"Sit down, everybody," muttered Snape, his hands behind his back and turned around, his black robes flying behind him, and flicked his wand at the blackboard. The chalk started writing a few steps and ingredients for the Amortenia.
"This particular potion is a love potion, but don't be fooled, it is one of the most powerful one to exist, can drive the one to drink it into a mad obsession, it is far from lovely," the word made people wince, it didn't sound right, coming out of Snape's mouth. "Could someone tell me what are the distinguishable aspects of the potion?"
Sarah's hand shot up, and he sent her a disgraceful look, "Yes, miss McCauley?"
"It is distinctive for its mother-of-pearl sheen, and the steam that rises from the potion in spirals. It smells different to each person, according to what attracts them," she answered and he gave her a tight nod.
"Five points to Gryffindor," he gritted, still not enjoying giving them points, but probably thinking it won't matter because with Fred and George right behind her, he'll quickly take them back.
"You may begin," said Snape.
Sarah and Selena got to work, setting it to brew quickly and turned to Fred and George, who were having a bit of trouble, it was boiling, and the wrong color. Sarah and Selena handed them a few ingredients and their potion turned from blue to green and the surface flattened, after a few minutes, it started whitening.
"Thanks," they said at the same time and set it to brew.
Snape was moving through the desks, inspecting the potions, and thankfully not insulting anyone. This was his tradition, apparently, teaching fifth years this love potion just in time for Valentine's Day.
"They all should be brewed, by now," said Snape. "You have exactly ten minutes to write down the observations, possibly the different scents, and clean out your desks, until I pass to discard of the potion. Better not find you have sneaked out any drop of it out of this class," he turned especially towards Fred and George, and they kept a blank face, stirring in their cauldron.
Sarah and Selena took notes on how they made the potions and the observations, then finally leaned over the cauldron curiously breathing in the fumes.
"What's it smell like to you?" asked Selena.
"Parchment, and lavender, and-" she frowned, breathed in again and concentrated on the scents but it didn't change. She glanced back at Fred, tickling George's nose with a rabbit's foot on his table, which made George sneeze.
"And?" asked Selena.
"Right, uh, peppermint," said Sarah anxiously, looking down at her notes, scribbling on the piece of parchment. "Parchment and lavender. My house always smelled like lavender when I was little, must have been my mother's favorite flower. And I used to collect it, hang it around the cottage to keep the memory. What do you smell?"
Selena smiled, "fire smoke, chocolate and rain," she glanced back at George.
"Fire smoke, huh?" asked Sarah teasingly.
Selena turned crimson and muttered, "Shut up."
"I used to run around and jump into puddles every time it rained, it drove my parents crazy," said Selena, turning to face Fred and George, leaning against their desk.
"We used to do that, too," chuckled George, pointing at himself and his twin.
Fred laughed, "We used to pick you up and throw you in muddy puddles, remember that, McCauley?"
"Yes, I do," she winced and shook her head at the memory. "Molly would spend hours disentangling the mud from my hair." She ran her hands through her hair. It was all ample and messy curls, then, which was a nightmare to deal with and Molly never complained, but Sarah did and now she wore it smooth and sleek. She brought it all to one side and twisted it absentmindedly.
Lee came up between Fred and George, throwing an arm around each of them, "Mine smells like Angelina's hair."
"Lee, mate, take the hint," teased Fred.
Lee hit his head, "Oi, shut up. What does yours smell like, eh?"
"Smells like home, mostly. Sugar and fireworks," said George, leaning over and breathing in again, smiling softly, "Also cinnamon."
Fred leaned over, and as soon as he breathed in, his face looked peaceful. "Firework smoke, pine tree and-"
Sarah was looking at him waiting for the third scent curiously, trying to forget what her third one was, although it was that overall and it didn't make much sense. "And what?" she asked.
"L-licorice?" Fred sniffed the fumes again, "Yup, wouldn't have thought, it's funny."
"But you don't like licorice," George winced at him.
Fred shrugged and everyone flinched at Snape clearing his throat behind them. Lee practically ran to his seat.
"I suggest you clean up the desk in the last fifteen seconds that are left," muttered Snape, walking imposingly to Sarah and Selena's desk to make the potion vanish.
At the end of class, Sarah's mind was spiraling, and preferred to completely forget about it, it didn't have to mean anything, right? The fact that the potion smelled like her best friend. Everything was completely normal. Perfectly normal.
