Alexandra walked over to the table, swinging her hips in a way that reminded James of Hogwarts. He had missed watching women catwalk for him in random corridors. This girl had perfected the talent. She sat down, gracefully tucking her skirt, crossing her thin legs tightly and tucking her ankles underneath her chair.

"I'm very happy you picked me James Potter," she said leaning back in her chair confidently. She let her eyelids fall lazily into a seductive squint.

James raised an eyebrow. He decided not to tell her that Lily had picked these mini-dates for him. "And why is that?"

"Because now I don't have to share. I'm very bad at sharing."

James smirked mischievously. "I guess that puts a threesome out of the question."

Instead of getting flustered (darn) or angry (double darn), Lexi laughed heartily. "I'll try anything once James... But not twice unless it was good. And like I said, I'm not good at sharing so..."

"So you found it wasn't for you." James leaned back in his own chair, half impressed, half wondering what Lily had signed him up for. "So tell me more about your work Lexi," he said, no longer attempting to sabotage his mini-date. Maybe this change of tactic would put her off more.

Unfazed, she pointed out the window right behind James' back. "You see the tall building out that window?"

James turned in his seat to see. It was a nondescript apartment building, though admittedly it looked a bit unique next to the boats. He turned around and spotted her quickly removing her hand from her pocket. "Yes," he said, ignoring her restless hands. "What about it?"

"The Scandinavian Ambassador lives there, his office is around the corner. Last month, I helped arrange a celebration dinner for him and my boss around the carpets treaty."

James nodded reaching for his wine glass. He watched her watch him hungrily. At the last moment, he changed his hand's course for the water. "The carpets treaty? I'm not familiar."

She let out a breathe of air. It was hard to tell if it was of frustration or boredom. "It was quite boring really. Agreements around not giving visiting visas to those traveling between the countries on flying carpets since the trip would be too long to cover that distance safely on magical thread."

James smirked. "That is quite boring." He placed his water back on the table and picked up his wine. "How about a toast?"

Lexi nearly leapt for her own glass in excitement, dropping her cool cover for a moment. Quickly regaining it, she asked with a cool smile, "What should we drink to?"

James smiled. "To you," he inclined his cup to her. "To me," he raised his cup to his lips. Lips on the glass he finished, "To auror training."

"Why to auror training?"

"Because Alastor Moody gives wonderful lessons on how to tell if someone has spiked your drink." Lexi's mouth fell as James put his nose in the glass, smelling the new bouquet of his wine. "Ah, amortentia. Do you have low self-confidence? You're too beautiful to need to brew this stuff."

Lexi was frozen in shock. They sat in silence for a moment. Finally, she forced out, "Insurance."

James started laughing uncontrollably. "And I thought my day job was supposed to be dangerous."

Lexi relaxed, seeing that he wasn't about to smack her silly. She smiled flirtatiously. "Don't hate me then?"

"Not yet," James said honestly, leaning back, swirling the liquid in the glass lazily before bringing it to his nose again.

"What does its smell like for you?" she asked, studying him in awe. If she hadn't been willing to jump his bones before, she definitely was now.

James gazed into the red liquid pensively. "Clean cotton, the air after it rains and ... something else I've never been able to put my finger on. But it's more familiar now than it has been in the past."

"I smell good leather and sea water," Alexandra said with a shrug. "I'm assuming that means I'll have a love affair on an exotic island filled with motorcyclists."

They were both laughing as Lily approached. She watched them for a moment from the door. She had picked well for James. Lexi was leaning in, engaged in her body language to James who continued to look handsome in his corduroy blazer. He now also wore a satisfied glint in his eye. Lily took a deep breath as a knot started forming in her stomach. 'I wonder if we looked like that at Toquito's,' a voice inside her head asked. Another voice within her responded, 'Better.'

Suppressing her subconscious inner dialogue, Lily stepped all the way into the room. "Sorry to break this up but I'm going to have to take Lexi away now." The two heads turned to her. Lexi looked disappointed. James, if anything, looked even more satisfied.

Lily walked with Lexi to the door. "Drink up James," Lexi called back over her shoulder.

As they rounded the corner and out of site, James couldn't help but let us nose drift back to the glass to inhale the addictive scent of sweet love.


A girl leaned over the bar, a slight scowl on her face. But her chest was in the perfect position for Sirius to view from his mirror. He let out a cough, which made the girl jump and look around.

"Down here!" Sirius called from the bar counter.

She looked down and jumped back in surprise as the mirror below her showed, not her face, but that of one of the most stunningly handsome men she had ever the experience to view.

"Hello," he said with a crooked smile.

"Hi," she said, pulling the mirror up to rest against her water glass. "Um, how are you doing this?"

"Doing what? This mirror? Oh, Ms. Evans was afraid that I would steal the attention from my good friend James Potter so banished me to this mirror."

The buxom brunette gasped. "That's terrible!" She looked around to try and spot Lily. When she knew she was definitely out of sight she said, "I wish you were here anyway." The girl winked at the glass.

Sirius beamed. "As do I. And what is your name?"

"Kendra," she said, running a hand through her hair.

"Beautiful," Sirius said sweetly, causing the girl to sigh slightly. "And did it hurt?"

