Chapter VI: Hello Metamoura
Severus looked ill the next morning as he sat at the Slytherin table. 'It would have been easy to wipe her memory clean. Soooo easy to start over.' He thought miserably as he chewed his breakfast. 'So easy to fix it…to re-word my proposal…no...don't use that word…my … invitation. But it was that kiss. I was actually caught off guard, … me!" He sipped on his pumpkin juice without really tasting it. "But now the whole damn school knows!" He put his silverware down and hid behind his long bangs as he thought of what to do.
He heard Mulciber speaking uselessly and heard Amaline discussing their weekend plans. He felt the coming drafts as owls swooped around overhead. He also sensed the other tables watching him.
But she blathered to the whole school…' He dropped his head and heard Amaline laugh as his bangs dropped into his half eaten breakfast. He felt his head tingle as Amaline said "Tergeo." And his hair was freed of food.
He saw his Dark Mark in his mind and almost laughed. "I'm getting what I deserve." He said out loud in frustration.
"What did you say Sev?" Amaline said, resting her head on his shoulder. Mulciber guffawed and started choking, which made Severus smile behind his bangs.
"I said." He declared, putting emphasis on each word as he drummed his fingers on the table. "I hope there is dessert." He invented, feeling clever. Severus felt Amaline move then and he parted the curtains of black hair. He raised his head as he saw her hand approaching his mouth holding a cherry tart.
He took it, slowly, and inserted it in his mouth- chewing more violently than necessary. Severus nodded finally and made to arise from his seat, finally coming to a decision. Amaline rose with him and he did not object.
He ran his hand down her plait of blonde hair and kept a few loose strands, placing them carefully in his side pocket. Together they walked to the open grounds where they eventually found a good patch of open shade under the Astronomy Tower.
It was there, Severus decided, that she would be included in on some of Saturdays' events.
"Amy." He spoke kindly and hesitantly. She was rapt with attention, which pleased him. "On Saturday, I'm glad you agreed to come with me."
She smiled and nodded enthusiastically. " I am honoured Severus."
He disregarded this last and continued. " I feel like you should know, though. There is one thing I feel we must do together." He grasped her hand and kissed it lightly.
She whimpered and nodded. "Anything! I'm yours."
He smiled and thought a spiteful idea. 'For a Slytherin, she sure is easily bendable.' He shook his head as he thought that last – perverse ideas of her bending capabilities were not something he should dwell upon, he felt.
"Really?" He didn't really care for her reply, that wasn't the point of his question.
She nodded vigorously, he smiled, which lit up his entire face.
"James Potter and Sirius Black. Your thoughts on them, Amy?"
Her face contorted and she nearly spat out her reply. "They can contract spattergroit for all I care. What's the plan?"
Severus was impressed by her ferocity. Her eyes were blazing with fury and he quickly saw the Slytherin competitiveness awaken in her.
"They challenged me to a duel on Saturday. I need you to help me on a few spells. I've heard you can cast spells to rival fully qualified wizards… or at least that is what your Uncle Gulmere was telling me…"
He drew out the last word and awaited her answer.
"You know my uncle?" She blushed. "Well of course you do, you just did mention him." She bit her lower lip and her eyes searched his face. "Why don't I do more than help you with spells…let me be your second!" She seemed most excited by this.
Severus carefully hid his joy, his manipulation had played out perfectly- he never even needed to ask her. The flattery was beautifully laid out and he admired his own cunning.
"Amaline! You're so exceptional!" He exclaimed as she turned a deeper shade of red.
"Not as much as you are."
He nearly gagged.
"Amy, here is what will happen. We'll get to the Shrieking Shack at midday. It is there that we shall duel those two."
Her face blanched and he pressed his hand to her face. " Do not worry." He consoled her. "There are no ghosts to worry about." She did not seem concerned any longer, but that could have just been the adoration.
He walked her to her first class, Arithmancy, and he went off to potions.
