Amortentia

Theo, Daphne, Blaise and Draco all leaned over the cauldron of Amortentia, inhaling its fumes and smiling as the smells of the things dearest to them filled the classroom. Draco looked a little taken aback, but Theo was too busy to pay too much attention.

"What do you smell, Theo?" Daphne asked him, startling him slightly.

"New parchment, vanilla and strawberries." Theo blushed in embarrassment as he realised exactly what the last smell was—the smell of Daphne's shampoo. "What about you?" he asked hurriedly, hoping she would notice the reddening of his cheeks.

"Okay, so imagine this. You're stood with your eyes closed in the middle of a valley, surrounded by the sounds of birds in the trees, crickets in the grass and the occasional cow mooing or sheep bleating. You open your eyes and it's like nothing you've ever seen before. There are flowers everywhere, and as you walk through the grass you see bumblebees flying between them. You even spot a rabbit to your left. Not too far off, you see a picturesque little village so you decide to explore. There's everything you'd expect—a bookshop, a bakery, even an ice cream stand. As you walk through the village, you notice there are seagulls flying overhead. You break through the final building and are confronted with a beach. The sun is out, the sounds of children playing in the sea fill your ears, and you can almost taste the salt in the air. You walk forward, crossing the beach and feel the sand underneath your toes and are surprised when you get too close to the sea and the water washes over your feet and splashes up your legs."

Daphne smiled at Theo, the kind of smile that melted Theo's heart and made him willing to do anything for the girl.

"When I smell Amortentia, that's what I see," Daphne continued. "The sights and the sounds all come rushing to me. I don't just smell a couple of things; I picture a whole scene."

"Summer. You smell summer," Draco told her lazily, having obviously lost interest in the potion they were examining.

"Alright, Draco, what do you smell?" she challenged, a fierce look on her face.

"Broom wax, the sea and cinnamon." Theo noticed a slight blush creep onto Draco's face, not too dissimilar to the one that had been on Theo's, but decided it wasn't worth the effort trying to ask him about it.

"Alright, Blaise, what about you?"

"Toffee, ice cream and pumpkin pie."

Daphne let out an exasperated sigh and hit Blaise playfully in the arm. "Is food all you think about? I'm supposed to be your girlfriend! Where's the smell of me? You know, the smell of my strawberry shampoo or something."

Daphne's voice grew quiet as she said the last few words. She looked at Theo, obviously having realised what he had, and let out a small, "Oh…"

Luckily for Theo, neither Blaise nor Draco had noticed or realised what Daphne had said, as Professor Slughorn had just announced that their lesson was over and they were packing their things away. Theo threw his belongings in his bag as quickly as he could, said a hasty goodbye, and almost ran out of the classroom so the other Slytherins didn't notice the blush on his cheeks and the tears in his eyes.

Word Count: 557.

This is for:

Hopscotch;
(class) Potions
(word) Picturesque
(word) Toffee

Hogwarts Funfair – Tea Cups;
(potion) Amortentia

Hogwarts Funfair – String Pull;
(character) Blaise Zabini
(word) Goodbye
(word) Classroom

The Valentine-Making Station;
Chocolate: Write about a love potion.
Cupid Sticker: Write about a love that is painful.

The Emotion Challenge;
Embarrassed.

Greek Mythology Category Competition;
Demeter: Write about a Slytherin.