Fey's Pov

Pansy walked me to class the following day, our arms interlocked and smiles etched on our faces.

Professor Flitwick grinned and greeted us as we sat in our usual seats near the back of the classroom. He passed out a strip of leather to each student before standing at the front of the room, waiting for the rest of the class to arrive.

The leather was long and thin, almost like a belt, and Pansy wiggled her eyebrows, "I know what to do with this," she said, folding it in half between her hands and snapping it sharply.

Quickly, before I could ask what she meant, she wrapped the leather around my wrists and playfully bound them together. Kneeling on her chair, she held my hands above my head, forcing me to my feet.

"Pansy!"

Pansy ran her fingers down my face, "Oh darling, I think I know of a few Slytherins who would love this."

I struggled on my tip toes as she giggled at my embarrassment and tried in vain to free myself, but she had done an excellent job.

"You're crazy, Pansy. Let me down now," I told her, laughing.

"Oh my," a deep voice drawled, "I could have sworn I was walking into Charms this morning..."

Mattheo appeared over my shoulder, smirking, "...but I may have walked into the wrong class."

His eyes traveled down my body. They stopped to rest on where my chest was pushed out as I tried to reach upward toward the bonds and then down toward my thighs, which were struggling to maintain the position on my toes.

"I think I like you in this way..." he whispered before turning on his heel and heading toward his desk.

Still howling like a loon, Pansy let my arms drop and released me from her ties. I scowled at her, and she promised me a box of Chocolate Cauldrons for my troubles.

Still embarrassed, I focused on Professor Flitwick, who cleared his throat and greeted the class, "Today, we will be working on two spells. Both of which are very important because they balance each other!"

He smiled excitedly, "The first spell we will be learning today is the severing charm! This spell is used for many reasons and by many professions, but it is also perilous!"

Whispers traveled among the students, and my mind flashed back to four years ago, my hands covered in blood. I shook my head and took a deep breath.

I am a different person now, and this is just a spell.

"The severing charm is used to separate either two different objects from each other by cutting or tearing, or two cut one object into smaller pieces," he waved his wand and lifted a large piece of dark brown leather into the air, "Diffindo."

His wand moved down in a quick slashing movement, and he carefully guided it over the leather, and significant cuts appeared in the hide, "Diffindo comes from a seamstress in the 1400's named Delfina Crimp. She was very skilled, but she found that cutting the fabric took far too long," Flitwick told us smiling, "She invented the spell to help with her business and increase productivity! Such a lovely idea, working so hard to make more of yourself and your work." In turn, he met all of our eyes, trying to encourage us with his tale.

"However, she had a rival, a muggle Seamstress, and when this muggle discovered her using magic to create her clothes, she attacked Delfina and tied her up!"

A Hufflepuff's hand shot into the air, "What did she do, sir?"

"Delfina, a clever witch, had used a different spell to hide her wand in a 'wart' on her chin. She asked her captor to untie her so she could scratch it, and when she did, she unveiled her wand and disapparated far away!"

"What a coward," a Slytherin muttered, "I would have burned her business to the ground."

Professor Flitwick ignored the remark, "Today you will be practicing on your leather, but you must be careful, for the spell transforms your wand into the tip of a knife for ten to fifteen seconds after casting the spell. Do not point your wand at yourself or another student. If you do, it will be detention in the Forbidden Forest and loss of House points."

We set to work, Pansy and I, on our leather, cutting it into small pieces. The spell came naturally to me as I worked. Surprisingly, the memories stayed far away, allowing me to concentrate peacefully.

Pancy, however, was struggling. She moved her wand correctly, but her pronunciation was slightly off. Instead of saying Di- fin- do, she was saying Di-fen- do.

I corrected her and walked her through the steps, and she was able to make a few cuts into her leather before Professor Flitwick called us back to attention.

"Now that you have managed to cut your leather, you will be repairing it. The flip side to severing something is fixing it. The spell we will be working on now is Reparo," he gave us his back and flicked his wand at his leather cut, mending it straight away.

There were no wrinkles or indents. It was as if he hadn't cut it at all.

"The Reparo spell comes from Orabella Nuttley, who worked for the Ministry of Magic in 1754. After a terrible incident involving a rogue magical creature in a colosseum, she had spent weeks figuring out how to repair it. In the dead of night, she perfected her spell, and with the help of dozens of witches and wizards, they could repair the damage! From that day on, she and her spell were famous!"

