out, leaving only the molten sodium behind. While you were waiting for those, you spent a lot of time in the greenhouse. All your friends knew to find you there if you seemed to be missing.
Technically, you were currently breaking curfew. The sun hadn't yet risen up to be seen at least halfway behind the horizon. But your correct syringes had finally come in and you needed to test the bubble lilies nectar. You couldn't wait any longer to run the tests but it was also Valentine's Day. So, for you, the only compromise was to break curfew and do your testing in your greenhouse before everyone woke up.
You lined up all the needles by size from biggest to smallest. Carefully, you picked up each bubble lily. You muttered a curse when you accidentally let your pinky touch the bubble and it burst the first plant, the flower immediately shriveling up. It was important to only grab the lily pad that the bubble sat on. The others were successfully moved to your workspace. You started to poke the syringes into the flowers, noting which sizes made the bubble pop and which successfully kept the water barrier intact. You nodded in satisfaction at seeing eight syringes of different sizes full of nectar. It wasn't much since you and Neville had harvested thirty-four flowers. But considering there was no way to even extract the nectar in the first place, the eight syringes you had were good enough. The syringes were drained into vials and stuck in the refrigerator near the front of the greenhouse. You opened the greenhouse door to be face to face with Harry.
"Good, you're here... I don't know what to do for Valentine's Day for Cho."
"You both like quidditch."
"That's all we talk about. I think she wants something different, I do too actually. What are you and Cedric doing?"
"I don't know, he just said we're going to my store. Kreacher let me cook in the kitchen though so I made him tiny heart cakes."
"Why are you two the poster for perfect couple?"
You closed the door to your greenhouse.
"Harry, we are far from perfect. We get on each other's nerves sometimes."
"Really? No one would ever know," he said as the two of you began to walk back towards the castle now that the sun was up.
"Because it's none of their business to know unless we want to tell them. It's nothing we don't talk through but that just shows we aren't perfect... you and Cho like each other, right? You fancy her and she fancies you."
"Well, I hope so, considering we're dating," Harry said, making the both of you laugh.
"Then as long as you put your heart into it, anything you do is going to be perfect on Valentine's Day. Viktor and Hermione are taking a couples' potions class down in Hogsmeade. I'm pretty sure it's just fondue mixed with a giggling potion but they seem excited. It's not complicated at all."
"I guess maybe Cho would like to go see the unicorns they brought to Madam Puddifoot's."
"Harry Potter, you may actually understand girls after all."
He rolled his eyes and reached over your shoulder to knock on the barrel. You told him he'd be fine and, with a hug, left to get ready. Cedric knocked on your door about an hour and half later. He grabbed Padfoot from your bed and took your hand in his free one. Hogwarts was crawling with couples and groups of friends leaving the castle.
Valentine's Day falling on a weekend was not an opportunity to be missed. You walked past groups of friends outside Honeydukes and chuckled when you caught Draco in the window of Three Broomsticks looking bored out of his mind as he ate with Pansy. You kept walking until you reached your store. Cedric grabbed the key from your back pocket and unlocked the door. Setting Padfoot down, he told you to get one of the blankets from upstairs. When you came back down, you stood in shock at the new look of the store. The wiggentree was covered in a set of string lights, the fireplace was lit, and enchanted candles floated around the place— not on the ground in case Padfoot hit one. A picnic set laid at the base of the wiggentree.
"Accio blanket."
You felt yourself getting pulled along with the blanket that you were holding on to. Cedric caught you before you could actually slam into him. He pecked your lips.
"Happy Valentine's Day."
The two of you were in your own world with each other. Everyone walking by could see into the store and therefore the two of you. Not once did either you or Cedric look at the window. A group of Durmstrang boys walked by. They passed by the first time before backtracking to make sure they actually saw what they saw. Harry and Cho passed by on the way back to the castle from seeing unicorns. He was pleased with himself and grateful for your help because Cho seemed to actually like the date. Just like the others, they stopped to look in. Harry and Cho stopping is what made the other students on the street stop.
"Are they just having a picnic? That's a bit boring," one student said.
"Well, I think it's sweet," another girl defended.
Seamus made everyone chuckle. "He's making the rest of us blokes look bad."
Harry laughed with everyone else but because he was thinking of earlier. Sure, you and Cedric probably did have some minor problems. He believed you. But, the scene in front of him definitely did not reflect any of that.
