I Hate Everything about You
Chapter four: Ignorance
The potions classroom was hazy with smoke and fumes, and Lily tipped back in her chair breathing in deeply.
"Amortentia, is the most powerful love potion in the world, I have boiled a bit for you to observe." Professor Slughorn said, pacing back and forth in front of the classroom, gesturing to the cauldron on the first desk of him. The steam was pearly, rising in spirals sending everyone into a relaxed stupor.
"Everyone will smell something different, according to what attracts them to a person the most, I want each of you to write down what you smell," the teacher finished.
Lily looked around, James was sitting ahead of her next to Remus, and they were both scribbling hastily on a sheet of parchment. Sirius was sitting with Peter to the left of her, Peter was asleep, drool pooling around his open mouth. While Sirius had his head propped up on his hand, his eyes drifting between sleep and consciousness. Hestia was in the seat next to Lily, staring at Jonathan Abbot a few seats over.
Lily ran a hand through her long hair before sniffing the air curiously. She smelt the fresh green of the Quidditch pitch, the warm honey aroma of butterbeer, and the last smell she couldn't quite identify. It was warm and musty, and distinctly…male. She hastily scribbled down the three smells on her doodled on parchment before standing up and taking it up to Slughorn.
As she passed where James sat she felt him stiffen for a moment and out of the corner of her eye she saw him turn to her, a look of incredulity on his handsome face. It was then that she took a deep breath, the third unidentified smell filling her senses.
Lily looked down at James, immediately realizing what, or rather who, that smell was. James looked at her with surprise and she had a slight idea of what exactly he smelt in the Amortentia…her.
That same Friday after classes, Lily found herself, much to her displeasure, in the library. Her essay for transfiguration was due Monday and she figured that she might as well get it done, so she would have the weekend free.
The library was silent when she walked in, and she felt as if she was disturbing a funeral when the door shut loudly behind her. She made her way through the dusty stacks until she found her usual table in the far back corner. A few books and parchment were sitting on it, but she set her things down anyway and pulled out her parchment and inkwell. She had her first three sentences written when she felt someone looming above her.
Her emerald colored eyes looked up and she smiled, James Potter.
"Have a seat," she said as if it was a once in a lifetime chance.
"I was here first," he said slowly looking around slightly nervously.
"Can we not share?" she said with a charming smile, watching as he shrugged and sat down across from her.
"So Potter, how's life treating you?" she leaned back in her chair, raising her eyebrows at him.
"Great, except for meeting you," he said looking down at his book, but she could see the corner of his mouth turn up slightly.
"I see how it is Potter," She smiled when he glanced up their eyes meeting.
"So Potter I was just wondering…" She trailed off, leaving him looking at her. She liked the way his hair looked like he just walked out of a windstorm, and his eyes were like melted honey.
"What?" he asked eyebrows scrunching together over the curve of his long straight nose.
"If you wanted to go out?" She finished, with a bright smile, noticing the way his tanned skin flushed pink.
"Evans, how many times do I have to say no?" he sighed.
"Until you say yes," she grinned, ignoring the pain in her heart.
"Evans I don't go out with…well girls like you," He glanced down, wincing at his own choice of words.
"What do you mean…girls like me?" Her voice was chilled with controlled anger.
"Well what I mean is…girls who are attention whores," he inwardly cursed himself again for his horrible wording.
"James Potter you are such a prat!" She stood up, her redheaded temper flaring.
"All was saying was-" She cut him off.
"God, I can't believe you would even say that about me, do you know who I am?!"
"That's exactly why I won't go out with you; you shouldn't care about 'who you are'!" They both stood up, hands braced on the table, leaning in so their angry red faces were inches apart.
"You have no idea who you're messing with Potter," She snarled.
"Oh, I've heard…THE Lily Evans, I'm so scared," James grabbed his things and began his way out of the library, pushing past the steaming librarian.
Lily huffed also grabbing her things and stalking out, ignoring the screeches of Madam Pince.