CHAPTER FOUR:
ROOM OF NOVA NOTT'S REQUIREMENTS
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Nova spent her break reading the letter Fred and George had sent her over and over again. She had a blank piece of parchment set off to the side, waiting for her to begin her reply, but for some reason the words wouldn't come to her brain. She knew she needed to reply. But what could she say? The only thing they had really talked about was their brother, and that was the one subject Nova was trying to avoid. The rest of Defense had been spent ignoring his lingering looks and rolling her eyes every time Malfoy made a comment about anything.
Her fingers traced over the words, feeling much the same way she had over the summer with her letter from Theo. She knew she was going to miss the twins over the school year, but she hadn't realized how much she truly valued their kindness and friendship until she was in a house with only a handful of people who tolerated her. And so, as she hid their letter in the bottom of her trunk (which still harbored the yellow and blue sweater she couldn't bear to get rid of) and promised herself she'd write them later.
"Are you ready for double Potions?" Blaise asked when she walked out of the girls' dorm and met him in the common room. She noticed Malfoy was standing next to him, disinterested in the conversation as he was more preoccupied with ignoring Pansy, who was shooting him looks as if they were going to win his attention back. Nova shrugged. She wasn't particularly excited about Potions, but she was interested in how Slughorn would teach as opposed to Snape. The three of them started walking, so caught up in their trek that they didn't even hear the small voice from behind them ask them to wait.
When Nova turned, she saw Greengrass hurriedly walking over to them. Her face was just as stoic and blank as it had been that morning, but she had a little flush to her cheeks which made Nova think she had rushed to get to them. "Are you going to Potions?" Greengrass asked, her voice void of any emotions. "I have that as well. I was thinking I could walk with you guys."
Nova's eyes immediately flew to Blaise, who was staring at Greengrass with an uncomfortable look on his face. Greengrass's eyes started to flicker towards him and Malfoy, sure that Greengrass was going to question Blaise about the look, nodded fiercely so Greengrass's attention was on him instead. "No problem, Daphne. Let's head out, yeah?" Greengrass let a minuscule smile escape before nodding and continuing their walk. They were considerably less talkative than they would have been had it only been the three of them, but it wasn't entirely unpleasant.
"Thanks," Nova whispered to Malfoy when Blaise started word-vomiting over his nervousness at being around his boyfriend's ex-girlfriend. "I really appreciate you being supportive of them." She took extra caution to make sure Greengrass didn't hear her words.
Malfoy shrugged. "I take pity on her. She really loved him, you know? It's awful to be in love with someone who doesn't love you back..." he trailed off, and Nova was able to fill in the blanks. It reminded him of their own relationship. "But they're my best friends. I'm not entirely heartless."
"I know you aren't." It was quiet for a moment (well, quiet between Nova and Malfoy. Blaise still wouldn't shut up behind them. At least Greengrass was pretending to listen.) "Malfoy, why did you do it? Why would you... how could you...I thought..." She couldn't find the words. "I just thought you could be better."
He looked at her, so clearly in that moment, that she was sure he was staring through to her soul. And she looked at him right back, seeing every emotion he wanted to hide in his eyes. There was fear, there was determination, and there was that coldness that made him Draco Malfoy. But there was also that twinge of affection, always for her, that made Nova turn her face away. She didn't want to see it, didn't want to see how she had hurt him. "I had nothing after my father was thrown into Azkaban," was his simple answer to her question, answering everything and nothing at the same time.
"You're wrong," she whispered, shaking her head. "You had your mother." Narcissa would do anything for her son, Nova was sure of it. "And... and you had me. You have me. I'm not abandoning you, not now. I didn't do it right with Theo." She remembered their months of not speaking. "I should have been there to help him. I knew it was a burden. I know he had the weight of the world on his shoulders and I didn't help him. I'm not making that mistake again, Malfoy. I'm gonna be here for you, whether you want me to or not."
"I'm always going to want you around, Nova," he scoffed, rolling his eyes. Seeing the look on her face, he sighed. "I wish me saying that didn't put that look on your face. I promised you I could do just friends, and I'm sticking by what I said."
They made it to the Potions dungeon and took their seats at a table. Nova surveyed the class, eyes narrowing when she saw Weasley sitting with his usual duo and Ernie Macmillan (who Nova still had to talk to about her mother's maiden name. She made a mental note). There were four Ravenclaws in the class as well, all sitting at their respective table. Before Weasley could look at her, she looked back to Blaise and Malfoy. Slughorn entered, eyes lingering on Blaise and Potter in an enthusiastic way. Nova remembered the train ride, where Slughorn had already arranged a list of favorite students and figured that was why. She could barely see him over the cloud of vapors produced by each potion he had sitting out, and Nova smelled the pleasant aroma of roses, butterbeer, and something else she couldn't identify. She thought it smelled like some sort of cologne or shampoo or even a scent that would cling to a shirt or jumper.