"You will spend the rest of class repairing your leather. Then, by next week, I want an essay on the use of each spell and their pairing! You may leave as soon as you are finished repairing!"

Pansy was much better at this spell than I was. She had it perfected straight away, fixing her leather strip and helping me.

At first, my leather mended, but it was weak. Then, it mended, dimpled, and indented instead of returning to its smooth, natural state.

Only after Pansy told me to relax and breathe through the spell with a calm mind could I repair the first section.

"Repairing is harder to do than destroying, for most," Professor Flitwick announced as students started to leave, "Destroying works with little feeling or emotion, while repairing takes them all and requires focus. If you are struggling, do not feel ashamed."

Five minutes later, I could repair the rest of the damage with great effort, and together, we returned our supplies and left the class together.

The castle was bustling with life as we walked through the corridors. The first and second years felt more at home now, and instead of running along to their classes, they strolled.

Annoyed, I narrowed my eyes and huffed, "I hate when students block the path from everyone else. It's so inconsiderate."

Feeling the same frustration as I was, Pansy pointed her wand at the back of the second-year's feet and muttered the jelly-leg hex. In an instant, the four short students walking side by side and taking up far too much space fell to the ground, screaming like banshees with their legs wiggling about.

Pansy giggled and glared at the little Ravenclaw girls, "Be more considerate, you twats. This castle contains more than just you," she scolded them.

I pulled her through the hall, running away from the crying girls and into the courtyard. We didn't stop until we saw Professor Sprout's greenhouses in the distance.

Huffing in a breath, my lungs burning, and with a stitch in my side, I glared at her, "Pansy, you didn't have to hex them!"

She shrugged, "What was I supposed to do?"

"Ask them to move!" I shouted.

We stared at each other tensely but couldn't hold it long before we broke out into laughter and walked off toward Herbology. I pulled on my gloves and jacket, buttoning the front as Theo and Lorenzo strolled into the greenhouse, grinning.

Theo placed his arm around my shoulder and placed a lingering kiss on my lips before pulling away, "I hear you have something to tell us, dolcezza mi."

"What?"

"You have something to tell us?"

I shook my head, "No, what was that you said at the end? Dolza..."

Theo smiled, "Italian. You didn't know I was Italian?"

My heart sank. There was so much I didn't know about all of them. How in the world was I ever going to keep up?

I shook my head, "I had no idea. You don't have much of an accent," I told him sadly.

"I immigrated here when I was a baby. My parents taught me Italian, and I have a bit of an accent, but not too much. This only means one thing to me, darling," he grinned.

I peered up into his eyes questioningly.

"We need to go on a proper date."

"Yes," I whispered.

Lorenzo pulled me into his arms for a hug, "Not before I take you out tonight, darling."

I nodded, resting my head on his shoulder, "Of course."

"Tonight, then. Skip dinner, and I'll make it worth your while."

"Anything you want."

"You shouldn't say things like that. It will put ideas in my head," he teased.

Theo squeezed my hand, drawing my attention away, "Blaise and Draco won't say a word about your little secret."

"They are teasing us," Theo added, glaring toward the castle, "But you will not tease us, will you?"

Realization dawned on me, and I nodded, "I can show you later tonight after lights out?"

The two of them nodded, and we turned to face Professor Sprout. She gave us a lecture about the magical plant we were gathering, "If you ever had dreams of becoming a merperson, Gillyweed might be able to help! Show of hands, how many of you would love to be able to breathe underwater and swim with speed?"

A handful of students raised their hands, and she smiled, "Wonderful! Today, we will be venturing into my garden to gather ingredients for Professor Snapes Potions classes!"

We all groaned. Gathering ingredients was the worst. It meant listening to a lecture on the plant and spending the rest of the hour in the dirt collecting as much of the stuff as we could.

I looked at Theo and Lorenzo, expecting to find them disappointed and frustrated, but instead, I found them grinning, "What are you two so happy about? We're going to be gathering herbs and plants all class. This is awful!"

Theo shook his head, "We're going to Professor Sprout's personal greenhouse."

"This is just what we've been waiting for," Lorenzo told me.

"To do manual labor?" I asked them, both concerned.

They shook their heads, "To gather supplies, Theo explained, "Sprout keeps the good stuff in her greenhouse."

"We need to get our hands on a bit of special plant she keeps."

"What plant?"

"Don't worry about it. We'll take care of it. Just keep an open mind when we introduce you to it," Theo winked.

