The songs I listened to are Tangled Up In Blue by Bob Dylan, Are You In? by Incubus and Novocaine by Fall Out Boy.
Please vote and comment <3
*
I raised an eyebrow at Gillian's remark but brushed it off as being a result of her being overtired. Everyone's mood had taken a turn for the worse as the threat of OWLs started to grow. But then again, it was fairly obvious how Gillian felt about Oliver. I instinctively clenched my fists. I knew that nothing would happen, though. She wouldn't dare make a move on him because if she did, she'd have to face the combined wrath of Sasha, Aleeza and Louise. And that is a terrifying prospect.
*
I took my seat in Charms, excited for the lesson. Professor Flitwick had told us we would be learning a new spell today which was something I always loved to do. My interest was peaked by the two crates stood next to the podium at the front of the classroom. They seemed to be rocking gently from side to side.
A hush fell over us as he walked into the room. He quickly took attendance before diving into teaching.
"Today," he announced, "we will be learning a charm that has proved to be very difficult to many witches and wizards." I sat up a little straighter, causing Sasha to snicker next to me. "We will be learning the silencing charm."
Waves of murmurs spread across the students only to be stopped by Professor Flitwick coughing.
"The silencing spell would be very useful right now," he remarked flatly.
The professor went on to tell us about silencio, including a brief history of the spell and the proper wand movement to cast it. He asked for someone to come forward for a demonstration. Gillian eagerly stuck her hand in the air, rising above her seat a little. Professor Flitwick beckoned for her to join him so she excitedly made her way there.
"Gillian, please start talking about what you had for breakfast this morning," he instructed.
She paused before mentioning a variety of different food she ate earlier. After a few seconds, Professor Flitwick raised his wand and pointed it directly at Gillian. She kept talking.
"Silencio," the professor said, flicking his wand. The result was amusing to watch. Gillian's mouth continued to move but no sound came out. It was a nice change, something that Sasha took great delight in.
"We need to use this on her starting as soon as possible," she murmured, suppressing a laugh. "If only we were taught it earlier. Think of all the time we could've spent not having to listen to her."
Professor Flitwick said another spell, causing Gillian's voice to return.
"Shame," Sasha muttered.
"I must warn you all about the dangers of the spell backfiring when tried on humans," the professor said, gesturing for Gillian to sit down. "When performed incorrectly, the target can swell up to huge sizes and instead of being silent, will produce deafening sounds. This is why you will be practising on," he quickly walked over to the crates, "ravens and frogs. You'll be practising on frogs first so please come collect one when I call your name."
I was relatively successful with the spell, managing to silence my frog completely. My raven was still making faint noises, however. Most people were in the same situation. But Gillian seemed to be performing better than anyone, much to her delight. I never enjoyed being bettered by people, especially people I disliked.
Thankfully, Potions was next. It was subject that I was better at than Gillian. Although she was good at some components, she was utterly dreadful at following a recipe precisely.
Professor Snape was already waiting expectantly as we filed into the room. On the desk in front of him was a variety of oddly shaped bottles, each filled with a different colour liquid.
"Our lesson today will be a welcome change from our usual curriculum," he said monotonously, eyeing us as we sat down. "Your OWLs will pave the way for your NEWTs so I felt it would be appropriate to give you a glimpse into your future within the subject.
"As such, I have prepared some potions that NEWT students will encounter. I will run through them with you. Perhaps this will give you some insight into the beautiful difficulty that comes with NEWT Potions."
I shared a glance with Sasha.
"Y/L/N."
Immediately, I snapped to look at the professor. His eyes bored into mine. I swallowed.
"Come here," he instructed. I did so, too terrified to put a toe out of line. Professor Snape's pale hand reached out and pointed at a small but wide bottle. The liquid inside had a distinct mother-of-pearl shine and when the stopper was removed, steam rose from it in spirals. "What potion is this?"
"I think it's amortentia, Professor," I replied. "The most powerful love potion in existence."
There was a noticeable shift in the atmosphere. I could sense people sitting up straighter behind me.
"Correct. What are its properties?"
I was suddenly glad I had read a little extra about Potions during the Christmas break. "First of all, its colour - the clear mother-of-pearl sheen. Also, its steam rises in spirals."
"Anything else?" Professor Snape prompted, raising an eyebrow.
"The smell," I explained, "is another defining characteristic of the potion. It is different for everyone. It smells like the three things the person loves most at the time, even if they're unaware of it."
"Good. Why don't you tell the class what you smell, as I'm sure they're very interested."
A snicker came from the back of the class. Professor Snape shot the culprit a glare, before returning his attention to amortentia. My stomach twisted. The prospect of revealing the three smells of what I was most attracted to in front of a class made me nauseous. Nevertheless, the professor's black, beady eyes reminded me that I had to do as I was told.
I took the bottle of amortentia and held it up to my nose. Three unmistakable scents filled my senses.
"Y/L/N, what do you smell?"
I put the bottle back down on the table. "I smell heather, vanilla and..." I trailed off, my chest tightening. It was wood. The last smell was wood. My face went hot.
"Well, Y/L/N?"
"Um, I'm not sure what the last smell is. I don't recognise it," I mumbled.
Professor Snape told me to return to my seat. As I sat down, I felt the eyes of the entire class on the back of my head. I suddenly regretted sitting in the first row.
*
"You were lying," Sasha said as we left Potions. "You go quiet when you lie. So what was the last smell?"
I knew she'd ask me. I've unfortunately never been able to keep any secret from her.
"Wood," I replied softly, waiting for her outburst.
"Wood? Oliver Wood?" she squealed. "What type of wood?" I shrugged. "Come on, it can't just be wood in general. Was it oak, pine, cedar?"
"I'll tell you the type of wood because I'm certain you'll know where it's from," I said. Her eyes widened excitedly. "I think it was mahogany."
"Oh!" she exclaimed, earning a couple of strange looks from other students. Catching herself before she screamed her next sentence as loud as she could, she inhaled slowly. "The Nimbus brooms are made of mahogany, right? I mean, you have a Nimbus so it could be your broom...but Oliver has a Nimbus too."
"Yes he does," I replied, silently praying for Sasha to quieten down before someone overheard.
"And you smelled heather, too!"
I cocked my head. "So? I like the smell of heather."
"It's Scottish. Know what else is Scottish? Oliver. I suppose it's not surprising that he happens to be what you love the most right now." She paused as she took in what she just said. "So do you love him?"
That was the question that had been on my mind since I realised why I was smelling mahogany. I read enough about amortentia to know that it reflected exactly what you loved most at the present moment. And if two out of the three smells I had detected were Oliver related, that had to mean something.
"You need to tell him," Sasha said. "Aren't you going to Hogsmeade on Saturday? That's only three days away. Enough time to mentally prepare yourself."
"I don't know how I feel," I murmured, sitting on the stone step beneath the archways. "I just don't know."
"I can't read your inner feelings, but despite the short amount of time you've been together, I think it's time you were completely honest," Sasha advised. She sat next to me and slung an arm over my shoulder.
I weighed up the options in my head. I knew I'd have to open up eventually, no matter how daunting it would be. I took a deep breath. "I'll do it."