----------------------> ARTEMIS SIGHED MOURNFULLY in the morning at the Great Hall the next day. "I'm pretty sure my soulmate is a chocolate frog." She announced.
"Oh, I just ate a whole bag of those," Roman said, prompting Artemis to bang her hand furiously on to the table, turning heads in their direction and making Roman jump in surprise.
"You piece of fucking shit, one of them could have been the love of my life!"
"No, Tom Riddle is right there," Gen said slowly, pointing to the handsome boy reading the Daily Prophet at the Slytherin table.
Artemis scowled, lightly punching Gen. "Unless Tom Riddle is either the name of a chocolate frog in Rome's stomach or a Bulgarian Quidditch player, na-uh." She shook her head, making Gen roll her eyes.
"Hey, Missy!" Roman called, making her turn to face him from where he was seated across from her. "Truth or dare?"
"Truth?" She said unsurely.
"Do you want to kiss Tom Riddle?" Gen asked boldly, sitting beside her.
"Dare," Artemis said immediately.
"Okay, I dare you to kiss Tom Riddle."
"Never Have I Ever-"
"That's not in the fucking game!" Gen roared. "Kiss him, Arty, and you kiss him good."
Artemis made a face. "No, it's gross." She said and instead, tapped Reginald -who was sitting beside her- on his shoulder, drawing him away from the conversation he was having with Charlie and making him look at her with confusion knitted into his features.
"Yes, Artemis?"
She smiled at him sweetly. "Would you like to play a game, Reginald?"
"Um, okay?"
"Good!" Artemis clapped her hands happily. "So, Date or Dare?"
"It's supposed to be truth or dare..." Gen corrected from beside her.
Artemis pointedly ignored her input, eyes fixed on Reginald in an all-knowing way. "So what are you going to choose, Reginald? Date or Dare?"
"Dare, obviously" Reginald replied, making Artemis smile.
"Great, I dare you to date Gen!"
Gen spluttered while Reginald blushed and Roman applauded his friend's brilliance.
"...Well I guess I have no choice then," Reginald said hesitantly, scratching the back of his head and coughing awkwardly before meeting Gen's eyes. "So, what do you say Gen? Date me?" He asked weakly, pulling out a date from a bowl of dry fruits on the table and handing it to Gen who was sitting on the other side of Artemis, making the blonde girl lean completely back so the two could have a moment.
Gen pursed her lips thinly, giving the impression that she was annoyed even though the real cause of her action was to keep the squeal that was threatening to break out inside her mouth. Knowing that words would fail her, she slowly nodded, a faint smile enlightening her features. "Okay." She said simply, taking the date from his fingers, putting it into her mouth and chewing it slowly with a faint grin.
Reginald exhaled a relieved breath. "Okay." He repeated, feeling his heart melt into a pool of lovesick puddle at her words. "Okay," he said again, "Yule break is coming up. Is it alright if I take you out a couple of times then?"
"Okay," Gen said simply, swallowing the date and biting the insides of her cheeks to stop herself from bursting in happiness.
"Okay," Reginald echoed. Charlie snorted and Reginald just knew his friend was going to tease him about it later. "So, um, I need to go to class now. I'll talk to you later?"
"Okay."
"Okay," Reginald smiled at her, mouthed a discreet 'thank you' to Artemis before leaving the Great Hall with his friends.
No sooner than he did, Gen buried her face into her hands with embarrassment.
"Gosh, I was so bad at speaking. Reginald proposed with a pun no less, and all I gave him were one-word answers! He must think I'm awful." Her words were muffled into her hands.
"Awfully pretty, that is," Roman said, never being one to let his friends think bad of themselves.
"Congratulations," Artemis added with a grin.
"Thanks," Gen sat back straight again. "I don't want to mess this one up. Reginald is the absolute sweetest boy I know-"
"-Huh-hem," Roman coughed pointedly, making Gen blink at him.
"-You got something in your throat there, Rome?"
