𝚈/𝚗'𝚜 𝙿𝙾𝚅
☞ 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 1𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫, 1996
October was upon us, and the leaves had finally started turning a beautiful ombré of reds yellows and browns. It was a rather chilling morning as a soft breeze nipped at my skin, making me pull at the sleeves of my jumper. The jumper itself was a dark green off-the-shoulder knitted hoodie which was a size too big. As for my bottoms, I wore baggy blue denim jeans, and my favourite pair of shoes.
Slowly, I followed the smell of bacon, that lingered in the air, coming from the great hall. My mind was still dazed with sleep, that I had not noticed a certain blonde calling my name.
"Y/n!" A sweet voice rang out as I stopped walking towards the Slytherin table. I turned to see Luna, smiling and waving me over to the Gryffindor table. Beside her sat Neville and Ginny while Mione, Ron and Harry sat opposite them.
"Good morning, everyone. Sorry I did not hear you call me, I'm still half asleep." I laughed as I took a seat beside Harry, who was wearing a black knitted jumper with his sleeves rolled up, and blue jeans. I took a croissant from the dish that sat between Luna and I, while a kettle, a tea bag and a jug of milk floated over and brewed me up a tea.
"Y/n! How have you been." Ron asked with half a sausage chewed up in his mouth. I laughed at the boy, and replied with a smile. Ron was wearing a terracotta shirt with light blue jeans.
"I've been good thank you. This year has been rather hectic, and it has barely October!" I laughed at the absurdity of my life, however, the group did not join me. My laughter died quickly as I awkwardly glanced between my friends.
After a moment or two of utter deafening silence, Ginny spoke up. She wore a cute grey cardigan with small embroidered sunflowers. She wore brown corduroy bottoms and a matching headband tucked behind her ears. "Cormac is determined to get back at you for... you know. It's rather terrifying." Ginny sighed with a frown, as Luna patted her back in comfort.
"Ginny is right, Y/n. He gets more dangerous every day, we found about 17 bottles of Amortentia under his bed." Neville added, his concern making his voice crack from nerves for a second. Neville adorned a white shirt, with a grandpa style sweater-vest and brown trousers.
"I appreciate your concern, but this is Cormac McLaggen we are talking about. He's hardly worth my concern." I laughed as the group replied with slow, unsure laughter. "I promise you all, I will be just fine."
Harry turned to face me as he swallowed his food. "We all know very well that you can handle yourself, Y/n. I agree that usually, Cormac wouldn't be a concern at all, however, you haven't seen or heard the things he has saying and planning on doing as we have." Harry frowned as he placed a hand on my arm. I smile at the Gryffindor boy and nod my head in understanding.
"Anyways..." Hermione spoke up, ending the conversation about Cormac. She stood up, revealing her baby blue hoodie and dark grey jeans and white Converse. "Ginny, Luna and I were planning on going to Hogsmeade today, Y/n. Would you like to join us?" I grinned and eagerly nodded my head.
"Gladly! Give me a moment to get my coat and gloves and I shall meet you by the main entrance." I waved goodbye to my friends and happily walked down the quiet hallways to the dungeon. As I entered the dimly lit common room, I noticed the group of boys I've grown rather fond of sitting idly by the roaring fire.
"Y/n!" Theo called out in happiness once his eyes caught a glimpse of me. I smiled at the group as I walked towards them. Despite it being the weekend, they all were wearing their usual informal uniform.
"Good morning." I greeted them once I was close enough. Draco and Mattheo sat on one sofa, the one I was standing beside, while Blaise and Theo sat on the sofa opposite them.
"Save me, Y/n! They are making me read a book!" Theo fell back dramatically as he closed the book in his hand. Curious, I take a look at the cover of the book. 'Vanishing Cabinets: The Secret Art of Disappearing'.
"Why are you reading about Vanishing Cabinets?" I laughed at the boy, yet none of them shared my laughter. They all stiffened at my words, as they shared scared glances. Strange.
"Why are you acting weird." I smiled, trying to shake the awkward atmosphere that surrounded us. "I've read that book, it's awfully boring. There's a better book in the restricted section." I rambled on, almost forgetting I had somewhere to be. "Sorry, I must leave you. I'm spending the day in Hogsmeade with Hermione, Luna and Ginny."
Quickly, I disappeared up into the dormitory and shrugged on my coat and covered my hands in mittens. I ran back down through the Slytherin common room and back up through the dungeons and corridors until I saw my favourite group of girls. Minus Astoria, of course.
"Sorry I'm late, I was busy talking with someone." I smiled at the group as I neared them. They returned my smile and told me not to worry, soon we set off together towards the quaint village of Hogsmeade.
Luna and I linked arms, herself wearing a long-sleeved navy sheer top, with silver moons scattered across the item. She wore light blue bootcut jeans and white boots, along with a pastel purple jacket.
The medieval town was as bustling with life as always. The houses lining the cobbled streets stood tall, taking the form of many shapes and sizes, all built either symmetrical or lopsided. Each house was topped with a thatched roof, with a white and brown wooden exterior, and some had stone as accent trims or stone walls for their ground floor.
