"I… I think I've been cursed." Lucia said, staring at the blank spaces of her homework.
"What makes you think that?" Meghan asked, coolly, not looking up from her own work that was now, nearly finished.
"Well I've been really distracted lately, and I keep getting these… emotions-"
"Oh my, we can't have that." Bernice commented. They were all sitting at the table in the Ravenclaw common room,
"Shut up, it's just… strange. I feel like I really like something, and it's not good to like. It's as if I'm infatuated with… a spider, or the dark arts or a… dragon." Lucia thought the simile was fitting.
"Bestiality is illegal, Lucia. Despite what Katherine does in her spare time." Katherine commented.
"Oh look, Kat made a funny. Do me a favor and never do it again." Meghan commented, sending Katherine an icy glare.
"It's not like I'm actually infatuated with a spider or anything, I'm just rather fond of the human equivalent." Lucia muttered.
"You aren't even fond of my pool-boy who plays guitar and swoons over you, somehow it's hard for me to imagine you being smitten over a spider-man." Meghan added.
"Unless you're one of those good girls that like bad boys?" Bernice added
"One problem: I'm not a good girl." Lucia laughed.
"You aren't bad either, I mean you do some un-delectable things, but you're no Malfoy." Katherine said.
"No, of course I'm not." Lucia cringed a little at the comparison.
"I don't suppose this spider you speak of is Malfoy?" Bernice asked.
Lucia looked up, sharply. She tried to keep her face even and her tone steady as she said "Of course not, what a silly idea."
"Good, because he gives me the nasty's." Bernice concluded.
"No, he gives me them as well." Lucia said, standing up. "You know what, I'm going to go for a walk."
"Want me to join you?" Katherine asked. "I've been meaning to discuss the prospect of, well you know, the thing we were planning to do this year."
"What thing?" Meghan asked.
"We can tell them. They deserve to know." Lucia told Meghan.
"We want to become animagus." Katherine told the others. "We've done the research, it's perfectly safe and it'll come in handy for our prospective career as paleontologists of the magical breed." Katherine added.
"Are you going to register yourselves?" Megan asked.
Lucia looked at Katherine before turning back to the girls, "No, we're going to keep it on the down-low, hush hush, you know the drill."
"You really are a bad girl aren't you." Bernice smiled.
"The worst kind." Lucia answered, smiling back. "And you know what Meg, let's talk about it tomorrow. All this not-doing homework is really giving me a brain-fuck."
"Yeah, tomorrow then? After dinner?" Katherine asked.
"Sure, sure, don't wait up for me before dinner, I'll be out late and you guys shouldn't miss it because of me." Lucia said, walking out of the dormitory into the halls.
Her pace was quick as she approached Slughorns room. The stench of potions permuted off the walls; it smelled of dragon's blood and rats. Lucia, herself, had always found that to be a contributing factor to her dislike for potions: the smell.
The classroom was empty, save a blonde boy, who was actually more of a man, a caldron and his textbook.
"I don't suppose some scented candles could diffuse this scent." Lucia commented, walking coolly into the room.
"No, but perhaps a love potion could." Draco replied, looking up from his textbook. "Page 15 of the sixth years potion book, it should be done before dinner."
"And if it isn't?" Lucia asked
"We'll scrap it and try it again tomorrow."
"Tomorrow. Hmm well, I better get started."
"I'll watch over, make sure you don't do anything too incredibly doltish."
"I thank you, deeply."
"I'm sure."
"Do you have to get the last word?"
"Yes…"
"I really do hate you."
"Good."
Lucia let off a small grunt before beginning to work on the potion. The ingredients were surprisingly morbid for such a fruity potion. Her hands were unsteady, and more than once, did Draco have to intervene with the preparation of the potion.
"You know, nothing has exploded. I'd have to say that this whole session is a general success.' Lucia smiled, looking down at the completed potion.
"Without me, it wouldn't be a point. If I didn't stop you from putting in too much toads stool-"
"It would have made a huge explosion and killed you and me both."
"No, but it would have evaporated into a toxic steam."
"Well isn't that nice."
"So, what does it smell like to you."
"Why?"
"Well, the potion is supposed to smell like what you're attracted to."
"And you would like to know, why?"
"Sheer curiosity, unless I have other reasons."
"It smells like smoke, quidditch, aftershave and… money." Lucia let out of laugh. "Figures I'd be attracted to bastards, but at least they're bastards with cash."
