Chapter 2
The unforgiving heats of early September quickly faded into October and then dreary chills come November. The sixth-year Potions class had worked on several complicated potions that took months to mature and would be ready later on in the year. However, Professor Dollops surprised them one day by whipping out a rack of test tubes, each holding red liquid in them.
There were twelve vials holding liquids. The liquids progressed from a pinkish, watered down cherry to a vivid and powerful scarlet that reflected ruby light onto the countertop. Lily watched the liquid until Dollops began talking.
"This day's lesson is concerning love potions," said he, without a trace of blush or embarrassment. "I apologize for not letting you concoct your own, but divulging the recipe of these particular mixtures could, shall we say, result in trouble that the staff of this school has not had to deal with for a century or so.
"There are twelve love potions," Dollops said, gently running a thin, bony finger over the mouths of the vials. "Most celebrated in the ninth, which a group of gypsy witches got into a spot of trouble by selling the potion to Muggles. Can anyone tell the class why, besides its Dark arts properties, love potions are considered dangerous?"
Severus Snape was the only one with his hand up.
"Yes, Snape?"
"Many incorrectly made love potions carry diseases or make one more susceptible to them," Snape gushed, eager to please.
"Take two points. And for another two, tell me why."
"A love potion must be made with exact precision, otherwise one of the ingredients, the Venomous Tentacula syrup, will release its toxin into the brew. The toxin can easily be converted into dragon pox or other known wizarding ailments. Few of these are fatal."
"Excellent. Now we will proceed to test the effects of Love Potion No.1. Pairings: Mr. Snape and Miss Weasley."
Alice Weasley looked as if she would rather drink toxic Tentacula syrup straight from the bottle than be forced to fall in love, even for a class period, with Severus Snape.
"Mr. Pettigrew and Miss Crabbe," Dollops read off the list, not looking up. Peter Pettigrew stared impertinently at the sheer size of Olga Crabbe. Olga glared back at him.
"Mr. Lupin and Miss Black," Dollops announced next. A sour-looking blonde called Narcissa made a faint hissing noise at Remus Lupin, who looked as though he were struggling to make the best of the situation.
"Mr. Malfoy and Miss Evans."
All air seemed to go out of the room. Everyone knew about Lucius and his family's opinion of Muggle-borns, and nobody knew about Lily's family because hers was Muggle.
Lucius merely nodded to Lily but didn't make a face or quietly sneer at her. Lily bit her tongue nervously. Why was he so calm? He was the ringleader, the worst of the Slytherin lot. She, Lily, was true blue Gryffindor but her family line was not as pure. Malfoy should have been rushing to Dollops' desk, screaming for a transfer. Perhaps he had more dignity because he was a Malfoy. Maybe he should be blackmailing the professor until he replaced Lily with a suitable girl. But Malfoy leaned back in his chair coolly and looked rather appreciative of the choice Dollops had made.
When the Potions master finished the pairings, he handed out samples of the first love potion. Lily held the pinkish liquid in a beaker and sat hunched in her seat.
"So, do you want to love me, or should I love you?" she asked Malfoy with a small smile. For once, Malfoy's lip curled unpleasantly and looked at her as if she was a mosquito worthy of a swat.
"Foolish girl," scoffed Malfoy. "Give me the potion." Obediently, Lily handed the beaker over. She watched his hands carefully to make sure he didn't drop something in there that would change it.
"What are you going to do?"
"I'm not quite sure," Malfoy said, swirling the love potion in the beaker as if he were considering brandy in a snifter. "But surely you know I could never be made to admire a Mudblood." Lily's heart plummeted, hating him. She wanted to snatch back the love potion, afraid of what he would do to it.
"How interesting," said Malfoy so quietly Lily could barely hear him. But his eyes were lifted up to James Potter and Sirius Black, who were paired together after Dollops had run out of girls. Sirius was eying him hopefully and James was laughing. "You have always shone such resistance to Potter's suit. What if.you yielded to James Potter."
The last words he spoke, he whispered them over the beaker. The words from his lips seemed to travel down into the fluid and whorl there like a breeze of spring wind.
"Drink it," Lucius' voice commanded.
"I don't want to," said Lily meekly, not taking her eyes from the potion. It was beautiful, and she wanted it.
"Drink it, Lily," he said, thrusting the beaker into her hand. The beaker had been shaken, and a couple of drops fell out. One of them landed on her wrist. It soaked into her skin, leaving it feeling warm and touched and satisfied. Lily drank the contents of the potion like a thirsting man dry from the bowels of the desert for many years.
With the red liquid on her lips, she gently lifted her eyes to James Potter.
