For Barchie Halloween! Check out barchiefanfiction on tumblr for more info!
If Archie had his way, he would spend his free period outside practicing Quidditch, or maybe taking a nap. But Betty is adamant that he's going to get at least an E on his History of Magic exam. Archie doesn't even know why he's still taking History of Magic.
But at least they can study together in the prefect common room, instead of having to share with the rest of Gryffindor. Archie still isn't quite sure how he got to be a prefect. He's sure it has something to do with Betty's influence.
His stomach grumbles, and Betty looks up from her notes, amused.
"It must be nearly lunch time," she says. "We've probably studied enough for today anyway."
"I'm not going to argue with that," Archie grins.
Betty starts packing up her notes. "I'm just going to the bathroom and then we can head to the Great Hall together," she says.
Archie nods, packing up his things as Betty leaves the common room. A couple of minutes later, Veronica and Jughead return from class. Veronica shoves a tiny glass vial under Archie's nose. The smell of perfume wafts into his nostrils, and it makes his heart beat a little faster.
"What does this smell like?" Veronica asks.
"Why are you shoving a bottle of Betty's perfume under my nose?" Archie frowns, confused. He thinks it smells a little different, like it's mixed with a couple of other smells, but that's what he can smell most strongly.
Veronica stares at him, pulling the vial away. She turns to Jughead, and they're both wearing surprised but gleeful expressions on their faces.
"Betty's perfume?" Jughead repeats.
Archie feels like he's missed the joke. "I mean… yeah? Is that not what it is?"
Veronica gives a snort of laughter and a second later Betty walks back into the common room. Veronica shoves the vial under Betty's nose.
"What does this smell like?" she asks Betty. Betty glances at Archie, then gives Veronica an unimpressed look.
"I'm not falling for that," she says. "I know you guys had potions just now and I know we're making Amortentia this week."
"Amortentia?" Archie repeats dumbly.
"Love potion," Betty rolls her eyes. Veronica and Jughead both smirk at him knowingly, and Archie feels his stomach lurch and his face go hot. He's spent the better part of a year trying not to let anyone know that he's in love with his best friend, and now he's basically just admitted as much to Jughead and Veronica. Stupid Slytherins.
"Archie fell for it," Veronica teases. Archie gives her a pleading look, and a quick shake of his head. Don't tell her, he's desperately trying to get Veronica to understand. Veronica raises an eyebrow but she seems to get it.
"Oh?" Betty says. "What do you smell, Arch?"
"Uh," he says. "Roast chicken."
Betty laughs, shaking her head affectionately. "That doesn't surprise me at all. Shall we all go and eat?"
Archie and Betty have potions together the following day. He's kind of glad Veronica and Jughead prepared him for what Amortentia is going to smell like for him. The scent hits him as soon as he enters the classroom, the unmistakable scent of Betty, and whatever perfume it is she wears every day. Only it's much, much stronger. It makes him feel all woozy. He's pretty sure they shouldn't even be allowed to teach kids how to make this potion.
But the lesson goes fine, and they're each allowed to keep a tiny drop if they have their own vial.
"What does it smell like for you?" Archie asks Betty as they leave the classroom.
Betty's cheeks turn a pretty shade of pink. "Oh, um," she stammers. "Lemons?"
"Lemons?" Archie raises an eyebrow. She's obviously lying. She's clearly embarrassed by whatever it is, and lemons isn't exactly embarrassing.
"Uh huh, lemons."
"Okay…" Archie says. He's not going to push her, mostly because he doesn't want her to possibly turn the tables on him. So he drops it and heads to Quidditch practice, while Betty heads back to the common room.
Archie wakes up in the middle of the night, though he's not sure why. His eyes fall over the other sleeping Gryffindor sixth years, Reggie and Kevin, trying to work out if one of them made a noise that might have woken him. He comes up short, but decides to get up to pee while he's awake.
As he descends the stairs, he can hear someone muttering to themselves, and when he steps into the common room, he sees Betty, sitting by her cauldron on the floor, mixing some kind of potion in the firelight. And if the smell is anything to go by, it's Amortentia. Archie's stomach clenches. What is she doing making love potion in the middle of the night?
"Betty?" he says, his voice hoarse with sleep. She whips her head around, her eyes wide. "What are you doing?" Archie asks, coming towards her.
"Don't tell anyone," she says.
Archie sits beside her and peers into the cauldron. It looks different to what they made today.
"Are you sure you're making it right?" Archie asks.
Betty huffs. "Of course I'm sure. It smells right, doesn't it?"
It smells so strongly of her perfume, filling up the room with the scent of her, making Archie want to pull her close and kiss her. "Yeah, it smells right."
They fall into silence as Betty continues to brew her concoction. Archie glances at her, trying not to judge. But he didn't think she'd ever stoop so low as to make a love potion and use it on someone. It seems kind of immoral. But he's also desperate to know who she's so enamoured with she feels the need to use a love potion on them. Then again, he's terrified to find out. The thought of her being with someone else kills him.
"Betty?" he asks, swallowing heavily.
"Yeah?" Betty replies, not looking up from her potion.
"Who's it for?"
"Who's it for?" she repeats, sounding confused.
Archie inclines his head towards the potion. "The Amortentia. Who are you planning on using it on?"
Betty looks at him, bewildered. "Amortentia?" she says. "I'm just making perfume, Arch."
Archie stares at her. Oh god. "Oh," he says. He licks his lips. He can feel his face turning bright red. He ducks his head, trying to hide his embarrassment.
Betty laughs, and it's clear she hasn't caught on yet. Why he thought she was making love potion. "Why would you think I was making Amortentia? Do you think I'm that desperate?" she grins.
"No, of course not," Archie says quickly. Thank god she hasn't figured it out. He thinks he's in the clear, and he's about to head back to bed, when Betty's expression changes, her eyes widen, her mouth falls open.
"Archie," she says softly. "Does… does Amortentia smell like this for you?"
Archie clears his throat. He wishes there were a way to deny it. "Yeah."
"Oh my god."
"I'm sorry, I—" he stops. He doesn't even know what to say. He can't look at her. "I'm an idiot."
"I was lying about the lemons," Betty says quickly. "Well, not entirely. It smells a little like lemons. But it smells a lot like you."
Archie looks back at her, his heart pounding.
"Arch, I—"
He kisses her before she can finish. The smell of her perfume fills his head, and that combined with the pressure of her lips makes him dizzy. He kisses her like he never wants to stop, and he doesn't, not really. But eventually she pulls away, and he opens his eyes slowly.
"I was going to say, I love you," Betty whispers. "And you're definitely not an idiot."
Archie grins. "I am an idiot," he says. "And I love you too."