We passed many little shops, including Gladrags Wizardware, Dogweed and Deathcap, and many other quaint shops and cafes we needn't visit today. Many people were filling the streets, going about their days as per usual. Ginny and I ducked under a ladder that was being carried by two wizards as we headed towards Spintwitches Sporting Needs.
"What is it you both need?" Hermione asked as she and Luna followed after us. Ginny pushed open the door, and the smell of fresh oak and varnish attacked our scenes. Luna gagged at the smell while Ginny and I grinned. The shop itself is rather quaint, painted a soft purple contrasting the brown floorboards.
"I just need a new broom waxing kit. And you, Y/n?" Ginny answered Hermione as she strolled deeper into the shop. Ginny grazed her hand over a display of the firebolt as she looked up at the broom dreamily. Ginny was so caught up in her daydream that she knocked over a once neatly placed pile of quaffles.
Luna rushed to help the girl as Hermione and I snickered from afar. "I'm here for broom maintenance kit too." I smiled as I headed towards the far right corner of the shop, where my personal favourite collection of broom products stood.
In golden cursive writing, the words 'Perwinklson's Finest Broom Maintenance Kit'. I gleamed in delight as I grabbed the box, and took it to the front counter. "Good morning." I smiled at the boy working behind the till. He was a rather skinny lad, with golden fluffy hair and tanned skin. He sat back in his chair, reading the latest edition of the Daily Prophet.
"Hi, how may I help-" The boy began in a monotone voice without glancing up at me. As he spoke his gaze lifted up to look at me. His eyes widened slightly and suddenly he shot up out of his chair, with a smirk on his face. "How may I help you, beautiful." His grey eyes travelled up and down my body, soaking up the view.
I slid the box across the counter and smiled awkwardly. "Just this please." He nodded and proceeded to take out a book and document the purchase. I handed him my galleons in hopes of leaving this shop as soon as possible.
His cold hands slowly took the coins in my palm, sending a shudder up my spine from the uncomfortable contact. He handed me back the box with a wink, his eyes never leaving mine. "There you go, sweet cakes." I quickly grabbed my new belongings and turned to leave. Luckily, Hermione was waiting by the door for me.
"Hey wait! How about we do and grab a butterbeer?" The boy called after me, luckily I was long gone before I could answer. Hermione slammed the door after us with a huff.
"Disgusting. Utterly disgusting!" Hermione began as we all chimed in talking ill of that creep. While raging on about that boy, Hermione locks eyes with Tomes and Scrolls, making Ginny groan. Hermione giddily walked inside while Ginny, Luna and I stood outside.
"She's going to be in there for hours!" The ginger sighed as she leaned up against the wall of the burgundy shop. She kicked her foot in despair as her eyes wandered up and down the street in boredom.
"She'll be out in a moment, seeing as the Slytherin's are in there." Luna chimed in with an aloof smile, as she rocked back and forth on her heels.
My head shot up at Luna's words, curious if those Slytherins she mentioned were my Slytherins. Suddenly Ginny gasped as her arm flew up, pointing at something up the street. "Oh, my Merlin! It's Zonko's!" Ginny began to walk towards the magenta shop where kids were laughing and screaming with glee. Luna and I quickly agreed that Hermione and I would meet the both of them in Zonko's, once I could drag Hermione away from her heaven.
I pushed open the shop's door, as a small bell chimed from above, announcing my presence. The smell of new books filled my senses, reminding me of the library back in Hogwarts. The first thing I noticed is the backs of three Slytherin students I've grown oh so familiar with. I wonder how they got here before me. "What's going on?" I ask, making Blaise jump out of his skin.
As Blaise began to scold me for sneaking up on him, I took the opportunity to look at whatever they were looking at, and I noticed Hermione Granger and Theodore Nott having a conversation. Hermione was grinning from ear to ear while Theo stood leaning against the bookshelf, his arms crossed, with a lopsided grin. They stood rather close. I cut Blaise off mid-sentence by saying with a smile, "She is most certainly filtering with him." I laughed quietly as we all watched them interact. We all attempted to stay as silent as possible, in hopes of avoiding them noticing us watching them.
"How can you tell?" Draco muttered as he leaned closer towards me, to hear my voice better. However, he ended up getting in the way of Mattheo, so the boy scowled and pushed the boy away. Draco grinned at the boy and raised his hand in defeat.
"Well, just look at her, for Merlin's sake." I continued, deciding to ignore their antics. "She's blushing, stuttering, and smiling like she's high on liquid luck!" I commented as the boys stared at the pair, their eyes narrowing in an attempt to grasp a better understanding of what they were conversing about. "If she tucks her hair behind her ears and plays with the ends, she is without a doubt attracted to Theo." I smirk.
Seconds later, Hermione tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear and began to play with it lightly, before letting it go moments later. "See." I turn to Mattheo, bragging that I'm, clearly, always right.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever Snape." He smirks at me as his eyes stare deeply into mine. Lately, I found myself admiring those devilishly sweet eyes. I rolled my eyes in response, and turned my attention back to the blushing girl across the room.
