I wanted to post last week, but didn't have time (to post this on all three sites). I was out of town again...at another skating competition. This time it's Synchro Nationals...so I was in Peoria Illinois! Fun! I was just too tired to post...or lazy. Haha.

So, someone (on another site) asked why it's taking so long to get to Hogwarts...and I was told by another writer to say that my muse is forcing me to write more in between. And that's the gist of it...as I'm writing, my head keeps taking me on tangents that I feel the need to put down on paper, so to speak. But they will get to Hogwarts eventually. Thanks for reading and commenting!

Special shout out to chao-hellsing, Sharie, and coffeegoddess, for your comments! Love, love, LOVE it when people let me know that someone actually is reading this! Haha.

Anyway, here's my post!

Chapter Forty
Potions Brewing at Home

After shutting the front door, Buffy leaned against it and sighed. How she wished that Tom could stay! There had to be a way around Mrs Cole's new visiting hours—or whatever she wanted to call it—so running her fingers through her hair, she headed to the kitchen to discuss it with the sisters.

When she walked in they were still drinking tea, but looked up at her instantly.

"Did Tom get off all right?" Vin asked as Sophie popped up to put the kettle back on for Buffy.

"Um. What?" Buffy asked.

Vin eyed her, then spoke to her sister. "Someone's been doing naughty things in the foyer."

Buffy gasped. "I have not!" she denied—then blushed. "I mean, there were smoochies, but...like, no clothing was removed. Honest."

From the cooker, Sophie snorted—and Vin chuckled, then sipped her tea.

"I promise," Buffy pressed as she pulled out a chair and sat down—then ran her fingers through her hair again.

"I can see you have something you'd like to say," Vin said next.

Buffy bit her lip. "It's...um...about Tom. And Mrs Cole's totally ridic curfew thing. Do you think we can get her to alter it? Because...like, it's worse than dusk to dawn!"

"It really is!" said Sophie. "I mean, we don't like the idea of leaving you two alone all night given that you're two hormonal teenagers, but—"

"Hey!" interrupted Buffy. "I said we behaved...mostly."

"Leaving you and Tom together is better than you being home alone," Vin said to expand on her sister's comment. "Maybe we should have a talk with Mrs Cole."

Sophie giggled. "And say what?! That we'd like to leave the two of them by themselves while we spend all night out?

Vin hmm'd. "You're right. That doesn't sound any better, does it?"

Sophie shook her head. "It really doesn't."

Buffy frowned. "Mrs Cole caught us kissing in Tom's room at the orphanage," she admitted, her cheeks tinged pink. "She wasn't at all pleased. She scolded us, then allowed him come over that day anyway, but...I suspect that's what's set the stuffy old bat off."

Sophie chuckled.

Vin shook her head. "That wasn't very smart."

Looking down, Buffy sighed. "I know. We just...got carried away."

Sophie laughed. "Ahh, to be young," she said as she brought the kettle over to the table and poured hot water into a cup.

"I don't think she likes me," Buffy complained.

"You're a lovely girl. What is there not to like?" asked Sophie.

Vin laughed. "You are a bit rude to her."

Buffy looked up and sighed. "She's not very kind. I don't like the way she treats Tom."

"Neither do I," Sophie agreed, joining them at the table.

"I was thinking though," Buffy continued, "maybe we can ask Professor Dumbledore to intervene. And by we, I mean one or both of you." She grinned hopefully.

"Hmph! I'm not sure what sort of influence we would be. I suspect that man doesn't care much for our Tom Riddle," said Sophie.

Vin sighed. "I do believe you're right, Soph," she said, frowning. "Tom is rather distant and he can certainly be... surly. But I don't really understand Albus' reticence where the boy is concerned."

Buffy didn't understand either—except that Tom had said he'd given reason for some to dislike him.

"Neither do I. Besides, Tom has opened up quite a bit in the time we've known him," Sophie countered.

"Professor Dumbledore likes you though, Vin," Buffy said, giving the brunette a sweet smile. "Maybe you could put in a good word for Tom."

Vin rolled her eyes. "I don't think I've that sort of influence over the man, but..." She shrugged. "I suppose it's worth a try."

Buffy grinned. "I was thinking, it's been over two weeks since we've heard from the Professor, maybe I should...send him an owl. Let know where I stand with my studies...and tell him that I have a wand now."

Vin nodded. "I think that's a good idea, Buffy," she said. "You did well today, testing spells with the wands you tried."