"Only the bitter taste of friendship and disappointment, Gen, thank you for asking," Roman replied with a motion for her to continue, making Artemis snort.
"Anyway, as I was saying," Gen said, "Reginald's amazing and if things don't work out between us, I don't want it to be awkward, you know? What if I mess this up like I mess up everything else?"
"You won't, Gen," Artemis said with such confidence that Gen felt empowered. "If it is meant to be, it will be. Reginald's sweet, he won't blame you, and you shouldn't blame yourself either. For anything, really. Whatever happened previously is all in the past and none of it was your fault, so please don't think it is. You won't mess this up. You know why? Because you are Genevieve Delilah-"
"-That's not my middle name-"
"-Rhodes! You hate messes of any sort. You are one of the cleanest persons I know and so you are not going to mess this up." Artemis met Gen's eyes. "Okay?"
Gen giggled, a soft sincere smile adorning her face as she nodded. "Okay."
------> 0o0 <------
Artemis Potter did not have many regrets. She was someone who believed in speaking her mind and gripping opportunities as it passed by. But she was sure that she would regret it for the rest of her life that she did not apply a muffling charm on her ears when Professor Slughorn announced the potion they were going to make that day: Amortentia.
It took Professor Slughorn nearly ten minutes to attempt to settle down the class before he gave up and tossed a pleading look to his two favourite students and shoe-ins for the Head Girl and Head Boy position in their seventh year, who were sitting in front of the classroom and covering her ears and calmly reading a book respectively.
Artemis decided to take pity on him and silently motioned for Tom Riddle to cover his own ears, something he wisely did. Applying a sonorous charm, Artemis held the tip of her wand to her lips and yelled, "EVERYBODY SHUT THE HELL UP!"
It worked and Professor Slughorn looked too relieved to call her out on her language. Throwing her a grateful look, he motioned to the potion. "Amortentia is known as the world's most powerful love potion." He stated before pausing. "But that's not entirely true, is it? Can anybody tell me why?"
Hands went up.
"Yes, Miss Rhodes," Professor Slughorn called encouragingly.
"No potion is strong enough to be able to really create love, Professor," Gen started. "Rather, Amortentia mimics the -can we call it- side effects of being in love with someone? The sense of attraction, the desire, the passion," she paused. "The obsession. People who are given the Amortentia potion don't belong to themselves anymore. Not really. It's like- your sole reason to exist is to make the person who fed you the potion happy."
"Excellent, Miss Rhodes! Take five points to Ravenclaw!" Professor Slughorn exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "I knew you paid attention during class and it wasn't just the morse code Miss Potter made that let you answer my questions!"
Artemis, Gen and Roman's eyes widened at their potions professor's casual comment, having not realised that he had noticed considering he had never really pointed it out before or took points from them. These were the times they were reminded that Professor Slughorn was indeed the Head of Slytherin.
"Anyway," Professor Slughorn continued. "You are absolutely right, Miss Rhodes. Amortentia does create a sense of belonging, obsession and purpose for the drinker to the person who fed it to them. It duplicates the emotions one feels when in a toxic love relationship but does not actually cause it. Can anybody tell me how to recognise it? Yes, Mr Malfoy?"
"It has a distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen and steam rises from it in characteristic spirals," Abraxas answered in a drawing tone. "Also, it is a known fact that when you smell it, the scent differs from person to person based on what you love or are fond of."
"Beautiful answer, Mr Malfoy! Five points to Slytherin!" Professor Slughorn clapped his hands together once again. "Does anybody else have anything to share regarding this potion? Any fun facts? Oh my, too many hands are up from Ravenclaw! It was a topic in a debate, I would assume." He chuckled to himself before looking at the crowd of students in front of him again. "So, let us give it to a Slytherin, shall we? Yes, Miss Black?"
"Those born under the influence of a love potion can't love," Walburga said matter-of-factly.