"What about you, Mr. Curiosity, what does it smell like?" Lucia asked, approaching Draco with a small swagger.
He stepped closer to the potion before inhaling it deeply.
"Soap, ginger, books and trees."
"I don't suppose you're into OCD, nature-freaks who likes reading?"
"Well you're into smokers who play quidditch, are rich and have good hygiene." He let out a laugh before approaching her and whispering in to her ear "You know, that sounds an awful lot like me."
Before Lucia could add a rebuttal he said "Tomorrow, same place, after dinner. Yes?"
"Yes." She breathed out.
After he had left and she had taken in more than a whiff of the love potion, Lucia began walking towards the great hall. She was pleased to find that dinner had, in fact, not ended.
Her friends had thankfully saved a seat for her, right in front of the overcooked steak and buns.
"How was your walk?" Katherine asked.
"It was pretty good, you know, I'm a nature-gal."
"Unless it involves plants." Bernice laughed.
"My hate for herbology has nothing to do with my love for nature."
"You prefer your books, we all know it's true." Meghan said.
Lucia gave her a smug look before piling cookies on her plate. "Can someone pass me the milk?"
"You smell funny, Lucia." Bernice commented from beside.
"Really, what do I normally smell like?"
"Well… clean mostly. You smell like that body wash, you know the ginger one. You sometimes smell like the library as well." Katherine told her.
"What do I smell like now?"
"Well you smell like Diagon Ally, puking pastels, home-cooking and… wool." Bernice commented.
"No, she definitely smells like apples, dog, pine nuts and wood." Katherine said.
"What are you all talking about, she smells like quidditch, sex, metal and leather." Meghan said, looking at everyone perplexed as they stared back.
"What. The. Hell. Katherine." Lucia asked.
"Hey, you asked." Katherine replied.
"I smell like love potion. I was working on it, you know, for practice." Lucia told them.
"Smells like it succeeded. Now it's my turn to ask. What the hell Lucia?" Meghan asked.
"I've… my study sessions with Bernice have really been paying off." Lucia lied.
"Yeah right, you're potions work is still shotty." Bernice told her.
"You were making the love potion for someone, weren't you? Was it this spider-man?" Katherine asked.
"No, no, no, I was… I was. Oh shut up."
"Something's up, big time Lu. You just downed about ten milk saturated cookies." Meghan told Lucia.
"Is it Draco, do you have a thing for him?" Katherine asked.
"No, of course not, he's a scum-bag!"
"Good, because here he comes." Meghan said.
"Be still my beating heart." Lucia mumbled, putting her hand on her chest. "Oh wait, it is."
"Oh ha ha." Meghan fake-laughed. "Your jokes are as bad as Katherine's."
"Look at his muscles, so good." Bernice commented.
Lucia turned around to look and saw him walk by their table on his way out of the great hall.
"I see the brawn, but where are those brains?" Lucia asked.
"He's actually pretty great at potions, you know, for a terrible person." Katherine said, looking down.
"You know what else he's good at…" Bernice started.
"Don't even say it." Lucia warned.
"Just stating the facts, no attraction here." Bernice confirmed.
"He has… a wonky nose." Lucia said.
"I find it rather endearing." Katherine said, still looking very indifferent.
"You know what, I think that you all can swoon over his precious nose or his amazing arms and his absolutely perfect ass, but I am going to go study for the transfigurations test tomorrow." Lucia said before standing up and going back to her room.
While exiting the common room she ran into the topic of conversation with an endearing nose.
"H-hello, thanks for helping me out. I know I'm a brat sometimes but-" Lucia was cut off.
"Hey, no problem Lucia, I actually kind of enjoy stopping you from making a disaster." Draco said, with a smug smirk.
"Since when were we on first-name terms?"
"Since I stopped you from making a disaster."
"You know, those two things generally don't correlate."
"Yeah well, I fancy that maybe you feel like we're on first name basis as well."
"Yeah, I suppose you are."
"Will you call me Draco?"
"I prefer poky-bear, or gerbil-burble."
"Got it, Sometimes it is."
"No! I like you saying my name, I was just making a funny."
"Making a funny?"
"Yeah… I'll call you Draco, Draco."
"I like it coming out of your mouth, Lucia."
"I'll make sure to say it more often, Draco."
"Only when appropriate, Lucia."
"Of course, Draco."
