Dark, Twisted and Time Turned

Chapter 8: Amortentia

(*Warning: there is no necessary warning for this chapter)

"Do you know how to brew? It's a very delicate process, and I don't want to throw you into it without complete understanding," Tom asks, oblivious to her predicament, and she nods at him. "Why aren't you-? Oh, that will complicate things. One of his favourites, he likes to pull jokes sometimes." He responds, after she opens her mouth to display her immobile tongue. "How about you get the ingredients? The book has plenty of diagrams if you need to reference back; I'll get the rods and cauldron set up."

She crosses the room to the storage cabinet to fetch the things with a list she had written, gathering ingredients carefully as she manoeuvres around her peers. They're all leaving with everything while she's still hunting for Ashwinder eggs, and she catches sight of them at the same time as someone else.

"Ah, Hermione! Salazar, how thorough was this teacher of yours? You even know your way around potions and ingredients." She glares at Abraxas, and he has the audacity to look hurt. "What have I done to deserve this? You couldn't possibly be upset about- you are? Just a tongue sticking charm, thats all. So easy to lift with a spell." He gathers his eggs and leaves her with an infuriating smile, and she follows him out with her collection of vials and pouches. Tom is waiting for her.

"Excellent," they begin preparing the potion, Tom demonstrating something if she hesitates too long, so she could copy the technique. It was mildly embarrassing, not knowing what all she was doing. She supposed it was to be expected. She was technically supposed to be in her sixth year, and here she was, in a seventh year NEWT level. She was one of the oldest in her year, of course, since her birthday was so close to start of term, so she was at least the same age as some seventh years.

"Use the heel of your hand to crush the beans, rather then your knuckles. It'll save you a considerable amount of pain." Tom stares down at their potion, frowning. "Ah, that's not the right colour. Can you pass me the text book please? Thank you."

"Hermione, I am thoroughly impressed with your skills. I'm starting to be more and more curious about who taught you all of this." She frowns and turns to look at Abraxas, who had made his way down to her and Tom's table. Tom only gives him a glance before returning to reading the textbook. Abraxas smiles sweetly and taps his wand to her mouth, and her tongue finally unsticks itself.

"I didn't know much about him, and he didn't know much about me." She mutters a reply, leaning over to look at the book over Tom's shoulder. "We haven't added the rose petals yet, that will give it the pearly shine. Although I think there's too much peppermint; it should balance out if we use 13 instead of 12 rose petals, and do the first stir counterclockwise." Tom mutters his agreement while she counts out the rose petals.

"Ah, you should have learned more about him. Anyone teaching someone the Imperious curse ought to be cause for concern."

"Malfoy," Tom says calmly, although his tone carried a hint of something that told her to be afraid. "Lower your voice, please. This isn't something that should be discussed in public, much less in a classroom. Hermione's wand is in my pocket so the spell can cancel out faster." Abraxas mutters apologies.

"Why are you even here- Counterclockwise with a silver rod, Tom. The copper will conduct it too much- shouldn't you be up brewing with Theon?" Abraxas sighs, leaning against the table. She catches the scent of sandalwood from the potion and frowns, but ignores it.

"We've had a slight disaster. Flannigan has had another issue with his potion and it splattered into ours; Slughorn is dealing with it right now." He gestures back lazily, at a steaming orange puddle and a very distraught Gryffindor. "I have yet to figure out how he passed into NEWT level." Malfoy pauses to lean over their potion and breathes it in. "What have you got there, Tom?"