Brewing The Potion

'Who's birthday is it tomorrow?' James asked childishly at breakfast.

'My birthday!' Chloe exclaimed gleefully. She was turning seventeen and she would officially become of age. 'I hope it's nice out,' Chloe told everybody. 'Every year all the snow starts melting and it's all slushy on my birthday. I hate March.'

'Well I'll just have to make it perfect,' James told her making Chloe smile and Lily gag.

'Wrong tube,' Lily told them coughing while clearing her throat. Sirius and Katie looked up from their conversation and noticed Lily looking over at James and Chloe. Katie started to try and cheer Lily up when the Gryffindor prefect came,

'You're a Hufflepuff!' he exclaimed at Katie. Katie looked down at her robes and her black and yellow tie,

'Wow!' she exclaimed, 'So I am!' She looked surprised at this newfound information making everybody laugh. The prefect glared at her and pointed towards the Hufflepuff table, Katie nodded at the prefect and saluted him as she got up and moved to the Hufflepuff table. Sirius smiled over at her and then started chatting with his Gryffindor pals.

'What should we do?' James asked curious as how to make the birthday special.

'I don't know,' Chloe told him, 'we don't have to do anything special.' James leaned over to Sirius and whispered,

'Ha, don't do anything special!' Sirius smirked, he knew that James probably had a few ideas up his sleeves. One of which would involve the help of Lily.

Lily and James walked into an empty classroom while James carried his cauldron and ingredients. Lily carried a potions book and a key to Professor Slughorn's cabinet.

'You are the only person he'd trust,' James told her. Lily knew it was true, Lily was Professor Slughorn's favourite student.

'What are we brewing?' Lily asked him. James thought for a moment and then reached over to Lily's book and started flipping.

'There's the joyous potion.' James started quoting the book, 'ensuring happiness to the taker for 24 hours. No obstacle will come to upset them. Sometimes their wildest dreams come true' James looked up and gave Lily a look that was asking for her advice,

'How long does it take to make?' Lily asked.

'It's not very complicated and it doesn't have to sit for more than an hour.' James told her. Lily consulted the book and then plucked the viles that held the appropriate ingredients out of Professor Slughorn's cabinet. After adding the final ingredient; a single unicorn hair, all they had to do was wait for it to settle.

'How should I give it to her?' James asked Lily. 'You're her best friend, you know her best.'

'I don't know,' Lily told him. James nodded and looked over at Lily,

'Any plans for your friends birthday?'

'Well she loves candy and her favourite is toffee so I got her, her favourite kind and enchanted it.' James was curious,

'What was the enchantment?'

'Once it's on it's last bite it will grow back.' Lily told him.

'She'll never have to buy another one again?' James asked. Lily shook her head,

'never again.' James went up to check on the potion which was supposed to be turning from red to yellow.

'It's orange,' James told Lily who was reading her potions book.

'Then we have to stir it,' Lily told him. 'Ten times clockwise and once counter clockwise, that has to happen…' she consulted her book, 'three times.' Both of them reached for the spoon.

'You can stir,' Lily told him feeling flustered, 'it is your potion after all.' James nodded and stirred his potion. Five minutes later it was a radiant yellow. Lily got a flask and James carefully ladled it in.

'There's enough for two people,' Lily told him.

'Well you can have the other portion,' James told her, 'You did help me after all.' Lily shook her head and smiled,

'Both of you should have it. It will make your day perfect together.' James smiled,

'Thanks for all your help Lily.' Together they walked back to the common room.

It was 11:45 pm and James decided to give his potion to Chloe at midnight that way she will be happy since the second she turns seventeen. He quickly went up to his room and fetched the potion bringing it down three minutes before midnight. Chloe was talking about Quidditch and their last practice. James brought down the flask hidden in his robes and sat next to her. She looked over at him and smiled.

'In one minute,' he started, 'You will be seventeen.' Chloe nodded, 'and I want you to have the happiest birthday you can imagine.' Chloe looked at him suspiciously and he took out the flask containing the yellow potion.

'What's this?' she asked him.

'Your present,' he grabbed two goblets and poured half of the potion into each goblet. Everybody was watching him curiously except for Lily. 'I want you to have the best birthday you can imagine. The drinker of this potion will be joyous for twenty four hours, no obstacles.' Chloe looked thrilled,

'Oh my goodness James!' she smiled brightly. James handed her a goblet and then clinked his against hers.

'Cheers.' He told her and then he drank the liquid inside of his glass.

'Oh my!' Chloe licked her lips, 'It tasted like melted toffee!' James looked at her confused,

'Mine tasted like hot chocolate with whipped cream!'

'It tastes different to each drinker, it will taste like their favourite flavour.' Lily told them. A few minutes later James kissed Chloe good night and then went to bed feeling extremely happy.