"I fancy that this conversation is ending, Lucia."
"It is, Draco."
"Good night, Lucia."
"Good night, Draco."
Draco hummed and walked away, leaving Lucia with a dumb smile on her face. She walked to her dormitory and entered her room. She began digging through her wardrobe for some of her pajamas when she realized that they were all in the wash. She assumed that Bernice wouldn't mind if she borrowed some of her pajamas.
Lucia dug through Bernice's wardrobe, trying to find a piece of clothing that would function as nightwear. While mucking around in its depths, she found a book. This was no ordinary book and she couldn't help but gasp and open it.
"Magick Moste Evile" is a novel that contains many dark magic references, but very little dark magic information; what Bernice was doing with said book was particularly confusing. Before she could put it back, Bernice came in through the doors of their room and looked at her with wide eyes.
"Give me the book." She demanded.
'Berni, what are you doing with-"
"Give me the fucking book!"
"Ok, ok, here you go." Lucia said, handing back the book.
"This is none of your business, you're always in my business Lu."
"I'm sorry, I'm just worried. This is dangerous shit, Berni."
"I know, but I have it under control, you weren't supposed to know."
"But why do you need it?"
"I… you don't know what… that curse, Lu. That curse got me thinking. You know how much it hurt? I can't… I can't go through that again Lu. I'm so angry and so… hurt."
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I just worry that you can't deal with this. It's dark magic Berni, darker than dark."
"I know, can you… can you just leave."
"Yes, but please take that back to the library."
"I promise."
"I love you, you know that right?"
"Yeah." Lucia left the room. "And I fucking hate you."
If Lucia had heard those last words, perhaps the next few months would have ended differently, perhaps people wouldn't have died, perhaps Lucia wouldn't have had to move away, perhaps Draco would have finally broken away from his families daunting past. Unfortunately, the dark arts that Bernice was messing with were nothing like what she could imagine.
"Katherine, have you noticed anything different about Berni lately?" Lucia asked, when she entered the common room.
"Well… yes and no. After what happened last year, it's no surprise she's different. She's quieter, her moods are quicker, and she doesn't laugh as much."
"You noticed it too? I'm really worried about her. I mean what if that curse changed her more than we know?"
"She's still the same Berni. Why do you ask, did something happen?"
"N-no, she just has been different and I'm worried is all."
"You know, maybe we should give her some space, to recover, you know."
"I don't know if space is what she needs. Voldemort had a whole childhood of space and look what happened to him."
"Don't compare Bernice with him, she is nothing like him and will never be like him."
"I-I know. I just- there's so much evil in this world, and a girl like Berni, a genius like Berni, can't help but see all of it for exactly what it is. If you can't beat them, join them. What if something like that happens."
"She's smarter than that."
"I hope so, I don't want to lose anyone else this year."
"You know you won't. Don't think I'm as ignorant to the rest of them either, I know what's up with you and Draco."
"What? How?"
"Pretty chummy in the potions room earlier today, you two were; would have taken a picture if I had my camera."
"Oh I do hate you."
"You're so precious when you're angry, Draco would be swooning."
"As if, he isn't even attracted to me: what he smelled in the love potion was some OCD, earth-muffin, book-child."
"You know, because that's not you at all."
"It isn't though."
"What did he smell?"
"Let's see… ginger, trees, soap, and… books? I think that was it."
"Sounds like you, smells like you miss I-must-have-my-morning-shower-or-worlds-will-end."
"You're silly, there is only one world, however it will end."
"Besides, you wreak of ginger, it's that fu-fu body wash that you claim makes you 'ultra-clean' but really just makes you smell it."
"I really really do hate you."
"And I really really don't believe you."
"I don't smell like trees though."
"No, but you love them. You took me to the tree museum last summer, you made me go to a forest filled with trees."
'What else would a forest be filled with?"
"Well normally forests don't have plaques dedicated to informing you about the lifestyle of trees."
"You can't understand the poetry of trees, they live for years and years and all their scars are internal. They go through the process of birth death and rebirth over and over again. There is nothing more beautiful than trees."
"That was the most boring museum I have ever been to. You know, not everyone loves trees."
"And not everyone loves old Babylonian texts about transforming time into actual dimensions."
"You have no idea how interesting the Babylonians were, they absolutely mastered time."
"And you have no idea how timeless trees are."
"Then we shall agree to disagree."
"Alas, a nice medium."
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