_
A group of seventh years got word around for a party on Valentine's Day, inviting fifth years and up, in honor of the exam period approaching, and 'Love floating in the air' to use their terms precisely.
Sarah let go of the last lock of hair that she'd straightened and ran a hand through her hair, put on her mothers medallion and ring, matching red rubies.
You look beautiful, she liked to think her Mum would've said, her hand adjusting the locket falling on her chest.
"You know Oliver's coming tonight." Angelina smiled knowingly, walking towards the mirror next to Sarah to put on her earrings.
"Yes, Angie, I figured, since he's in seventh year," answered Sarah with an amused tone, sprayed her perfume on either side of her neck and walked away from the mirror to put on her shoes.
"Sure you don't want to wear that blue velvet skirt?" asked Selena, walking across the room to grab a head-band.
"You are so much more involved in Oliver's stunt with the training hours than I am, really. He doesn't mean it, and where we're going, it's just a party," Sarah dismissed them both. "I am much more comfortable in ample trousers, thank you very much."
"At least she kept the crop top," reasoned Selena, exchanging an agreeable look with Angelina.
"You two are impossible. Do you want me to bring out the artillery and tease you about a certain ginger also coming tonight?" said Sarah, raising a defying brow at Selena.
She groaned in frustration, and turned around from them, which simply made Angelina and Sarah smile knowingly and go down to meet with Alicia and Katie, the five of them leaving for the party.
Hearts were hanging from everywhere, the lights were dark purple, blue and red, couples slow dancing in a corner and other people doing shots in another. Sarah expected nothing less from a Valentine's Day party.
Lee, Fred and George approached the girls cheerfully. "Look at our friends, here," Lee twirled Sarah around. "Aren't we blessed with this sight?" he looked at Angelina, smiling at every one of his girl friends.
"You should look like this every day," he said, gesturing at their outfits.
"Well thank Godric for this blue-ish dark light, because I can't see your face enough to smack it," retorted Angelina, turning her heels to Lee, Alicia and Katie following her.
"Wait-" Lee followed them, Fred and George smirked at the back of his head and looked at Sarah and Selena.
"Rest assured, you look exactly the same," said Fred, looking down at Sarah. She squinted at him, thinking that the world would certainly fall apart and implode if he gave her a compliment. "Although, I do wonder, now that I've made you angry, what type of light will your face reflect? I'm hoping for a purple glow on that wall," he pointed at the wall behind him.
"Says you, who'll be walking around with a brown halo," she snapped back, drawing a circle above her head, and saw the corner of his mouth going up, running a hand through his hair.
Fred took a step forward, opened his mouth to keep going whatever this was, but was interrupted.
"Hey!" she heard a familiar voice behind her, she turned her head to see Oliver walk over to her.
"Don't you look beautiful," he said, looking Sarah up and down.
She smiled, looking at a distant corner in the room, like she didn't believe him.
"How are you all?" he asked her friends, taking a step to stand beside her.
George put an arm around Fred and Selena, "We're all doing perfect," he grinned at Sarah teasingly. "And we've also spotted some wonderful chocolate-covered strawberries, we'll leave you two."
George dragged himself, Fred and Selena away from Sarah and Oliver, let them to the opportunity charged air.
They spent the evening talking, laughing, and it felt great, actually, different from any other interaction she'd had until now. He looked at her so strangely, making her heart speed up every time. After a couple dances, they made their way to the drinks, Oliver poured a ladle of punch in their cups.
"You brought out the big guns, who set this up?" asked Sarah, gesturing around the room.
"Jake, Michael and I," he told her, looking up, too, probably thinking that he did all right with the decorations.
"Three blokes did all this?" she didn't try to hide the disbelief and surprise in her voice.
Oliver chuckled, "With the right motivation, we're quite capable, yes."
The corner of her mouth went up, "Right motivation? What was your motivation, Wood?"
"You."
Her heart definitely skipped several beats. She squinted at him, "Bullshit."
He laughed fully, "Bullshit?"
"Exactly. You don't expect me to believe you set up this whole party just to talk to me. So, yes," she took a step closer, "Bullshit."
Oliver set his cup down, stepped towards her, and she felt his exhale close to her. Sarah had absolutely no idea what to do next, this was about where the line drew at what she knew.
"I'm going to confess something to you now, and I'll let you either reach up or back away." Oliver's eyes slowly trailed over her face, flickered down then back into her eyes, seeing her nod.
