A Change of Heart [James Potter II]

Chapter 22: Love Potion

Love Potion

IT HAD BEEN A DAY since Aaron had noticed something strange about Quinn. OWLs were done and over with, so that definitely wasn't what was bothering her. And Aaron was quite sure he knew what it was. It started off the day before, when Quinn had been late to breakfast and drank quickly from her goblet before racing back to her dorm to grab a book she had been binge reading by the name of Clockwork Princess.

And moments later, Dominique was dragging her through the doors of the Great Hall as Quinn giggled, waving brightly at James Sirius Potter. James, of all people in the entire Great Hall, she waved at James. Almost immediately, Aaron rushed the two girls out of there.

"What is she doing?" Aaron asked, looking Quinn over in concern.

"I don't know!" Dom exclaimed loudly, staring wide-eyed at Quinn as she giggled further and began singing a love song quietly. "She was like this when I found her. She just kept saying-"

"Take me to James." Quinn ordered; crossing her arms and pouting like a child. The whole look made her blue eyes look bright and mischievous, but she was still adorable.

"Take you to who?" Aaron inquired, looking dubiously at his blonde haired best friend. "Quinn, have you been taking any strange medication?"

Dominique rolled her eyes, lighting hitting Aaron. "Not helping!" she enlightened Aaron, before looking back at her best friend. "What the hell caused this? Is it the Peace Potions she's been taking or-"

"No," Aaron denied. "It couldn't be. Sure, they can make the drinker a little bit out of it but not to the extent where she acts like she's crazy."

"Okay," Dom sighed. "I have to meet up with-" she paused momentarily. "A friend, so can you please look after Quinn so that she doesn't go to my cousin?" she advocated, and Aaron nodded his head in agreement.

"Definitely. Who knows what might happen if that's the case." A lot happened. Quinn was feeling over the moon and ecstatic, but above all that she knew that she had to see James. Quinn had to be near him because her heart was physically aching to see him. So she smiled sweetly at Aaron when Dominique left the two and he hesitantly looked at her. "Aaron?" she asked him in a delightful tone.

"Quinn." He replied, sighing, as he knew Quinn was going to do something to try and manipulate him into getting what she wanted.

"I have to go to the bathroom." She told him innocently.

"Do you?" Aaron replied, amused.

"Aaron Thompson," Quinn said in a bossy tone. "Once a month, a girl gets her-"

"Okay, just go." Aaron interrupted, his cheeks turning crimson as he realized what Quinn was talking about. Quinn grinned and leaned up to kiss his cheek before rushing off. She made her way to the Gryffindor common room, grinning to herself as she saw Lysander Scamander and James sitting together.

"James!" Quinn squealed, launching herself at him and attacking him with kisses all over his face.

"Um, Quinn?" Lysander questioned, his eyes wide in surprise. "I didn't know you and James were so close again."

"We're not." Quinn smiled, grinning up at James. "But I think I'm in love with him."
Lysander choked on his spit as he stared at the two. James was turning red, but not with embarrassment. With guilt. Lysander, however, didn't realize this. "James, why is Quinn acting like she's in love with you?"

"I don't know." Lysander watched the two for a few minutes when he realized what really happened. "I think somebody slipped her a love potion." Lysander explained. "I mean; she's showing all the side effects."

"That's crazy." James exclaimed. "Why would anybody want to do that?"

"I don't know." Lysander mused, leaning over to look at Quinn. "Quinn honey, do you know what the last thing you drank was? Or ate?"

"Pumpkin juice," Quinn recalled, still sending James flirtatious smiles and winks every once in a while. And then she had a totally flashback.

"Jamie!" George Weasley greeted James with a wide smile. "Wow, you're getting uglier every time I see you!"

"And you're getting wrinklier." James joked back.

"Quinn!" George's attention was now on Quinn, whom he adored. Mostly because Roxanne and Quinn were well acquaintanced and every single Potter/Weasley spoke very highly of her. "You look brilliant! How was your summer so far?"

"So far so good." Quinn smiled. "Except now I have to spend two weeks with this idiot, and I don't know how long I'll last until I rip his head off."

"But my head is my best feature," James whined.

"Yet it's still hollow." Quinn tutted, though she did crack a smile. James's insides leapt at the thought – he had made her happy. "Anyway, we just wanted to check out the store. It looks amazing."
"Thank you very much." Quinn and James both knew the words meant a lot to George.

"You two each get something free because of those kind words." George added. "In fact..." he trailed off, grabbing something from behind him and holding them out in two hands. "Pick one." Quinn raised her eyebrow, looking at James as if to say 'Do you want to go first?'. James shook his head.

"Ladies first." He said charmingly, and Quinn smiled before choosing George's right hand. He opened it to reveal a couple of wrapped sweets, to which George smiled.

"Fainting Fancies." George recited. "Part of the Skiving Snackbox collection. Those are bloody useful, they are."

"Thanks, George." Quinn beamed, sticking the sweets in her bag.

"And for you," George opened his left hand, holding it out to James. "a love potion."

"Wow," James said, pocketing the small phial. "Thank you. I might really need that."

Aaron had realized the same thing when Quinn had 'gone to the bathroom' for an hour. Then, he went to the potions classroom and quickly brewed up the antidote for a love potion. Once he was finished, he raced to the Gryffindor common room, hoping somebody that knew him might let him inside. "Excuse me!"

Aaron eventually called as a young Gryffindor was about to enter the common room. "Could you please ask Quinn Meredith to come out here?" the Gryffindor must have been a second or third year with fiery red hair and dark brown eyes. He wore his Gryffindor robes neatly and pressed well.

"Okay." The young Gryffindor agreed, smiling shyly before whispering the password and racing into the Gryffindor common room. Moments later, Quinn sauntered out with a frown plastered on her face.

"You're pulling me away from James." She whined, drawing out James's name.

"Here, drink this." Aaron suggested, handing her the antidote. "It's from James." At the mention of his name, Quinn brightened and drank it quickly. Then she coughed and seemed to return back to everything.

"I am going to kill James Sirius Potter." She stated, a homicidal expression on her face. Then she stormed back into the common room, shouting a quick thank you at Aaron before the portrait of the fat lady slammed shut again.

"I can't believe you would go to such lengths to irritate me!" Quinn shouted. "You drugged me with a love potion!" James went pale.