"Now then, now then, now then. Scales out, everyone, and potion kits, and don't forget your copies of Advanced Potion-Making..."
Nova pulled her book out, as did the rest of her Slytherin companions. Greengrass was silent as she methodically went through the motions.
"Sir?" Nova heard Potter ask.
"Harry, m'boy?"
"I haven't got a book or scales or anything — nor's Ron — we didn't realize we'd b able to do the N.E.W.T., you see —" Nova wanted to snort. Of course they wouldn't be able to do N.E.W.T. level Potions if Snape was teaching. Snape would have made sure he didn't have to deal with Potter another year.
"Ah, yes, Professor McGonagall did mention... not to worry, my dear boy, not to worry at all. You can use ingredients from the store cupboard today, and I'm sure we can lend you some scales, and we've got a small stock of old books here, they'll do until you can write to Flourish and Blotts..." Slughorn went and rummaged in a cupboard for a moment before emerging. "Here are some books. The scales are quite tarnished, but maybe someone in the class has extras? Mister Zabini?"
Blaise blinked at Slughorn.
"How about you, Miss Nott? Do you have any extra?"
Nova didn't even look up from her book as she flipped to the right chapter. "Nope."
Slughorn relented and gave his precious Harry Potter the set of tarnished scales. "Now then, I've prepared a few potions for you to have a look at, just out of interest, you know. These are the kind of thing you ought to be able to make after completing your N.E.W.T.s. You ought to have heard of 'em, even if you haven't made 'em yet. Anyone tell me what this one is?" He gestured to the cauldron closest to Nova's table. She didn't make any move to raise her hand.
Unsurprisingly, it was Hermione who answered. "It's Veritaserum, a colorless, odorless potion that forces the drinker to tell the truth."
"Very good, very good!" Slughorn said, pleasantly surprised. "Now," he continued, pointing to the cauldron near the Ravenclaws. Nova looked at the potion. "This one here is pretty well known... Featured in a few Ministry leaflets lately too... Who can —?"
Hermione's voice cut through the silence again. "It's Polyjuice Potion, sir," she said confidently.
"Excellent, excellent! Now this one here..." Hermione's hand shot up again but this time Nova stared at the potion and didn't bother raising her hand.
"Amortentia," Nova said. She heard Hermione sigh slightly at not being able to answer the question, but Slughorn looked delighted.
"Wonderful Miss Nott! And can you tell me what it does?"
"It's the most powerful love potion in the world." She was familiar with this one, having had to distribute a tiny, tiny dose in Fred and George's love serums over the summer.
"Quite right! You recognized it, I suppose, by it's distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen, the steam rising in characteristic spirals, and it's smell, correct?" Nova nodded. "And may I ask what it smells like to you, Miss Nott, as it won't smell the same to the rest of the class?"
"I smell roses, butterbeer, and something else. It's hard to put my finger on it. But it's like a cologne of some sort?"
"Excellent, Miss Nott. Maybe romance is in the air for you, should you smell someone's cologne," he said with a friendly wink. When he turned away, Nova rolled her eyes at Blaise. "And you, my dear, may I ask your name?" he asked in Hermione's direction.
"Hermione Granger, sir."
"Granger? Granger? Can you possibly be related to Hector Dagworth-Granger, who founded the Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers?"
"No, I don't think so, sir. I'm Muggle-born, you see."
Malfoy leaned over to Nova. "Here we go again," he muttered. Nova wanted to tell him to stop it, but it wasn't the worst thing he'd ever said about Hermione so she didn't bother. Slughorn, in contrast to Malfoy, looked ecstatic at the idea Hermione came from Muggle parents.
"Oho! 'One of my best friends is Muggle-born, and she's the best in our year!' I'm assuming this is the very friend of whom you spoke, Harry?"
"Yes, sir."
"And Mister Zabini, I assume this is your talented best friend I've been hearing about as well," Slughorn mentioned, turning to the Slytherin table and gesturing to Nova. Nova looked at Blaise, touched and shocked that he had even bothered to mention her. "Well, well, both Miss Granger and Miss Nott take twenty well-earned points for Gryffindor and Slytherin."
Malfoy grinned at Nova and shook her shoulder in an encouraging way. Blaise smirked. Greengrass just stared in front of her, neither happy nor sad.
"Amortentia doesn't really create love, of course. It is impossible to manufacture or imitate love. No, this will simply cause a powerful infatuation or obsession. It is probably the most dangerous and powerful potion in this room — oh yes. When you have seen as much life as I have, you will not underestimate the power of obsessive love. And now, it's time for us to start work."