Professor Slughorn hummed thoughtfully. "That is very interesting, Miss Black. Five points to Slytherin."
"Thank you, Professor. I read it in Witch Weekly." Walburga replied smugly.
Now, Artemis had also read the same thing but in one of the potion journals that Fleamont adored to subscribe to, and had it been anybody else who had said that, she would have been quiet.
However, this was Walburga Black.
And if Artemis Potter didn't argue with her on every single thing, then she didn't think she could live with herself.
So, Artemis raised her hand.
Professor Slughorn beamed at her. "Yes, Miss Potter? Do you have another fact for us?"
"Only the dreadful history behind how this horrid potion was invented, Professor, but I don't think it is appropriate to discuss such a sensitive topic with multiple triggers out loud." She replied. Professor Slughorn nodded seriously, knowing the terrifying story behind its invention himself. "So, instead, I would like to counter Miss Black's lovely points on a very dangerous and highly skilled potion that she read in a... fashion and lifestyle magazine known to occasionally print fallacy-filled information." Artemis finished, lips curling.
"Go ahead, Miss Potter." Professor Slughorn allowed, never one to deny his favourite students.
"Thank you, Professor." Artemis smiled. "I think that everybody can love, Professor. It's not a trait or ability that can just be taken away or given to someone. It's an emotion, just like jealousy and hate. It's...innate. In fact, love is such a complicated and powerful emotion that it has its own chamber in the Department of Mystery. I sincerely doubt that there is anybody born without the emotion of love. I just think that they don't know how to." She finished.
"But Miss Potter, I did in fact read what Miss Black said in a reputed potion journal." Professor Slughorn noted.
Artemis shrugged casually in reply. "Many years ago, most of the greatest minds in the world believed the earth was flat, didn't they Professor? The earth being flat, back then, was considered a fact- all the academic theories were based on it and so were so many literary works. But then- Well, we all know now for a fact that the earth is spherical and so, what once was a truth believed by those great minds is now a lie."
"The thing is, Professor, so-called facts change when they are proven otherwise," Artemis said. "After all, there is no such thing as truth, it's only what you believe in. Similarly, while Miss Black believes that people born under a love potion cannot love, I personally believe differently. Everybody can love if they want to, if they find the right people to love or if they are shown how to. One only needs to try." She finished.
"Very true, Miss Potter! Take ten points to Ravenclaw for perfect logic!" Professor Slughorn beamed before saying jovially, "Now, making this potion is a pair project. I'll walk around giving pointers. Please open your textbooks to page sixty-two and begin." He instructed.
Artemis turned to face her potion's partner only to find Tom Riddle was staring at her intently, his brows frowned in an odd expression.
"What?" Artemis asked, making Tom shake his head.
"Nothing," he replied before pausing. "You get the ingredients and I'll start the foundation of the potion?"
A dramatic gasp escaped Artemis' mouth. "You trust me to get the potion ingredients by myself? With your marks on the line? I'm honoured, I really am."
Tom rolled his eyes, continuing to speak, "And I'll be checking the quality of ingredients before we start, of course."
"There's the Riddle I know who cannot answer a riddle!" Artemis grinned.
Tom shot her yet another glare. "Go before all the good ingredients are taken."
Artemis rolled her eyes. "Alright, alright! I'm going." She stood up and headed to the back of the classroom where Professor Slughorn kept the rarer and more expensive ingredients. And since she had her back turned, she didn't notice the way Tom continued to half-stare at her, even as he began the foundation for their potion.
------> 0o0 <------
"I bet I'd smell a chocolate frog," Artemis declared ominously as she stirred the cauldron, making Tom give her a look. "One of the chocolate frogs is my soulmate, you see." She explained, only serving to make the Slytherin Prefect even more confused.
"...Okay," He said slowly. "But I thought your soulmate is a Bulgarian Quidditch player."
"I wish," Artemis said sadly. "But unfortunately, there is no particular scent for confirming that my soulmate is a Bulgarian Quidditch player. There is, however, one for a chocolate frog."
