It was the same routine every morning. She'd wake up way earlier than Ben would dare open his eyes, and brew the Amortentia. Then she'd quickly gulp it down, erase any traces of it, and start brewing coffee. Sometime afterwards Ben would lumber down, give her a quick peck on the cheek, and they'd go about their morning tasks.

This morning was no different. It was long before the sun's shine had even tinged the horizon. She dug her cauldron out of the pots and pans cupboard, trying not to make too much noise. Still, she wasn't too worried. Ben was a heavy sleeper. She turned on the gas oven burner and set her cauldron above it. She knew the recipe by memory now. 3 years of daily brewing made it as familiar as the back of her hand. At the beginning of their relationship, she didn't need something so strong. However, one can grow a tolerance to regular love potions, just like alcohol or any other drug.

Thus she graduated from common love potions found in joke shops to her own brews. Weak ones at first, slowly gaining strength, until finally she was brewing the Amortentia. About a week after continuous consumption, Ben proposed to her. He reciprocated the potion's effects with an eagerness that made her sober heart hurt. She knew she could never love him like he loved her.

The pearly white brew bubbled over the burner. Divine scents twirled towards her, making her heart flutter, filling her up with a false warmth. It was the smell of fresh rain, with undertones of honey, and the perfume worn by the neighbor's wife…

She stopped inhaling through her nose. Such forbidden things were not worth dwelling over. Instead, she intently watched the steam rising off of the potion, waiting for the perfect moment to take the potion off the burner. The quicker she consumed it, the quicker her life would resemble some sort of normalcy. There would be no more forbidden desires, no potential sins against her God, just love for her husband and their life. A tiny voice in the back of her head protested.

Is it not sin to alter your mind in order to love your husband? It asked. She shook her head and refused to think about it. She only had these thoughts in the mornings, which was the only time she was really sober. She liked to think it was the devil trying to persuade her into a life of sin. She wouldn't let him succeed. She was determined to be a good wife, and a good Christian.

The potion was done brewing. She gingerly extracted a strand of Ben's hair from a secret compartment in one of the kitchen drawers. After she dropped it in the potion, it sizzled into nothing within seconds. The next part was easy. She took the cauldron off the burner and poured the mixture in a mug, accidentally splashing a bit onto the counter. She ignored the spills and chugged the liquid, letting it scald her mouth, her throat. The taste wasn't bad, in fact it was somewhat intoxicating. But the quicker she consumed it, the quicker it would kick in.

She was determined to love her husband by the time he made it downstairs.