"Hermione." I called for her in a sing-song tone that broke her gaze from the Slytherin in front of her. The pair turned to look at me, only to be met with four pairs of amused eyes staring right at them. Theo's face began to turn red as Hermione's eyes widened with embarrassment. "Ginny and Luna went to Zonko's, we need to meet with them there, if you are not too preoccupied." I added with a smirk.
Hermione quickly nodded and waved goodbye to Theo. I smirked at her glare as she walked past me to leave. "See you later, gentlemen." I grinned at the group and turned to follow Hermione. "What was that!" I smile in delight at the girl who still has a slight tint of pink on her cheeks.
"I don't know what you mean." She replied with a wide grin as we neared Zonko's. We entered the teal shop, to find it as hectic as ever. Kids ran up and down the shop, showing their friends the different products and how they work, and their eyes lit up in delight as the cogs in their tiny minds began to think of ways to prank their peers.
We weaved between the busy customers and found Luna and Ginny browsing through the various miniature potions the shop sells. Ginny was especially eying up the Love Potion. "You know, that is not enough love potion to make someone fall for you for hours, that amount will last twenty minutes at most." I grinned at the girl, startling her.
"I know that." Ginny rolled her eyes. "I'd just like to know what it smells like." Ginny stared longingly at the potion. Her gentle hands fiddled with the bottle before slowly placing it back.
"You hope to smell Harry, correct?" Luna spoke up, making Ginny run red. She, unconvincingly, laughed off Luna's comment, as though it was a joke, and proceeded to quickly walk away.
Hermione and I burst out laughing as Luna stood there with an absent-minded smile. "I'd like to know too." Luna said as she picked up the pink potion. I encouraged the girl to try it, and I managed to convince the blonde to buy it. What's the harm in wanting to smell it?
Luna bought the potion, and the four of us left together to go towards the three broomsticks. Ginny was ecstatic to hear Luna had bought the potion, and we all agreed to smell said potion in the pub, no lying.
"Oh, I forgot that you've already smelled the potion, Y/n." Hermione commented as we walked towards the entrance of the Three Broomsticks. Ginny turned towards me in shock, as though I had offended her.
"What! When!" Ginny gasped as we approached the bar. We all stood behind a group of people, also dressed in school robes, as we waited for our turn to order. "Why didn't you invite me!"
"Professor Slughorn asked me to identify the potion. It's not like I had much choice in the matter." I explained, making Ginny calm down a bit. We both laughed at her reaction, and she apologised for her dramatics. "It's fine. Besides, I can't even remember what it smelled like."
I lied. Of course, I could remember. Everywhere I seemed to go, I could smell it. I could smell him. When I'm sneaking out after hours, when I'm in the restricted section, even when I'm in the common room. The smell haunts me, and it's driving me mad not knowing who it is. I swear I could smell it when Mattheo- no, don't be ridiculous. This smell has driven me insane and I'm begging to smell it in places that it isn't.
"Well, you're welcome to smell the potion again, Y/n." Luna smiled cheerfully, as we took a step forwards towards the bar now that the previous group had left. I thanked the girl with a warm smile as Madam Rosmerta approached us.
"Good afternoon, girls." She chimed, as she wiped away small puddles of water that had been left on the counter. "What can I get for ya'"
"Four butterbeers please." Hermione smiled and handed her the galleons. We all thanked Hermione tremendously for buying our drinks. Once we had been served, I waved goodbye to Madam Rosmerta and found a both for the four of us to sit.
"Okay, potion time!" Ginny clapped her hands together after taking a large swig of her drink. Luna pulled the bottle out of her pocket and handed the vile to the eager ginger. Slowly, Ginny uncapped the glass and took a deep whiff of the concoction. "I smell... something wooden... with a hint of mint and the smell of grass after it's been rained on." She blushed and quickly handed Hermione the potion.
Hermione hesitated, before slowly bringing the bottle up to her nose. "I smell... fresh parchment, a subtle hint of vanilla and the smell of a full English breakfast." She adds, sounding confused.
Hermione passed the potion to Luna as she locked eyes with me. I grinned at the Gryffindor, knowing very well who she smelled. She glared at me, silently telling me to not mention anything about a certain man.
I winked at her and turned my attention towards Luna, who was smelling the potion. "I smell... freshly mowed grass, the sea and honey." She gave a slight smile as her eyes lit up in delight.
She passed me the potion, and I was very hesitant, to say the least. However, Ginny's intrigued and excited look compelled me to smell it.
There it was. The smell I longed to smell throughout my day. I try and ignore it, and ignore my thoughts, yet this smell, this captivating, controlling, endearing smell always finds a way to light my heart on fire.
Just as I was about to share what I smelled, I noticed someone glaring at me from across the room. Sitting with his group of friends, who were in deep conversation, his eyes were burning into mine as his knuckles turned white from his clenched fist.
Cormac McLaggen.