Bittersweet Heart (Ominis Gaunt x James Sharp)

Wild strawberries, spring and musk

Author's note:

I'm glad to have made it through the introductory chapters! Now, let the truly interesting part unfold. Enjoy! ❤️ 

The voiced part of this chapter. You can find more videos on my tiktok. Nick is the same (leavemeunderyourskin) 🌞

Next week brought back the summer warmth, drawing James to his favorite spot near the river. He sat with his shoes off, dipping his feet into the water, and basking in the gentle rays of the sun.

The warmth was a welcome change from the coolness of the Slytherin dungeon. He liked to look at the sun until coloured reflections appeared before his eyes. James' hair danced in the breeze, and he closed his eyes, enjoying the tranquillity of the moment.

"I knew I would find you here," Sebastian said, joining him and carrying a heavy bag along with some books.

"What's all this?" James asked with a lazy nod. "Is this where you've been lost?"

Sebastian smiled, picking up a stone and skipping it across the lake. "There's no point in running away from myself. If I want Anne to accept me back, I have to accept myself first."

James watched him closely, intrigued by his words.

"So I thought, what am I good at? We've tried everything to help Anne — St. Mungo's, potions, healing charms. Now I want to continue my studies. There must be new ways to heal deep wounds, like Ominis' eyes or," he paused and looked directly at James, "your mother if we had the time."

James felt the urge to blink. He lasted a minute before answering, "By new ways, you don't mean...," he trailed off, struggling to find the right words.

Sebastian's freckled face softened, "I still believe that even dark magic should be explored, but no," he reassured.

James leaned back, pointing to the left. "Right there, just behind those bushes, are the last wild berries." He opened his school bag and retrieved a parchment wrap containing the berries.

Clouds drifted lazily across the sky. Their fingers were stained with the vibrant colours of the berries. James felt his feet growing cold and wrinkled from the water. It was about time to return to the castle.

***

This evening they had their first lesson in the advanced Potions Course. Ominis was already at their corner cauldron station.

When everybody settled, Professor Sharp coughed up and began.

"Today, we will start with a relatively simple potion. Please open your books to page twelve." Soft giggles filled the room.

"Yes, Mr Weasley, as you can see, today we will be brewing Amortentia," Professor Sharp continued. "Don't let the name fool you. In the wrong hands, this potion could drive you mad. You may also have heard its other name." The class fell into silence.

"Devil's Kiss. Can anyone tell me why?" Ominis raised his hand.

"Yes, Mr Gaunt."

"The victim becomes unwillingly obsessed with the owner of the potion's core. Not being in their right mind, they would complete any 'request' under its effect. They might even overstep their instincts and take their own life," answered Ominis.

"That's quite accurate. Five points to Slytherin. Now, everyone, read the recipe and get started."

The room buzzed with the sound of rustling pages and the clinking of potion ingredients. James, thanks to his father, calmly followed the steps of the recipe. 

Sebastian occasionally glanced at his cauldron with a doubtful expression, while Ominis repeatedly went over the recipe, struggling to correct his potion. He was really good at theory, but it wasn't his best subject in practice.

"It says I should smell things I'm attracted to. Then why does it smell like socks? I don't like trolls", someone mumbled from behind.

Ominis slumped in defeat. "Hah. Oh, I wish I could replace it with some from J.Pippin."

"I didn't reckon Pippin sells Amortentia. Maybe he should. Bet it will be sold out in a day," Sebastian chimed in.

James cast a discreet glance at his father, who was busy with other students, and made a small adjustment to Ominis' potion using a few additional ingredients. It wouldn't be perfect, but it would suffice to save him from extra homework.

"What did you do?" asked Ominis.

"I do not understand what you're talking about," James replied with a smirk, prompting a soft "mmm" from Ominis.

Soon enough, the liquid in the cauldrons reached the point where the "true" aroma could be sensed. For James, it smelled like wild strawberries, the crispness of spring air, and a hint of musk. The unique, familiar scent,  that was luring the demand to wrap all around him.

James couldn't say how long he stood there, trying to capture the essence of his emotions within that scent.

"Ms Bell, I will expect a nine-inch essay on the dangers of Amortentia for the next lesson. Everyone else, leave your potion samples on my desk," Aesop's voice broke through, pulling James back to reality.

Quickly, James filled a vial with his potion sample and cleaned up his cauldron. All he wanted was to escape from the lingering scent. He only stopped when his feet touched the ground outside, gasping for breath and feeling a sense of relief as the intoxicating trail dissipated.

"Wouldn't it be funny if it happened to be true?" He remarked after a while, once his racing heart had calmed down.