4. The Importance in Perfume
I wasn't convinced that this was the right way to impress a girl. First of all, I had never heard anything like it before and I had read quite a lot books about what to do to impress the girl you like. Second of all, this idea came from Albus Potter who didn't even have a girlfriend and also didn't seem to have an eye for a girl in his own age. Finally, I didn't think scent really was something you could impress someone by. I recognized the idea however because my ideas started to become fewer and fewer. I had to take advice from everyone I knew and at Hogwarts it was just Albus that I really talked to. The plan to do this and the hopeful outcome was following:
Come up with a smell that totally made Rose Granger-Weasley getting weak knees.
Produce this potion and use it.
Making her fall and catch her.
I had to say that this plan could go two ways. Either she liked the perfume so much she would fall for me or she would faint. I sat under a tree and looked over the lake outside the castle. It was easier said than done. What did girls like a boy to smell like? I could always go and do a duplicate of an already existing perfume but that would destroy the the "wow-have-you-made-this-yourself" impression. I had one thing that was my guideline and that was this stupid apple-tree. Rose always sat under here reading during the breaks. Nature seemed to calm her and if she liked it so much then she would like if I smelled the same. I sighed. It wasn't easy. All I could smell was the lady's mantle and that wasn't really inspiring at all.
"What are you doing here?" Oh, Merlin. I looked up and saw Rose walking towards me with a large book in her left hand. I started to panic inside. Shit, what were I supposed to do? I couldn't just say to her, 'Oh, I sat down here on you favorite spot to be able to make a perfume that I will later use to make you go head over heels for me.' Or could I say that? Wasn't there a thing that girls liked boys who were honest? I studied her movement. She looked so strong and dominating. I thought she had Quidditch practice this hour? I wouldn't dare to come here otherwise but she didn't seem irritated, more puzzled.
"Don't you have practice?" Rose looked away and started slowly to cover up the arm of the Gryffindor sweater she was wearing and showed her right hand. Oh, she was injured. I moved a bit from the tree so she could sit down beside me. She did.
"How did you get injured?" She bit her underlip. Why did she make a move like that now? I had to focus on something else or I would become a danger. I mean, my wand would become a danger. Shit, not that one. I...
"It was during an exercise. I was about to catch the quaffle and move fast in zick-zack while the beaters shot buglars at me. Then I got the buglar on my hand." Auch, that didn't sound to good. I moved before thinking. The buglars traveled at such a high speed that you even could break your arm if you got hit. I touched her hand and looked carefully at it. It was wrapped in bandage but I could see that her fingers were blue. Rose froze and her hand became stiff.
"Have you been up to the hospital wing?" She gave me that look again which told me that my question was to stupid to be answered but she didn't pull her hand away. She wanted me to hold her hurt hand. I couldn't help but smile brightly. Who would have thought that all my hard work to get her to see me would work? During the first years at Hogwarts she had done everything in her power to ignore me. Had I made her see me as a person and not as a former death eaters son?
"Why are you here?" she said silently. I almost couldn't hear her. My graze had been on her hand and when I looked up I could see a red color spread across her face. She was embarrassed. I moved just a bit closer and it was then I got it. Her fragrance. Never could I have thought that what Albus had said was true. The fragrance did matter. I could hear my heart pound.
"You smell like sugared roses and chamomile." She just stared at me as if I was nuts and well, I had to say that I was nuts for her. Her big brown eyes were only a meter from me and her hair hidden a bit of her face. What discipline it took for me to not lean forward and kiss her. I never knew I had such a strong mentality but then again I had experienced a lot during last year. The look on her face disappeared and a small smile took over.
"Thank you?" she whispered. I scared her? I looked at the lake instead. I didn't want her to leave. I wanted her to feel like home by my side. I had to explain myself. I wouldn't feel so comfortable if someone told me what my fragrance were like. Fragrance were personal and every individuality had a different one. Oh no, how did I smell right now? I hadn't thought about that. How could I tell her what fragrance was without consider the fact that I maybe smelled like shit? I knew I didn't smell like shit but the thing was that I had no idea what I smelled like.
"I'm experimenting with perfumes." Well, as if that didn't sound creepy enough. Which teenage boy had ever thought about making his own fragrance?
"You're making perfume." She just wanted to be sure. I shook my head. Making perfume and experimenting with perfume was in my world not the same thing.
"Well, in my opinion, perfume is something that smells good. I however is still on the stage where I have to come up with a fragrance that could work." There was something that made Rose interested in this conversation. She wasn't normally the one asking questions but more answering them.
"Who are you making it for?" Oh. I had to think fast. Would a girl like a boy to make them a perfume? I looked up into the sky. No, I had to stick to my plan. It was easier that way and she wouldn't be able to misunderstand anything.
"Myself." Was it just me or did she sighed in relief? I continued. "Albus told me that the key of getting..." The key of getting the girl you like to come closer. I couldn't say that. I wouldn't start with my bad pick-up lines. Not today. I mean, she had never been as close as this before. "What kind of scent should a boy have?"
This question was more private then I first thought it was. For the first time she didn't back down after hearing me asking one of my over-the-edge questions. She rather looked like she had to think about that. She didn't answer at ones but instead looked at the lake. Rose Granger-Weasley had no idea what to answer on this question. How was that even possible? She always had an opinion no matter the subject and no matter the question.
"Well, that's a very hard question to answer generally but I think..." She really tried not to look at me but I saw that she was studying me. She continued. "A fresh but clean scent. Not a complex one but a natural one. Apple have a really sweet scent but I think I like the green apple more. It has this sharp contrast. By adding lady's mantle and neroli it gives a softer natural fragrance. Aloeswood have a more mature scent..." She stopped. She had quite a lot to say about the matter. This wasn't something she just hade come up with? Or was it?
"What's my scent?" Rose got up fast on her feet and brushed of the dirt from her clothes. Would she make a run for it? She picked up the book and turned around so she stood with her back towards me. Wow, this would be an interesting answer. She had never reacted like this before. I opened my mouth to stop her from going. I needed this answer so bad.
"Green apple, lady's mantle, neroli and aloeswood." she mumbled and then hurried away. I looked after her then something hit me. She saw me as a boy. I smelled almost like her favorite place. I couldn't help but start laughing my heart out. I had finally made it. I had made her answer a question that told her real feelings. The lady's mantle were surrounding me and the tree I was leaning on were nothing but a green apple-tree. Well, I knew now. I didn't have to do any perfume. All I had to to was to make her recognize my feelings and also make her understand her own.
