Study Date | James Potter

Chapter 10 - "Just Trying To Spread Some Holiday Cheer"

James felt something like déjà vu as Rose rushed into the library, yet again in a state of disarray. A smile crept onto his face as she hurried over to him and sat down in the chair opposite.

"Stop laughing at me James. I had to get my books and get changed and do my hair, and I lost track of time ok?"

"Make fun of my own girlfriend? How dare you accuse me of such a thing madam!" James protested, and Rose shook her head, lips pressed together to hide a smile.

"Ok, so what do you want to do today? We could maybe recap everything so far?" James suggested. Rose agreed and they began the lesson.

Around ten minutes in, when Rose was reading through some notes, it suddenly hit James that this was the first time they had been alone together since the kiss - not that that was a problem, he reassured himself. Everything would be fine.

He must have had a strange look on his face because Rose frowned when she looked up.

"Are you ok?"

"What? Yeah I'm fine." James's mind went blank for a second before he managed to speak. "So, erm... do you want to do something after this?"

Rose raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly. "And what exactly do you mean by 'something,' Potter?"

James blushed. "Er, well we had an idea for a prank the other night - the Marauders I mean. It's only a two person job. You in?"

She shrugged. "Might as well. What is it exactly?"

James smirked. "Me and the guys were thinking about how Valentine's day is coming up and thought we might start the proceedings a little early." He reached down to his bag and briefly showed her a flask, before stuffing it back for fear Madam Pince would see it and throw them out of the Library.

"Love potion?" Rose grinned. "Nice one. Are we going to stick it in the pumpkin juice?"

"Right on Evans." He grinned back at her. "Now, tell me the incantation for mouse to snuffbox."

An hour later, Rose and James were in a chamber adjoining the Great Hall, observing the other three Marauders and the rest of the student body.

Food appeared across the four house tables and the teachers' table, sent up from the kitchens where fifteen minutes previously, James and Rose had laced it liberally with love potion.

"I've got a good feeling about this one." James muttered to Rose as their peers and teachers obliviously tucked into the meal. Different love potions worked in different ways depending on how they were brewed and with what ingredients, but for this one, the person who ingested it would fall in love with the first person they saw, whether that person was a friend, foe, or even their own reflection.

Both grinned, as the potion began to take effect. Around the hall, people began to stare adoringly at others, become suddenly shy, or conversely become emboldened and declare their love for somebody who was completely oblivious and fixated on another.

Much to James and Rose's amusement, Remus and Sirius had been talking to each other at the Gryffindor table, and were now gazing into each other's eyes. Peter, however, had looked up at Sirius after taking a bite of roast potato, and appeared to be incredibly jealous of Remus.

Rose bent over laughing, clutching her stomach, as they watched Snape lunge across the Slytherin table in an attempt to kiss Mulciber, who pushed him away, staring after Marcus Avery.

The teachers were similarly affected aside from Dumbledore and McGonagall, who hadn't been present at the start of the meal but entered the hall at that moment.