pink! - remus lupin

07 - honey, gardenias, and coffee

"DID YOU HEAR WHAT O'CONNELL'S UP TO THIS MORNING? Rather risky, don't you think, Prongs?"

"I did hear, yes, but I'm not surprised. They've been spending an awful lot of time together, looking rather cozy. How did he finally get the girl? I've been trying to get Evans for years, and he's only known McLeod for a month. A month, Padfoot!" James replied to his friend, perplexed at the progress in the supposed couple's relationship.

"You know, James, all he did was be a genuinely nice person. It's not that hard when you try," Remus teased the raven-haired boy.

"I am genuinely nice! Right, Padfoot?"

"Of course, James."

The three of four Marauders exited the Transfiguration classroom, leaving the wing to the dungeons where they would have potions class next- with the Hufflepuffs. Without a doubt, everyone set to attend that class was more than excited to see the outcome of Cameron O'Connell's plan. Especially since they knew exactly which potion they would be doing- Amortentia.

~

It was a potion for the year above but after months of begging from his students, Professor Slughorn finally gave in. Everyone was sure to show up to class that day, even those without the slightest idea of how they hadn't failed potions yet.

Nevertheless, it came as no surprise when Stella McLeod and Cameron O'Connell came into the classroom with the brightest smiles and pure romantic tension radiating off of them. A majority of the class slipped each other a couple of Sickles with proud statements of, "I told you so!" As usual, the now-couple paid no mind to the reactions of their classmates, except for one.

When she entered the classroom, Stella couldn't help but notice the expectant stare of the scar-faced boy in the front row. She knew the moment she saw what Cameron had planned that other people would know, but something about him seemed- different. Stella didn't recognize him as someone she talked to regularly, but he surely knew who she was.

It took her a moment, but as soon as she heard his friends calling to him, she knew exactly who he was. Remus "Moony" Lupin, Gryffindor, brains of the Marauders. Everyone in the school knew the Marauders, and if they didn't, they sure would soon. Notorious pranksters, each known for their fuckboy personalities, each except for Remus Lupin.

Not quite the teacher's pet, but certainly not unknown to most, he was one of the most cryptic students in the school to those who didn't know him personally. Stella didn't know him, but she couldn't deny he was undoubtedly attractive. Not too bookish, not too sporty, he was exactly the kind of boy any girl's parents would like, probably more than their daughter did.

No one could tell, though. He had refused any sort of relationship for as long as anyone could remember. Nobody knew why, it wasn't that no one was interested in him, and Sirius surely gave him enough of an example of how to seduce a girl, but he just didn't.

~

Stella was anticipating the lesson too much to dwell on him for very long, eager to see how it would play out. She was almost 100% sure she would smell Cameron in the potion, of course, she would, he was her boyfriend, but something kept her worried that she wouldn't. It was silly, irrational, but since seeing Remus just minutes ago, something changed in her way of thinking.

With a couple of minutes left before class would commence, Cameron seemed to notice a shift in her aura, speaking up quietly, "You alright, Ella?"

She turned to face him with a small smile. "Yeah, of course. Just thinking."

"About?" he asked curiously, just so he could hear her voice again.

"School, Dad, you. The usual."

Cameron didn't have time to respond before Professor Slughorn barged into the classroom, an anxious smile present on his chubby face. "Can anyone remind me which potion we will be preparing today, class?"

At that, most of the students raised their hands, eager to start the lesson. "Ah, yes, Mr. Lupin. What will we be preparing?"

"Amortentia, Professor. The strongest love potion in the world, by default making it the most dangerous," he stated, obviously as impatient to start the lesson as his peers.

"Perfect, five points to Gryffindor house! Thank you, Mr. Lupin."

Remus smiled sheepishly at the compliment, blushing at his professor's words. Humble and smart. Professor Slughorn stood blankly for a moment, then spoke again, seeming to have just remembered what he was going to say next, "I've decided to try something new today, just for today. I will be assigning your pairs differently than usual. Now, let's start, shall we?"

~

Stella looked around nervously, not knowing many of her classmates that she could be paired up with. Her eyes soon met Cameron's, though, and she quickly calmed down. Slughorn began rhyming off the names on his list, surely having arranged them in pairs based on who he would like to see date each other.

"Miss Milligan and Mr. Honkersley, a very interesting pairing. I'm quite excited. Miss Yusafi and Mr. Lupin, I don't believe you know each other, do you? Miss McLeod and Mr. O'Connell, our new couple, I've heard. About time, too. Ah, yes, who's next? Right, Miss Poppyford and Miss Argent, different, but it could work," he read, mumbling his commentary about each set of partners.

An hour later into their double period, Professor Slughorn requested their attention, "I believe you have all finished what can be done in one day, but, I do have a ready-made cauldron for testing. Any volunteers to go first and tell the class what they smell?"

Stella spoke up, wanting to get it over with, "I will, Professor. Smelling it is safe, right?"

"Of course, come on now, we have a whole class to get through."

She walked up to the cauldron shyly, feeling the attentive eyes of all her classmates on her as she progressed. Stella approached the potion boldly and announced what she smelled. What she said, though, was what came as the real surprise. "Um, chocolate, gunpowder, I think and coffee. Coffee I'm sure. It's just-"

"Wonderful! Thank you, Miss McLeod! Who's next?" Slughorn interrupted without noticing she was going to continue. Stella wasn't concerned that she was wrong, no. She just knew those smells were not Cameron.

"I will," Remus volunteered from the back of the group.

"Good boy. Don't doddle, now."

Remus strode to the table, his long legs proving to be much faster than Stella's. He smelled it shortly, then stated his findings, "Honey, gardenias and coffee. Mum always has gardenias in her flower beds, they smell lovely."

"Good. Next?"

This time, it was Cameron who was chosen. He hurried up, and a unanimous gasp was heard from the whole class when he told what he smelled.

"Honey, gardenias and coffee."

~

Hello loves! It's lovely to have you all here again, after so long. I'm very sorry about that, by the way. The date published says November 24, it's actually 10 minutes until midnight but it is still the 24th! Writer's block was not fun, but I did get some good poems out of that if you're into poetry. Anyway, so everything, in general, is pretty much just going downhill from here. I've already written some parts I didn't want to write but had to because it's the plot, but yeah. I hope you all are well!

Love, A

originally published November 24, 2019