He took his lonely seat near the back of the room. The smells of boiling doxy eggs and comfrey roots still hung on the air from the last class.
He took out his set of scales and components. His silver scales clanked as he set them on the table next to his worn copy of 1000 Magical Herbs and Fungi and his tattered copy of Advanced Potion making by Libatius Borage. He hoped Slughorn wasn't doing anything too detailed today; for he would not be paying too much attention. Severus had other potions to brew.
He withdrew his wand and muttered "Muffliato" all around. So far nobody else was in the room. By the time the other NEWT students came in had already added the final ingredients for his long awaited Amortentia potion. He had worked on it for the last few lessons. He was pleased to smell strawberry scents; so associated with Lily. He also smelled hot cauldrons, and old books. The shimmering liquid was swirling, ready to be improved. Nobody paid him much attention as Slughorn began to lecture. He did, however, glance up as the dungeon door opened, and Lily walked in, flushed and out of breath.
"So sorry Professor, my bag broke on the way over from Professor Flitwicks." She quickly sat down at the empty front desk on the far right of the room. She always moved so gracefully, like a doe, represented beautifully in her Patronus.
Slughorn laughed and waved her off. " 'S fine dear Lily! Always the studious one you are. Have a seat! Have a seat!"
Severus reminisced on how he and Lily would share the table where she was now sitting, he then returned to his work.
He sprinkled the crushed yellow Sneezewort into the potion and it sizzled slightly. He withdrew a bunch of Scurvygrass and dropped it into the now grey potion. Nothing had gone wrong yet; and that was a relief to Severus. Meanwhile, Slughorn went on and on about the benefits of mixing Gillyweed with Mushroom Shavings.
Severus glanced furtively around the room, admired Lily for a moment, and then withdrew the strands of Amalines' hair. He put half the strands in the potion, careful not to use them all, and waited for the predicted reaction.
Slowly the potion bubbled and turned to gold, as the fire under his cauldron heated the new potion. He removed it from the cauldron a minute or so later and poured it into a free vial.
He opened his copy of Advanced Potion Making and opened it to the page on Amortentia. He recorded the final results on his heavily annotated page. He also withdrew a vial of the Draught of Clarity.
He gazed at the potion, somewhat nervous, as he removed the stopper. 'Just a sip' He thought as he tipped back the vial and let the drops of cherry flavored potion flow across his tongue. He re-stopped the vial and waited a few seconds and then everything occurred very quickly.
It was as if he never knew Lily Evans. 'Why should I care for that girl!? I have Amaline Higgs! Such a voracious, desirable soul! I'll have her as mine!' He felt himself tremble as he began to sweat. 'She is mine…now and…' His eyes slid out of focus and he had to shake his head. He took a long sip of the Draught of Clarity and he felt his mind become less cluttered.
He wore a smile as he wrote 'Success' on the Amortentia page of his book. His plan was nearly ready and he wanted to leap up and put it into action this very moment.
"Patience." He told himself and cleaned up his components. He took out a label and placed it around the vial of now golden potion. He withdrew a quill and wrote his new name for this powerful potion. His smile increased in width as he wrote Meta "To change…" moura "…love." He smiled wickedly and his eyes lit up with excitement.
"Hello Metamoura." He whispered lovingly as he tucked it into his potion kit. 'The difficult part is almost over.' He dreamed on and eventually he listened to Slughorn, only after visualizing his victory over Potter and Black.
"Lily, you will soon be mine." He vowed to himself and spent the rest of the class watching her as she worked.
The class came to an end soon enough and Severus was the last to leave the room. As he left, Slughorn wished him a happy weekend. "Be sure to take the brilliant Miss Higgs to Madame Puddifoots 'm boy! She'll adore you forever!" Slughorn laughed.
Severus nodded. "Don't you worry, Sir. Her adoration is unquestionable." Severus said slyly and he took his leave. He felt at ease as he went off to his study period, where he practiced his coming attacks on Potter.