Cedric gave you a side smile. "Do you think they know we can see them?"
"Should we keep acting like we don't?"
You two continued to eat and laugh, putting on a little bit of show. Your face froze when you smelled butterbeer. Cedric watched the piece of cake fall before it reached your lips as you completely dropped the cake and ran outside.
"Is someone hurt? Someone needs help! Wha— Harry can you finish your drink?"
He downed the remaining butterbeer all in one gulp. The smell disappeared immediately. You rubbed at your hair, feeling foolish. It only got worse when you saw Rita Skeeter in the midst of the small crowd that had gathered. She was there to catch the champions' in action for how they spend Valentine's Day. This time she wasn't working for the Daily Prophet but for Witch Weekly— a gossip magazine. You shook your head not wanting any of it to be true. Someone had to be hurt. They had to have been close to death and managed to save themselves without your help. Rita cleared her throat. The camera snapped away.
"Dear, did you just have dark vision? Do you get those often as a banshee?"
You weren't paying much attention to Rita but the rest of the crowd was. They all watched you mutter to yourself.
"No, no someone has... I smelled butterbeer, I swear it wasn— it wasn't... There!"
Your scream reached banshee level and caused everyone to duck and cringe for a brief moment. You kept looking around. Cedric was out the door immediately upon hearing the scream, standing in the open doorway now. You wanted to shrink up when the smell of butterbeer was just coming from another couple walking by with drinks in their hands. Cedric pulled you in for a hug, covering you. Rita nodded as the camera clicked and her pen scribbled away on her notepad.
"So, yes, that was definitely a banshee scream."
One of the students saw the opportunity to make it worse. "Ced, does she sound like that in—"
Cedric practically pushed you back into the store. Harry, Cho, Neville, Dean, Seamus, and Ron tried to clear everyone away from the place. Cedric pulled down the store blinds and just held you.
"I thought it was real," you practically sobbed.
"It's okay, you made a mistake. It's okay... do you want to go back to school?"
You shook your head. If you ran into anyone who had witnessed what happened, you were positive you were going to lose it. Last thing you wanted was to hear the whispers about the paranoid banshee that you knew were already being spread around. Cedric patted your back until you looked up at him.
"Do you want to be left alone?"
"Please," you whispered.
"Okay, I'll be right outside. Alright?"
His lips pressed the softest kiss to your cheekbone, right underneath your eye. He scooped up Padfoot and went to sit right outside the door. The crowd had cleared thanks to your friends. You sunk down against the trunk of the wiggentree, knees pulled to your chest with your hands holding your head. Cedric couldn't help himself but cover his ears the first time you screamed. He forced himself to remove his hands. He just sat holding your cat listening to a mix of sobs, screams, and glass cracking. Hermione and Viktor walked by— their laughter stopped when they saw Cedric. Hermione didn't even have to ask what was going on when they heard the next scream.
They covered their ears but noted how Cedric just winced at the sound. Viktor and Hermione both jumped when they could hear the store window shatter, the blinds swinging through the now empty space. Cedric pulled out his wand, not even looking at the window as he muttered Reparo. The other couple left when it got silent, waving small goodbyes to Cedric. He waited for a minute or two for another sound but nothing happened. He stood up and re-entered the store. You no longer had your knees pulled up to your chest— you were now sitting cross-legged with your head hung down.
Cedric still kept distance, choosing to sit against the store window. He watched you just stare at your hands. You didn't make any reaction as if you didn't even know he was there. He had been doing his reading but nothing really prepared a wizard for seeing a banshee in full force. And he was aware that you weren't even a full banshee, what he was seeing was only half of what it could look like. A giant cloud of black enveloped you. It expanded and contracted as if it was a beating heart. Cedric braced himself when he saw you open your mouth to scream but no sound came out.
Only a pained cough echoed in the store. You had screamed so much that you tore up your throat and he knew it was on purpose. You couldn't scream and make another mistake if you couldn't even talk properly. It wouldn't last very long but it also wasn't going away in a day if you didn't go to Madame Pomfrey— which he was sure that you wouldn't. He let go of Padfoot and let the cat walk to you. It was like you snapped out of whatever made you lose focus with reality, smiling and cooing at your pet. You looked up to see Cedric sitting where he was. He got up to sit next to you. You dropped your head onto his shoulder and he rested his head against yours.