"Gillyweed is an amazing plant, but it nearly killed the witch who discovered it! Brilliant, but a bit of a dumbarse if you ask me. She ate it and nearly suffocated. She'd have died if she hadn't had the bright idea to stick her head in a bucket of water," Professor Sprout explained, "It's originally grown in the Mediterranean, but with a bit of magic, I've managed to get a good crop going here in my greenhouse. You lot will gather it while I tend to some more dangerous plants."

Professor Sprout gave us all a bucket and led us to greenhouse eight. She unlocked the glass door with a key and whispered a spell under her breath before allowing us inside.

The whole building was covered in bright colors and vines from the floor to the ceiling. Sunshine radiated through the glass walls and sparkled.

"Remember not to touch anything that isn't the Gillyweed. Many plants here are poisonous; a few would love to snack on your fingers," she shuffled over to a row of tables with inset glass tanks full of murky water, "There are little creatures in the water, but don't worry about them they keep the water moving and the GIllyweed alive and well."

She explained how to gather the plant and told us to fill our buckets because she didn't want to hear Professor Snape moan and groan about not getting enough of it. When she was finished, she watched us gather for a few moments and then left us to it.

Lorenzo and Theo slipped off their damp gloves and fell into their buckets with a gross plop.

"We'll be back, love," Lorenzo grinned, "Don't miss us too much."

Pansy looked at them weirdly, "Where the hell are they going?"

"To the bathroom?" I told her. I shrugged and kept pulling out clumps of the tangled, slimy weed.

"Together? Don't you think that's a bit strange?"

"I don't know. Buddy system, I guess. What should I wear on my date tonight with Lorenzo?"

Pansy lost her grip on a chunk of the weed and grinned, "I know exactly what you should wear! Did he tell you where he's taking you?"

"No, he didn't. He just said we would be skipping dinner."

"Ohhh, a dinner date then," she reached into the table tank and drew a particularly disgusting chunk of Gillyweed out, "I know exactly what you should wear then."

Theo and Lorenzo returned with seemingly nothing and slipped their gloves on to retrieve the plants.

"Lorenzo, can I dress Fey up in a pretty dress for your date tonight?" Pansy asked him while glowering at the table.

"Hmmm, of course. I would love to see her dressed up. I'm collecting her at four for our date."

"Will you be inside? Or out?" Pansy asked, not even bothering to include me in the conversation.

Lorenzo gave me a grin before leaving across the table and whispering in her ear, "Don't tell her anything."

"Cross my heart," Pansy promised, smiling.

We gathered our buckets full when Professor Sprout came to collect us, and she was pleased with our hard work.

Dismissed, we took our buckets to Potions and plopped them on the floor outside Professor Snapes Potion stores.

He glared at us and narrowed his eyes, "Professor Sprout?"

We nodded.

"Turn in your work and take your seats."

We were joined by Draco, Blaise, and Mattheo, who sat at the tables in front of us, bragging about choosing the right day to skip Herbology.

"I hope you fail," Pansy said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Mattheo laughed, "It'll never happen," he pointed at me and then Draco, "I've got two of the smartest Slytherins in our house to help me pass."

Snape slammed his book down on the table, causing me to jump and the others to turn in their seats.

"Today, we will be working with the Amortentia potion. It is the most powerful love potion in the world. It is distinctive for its mother-of-pearl sheen, and steam rises from the potion in spirals. Amortentia smells different to each person, according to what attracts them," Professor Snape walked to his cauldron and tore the sheet away from it, revealing the spiral swirls of steam rising from its surface.

"Step over to the table. You'll each take a turn examining the potion, tell the class what you smell," he grinned evilly, "and then, with your partner, you'll need to recreate the potion before the end of class."

All twenty-eight students filled over to the small table and crowded around. The Gryffendors went first.

Hermione told us that the potion smelled of freshly mowed grass, new parchment, and spearmint toothpaste.

Harry stepped forward smelling treacle tart, the woody scent of a broomstick handle, and something flowery.

Ron stumbled nervously to the cauldron and practically fainted, explaining what he smelled: mother's cooking, bacon, and perfume.

The others went unremarkably until Neville Longbottom stammered his pardons through the crowd and took a whiff. The potion smelled to him of freshly churned soil, rose petals, and rain.

Whispers broke out of him being in love with Luna Lovegood. Professor Snape snapped at us all to shut up and motioned the Slytherins to step forward.