The unforgiving heats of early September quickly faded into October and then dreary chills come November. The sixth-year Potions class had worked on several complicated potions that took months to mature and would be ready later on in the year. However, Professor Dollops surprised them one day by whipping out a rack of test tubes, each holding red liquid in them.
There were twelve vials holding liquids. The liquids progressed from a pinkish, watered down cherry to a vivid and powerful scarlet that reflected ruby light onto the countertop. Lily watched the liquid until Dollops began talking.
"This day's lesson is concerning love potions," said he, without a trace of blush or embarrassment. "I apologize for not letting you concoct your own, but divulging the recipe of these particular mixtures could, shall we say, result in trouble that the staff of this school has not had to deal with for a century or so.
"There are twelve love potions," Dollops said, gently running a thin, bony finger over the mouths of the vials. "Most celebrated in the ninth, which a group of gypsy witches got into a spot of trouble by selling the potion to Muggles. Can anyone tell the class why, besides its Dark arts properties, love potions are considered dangerous?"
Severus Snape was the only one with his hand up.
"Yes, Snape?"
"Many incorrectly made love potions carry diseases or make one more susceptible to them," Snape gushed, eager to please.
"Take two points. And for another two, tell me why."
"A love potion must be made with exact precision, otherwise one of the ingredients, the Venomous Tentacula syrup, will release its toxin into the brew. The toxin can easily be converted into dragon pox or other known wizarding ailments. Few of these are fatal."
"Excellent. Now we will proceed to test the effects of Love Potion No.1. Pairings: Mr. Snape and Miss Weasley."
Alice Weasley looked as if she would rather drink toxic Tentacula syrup straight from the bottle than be forced to fall in love, even for a class period, with Severus Snape.
"Mr. Pettigrew and Miss Crabbe," Dollops read off the list, not looking up. Peter Pettigrew stared impertinently at the sheer size of Olga Crabbe. Olga glared back at him.
"Mr. Lupin and Miss Black," Dollops announced next. A sour-looking blonde called Narcissa made a faint hissing noise at Remus Lupin, who looked as though he were struggling to make the best of the situation.
"Mr. Malfoy and Miss Evans."
All air seemed to go out of the room. Everyone knew about Lucius and his family's opinion of Muggle-borns, and nobody knew about Lily's family because hers was Muggle.
Lucius merely nodded to Lily but didn't make a face or quietly sneer at her. Lily bit her tongue nervously. Why was he so calm? He was the ringleader, the worst of the Slytherin lot. She, Lily, was true blue Gryffindor but her family line was not as pure. Malfoy should have been rushing to Dollops' desk, screaming for a transfer. Perhaps he had more dignity because he was a Malfoy. Maybe he should be blackmailing the professor until he replaced Lily with a suitable girl. But Malfoy leaned back in his chair coolly and looked rather appreciative of the choice Dollops had made.
When the Potions master finished the pairings, he handed out samples of the first love potion. Lily held the pinkish liquid in a beaker and sat hunched in her seat.
"So, do you want to love me, or should I love you?" she asked Malfoy with a small smile. For once, Malfoy's lip curled unpleasantly and looked at her as if she was a mosquito worthy of a swat.
"Foolish girl," scoffed Malfoy. "Give me the potion." Obediently, Lily handed the beaker over. She watched his hands carefully to make sure he didn't drop something in there that would change it.
"What are you going to do?"
"I'm not quite sure," Malfoy said, swirling the love potion in the beaker as if he were considering brandy in a snifter. "But surely you know I could never be made to admire a Mudblood." Lily's heart plummeted, hating him. She wanted to snatch back the love potion, afraid of what he would do to it.
"How interesting," said Malfoy so quietly Lily could barely hear him. But his eyes were lifted up to James Potter and Sirius Black, who were paired together after Dollops had run out of girls. Sirius was eying him hopefully and James was laughing. "You have always shone such resistance to Potter's suit. What if.you yielded to James Potter."
The last words he spoke, he whispered them over the beaker. The words from his lips seemed to travel down into the fluid and whorl there like a breeze of spring wind.
"Drink it," Lucius' voice commanded.
"I don't want to," said Lily meekly, not taking her eyes from the potion. It was beautiful, and she wanted it.
"Drink it, Lily," he said, thrusting the beaker into her hand. The beaker had been shaken, and a couple of drops fell out. One of them landed on her wrist. It soaked into her skin, leaving it feeling warm and touched and satisfied. Lily drank the contents of the potion like a thirsting man dry from the bowels of the desert for many years.
With the red liquid on her lips, she gently lifted her eyes to James Potter.