"You definitely surprised Tom with your spells," Sophie said.

Buffy grinned again, puffing up with pride. "Tom was right about spells. He said he thought they'd come naturally to me and they seem to. And the school books I've been reading are super interesting."

"What stage are you at with your studies?" Sophie asked.

Buffy smiled. "Oh! I think I'm doing okay. I mean, no teacher and all, so it's all about the reading, which I'm normally not overly thrilled by, but...well, the reading is pretty easy since it's all for eleven-year-olds. Last night I started reading my second year books, but...I have no practical experience with some stuff. Like potions."

Grinning, Sophie straightened up in her chair. "Ooo, let's brew something tonight!" she suggested excitedly.

Vin blinked. "You don't want to go out?"

Sophie shrugged. "There'll be time to go out once Buffy goes off to Hogwarts."

Vin nodded. "That is true."

"And it would be fun to use our new cauldrons," the blonde continued.

"All right. We'll do it!" said Vin.

Sophie grinned and clapped her hands—then looked at Buffy. "You send one of those owls to Professor Dumbledore and we'll set up everything here in the kitchen."

Buffy nodded. "O-kay," she said, getting up to go down to her bedroom.

Vin stood up too. "I'll go with Buffy and get her Potions books."

"Did you get your letter sent off?" Vin asked once Buffy had returned to the kitchen.

"Uh-huh," she said, eyeing the three cauldrons the sisters had set up in the kitchen. They had everything very organized. "What do we have here?"

Sophie grinned. "Oh. I decided that we're going to brew three of the first-year potions," she said, her eyes going to the table of contents in Buffy's first-year book. "These are our choices: Cure for Boils, Forgetfulness Potion, Herbicide Potion, Sleeping Draught, Wiggenweld Potion, Antidote to Common Poisons, Pompion Potion, Strength Potion, and Hair-Raising Potion."

Buffy frowned. "I have to admit, I've only barely skimmed the potions book. I have no idea what most of those are. Don't you think three in one night is a bit...ambitious."

Vin scoffed. "Not at all," she said. "We're new to this sort of brewing, but Sophie excels at making the things she wants or needs. I'm not worried."

"Thank you, dear sister," Sophie said, preening. "Your confidence in my skills delights me."

"It's well deserved, darling," said Vin, her eyes going from her sister to the slayer-witch. "So, I repeat, no, it is not overly ambitious at all. Besides, we have seen how hard you've been working. It's impressive. You are obviously determined to catch up, so...I have confidence in your ability as well."

"We both do," Sophie added.

Looking between the two, Buffy shrugged. "If you say so."

Vin nodded. "We do," she said firmly.

"So we'll just start at the beginning. Cure for Boils first, then we'll review the others and decide what we should brew next!" Sophie declared—then pointed. "All the ingredients we purchased are over there on that worktop."

Vin picked up the book and started to read about the Cure for Boils aloud. "Being an effective remedy against pustules, hives, boils and many other scrofulous conditions. This is a robust potion of powerful character. Care should be taken when brewing. Prepared incorrectly this potion has been known to cause boils, rather than cure them..."

"Oh lovely," Buffy said. "And gross."

Sophie chuckled. "Relax, love. All we have to do is follow the instructions."

Buffy nodded. "Right. That's just reading. Not hard at all."

Sophie smiled. "Exactly."

"All right, let's start," Vin said, rubbing her hands together. She didn't often wish to get her hands dirty, but this sounded interesting and fun. Not a night out on the town, but entertaining all the same.

But Sophie huffed. "Not until we've read the rest of the information about the potion," she said. "Or at least everything in the sources we have. You see, there are often several ways to brew a potion and we need to pick the one we are going to attempt. Look at this," she said, reaching for another book and opening it to the Cure for Boils potion. "Not all the ingredients are the same and mixing them could have dire consequences. Like a melted cauldron or even an explosion."

Buffy's eyes widened. "This sounds...scary."

Vin chortled. "'Scary,' says the Slayer."

Sophie laughed. "It isn't. Like I said, we just need to follow the instructions exactly, and then everything will turn out well."

"We'll defer to you, of course," said Vin—to which Buffy nodded.

Picking up the book, Sophie speed read the couple of pages—then she did the same to the other book. "The option in the first book sounds the most straightforward, so...Buffy, take a look at the ingredients." She handed the book to Buffy and pointed at the list.

Taking the book, Buffy quickly studied the list:

* dried nettles
* snake fangs
* horned slugs
* porcupine quills

"That's not very many ingredients," she said. "We can brew a potion out of this?" She looked skeptical.