"Sir, you haven't told us what's in this one," Ernie Macmillan mentioned, pointing to the potion on Slughorn's desk. Nova leaned over slightly to look, getting a huge whiff of the Amortentia as she did. Her mind blanked for just a split second on what she was supposed to be doing when the lovely aroma hit her nose. What was the third thing she could she smell? It was familiar in some way, but she couldn't figure out what it was from.
"Oho," Slughorn said dramatically, as if he had been waiting to be asked what the potion was. "Yes. That. Well, that one, ladies and gentlemen, is a most curious little potion called Felix Felicis. I take it that you know what Felix Felicis does, Miss Granger?" he asked Hermione when she let out a little gasp.
"It's liquid luck. It makes you lucky!"
Nova was suddenly sitting straight in her seat. Her eyes drifted to Malfoy, who was also considerably more interested in the potion.
"Quite right, take another ten points for Gryffindor. Yes, it's a funny little potion, Felix Felicis. Desperately tricky to make, and disastrous to get wrong. However, if brewed correctly, as this has been, you will find that all your endeavors ten to succeed... at least until the effects wear off."
"Why don't people drink it all the time, sir?" Terry Boot asked.
"Because if taken in excess, it causes giddiness, recklessness, and dangerous overconfidence... too much of a good thing, you know... highly toxic in large quantities. But taken sparingly, and very occasionally..."
"Have you ever taken it, sir?" another Ravenclaw asked.
"Twice in my life. Once when I was twenty-four, once when I was fifty-seven. Two tablespoons taken with breakfast. Two perfect days. And that is what I shall be offering as a prize in this lesson." Nova stared at the little bottle as Slughorn held up a tiny glass bottle. "One tiny bottle of Felix Felicis. Enough for twelve hours' luck. From dawn till dusk, you will be lucky in everything you attempt. Now, I must give you warning that Felix Felicis is a banned substance in organized competitions... sporting events, for instance, examinations, or elections. So the winner is to use it on an ordinary day only... and watch how that ordinary day becomes extraordinary!"
Nova stared at the bottle before her eyes drifted to Malfoy again. If she won that little bottle... would that be enough to sneak to Malfoy so he could get out of whatever the Dark Lord had planned for him? Would it be enough to save Theo, should something happen to him, if he ingested the potion? And if she didn't win it... could she somehow learn to brew the potion herself?
"So, how are you to win my fabulous prize? Well, by turning to page ten of Advanced Potion-Making. We have a little over an hour left to us, which should be time for you to make a decent attempt at the Draught of Living Death. I know it is more complex than anything you have attempted before, and I do not expect a perfect potion from anybody. The person who does best, however, will win little Felix here. Off you go!"
Nova immediately scooted her cauldron closer to her and opened up the book to the page explaining how to brew Draught of Living Death. Greengrass didn't look to be in any hurry. She didn't seem to care much about the Felix Felicis, just going through the motions of making the potion assigned. Nova suddenly felt bad for her. Sure, Greengrass was a little annoying when she was hanging on Theo's arm, but she didn't deserve to be heartbroken. And after feeling that pain herself after the git of a redhead broke things off with her... shouldn't she have a little compassion?
Which was why she leaned over to Greengrass and gave a small smile. "I'm going to get the ingredients. Want me to grab you some?"
Both Malfoy and Blaise stopped what they were doing and gaped at Nova. Greengrass, however, simply blinked before a tiny smile appeared on her face. "That would be great, Nova. Thank you."
Unfortunately, the cupboard she needed to get her ingredients from required her to walk right past Weasley's table. She kept her head up high, not daring to look in his direction. She grabbed the valerian root (enough for two), infusion of wormwood, and the other ingredients she needed. Once her hands were sufficiently full, she turned on her heel to walk back to the Slytherin table...
... only to almost run right into Weasley.
He held up his hands, in the motion that he wasn't going to harm her. She wanted to snort. Didn't he know the harm he had done to her wasn't physical? It was the kind of hurt no one saw, the kind that made her heart shrivel up in her chest and want to drift away into nothingness. "What do you want, Weasley?" she asked in a bored tone.
"To talk. And to tell you to write Fred and George back. They're harassing me about it."
"Well, I apologize, but I'm not their keeper. And I don't fancy talking to you."
"Nova, please." His tone was pleading. It made her want to cry.
"No!" she whisper-yelled, quiet enough so she wouldn't gain the attention of her classmates but loud enough and harsh enough that he got the message. "I told you that once it was over, it was over. We ended things. Which was your choice, by the way. I've done my sulking, and now I'm over it. It's not my fault if you aren't."
"You can't be over it," he pleaded again, looking like he wanted to grab her shoulders and shake some sense into her, but knowing she'd do something drastic. Like rip his arm off. "Nova, you told me you loved me."
"And you told me you didn't want to be with me. So here we are. You made your bed, Weasley, you can lie in it."
"I told you I loved you, too. I meant it."
