For Lexi as part of the Ultimate Fic Exchange.
Lily scowls as James groans, his annoyance and frustration clear as crystal.
"Of course," he says, leaning back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest. "Of course the one time Slughorn pairs us up, it's to make the one potion you absolutely fail at."
"I followed the instructions!" she insists, trying to keep her voice calm and level as she looks over the directions once again.
Everything is right. Every ingredient perfectly measured, not even a dash too much or too little. Every direction followed exactly as written. It's impossible for the potion not to be right.
"It's Amortentia," James says, tapping his palm against the table for emphasis. "It's supposed to…" He trails off, glancing at the messy scribbles that Lily assumes are his notes. "I don't know. It's supposed to smell good, or something."
Lily frowns, confused. The potion looks right. From the mother-of-pearl sheen to the spiraling steam. It looks, well, perfect.
But, as much as she hates to admit it, James is right. There's no smell to it.
"It's supposed to smell like things that you like," she corrects quietly, deciding to keep her explanation as basic as possible.
"Whatever. Maybe it would smell right if you didn't wear so much perfume, Evans," James insists stubbornly.
"Me?" she scoffs, incredulous. "You're blaming this on me? I can't smell anything except your bloody shampoo, Potter. Didn't anyone tell you that you aren't supposed to use the entire bottle in one go?"
With a scowl, James shrugs. "Yeah, well… Let's just bottle it and turn it in. Slughorn likes you. Maybe he'll feel sorry for us."
Lily rolls her eyes but grabs the flask, carefully pouring the potion inside. "Fine."
…
Lily sits in her dormitory, frowning as she reviews her notes. She had done everything perfectly. It should have worked. The potion had had all the characteristics of Amortentia, except for one. The most important one. It doesn't make any sense.
With a groan, she pushes her notes aside, annoyed. What right did Potter have to accuse her of ruining it with her perfume?
Her lips part as a realization strikes. A quick glance in the bin by her bed confirms it.
There, amidst crumpled parchment and a broken quill is the small, empty bottle of the perfume her mother had given her for her birthday. She had finally thrown it out after sending a letter asking her mother for another… Another that wouldn't arrive for a day or two.
She plucks the bottle from the rubbish. "Oh."
…
"I can't believe Evans let me down," James sighs, running a hand through his hair.
"What are you talking about, mate?"
James looks at Sirius and shakes his head. "The potion! It didn't come out right."
"Actually, it did," Sirius says. "I could smell from the next table."
"You're having me on."
"He's right," Remus chimes in. "Ours didn't turn out because someone got a little too happy with the stirring. But I could smell yours. It smelled like chocolate and Earl grey tea."
James looks between them. Sirius would make a joke of his failure, assure him that even an absolute disaster was perfect. But Remus…
He shakes his head again. "Can you believe she accused me of using too much shampoo? Said it was all she could- Oh."
"Oh?" Peter prompts curiously.
"James just remembered that he slept in," Remus says knowingly.
"So?" Sirius asks.
"So, I skipped a shower this morning. Don't look at me like that! McGonagall would have murdered me if I was late for her class again."
"So, what does this have to do with Potions?" Peter asks. "I don't see a connection."
"Lily didn't smell me! She smelled the Amortentia, and it smelled like me!"
…
"Evans."
"Potter."
"It has come to my attention that you couldn't have possibly smelled me yesterday. I didn't shower."
"That's disgusting."
"Oh, like you've never been in a rush!"
She purses her lips, letting his words sink in. "Sort of like how you couldn't have smelled my perfume because I wasn't wearing any," she says slowly, her head swimming with the information.
"We were smelling the potion," he confirms.
Lily scoffs. "I know what you're getting at. It doesn't mean anything. I'm sure lots of blokes use the same shampoo. It doesn't mean that I like the way you smell."
"Or does it?"
"It doesn't mean anything," she says again.
"Of all the scents in this castle, in the whole world, the one that was most pleasing to you was mine," he says, and she hates the stupid grin that spreads across his face. "Tell me, what are the odds of that?"
"Shut up."
"You fancy me, don't you?"
Lily looks away, rolling her eyes. She hates to admit that she's becomes rather fond of James. As annoying as he may be, he's actually grown on her over the years.
"Now, let's stop denying it," he suggests. "The next step is pretty obvious. Just go out with me already!"
"Okay."
"You'll come around. You just- Wait. What?"
Lily returns her attention to him with a smirk. "I said okay. One date, your only shot," she says simply. "Make it count."