"Well, if your soulmate is a chocolate frog, it could explain so much," Tom said thoughtfully. "Like your nonexistent love life, for example."
Artemis nodded seriously. "Yes, that's what I think as well."
"A human and a frog, I think I know how that story goes," Tom mused and if Artemis wasn't best friends with Gen Love-Is-Amazing Rhodes, she would not have understood the reference to the muggle fairytale The Frog Prince by the Brothers Grimm.
"Oh, shut up, Riddle-Who-Can't-Answer-A-Riddle," Artemis rolled her eyes. "You're just jealous."
Tom raised a perfect eyebrow. "Jealous of not having a frog for a soulmate?"
"A chocolate frog," Artemis corrected with an emphasis, causing him to roll his eyes.
"Because chocolate is such an important quality and makes everything better."
"It really does. Ask anyone with common sense."
"I don't think so."
"Well, I did say common sense, didn't I?" Artemis retorted. "Like, you couldn't even answer a simple riddle despite your name being-"
"Hilarious, aren't you?" Tom interrupted in a snide, sarcastically dry voice.
"What can I say?" Artemis began with a grin. "I'm 80% sarcasm, 10% exhaustion and 20% don't care."
Tom's eyebrows knitted together and said pointedly, "That's a 110 %"
"20% of me doesn't care."
"...I should have seen that coming." He admitted before saying, "But shut up on that matter. I'm serious."
"You shut up in general first then." Artemis countered. "You're the one who made fun of my soulmate who, by the way, I haven't met yet but I already love a choco-lot." She cracked a beautifully goofy smile at her pun.
"Such a sweet story," Tom commented dryly.
"I know. I'm sure it loves me dairy."
"How lovely," Tom said, "At least if you are ever stuck on an island all alone, having a chocolate frog for a soulmate would come in candy."
Artemis let out a scandalised gasp. "How dairy you! I would never eat the one I'm most fondu off."
Tom shrugged and was just about to retort when their potion started emitting a vapour, immediately alerting and sobering them up as they concentrated on perfecting their potion.
When the characteristic pearly sheen and the spiral vapours began to show, Artemis excitedly breathed in the vapours, eager to see the results for herself. After all, when a person inhales Amortentia, they were supposed to get a scent of everything and everybody that they really liked.
"It's... It's like... It smells like Gen's apple lotion and broom cleaner on Roman's scarf. I don't know how else to explain it." Artemis said out loud, her eyes glazed as she inhaled the enchanting scent again. "It's mum's homemade cookies and dad's awful smelling cologne. I can smell the hair conditioner that Charlus thinks is 'cool' to dunk his hair in and the grassy, potion-y scent that always surrounds Fleamont." She continued. "I can smell the scent of lovely old books. It sounds weird, but I can smell fire and lead and canvas and paint and something minty mixed with something spicy. The longer I inhale, the more things I can smell. It's wonderful." She said, closing her eyes blissfully as she offhandedly asked him, "What do you smell?"
Tom's eyebrows were knitted together in concentration as he inhaled the vapours emitted by the potion. He didn't reply, even as he took in another breath. And another. And another. And another. For the longest time, he could smell nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Then-
Then he caught it.
It was the faintest of scents. It was barely there, but it was there and that was all that mattered.
"Hogwarts," he said many minutes after she asked him the question, prompting Artemis to crack an eye open in confusion for a moment. "I smell Hogwarts and parchment." He repeated with shining eyes as his eyebrows frowned even more. "I... I can smell the mint-herbal tea I drink every morning. Also a hint of something like wet paint and... And treacle tarts? That's odd."
"Treacle tarts are delicious, I'll have you know." Artemis defended. "I eat them all the time. Everybody in my family does, actually." She said, making Tom hum in reply even though he wasn't paying any attention to her speaking at all, completely taken away by the most beautiful and enchanting scents he could smell from their cauldron.