moony ~ remus lupin

Chapter Twenty Two • Lily Potter

Sure enough, in potions on Tuesday, everyone was jumpy as they waited for Slughorn to let them make it. Remus and Claire worked alongside each other as always. Sometimes they'd playfully shove each other after trying to mess each other's potions up. "Don't mess up, Wellwood," he would tease, pretending to drop something in her cauldron. "Ha ha very funny," she said sarcastically, picking up a worm and almost tossing it in his.

When she looked over, Claire could see that Snape must've been done because he was smelling his potion and smiling to himself. "Hey, look at Snivellus," she whispered to Remus, nodding her head towards him. "Wonder what he smells," Remus said, watching Snape smile as he sniffed his potion again. "Creep." They both laughed to themselves.

After everyone had finished, Slughorn was asking people to share what they smelled to prove that it was different for everyone. "Potter! How about you, my boy?" Slughorn asked, stepping back to the front of the room. "Sure, okay," James hesitated for a second before taking in another whiff of the potion. "I smell old parchment and books, freshly cut flowers, vanilla, and...I can't make out the rest. It's hard to tell over Evans's perfume," he laughed at the last bit and Claire just cringed. "I'm not wearing perfume today, Potter," Lily said quietly for only them to hear. Remus slapped a hand on his forehead and turned into Claire, laughing hysterically.

"Oh. Oh! Oh my god!" James suddenly got really excited. "Now now, Potter, relax yourself," Slughorn cut in. Claire took another quick glance at Snape but now he was just scowling at James. "Who else? Ms. Wellwood, care for a turn?" Claire nodded politely before smelling the potion again. "Er- well, I smell chocolate, wet grass, cigarettes, old parchment, new sweaters, and...daisies." She smiled up at the professor before looking to Marlene and Dorcas. Marlene was staring at Claire, smiling and pointing between her and Remus. She only shrugged back before Slughorn asked him to share.

"Um- I smell strawberries, quidditch supplies, the snow," he stopped for a second, looking confused. "....Mrs. Potter's cookies." He looked over at James who was jaw dropped as he said this. Remus continued. "And this type of muggle mints...I can't remember what they're called." He turned to Claire and reached in her pocket. "Ah, Altoids," he said, reading the label.

"Good job, son," Slughorn said as two of the Slytherins shared. Snape was still sluggish after hearing James share. Claire tried not to pay attention to him. Remus slipped the mints back into her pocket. "Thanks for that, would've been embarrassed if I didn't know the name," he said, before going to chat with the other marauders.

"Oh my god," Marlene and Dorcas said in unison behind her. "What?" Claire said turning to them. "You two totally smelled each other!" Marlene said, smiling from ear to ear. "He literally smelled the mints you always carry around," Dorcas added. "James's was more obvious than ours!" Claire said, pointing over to James. "Well yeah but he's always said that he and Lils are soulmates," Marlene said lazily. Claire scoffed and turned back to her table.

Lily was blushing furiously as she cleaned up around her and James's potion mess, which was mostly created by him. "Hey Lils, what did yours smell like?" Claire asked softly as she tried to help with James's puddle of Amortentia. "James." Claire's eyes went wide. "How do you know it was really James?" She stuttered. "Okay, it wasn't just James, but it was things remind me of him or things that he smells like," Lily sighed. "I don't know, okay? I just think I did it wrong or something." Lily was looking down as she talked. Her red hair covered her face as she wiped the table off. "Oh, maybe," Claire sighed in return.

"Claire! Claire!" James yelled, skipping over to them. He leaned over and whispered in her ear "Can you buy a bunch of lilies for me? Like, a bunch!" He covered his mouth and her ear as he whispered so Lily wouldn't know. "And what is this for?" She said back, crossing her arms at him. "Please, Claire!?" She looked over and Sirius, Remus, and Peter were nodding aggressively at her. "Okay, fine. You have to lend me the map then," she said. James groaned, "What do you need the map for?" He was jumping slightly in place out of excitement now. "How am I supposed to-" He quickly slapped his hand over her mouth. "Shhh! Fine, you can take the map." Claire smiled and pushed him back to the boys.