Nova moved past him, walking back to the Slytherin table and ignoring the fact that she could still feel his eyes on her. But it didn't stop her lip from quivering in a childish way when she set the ingredients down on the table in front of her. Blaise and Malfoy didn't notice, too consumed in making their own potions, but she saw Greengrass's eyes on her as Nova straightened herself up and figuratively dusted herself off. She wouldn't let the tears fall. She'd be the Ice Queen.
"There you are, Greengrass." And then Nova started her potion, leaving no room for conversation.
By the end of the hour, Nova's potion was a dark purple, but no where near where the book said she should be. She had given up on getting the Felix Felicis, but maybe it didn't matter. Maybe Malfoy and her brother were just doomed, just like she was. She was entirely aware she was being a little dramatic, but her interaction with the boy who had broken her heart had left her sufficiently absent in this lesson. She didn't care about winning the stupid vial anymore. All she wanted was the pain in her chest to go away.
"And time's... up! Stop stirring, please!"
He examined all the Slytherin cauldrons. He sniffed Malfoy's, who was a lighter purple than Nova's but still not as pale as it should have been. When he got to the Gryffindor table (minus Ernie Macmillan and his little Hufflepuff robes), he grinned. "The clear winner! Excellent, excellent, Harry! Good lord, it's clear you've inherited your mother's talent. She was a dab hand at Potions, Lily was! Here you are, then, here you are — one bottle of Felix Felicis, as promised, and use it well!"
Nova packed up all her stuff and ignored the looks Blaise and Malfoy were giving her now that they noticed she looked like she was about to burst into tears. She gave them a lame excuse about having "girl troubles" and immediately left the classroom, not bothering to wait up for either of them. She had no idea where she was going, but she found herself walking up and up and up until she got to the seventh level.
I just want to get away from everything, she thought to herself. She angrily marched across the length of the empty hallway, then marched past it again for good measure, then once again just because she felt like it. And then, it was like a lightbulb went off (which was a strange muggle contraption Fred and George had loved teaching her about). Well...either a lightbulb or a door suddenly appearing.
Nova couldn't believe she'd forgotten about the Room of Requirement. As she pulled the door open, she fully expected to see it in the same setup as it had been for the D.A. To her surprise, it was set up like her room at home, only decorated with yellows and blues and pinks and no sign of green anywhere. Already, it looked more homey and loving than her room at the Nott Manor did.
"Er, thanks," she told the room quietly. "Could I get a desk? So I can write Fred and George back?"
A beautiful mahogany desk appeared in the corner of the room. She thanked the room once more before walking over to the chair and sitting in it. A quill and piece of parchment appeared.
It was an awful letter, but it was something to let them know she was okay. She just wanted to see them in person. She wanted Fred to make her laugh and George to come into her room at night and ask if she was really doing alright living with them.
But most importantly, she wanted her mother.
"I don't suppose you could give me that, could you?" she jokingly asked the room. "I'm kind of going through my first teenage heartbreak and would appreciate it."
She didn't know why she thought the room would respond, but she felt stupid for even calling out to it. She turned in her chair, letting out a little sigh before she stood and made her way to her bed. Only, it wasn't really her bed. Her bed at home had a dark green comforter. This one was a pretty shade of sky blue, the same color as...
"Can I not get a reminder of him right now?" she asked the room exasperatingly. Almost immediately after the words left her mouth, the comforter changed into a pretty pale pink. "Thanks." But the color change didn't stop her heart from hurting and the tears from coming back up. A tiny little thing of tissues appeared on the bed, as if the room anticipated her impending crying.
She pushed her body underneath the sheets, closing her eyes and preparing to take the longest nap of her life. She didn't care if Blaise and Malfoy were looking for her. She just wanted to get away from real life.
A soft humming filled the room, a strangely familiar tune. Nova cracked an eye open. "I don't need the noise," she told the room, but the humming didn't stop. It turned into soft singing. "Hello? Can you hear me?" she asked the room. But the singing continued, surrounding her like a lullaby. Nova sighed and sat up in the bed. "Hello? Room? Can you stop?"
But it didn't stop. And when Nova was about to yell at the room again, she saw where the noise was coming from.
Nova felt the tears she'd been holding in spill over at the sight of the wall, and the addition the room had added for her.
Because on the wall in front of her was a portrait of the most beautiful woman Nova had ever seen. She was pressed up against a bench in what looked like someone's yard, flowers surrounding her. She had a rose in her hands, smelling it softly. Nova imagined it smelled just like the Amortentia.
"Hi little dove," the woman in the portrait said, in a tone so familiar Nova nearly fell to her knees.
"Mum," she whispered.
Elizabeth Nott smiled down at her daughter for the first time in eleven years.
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
I'm in love with elizabeth olsen and elizabeth nott whoops