Pragma // s.b.

43

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Life before Sirius was nothing compared to this. Music seemed to fill the air as we walked hand in hand down the hallway. We spent long nights in the library, my nose buried in a book until Sirius succeeded in distracting me and we left to lay under the stars until the morning, where we watched the sun peek out from behind the clouds, bathing us in shades of pink and orange. We spent our time with our various friends. Sometimes running around the grounds with James and the boys, other times sitting in the Great Hall with the rest of the Hufflepuff girls.

I had never felt like more of myself. I knew that Sirius was happier than he had ever been before too. He told me things he had never told anyone before. About his family, his childhood. However, the most shocking thing I found out was that he could turn into a dog. Of course, I made him do it for me to prove he wasn't messing with me. However, even that couldn't change the way I felt about him. I was fully in love, and it was amazing.

And the best thing was, I knew he was too. On the first day back to classes, we were surprised to be greeted by a stout, smiling man standing outside the Potions classroom. Sirius was running late as usual, so I stood with Amber and Maggie. We exchanged questioning looks as we filed into the room. Bubbling cauldrons sat in a line on a stretching table at the front of the room. Each emitted a strong smell. The one nearest where I sat had curls of steam with the strong scent of, what was it, peppermint?

Whispers filled the room around us. Who was this new Professor? Where was Professor Terence? What Liv swore it smelled like the perfume her mother wore, but Maggie shook her head in disagreement, saying it smelled like the Hogwarts kitchens. I took a deep inhale, my nose filling with three very distinct smells.

The first was the strongest, it hit me the most when I walked into the potions classroom. Peppermint. Sharp, biting, and very familiar. Next was the smell of fresh cut grass, like how it was on the farm on hot summer days. I could practically see the shimmering pond that sat on the edge of our property. Lastly, was hot chocolate mixed with pumpkin juice. My favorite drink in the world. The oddest part however, was the subtle scent of smoke hovering around all of the others.

We sat in bemused silence as the new Professor slowly made his way to the front of the room. A shimmering silver and green pin sat upon his lapel, the Slytherin house emblem gleaming in the dim light. He opened his mouth to speak when the door to the dungeon was flung open and Sirius burst in with James at his side. Their laughter turned into silence, then confusion in a split second.

"Please take your seats gentlemen", the new Professor said, an edge to his voice, but the smile never leaving his lips. Sirius slipped into the seat next to me and sent me a quizzical look. I shrugged in response and turned my attention back to the front of the room. "I can gather from the looks on your face, none of you have ever been in contact with Amortentia", he said, a glint in his eyes.

"Astute observation", Sirius whispered in my ear. I pursed my lips in an attempt to not giggle. "You there!", the Professor said suddenly, pointing the tip of his want at Sirius, who immediately pulled away from me. All eyes looked in our direction, and I glanced over at Remus who was shaking his head in amusement. "Um, yes Professor?", Sirius said clearing his throat. "What do you smell?", the man in the front of the room continued.

Sirius shifted uncomfortably and took an uncertain inhale. The class laughed at the odd act. "Um", he started slowly, "Well, honeysuckle? I guess". The professor raised a thick eyebrow, "Anything else my boy?" Sirius inhaled again, the class now paying attention. "Vanilla", Sirius said more certainly, "And...it smells like the greenhouse?". The professor looked very pleased and took a step closer to our desk.

"Excellent, my boy", he said, a sly smiled playing at his lips. "And may I ask you a question, Ms.?", he turned his gaze to me and my heart began to beat rapidly. "Carter", I smiled. "Ms. Carter, may I ask what perfume you use?". I blinked, glancing around. "My perfume?", I looked at Amber, whose lips were slightly parted. She leaned over to Syke and whispered something. Skye let out a snort.

"Yes, if you please Ms. Carter", the professor smiled. "Vanilla?", I said slowly. "As  I suspected", he said, pleased, "And you are a Hufflepuff, if I am not mistaken?". I nodded. "So you spend a lot of time around flowers and plants?". I nodded again. "Just as I suspected", he winked, wrapping his knuckles on our table, then swiftly moving to the front to address the class as a whole.

"Amortentia", the professor repeated, "The love potion. It smells different to each and everyone of you. It smells like what you are most attracted to, what you love. In this young man's case, it is Ms. Carter". The class burst into rapid conversation. My mouth fell open, and I looked at Sirius. His face was bright red. "My name is Professor Slughorn", the man said, winking over at Sirius and I, "I am your new Potions teacher. I look forward to embarrassing each and everyone of you as I have done to this poor young man today, who hopefully with not ever be late to my class again".