Chapter Two: The Potion

Before I knew it, it was Easter. I had stayed behind so that I could do research on the project. I had spent three days, from the time it opened to the time it closed, in the library. I hadn't expected to see Oliver at all, which didn't bother me in the least.

It was Tuesday afternoon, I had been in the library for about three hours and had a pile of potions books stacked around me. At one point I had counted eleven, but as the day progressed, the pile grew. I had left for a couple minutes to get another book and when I returned a brown-haired boy was in my chair, reading my books.

"Excuse me? Those are my books," I said before thinking. The boy turned and looked at me, my heart jumped into my throat and my breath, once more, caught in my throat.

"Sorry, I thought you might want some help." For the first time, he looked away from me first. He seemed almost embarrassed to be seen in the Library. I smiled at him meekly.

"I do actually. Umm... I'll need to clear a space for you." I began transferring the stacks of books onto the floor beside the table.

"Sorry I haven't helped you at all. I'm a bit of a deadbeat partner before a match," he said as he grabbed a particularly large stack of books. I looked over at him, mesmerized by the muscles bulging under his short sleeve shirt. I quickly looked away, my face heating up in embarrassment.

"You're just busy. Quidditch is very important." I was trying to make small talk. I hated small talk.

Oliver laughed as he sat down beside me. "I honestly doubt you, of all people, would think it interesting."

I blushed as I turned my head away from him, "You've got me there."

"So, what do I need to do?" Oliver asked, pulling out a piece of parchment and a quill.

"Well, I'm just researching certain plants with odorless or colorless properties. Also I was looking up whether or not the plants will react with the ingredients and ruin the Polyjuice potion," I said, pointing to my stack of notes.

"Ok, you lost me after colorless properties," Oliver laughed.

"Why don't you just compile a list of insects with colorless or odorless properties, ok?" I said, rolling my eyes.

"Ok. I can do that." Oliver grabbed a book and began writing down names.

~*~

We spent a grand total of four hours in the Library; which added to a much larger total for me. I figured, since it was dinner and all, that I would allow him to go eat, I wasn't planning on leaving.

"We can be done for the day. I can finish the rest tomorrow. Would you mind meeting on Friday? I think we should be able to put together the potion. I can easily get the supplies from Professor Snape." I kept rambling. I should have stopped after asking him to meet on Friday.

He laughed at me then. I didn't understand why. I knew I had rambled, but that didn't warrant laughing. "Sure. I'll meet you in the Common Room around three?"

I nodded, "That'll be fine. I'll put the books away. Dinner should be starting soon."

He looked at me, his dark brown eyes boring into me. "I can help. It's not very fair of me to let you keep doing everything. Even with the upcoming match."

I nodded in resignation. He helped me replace the twenty or so books I'd dragged out over the course of the day.

~*~

When Friday came, I felt like a nervous wreck. My hair was messy and a shower hadn't helped. I tried to recall the charms Sally's older sister tried to teach us about make-up involving magic. I messed with my hair for half an hour and finally settled with just putting my hair into a pony-tail.

The next challenge that came involved my clothes. I didn't know what to wear. I had never met a boy somewhere with the intention of doing something. Even though this something was just making a silly potion. I flitted through my truck of clothes, tossing everything onto my bed.

I walked down the stairs, feeling even more self-conscious than ever. I was wearing a simple navy blue T-shirt and a simple pair of blue jeans. I felt awkward wearing the pair of blue ballet flats my aunt had given me. I usually wore my black school shoes. I hadn't noticed I was fiddling with my fingers until I hit the last stair.

"If you keep twisting your fingers, eventually, they might fall off." Oliver said, laughing.

My hands flew to my sides and I looked up at him. He was barely taller than I am, but his commanding presence made him seem easily ten inches taller.

"Shall we?" He asked. I nodded and we left the common room together.

"Professor Snape said we could get the supplies from the classroom, but we can't make the potion in there." I had been surprised that Professor Snape had been so nice to me. Maybe he took pity on me for being partnered with the one person who had distracted every other female partner in the school he'd had.

"He let you get supplies from his cabinet?" Oliver asked, he voice expressing his shock.

"I know, right?" I said, shocked as well.

~*~

We sat on the grass outside, all the ingredients we needed surrounding us. He was sitting very close. So close I could feel the warmth radiating off of his skin. I had the cauldron set up and began putting ingredients into it. Oliver was trying to start a fire underneath it, but it wasn't working.

"I'll start it," I said taking out my wand. I lit the fire with a quick flick of my wand and put it beside me.

"That was easier than I had anticipated." Oliver laughed.

It was growing dark by the time we got the potion stirred. As it was simmering, it had turned a nasty green color. My heart sank at that. I added the ingredients I hoped would take away the smell and color.

"What is that?" Oliver asked.

"Crocodile heart and Doxy eggs," I said, dropping the Doxy eggs into the potion.

I held my breath, unknowingly, as we waited. The color began to fade but the smell remained the same. I picked some more Doxy eggs and waited. The smell began to lessen and finally it, along with the color, dissipated.

I wafted the smoke, hoping that I wasn't just imagining things. I didn't smell anything. I looked at Oliver and he looked from the potion to me.

"I think we did it," he smiled.

"I think we did it," I said, overjoyed at our success.

"I'd say we should try some, but I really don't have the stomach for it. This stuff is so nasty," Oliver said, laughing.

"Good idea." I blew out the fire and then put the potion into a large container.

"Can I have a little of that? No one would believe me if I didn't bring proof that I had made something work in Potions." Oliver asked.

"Sure." I poured a small bit into a vial and handed it to him.

"You wouldn't want to go eat now, would you?" He asked, pocketing the vial.

"With you?" I asked, not quite grasping what he was asking.

He laughed, "Yea. To celebrate a potion well concocted?"

"Sure. That would be fun."

~*~

After dinner, we walked up to the Common Room and continued to talk. He was surprisingly easy to talk to. I began to wonder why he had intimidated me. He seemed so down to earth, so simple.

"You're more complex that you let on. Why are you so into school?" He asked abruptly.

"I hadn't ever given it much thought. My father is a Scholar and my mother is a teacher at a Muggle University. I've just always wanted to learn. It runs in the family." I shrugged.

"I don't mean to sound rude, but is your mum a Muggle?"

"No. Neither is my dad. My mum just loves school and didn't want to teach magic. Your parents?"

"Oh. Simple enough. Pure. My father works at the Ministry and my mother works at St. Mungo's."

"That's interesting. Why Quidditch?"

"I love flying."

"Simple enough. Are you pursuing it as a career?"

"Hopefully. I would like to get on with Puddlemere United."

"Your favorite team I suspect?"

"Yea. It's weird how easy it is to talk to you."

"Like wise."

I heard a clock chiming in the background and then looked at the time. It was nearly 1 o'clock. I looked over at him, "I had best get to bed. It's getting late."

"Yea, early morning practice. Good night, Leah."

My heart sputtered at how he said my name. "Good night, Oliver."