"I fancy you, Sarah McCauley. I have fancied you...ever since my fifth year. And this," he gestured around the room, "I agree, is a desperate attempt to wind up with you around. And-"
He grinned, "With this moping music and blue light reflecting off these heart-shaped decorations, that I swear didn't choose, it was all Jake and Penelope, I would very much like for you to pick option A from before."
Sarah breath hitched, walking on complete uncharted territory, and the racing feeling his voice was sending through her made her stand on her tiptoes and tilt her head up, in a heartbeat, Oliver pulling her close, with a delicate hold of her face.
He hooked a finger under her chin to keep her face close to his, a shy grin drawing on his face, "I've thought a lot about that, I won't lie to you."
She shook her head endearingly, "You were not forward at all."
"I'm being forward, now, though," said Oliver, locking eyes with her, making her heart rate speed up again. He breathed in and out deeply, like preparing to say something a bit more difficult, "Gooutwithme?"
"What?" she breathed out a bit surprised.
"Go out with me," he repeated nervously, hopeful look in his eyes. "One date. If you hate it, I'll never ask again."
Sarah smirked, put on a thoughtful face, "Ask me again in proper lighting and maybe I'll consider it."
Oliver chuckled softly, "You are breaking my heart, McCauley."
Sarah pocked his chest playfully, "You are so full of it."
"Wood!" a voice yelled out. A seventh year, friend of Oliver's walked to them, eyed Oliver's arm around Sarah and grinned, "Sorry to interrupt. We have a little situation, Jake drank too much again, he just started crying."
Sarah winced, reaching up to see Jake plopped on a couch, his face buried in his hands. "What happened to him?" she asked worriedly Oliver's friend.
"Girl trouble," he explained, looking back defeated.
"Chocolate always helps," said Sarah, gesturing to a bowl full of it on the table. "Go help, I'll see you around." She smiled up at Oliver and left him to go help with Jake.
She saw her friends were all huddled together, Sarah made her way towards them, Lee, Angelina and Selena immediately started gushing over whatever they saw happened with Oliver.
"Did you see him completely dazzled when she walked away?" grinned Selena.
"Was that snogging we just saw?" said Angelina.
"Tongue?" asked Lee.
"Lee!" shrieked Sarah, hitting his arm.
He held up his hands in defeat, making her shake her head disapprovingly at him. "Ignoring that, he did ask me out."
Selena gasped loudly and jumped up, "What did you say?"
"To ask again later," answered Sarah with a playful grimace.
"Making him sweat, smart," said Lee, nodding at her.
"It's a party, Lee," said Sarah coolly. "This whole atmosphere is ethereal, and it's Valentine's Day, I wouldn't put it past him to act out of simple boredom. We'll see if he means it or not."
"Oh believe me, he means it," George assured her and that made Sarah smile softly, surprised and excited.
"Right," snorted Fred, looking down at his feet.
Sarah's head shot towards him, suddenly her mind flashing back to the letter incident and anger rising much quicker. "What was that?" she asked, trying to flatten down the obvious irascibility showing on her face.
"Nothing," Fred shrugged, taking a mouthful of his drink, questioning everyone's gaze that settled upon him.
Sarah didn't budge, crossed her arms, "No, come on, Weasley. Tell me what you really think."
After a second, he looked at her, "He's a seventh year, McCauley. His life is all about Quidditch, you really think he's genuine?"
"Because it is such a crazy thought that someone might like me," she seethed.
Fred stayed silent for a second again, "That's not-"
"You just had to ruin this, too." Her voice sounded hurt, made everyone around them shift nervously, knowing that this took a turn towards a much more serious discussion and they were intruding.
"Ruined what? You know what he's after. Come on, McCauley, don't be ridiculous, this is-"
"Freddie," scolded George, shaking his head but it was too late.
Sarah's nostrils flared, and she started turning her ring, "Oh, I'm ridiculous? First I'm pathetic and unlikable, now I'm ridiculous. Of course, why should I expect anything less coming from your perspective." She pushed past him, and that caused him to turn around with her, all their friends taking a step back.
"You've always done that," she accused him, nibbling in the inside of her cheek whenever she paused. "Took the playful mockery a step above, and I've always brushed it off because it's a back and forth. But this? Just because you see me as some dispensable character, doesn't make it the same for other people, Weasley."
She turned away from him, "Sorry, guys, didn't mean to bring the party down, but hey," she clapped her hands, gesturing to Fred, "Fred Weasley is here, pick it back up."
She could feel the tears coming, fighting their way through, and she hated that she let herself be stung by this. "I'm done. I'll see you later," she told her dorm-mates and left.