"What?"

"When you fell from heaven?"

She sighed once again. "Somehow, that doesn't sound as bad coming from a mirror." She said with a smile.

Sirius laughed. "That's because it's coming from me and my dear, I was always a bit of an expert on recognizing beauty. And you my dear, are a ten." He let out a dazzling smile, making the girl weak at the knees.


"And I've brought you the ever so wonderful Gwen," announced Lily returning to the room with the busty blond in the blue dress. "Have fun."

James stared at Lily, begging her with his eyes to just end this day and let him go home. He wouldn't even want a refund. But Lily just winked at him and left the room. Beth was right, he really did need a drink. Too bad he could no longer drink his.

Gwen plopped herself down on the chair.

"So, are you bored of being adored yet?" She asked as soon as her butt hit the seat, her sweet southern drawl lilting.

"Actually, yes," said James, fighting to maintain eye contact. Dresses with necklines that low should not be worn by women with breasts that large. 'Surely however Sirius would disagree.'

"Well I don't see much for you to complain about or is this old news? Tons of beautiful women throwing themselves at you? I heard from one of the other girls you were quite the quidditch star back in your school days."

James shrugged. "Some might say."

"Canons or Jives?" She asked, putting her elbows on the table, framing her chest once more.

Aiming his eyes even higher, now talking to her eyebrows just in case, he said, "Jives of coarse but in the long run I support Ireland."

"Okay, I don't normally pull out the big guns but I saw the other girl you selected for a mini-date and if I've got to fight that, heavy ammo is necessary. My uncle is Luther McCann."

"You're kidding!" James sat up straight. "He was just inducted into the hall of fame last year!"

"Yeah," she said rolling her eyes. "And now it's all he ever wants to talk about. He used to be my favorite uncle. We'd talk about everything but now its all quidditch and the American league all the time."

James swallowed. Something was irking him. "So what do you do for fun?"

"Well," she said, "I don't often anymore but I used to be a competitive horseback rider. Now with developing my journalism portfolio, I've got my hands pretty full until I get a full time position."

James jaw dropped open. He once again reminded himself to keep his eyes above the chin and blindly reached for his wine glass. He pretended to take a sip, keeping his mouth clenched tight.

"Mmmm," he said. "This wine is divine. You must try some!"

"Oh," Gwen said, surprised at the sudden change of topic. "Okay…." She reached for her own glass and sipped. "It's the same stuff they were serving upstairs. Are you feeling alright James?"

James glanced down at her chest before meeting her curious eyes once more. "They gave me a different vintage," he invented wildly. "Here," he said pushing his glass to her, "Try mine."

"Thank you!" she said smiling. "That's very nice. Are you sure?"

He looked at those blinding Mississippi teeth and said, "Abso-bloody-lutely."

Smiling, she took a dainty sip… followed by four large gulps finishing the glass. "You were right, that was the most amazing wine I think I've ever….had." She finished her sentence in a near whisper, her eyes glazing over. She looked off into the distance, not noticing the huge smile coming across James' face. "Oh my god," she muttered. "Oh my god James, I am so sorry but I've just realized something."

James almost laughed. "Whatever might that be?" He asked politely.

"I'm in love!" she declared predictably.

"Hallelujah!" cried James, no longer holding back his chuckles.

"Isn't it wonderful? I didn't realize it until just now! And I'm so sorry. I came here today to fall in love with you James and that just didn't happen. I didn't realize I could even love a woman before today." Her face fell in horror. "What will my parents say?" James snorted. "You're right, who cares! Love concurs all right? And they're all stuck back in the states anyway!"

"No need to apologize to me Gwen," said James, trying and failing to look crest fallen.

"But James, its even worse." Said Gwen, her blue eyes wide. "I've fallen in love with your other mini-date and my god if you take her away from me, I will never forgive you. And nothing compares to the wrath of a woman scorn."

James stood quickly, crossed to the other side of the table and pulled out the chair for Gwen. "I wouldn't dare stand in the way of a woman in love." He helped her to her feet and spun her to face the door. "Go get her!" He gave her a smack on the butt she didn't notice as she raced for the door.

As soon as she turned a corner, James ran to a couch where he collapsed content, very sad he had left the magical mirror with Enrique. 'Just wait until Sirius hears about this. He'll be so proud.'


I hope you guys liked this chapter! I've had most of this part written for a while (and basically have the whole next chapter done too) but needed to get you all to this point before I could share! I had the idea for the amortentia on the train ride home from work one day and just thought it would be very James to do something like that.

I've got to say, this chapter and the next one… I really like. I hope you all feel the same. I'm itching to post the next one so hopefully you will all see it up in the next few days!

But in other news, because you are all AWESOME and because this story has hit 50 reviews (woohoo), I will be donating $100 to THON! If you want to know more about THON, search Penn State Dance MaraTHON on YouTube or Google and check it out. I highly recommend donating if you have a dollar or two to spare to help kids with cancer. I spent all of college involved in the organization and am excited to donate as an alumni.

Anyway, the last bit of the mixer is up next! Get excited! I really enjoyed writing what's coming up so I really hope you enjoy reading it!

Best Wishes!

Melissa