Marooned - Fred Weasley

Chapter 14: Stomping on ruins

"Sit down, everybody," muttered Snape, his hands behind his back and turned around, his black robes flying behind him, and flicked his wand at the blackboard. The chalk started writing a few steps and ingredients for the Amortenia.

"This particular potion is a love potion, but don't be fooled, it is one of the most powerful one to exist, can drive the one to drink it into a mad obsession, it is far from lovely," the word made people wince, it didn't sound right, coming out of Snape's mouth. "Could someone tell me what are the distinguishable aspects of the potion?"

Sarah's hand shot up, and he sent her a disgraceful look, "Yes, miss McCauley?"

"It is distinctive for its mother-of-pearl sheen, and the steam that rises from the potion in spirals. It smells different to each person, according to what attracts them," she answered and he gave her a tight nod.

"Five points to Gryffindor," he gritted, still not enjoying giving them points, but probably thinking it won't matter because with Fred and George right behind her, he'll quickly take them back.

"You may begin," said Snape.

Sarah and Selena got to work, setting it to brew quickly and turned to Fred and George, who were having a bit of trouble, it was boiling, and the wrong color. Sarah and Selena handed them a few ingredients and their potion turned from blue to green and the surface flattened, after a few minutes, it started whitening.

"Thanks," they said at the same time and set it to brew.

Snape was moving through the desks, inspecting the potions, and thankfully not insulting anyone. This was his tradition, apparently, teaching fifth years this love potion just in time for Valentine's Day.

"They all should be brewed, by now," said Snape. "You have exactly ten minutes to write down the observations, possibly the different scents, and clean out your desks, until I pass to discard of the potion. Better not find you have sneaked out any drop of it out of this class," he turned especially towards Fred and George, and they kept a blank face, stirring in their cauldron.

Sarah and Selena took notes on how they made the potions and the observations, then finally leaned over the cauldron curiously breathing in the fumes.

"What's it smell like to you?" asked Selena.

"Parchment, and lavender, and-" she frowned, breathed in again and concentrated on the scents but it didn't change. She glanced back at Fred, tickling George's nose with a rabbit's foot on his table, which made George sneeze.

"And?" asked Selena.

"Right, uh, peppermint," said Sarah anxiously, looking down at her notes, scribbling on the piece of parchment. "Parchment and lavender. My house always smelled like lavender when I was little, must have been my mother's favorite flower. And I used to collect it, hang it around the cottage to keep the memory. What do you smell?"

Selena smiled, "fire smoke, chocolate and rain," she glanced back at George.

"Fire smoke, huh?" asked Sarah teasingly.

Selena turned crimson and muttered, "Shut up."

"I used to run around and jump into puddles every time it rained, it drove my parents crazy," said Selena, turning to face Fred and George, leaning against their desk.

"We used to do that, too," chuckled George, pointing at himself and his twin.

Fred laughed, "We used to pick you up and throw you in muddy puddles, remember that, McCauley?"

"Yes, I do," she winced and shook her head at the memory. "Molly would spend hours disentangling the mud from my hair." She ran her hands through her hair. It was all ample and messy curls, then, which was a nightmare to deal with and Molly never complained, but Sarah did and now she wore it smooth and sleek. She brought it all to one side and twisted it absentmindedly.