She was absolutely furious that he felt entitled to ruin her first kiss, that he knocked it down to nothing more than a new notch in Oliver's belt. Maybe he was right, and she was just angry at herself for being naive in that way. It didn't matter much right now, she just wanted to be alone, and while she walked away, she let her tears go, not letting his voice calling her resonate in her mind, or the ghost of a brush she felt over her wrist that she yanked away. She fell asleep clutching her pillow, trying to think of everything else beside him, and it wasn't fair, because he was intrinsically linked with her life and whatever she did, wherever she was, she'll always have him in the back of her mind.
_
Since Saturday, she didn't speak to Fred, still mad, still hurt, preferred to not fall face to face with him any time soon, and George was regretfully caught in the middle, his two best friends now completely ignoring each other.
"Hey," whispered George, approaching her in the common room the next evening.
She looked up and smiled softly, "Hey."
"Mind if I sit?" he asked sheepishly, pointing at the couch and she closed her book.
"Of course not. You don't have to tiptoe, George, relax," she shifted a bit to face him.
"Okay, well, wasn't sure. I wouldn't put past you throwing books at people. At Fred, particularly," he said.
She winced, and let out a chuckle, "Maybe it's better we don't find out."
He smiled, too, twiddled his thumbs for a few seconds hesitantly, then turned to her again, "Are you all right?"
Her brows went slightly upward, and she nodded, "Handled way worse. Although, I'd appreciate not having him in front of me for a little while."
"Am I fine, though? Because people have told us we have the same ears, but I think the similarities stop there," he said, with a determined tone.
She playfully shoved him with her foot and smiled, "You're great, George. Don't worry about it."
He let out a loud breath of relief and they talked for the rest of the evening until they had to go to sleep about some drama she'd heard from Alicia and Katie and he was glad to fill in the blanks from the guy's perspective.
_
Sarah was walking through the courtyard, talking with Selena about the OWL exam in theory of Charms when something flew past them at a crazy speed, making Fred and George loose balance behind them. It was someone on a broom, moving swiftly in the sky, a trail of smoke following them. People around the corridors and sitting on the benches or against the tree gathered to look up.
"What's that?" asked Selena, pointing at something that resembled a letter written out in a grayish smoke on the pale blue sky.
After a few seconds, people started sorting out the letters.
"Go...out...with...me...Sarah McCauley" read Angelina out loud and gasped, every one of her friends and the other people turned to her, completely stunned.
"Oh, no, he didn't," said Sarah, completely shook and entranced by the gesture and the magic behind it.
Oliver flew down, right in front of her, holding his broom next to him and beaming down at her, "The sun is shining, out in bright daylight. What do you say?"
She tilted her chin up, glanced around the people watching them intently, although Wood didn't seem to have any interest in them. This wasn't the scene she had in mind when she told him to ask her later, but she was completely stunned, too. "Writing out with the Fumos spell," she said, crossing her arms defiantly.
"Impressed?"
"It was okay," she shrugged, trying to keep looking unbothered. "You're quite confident, doing this publicly. What if I say no?"
"I was kind of hoping you wouldn't. What's it gonna be, Sarah? Are you gonna break my heart, or not?" he asked, looking right into her eyes, all his cards on the table, waiting for her next move.
Sarah smiled, her cheeks flushed, and took a step forward, "You show off."
"Is that a yes?" asked Oliver in disbelief, looking over her face.
She nodded, "Yeah, it is."
Oliver smiled widely, dropped his broom to wrap his arms around her and kissed her, not sparing the slightest glance to anyone else aside from her, although the courtyard was now filled with people clapping and cheering on.
"I have class," she breathed out, her head spinning around slightly.
He nodded, "Me, too. But I want to take you out Saturday afternoon. Pick you up here at four?"
"All right," she smiled, "See you then."
He winked, with a wide grin across his face and backed away, facing her, still smiling, until he disappeared in the hallway.
Sarah shook her head in utter disbelief of what just happened, hand over her face.
"Potions class, Sarah," said Selena, watching her amused.
"What?" she was snapped back to reality. "Yes, of course." She glanced up at the writing again, it was still there, her name written out in the sky. "Bloody hell, that was crazy."
"The bloke's good, I'll give him that," snickered George, looking up too, nudging her shoulder playfully.
"I told you he fancied you," Angelina waggled her eyebrows at her, making Sarah roll her eyes and smile down at her feet.