Chapter 40: Brewing, Part 2

Ariadne couldn't recall ever feeling nervous around Sirius. Remus was right that very few things scared or intimidated her. Sirius's effortless good looks, high social standing, and reputation as a playboy had never meant much to her, and even as his academic rival, she was confident she could outperform him. After they had become friends and later, friends with additional benefits, she sometimes felt excitement or intense anticipation waiting for their next encounter, and even a sense of comfort when she and the Marauders would huddle around the common room fire, hatching their next plot. But she had never felt nervous thinking about him, waiting for him, or in his presence. Now, she felt all three.

Ariadne was waiting in the Potions classroom, having lifted the enchantment hiding their Polyjuice Potion and checked its consistency and color. She would have snuck into the dungeons to complete the brew herself, but had found a note slipped into her bag earlier that evening. It read, tonight, midnight. I'll bring.., followed by a sequence of numbers. Ariadne knew where to look to decipher the code, of course. After matching the numbers to spells in Bridget Wenlock's journals, Ariadne noticed that the first letter of each incantation spelled out two words: target samples. Of course. In order to complete the potion, they needed a little bit of the person they were trying to transform into.

Ariadne barely heard the thick, bolted door of the dungeon open slightly as Sirius quietly slipped in. Without moving her eyes from the brew she was ladling out, Ariadne said, "The consistency is not quite right. It should be slightly textured, not this smooth and homogenous." She finally looked up. "I think we should let it thicken for one more day."

Ariadne was unprepared by the intensity of the emotions that assaulted her upon finally seeing Sirius's face again, up close. It's only been a day, she reminded herself. Get a grip.

Ariadne couldn't figure out how this was possible, but Sirius's brief absence from her life seemed to have multiplied his handsomeness ten-fold. He was standing just a bit awkwardly inside the doorway, his loose robes and sweater vest only hinting at the trim shape of his body. His long hair was rumpled and pulled back from his face, and his dark eyes were searching her face for clues as to how to proceed. He was clutching a small vial in his right hand.

Ariadne fought back an intense craving to be close to him. But everything between them was confusing now.

"Well?" she asked as he failed to respond. "Do you think we should let it brew for one day longer?"

Sirius finally broke from his uncertain pose and came next to her to examine the cauldron. "And when has my opinion ever changed your mind, Morrigan?"

Ariadne internally breathed a sigh of relief that the tension was at last broken. "I can't recall a particular incident."

Sirius made eye contact with her. "Then I suppose we'll let it brew for another day."

Ariadne removed a sample of the potion to conduct a few more tests on it. "We won't be needing those just yet, then," she said, indicating the vial in his hand.

"I realize that. Just trying to be prepared."

Ariadne took the vial from him, somehow managing to do so without allowing their hands to touch. She held it up the light. It contained several long, silky dark hairs.

"I suppose these belong to my cousin," Ariadne conjectured, setting the vial down on the table.

"Correct," replied Sirius.

"How did you get them? Clarice hasn't exactly been keen to hang out with us since the ambush," asked Ariadne.

"I have my methods," answered Sirius cryptically, in typical Marauder fashion. Ariadne raised an eyebrow. "I didn't sleep with her, if that's what you're thinking," he clarified somewhat hastily.

Ariadne visibly shuddered in disgust, and her face must have showed a similar emotion. "I got someone to pay off Clarke. Told him a pervy wanker from Hufflepuff was really into his girlfriend and that he could make three Galleons off it," explained Sirius.

Ariadne's expression continued to show her distaste for Sirius's "methods," but she didn't say anything further. "Was that particular reaction induced by the thought of me sleeping with another woman, or something else?" Sirius now asked somewhat more quietly.

"It was a reaction to the thought of you sleeping with a horrible egomaniac who tried to ambush and kill us," answered Ariadne immediately.

"Fair enough," he conceded.

"Well, whatever you had to do, and as much as it relied on the depraved and corruptible nature of the male population at Hogwarts, I hope it worked," said Ariadne, examining the glass vial one more time. "It would be rather awkward if I just turned into a random brunette from Ravenclaw."

"It will work," asserted Sirius confidently.

"A healthy dose of failure and rebuttal certainly hasn't tempered your overconfidence any," muttered Ariadne. She instantly realized the double significance of her words and regretted it.

Sirius took this as his opportunity. He walked around the cauldron so he could look her directly in the eyes. "Ariadne," he began, as if he wasn't entirely sure where he was going.

Ariadne was transfixed. She couldn't have looked away if she tried. She struggled with all of the emotions produced by being in such close proximity to Sirius again. It was almost as if she had…missed him? Miss him? What's there to miss?

Before she could complete that train of thought, Sirius continued, "I wanted to say I'm sorry for springing that on you yesterday morning." He paused. "It wasn't the right time, and in retrospect that was obvious."

"No kidding," breathed Ariadne. It was like she didn't quite have access to enough air in her lungs.

"I got caught up in all of the emotions from the masquerade ball, and what happened after…" Ariadne assumed he was referring to her nocturnal visitation. "I suppose I wanted to sweep you off your feet, the way you've swept me off mine over the past few months."

Ariadne still didn't know what to say.

"The way we were dancing, and how you looked that night, and when you came to my bed after…the incident…I just thought there was something happening between us that was…different, from before. Clearly, I was wrong."

Ariadne could see the disappointment in his eyes at these words. She couldn't help but wish that Sirius had never fallen for her, that this had never happened, that she could flip a time-turner and they could go back to the way things were.

"I appreciate the apology," said Ariadne clearly and firmly in response. "I'll admit that this isn't a position I've really been in before. I'm not sure what else to say besides, I hope we can still be friends."

Sirius seemed surprised by her admission. "You mean you haven't had to dash the hopes and dreams of countless suitors before me?"

Ariadne was confused. "No? Should I have?"

Sirius shrugged. "I just find that hard to believe. Your confidence is so magnetically attractive, and you are rather beautiful, too, you know."

"Yes, you've said as much," said Ariadne somewhat dryly.

"It's still true."

His words hung in the air between them, suspended in uncertainty.

"Well, I look forward to being continually corrected on the finer points of my animal transmogrification by you, as your friend," said Sirius briskly, now getting up and making to leave.

Ariadne was relieved. He was suggesting that they could return to the previous state of affairs between them. Although…

"Wait," she said. Sirius paused. "Can we also go back to having sex without any attachments or feelings?"

Sirius considered this for a moment, then shrugged. "I don't see why not."