Pansy smelled sour rainbow belt candy and lavender soap. She walked back to her seat, blushing furiously with her head down.

Lorenzo walked proudly to the front, but I noticed nervousness in his eyes, "I smell Chocolate Cauldrons, clean laundry, and sweet vanilla." He walked away smiling to his seat, his grin covering his face.

Draco pushed past another Slytherin and glared, "I smell Chocolate Cauldrons, clean laundry," he paused, looking at me before he smiled, "and vanilla."

Snape cleared his throat as Blaise approached, passing Draco. They bumped their fists subtly as they passed, "Clean laundry, Vanilla and Chocolate Cauldrons," he told the class simply before walking away.

Whispers were raging now, and everyone was wondering who they were smelling in the potion and how they would handle it.

I stepped closer to the table, and Mattheo wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"Hmm. Wondering who they're smelling love?"

I shook my head. I knew who they were smelling—no doubt about it.

Theo approached next and dramatically wafted the spiral steam to his face, "Hints of Chocolate Cauldrons, vanilla, and fresh, clean laundry," he told the class.

Mattheo kissed my cheek and pushed his friend away, "Let's make this quick, shall we?" he grinned, and a few students laughed. Mattheo peered into the pink liquid and inhaled deeply, "I smell vanilla, Chocolate Cauldrons, and," he took another deep breath, "Clean laundry."

He went to walk back to his seat, but Professor Snape caught him by the collar and held him there, "This is ridiculous," Professor Snape snapped at them, "There is no way in hell that you all smell the same damn thing."

"I swear to you, Professor, we do," Blaise told him honestly, "and we know exactly who we're smelling."

Snape narrowed his eyes, "Who?"

At the same time, and to my utter embarrassment, they all said, "Fey."

Professor Snape dragged his eyes to me and looked me over from head to toe before stepping into my personal space and breathing in my scent.

Stepping back, he glared at them again and released Mattheo, who now wore a shit-eating grin, "No fighting in class."

"There won't be Professor," Lorenzo promised.

"Ms. Sterling, if you would," Professor Snape gestured me forward.

I moved slowly to the table as if the cauldron would grow teeth and bite me. The pink bubbling concoction and pearlescent shine drew me in, but I was afraid. I was scared it would reveal a truth I didn't know.

Taking a deep breath, I was assaulted by many smells and scents, some of which I couldn't place straight off. The other students observed me on the edge of their seats, and when I looked over toward my men, they were leaning forward, waiting.

"I- I smell green apples and mint, cinnamon with cigarettes, lemon, and popcorn," I took another inhale, "chopped wood, freshly picked rosemary, jasmine, a- and oranges."

"Uncommon to smell more than two or three scents, but I suppose not impossible," Professor Snape spoke slowly, "Take a seat, Ms. Sterling."

I hurried off with my head down and sat with Pansy again as we waited for the rest of the class to finish smelling the potion. When they had, Professor Snape instructed us to begin our brew, telling us we could leave when we were finished.

We gathered our ingredients: Ashwinder eggs, rose thorns, rose petals, peppermint, moonstone, and pearl dust before lighting the fire. I began by crushing the eggs and adding them to the fire with four cups of water as Pansy began grinding the moonstone and the pear dust.

Stirring counterclockwise for twenty minutes, Pansy added the rose petals and peppermint. She took over stirring clockwise, and I looked over the directions again and began preparing the thorns. We waited another twenty minutes until the steam rose spirally before dropping in the thorns.

Mattheo and Lorenzo were working hard in front of us, and Theo and Draco were, to our left, nearly finished with their potions. On the other hand, Blaise was being inspected by Professor Snape already.

He received a nod of approval, and Blaise bottled his potion, labeling it with his and his partner's name. When he noticed me staring, he winked and jogged off, turning it in.

Pansy added the mother of pear and moonstone dust. It intermingled with the liquid slowly, transforming it from a bubbling pink to a pearlescent pink shine. I turned the heat down, and Professor Snape approached us, sniffing the potion. He nodded and handed us a vile before walking away.

I labeled it, and Pansy cleaned up, both eager to leave.

Pansy took my hand and rushed us into the corridor and to our common room. She pushed me into a chair when we were safely inside and stared me down, "Who did you smell?"

"I- umm, I smelled all of them."

Her mouth fell open, and she dropped with a hard thud to the ground, "Well fuck me sideways."