Sophie nodded. "It's all about how you put them together," she said. "Collect those ingredients and bring them to the first cauldron. I've set up a pestle and mortar. And I have everything else ready to begin."

Nodding, Buffy went to get the dried nettle, snake fangs, horned slugs, and porcupine quills. When she'd gathered them—it was easy, because everything was labeled clearly—and set them near the cauldron, she looked at Sophie. "Okay. What's next?"

Sophie gestured at Buffy's potions book. "All right. Read the instructions completely. You should always know what you're getting yourself into before starting. Notice that this potion has two parts. After you've read it in its entirety, go back and reread part one carefully. This potion is for beginners, so it should be simple."

Nodding again, Buffy picked up her book and began to read it out loud.

"Part 1. Add 6 snake fangs to the mortar. Crush into a fine powder using the pestle. Add 4 measures of the crushed fangs to your cauldron. Heat the mixture to 250˚ for 10 seconds. Wave your wand. Leave to brew and return in 33-45 minutes.

"Part 2. Add 4 horned slugs to your cauldron. Take the cauldron off the fire before adding the next ingredient. Add 2 porcupine quills to your cauldron. Stir 5 times, clockwise. Wave your wand to complete the potion."

Looking over Buffy's shoulder, Vin said, "That sounds simple enough."

Buffy shrugged. "Yeah."

"Are we ready?" Sophie asked.

"Wait. What does, wave your wand mean? I mean...is there a special movement, like there is for casting spells, or do I just, you know, wave it around all willy nilly?" she asked as she picked up a spoon and waved it about.

Sophie giggled at Buffy's antics. "You're silly."

"Yep, that's me! Buffy the Vampire Slayer and her silly spoon-waving."

"Hmm. I bet there is a specific way to wave it," Vin said. "Do either of those books say anything about wand movements?"

Buffy shook her head. "Not this one," she said, referring to her school book. "It reads like we're just supposed to know."

Sophie glanced at the other book and shook her head. "This one doesn't either. They're both quite vague. Perhaps just a little wave of any wand is necessary. Or a slight tap on the cauldron. Or maybe it just has to be nearby. I understand its importance though...otherwise anyone could throw dead flies and asphodel into a pot hanging over a fire and have a potion. But really, that would give you nothing but a nasty-tasting, not to mention poisonous, soup."

Buffy hmm'd. "Okay. That sounds...sound. I just wish they were more specific."

"This is likely why you're supposed to be doing this in classroom with a professor hovering close and not in your own kitchen with—" Vin said.

"With two crazy witches assisting?" Buffy asked teasingly.

Vin and Sophie both laughed. "Exactly," said the former.

"Well, let's see how the first potion goes," Sophie suggested. "If we don't blow anything up or melt the cauldron, then...we'll move on to the next."

Vin nodded. "I agree. We have to start somewhere and...you really do need to practice these potions, Buffy."

Buffy looked at them skeptically, thinking they were banking a lot on her wand-waving skills...skills she wasn't sure she had. Sighing, she shrugged. "Okay. I guess. I mean, gotta start somewhere, right? I just hope I don't blow up your entire kitchen!"

"Relax, Buffy. What could really go wrong?" Sophie asked cheerfully—then gestured at the first cauldron in a purposeful manner, lighting a fire under it.

"Besides, if you make a mess, there's always magic to clean it up," Vin added.

Not ten minutes later, Buffy eyed the cauldron and said, "So, that's it? We just wait now?"

Vin and Sophie stepped closer and leaned over the cauldron to look at the mixture.

"Looks good to me," said Sophie.

Vin nodded. "And nothing has exploded, so..."

Buffy scoffed. "Yet."

Both Vin and Sophie laughed.

"Have some confidence, Buffy," Vin said sternly.

Buffy harrumphed. "We've only done five steps and we're waiting on the sixth. Lots of things could still go wrong."

Sophie patted Buffy's hand. "Relax, dear."

"Should we get the second potion going while we wait the 33-45 minutes for this? And...why 33-45 minutes? For all the exactness that seems to be required, that's not very precise."

Sophie frowned. "First, I'm not sure about the timing. It could depend on the cauldron used or...any number of other things. And second, no...let's get the first potion correct before we start on another one. We don't want to get ahead of ourselves. And we have all night, so why rush?"

Vin shrugged. "All right, I was just trying to be efficient."

Sophie chuckled. "You mean you wanted to start pouring wine," she said. "Go right ahead. I often have a little drop while in the kitchen."

Vin smiled. "Don't mind if I do then," she said as she picked up a wine bottle and poured them each a generous glass.

At precisely the forty-second minute, Buffy's Cure for Boils potion changed color, causing her to squeal with delight.

"I didn't think anything was happening, but... look!" she burst.

Both Vin and Sophie jumped up from the table where they'd been drinking their wine and scurried over to peer inside Buffy's bubbling cauldron.

Vin had cocked her head slightly as she studied the potion. "Should it be so...bright?" she asked, frowning.

"It looks perfect so far," Sophie said with a nod. "Now you can start part two. Are you ready?"

Buffy bobbed her head. While they'd been drinking their wine and chatting, she'd been reading and rereading the five steps of part two—over and over again! "Uh-huh," she said as she reached for the jar of horned slugs and a pair of tongs. "These things are gross."

Vin and Sophie nodded, but didn't say anything.

After adding four slimy horned slugs, Buffy removed the cauldron from the fire, then picked up the next ingredient—the porcupine quills—and added them. For a few moments afterward she watched, waiting to see if anything bad happened—like an explosion—then sighed with relief, because there wasn't one.

"So far, so good," Sophie said.

"Yeah," Buffy said, grinning as she picked up the stirring rod and preceded to stir the potion five times, clockwise. After that, she picked up her wand and gave it a wave—then waited nervously.

For several moments nothing seemed to change, but then Buffy and the sisters watched the swirling blue liquid begin to emit pink smoke. It was complete. And it was correct!

"I did it!" Buffy squealed with excitement.

Vin smiled. "You definitely did. You did a wonderful job!"

"We're so proud of you, Buffy," said Sophie.

"Okay. Which one are we brewing next?" the Slayer asked—and a discussion about which potion they would try next immediately ensued. Buffy wanted to brew something useful—not something they had no need of—but Sophie wanted to stick to something easy.

Buffy frowned. "Why would anyone need a Forgetfulness Potion, anyway?" she asked. "Or this Pompion Potion thingy? I mean, who wants their head turned into a pumpkin?"

Vin frowned. "Is that what it does? How silly!"

Buffy nodded. "Yes...and totally ridiculous, yeah?"

"I can see the usefulness of a Forgetfulness Potion," Sophie said. "Maybe there's something that someone wants to forget."

Vin nodded. "Or needs to forget. Like a trauma."

Buffy frowned. "I suppose. Though I can't imagine wanting to forget parts of my life. That's like...what therapy is for. Though, I don't expect a shrink is readily available here at the moment."

Vin and Sophie just stared at Buffy.

"Anyway...I'd still rather try the Antidote to Common Poisons. It sounds quite useful, if you ask me. Don't you think?"

"She has a point," said Vin.

"Or this Wiggenweld Potion," Buffy continued, gesturing at the book. "It's a healing potion with the power to heal injuries. I could have used this one when those vampires beat me up."

Sophie rolled her eyes. "As a slayer, you heal quickly by nature, so..."

"Could have healed faster," Buffy countered.

"She has a point," Vin repeated.

Sophie sighed. "All right! You can brew the Wiggenweld Potion next," she agreed. "It's a beginner potion too, so..."

"And if all goes well?" Buffy asked.

"If all goes well, then you can brew the Antidote to Common Poisons," Sophie relented.

Vin laughed. "Imagine that...Sophie Fairweather does have a level head after all."

Sophie huffed at this. "I have no idea what you're talking about. My head has always been level."

Vin snorted. "If you say so, dear sister."

As it turned out, the Wiggenweld Potion wasn't quite as easy as it said it was. There were a lot of ingredients and nineteen steps to complete it and Buffy looked completely bedraggled by the time she'd finished brewing it.

"Beginner, my ass!" the Slayer said as she pushed damp hair off her forehead and glared down at the turquoise potion that was now cooling in the cauldron. "That was not enjoyable at all."

Leaning forward, Vin stared at the potion and said, "It's quite pretty though."

"It is pretty," Sophie said, agreeing with her sister—then looking at Buffy. "It appears you have it right, so..." She shrugged. "It must not have been too hard."

Buffy hmm'd. "Yeah, easy peasy, just...look at me?" She gestured at herself.

"You look lovely, dear," Vin said.

Buffy snorted. "I look like a drowned rat. My clothing is soaked and my hair's all greasy. I'm a disgusting mess! Thank gawd Tom's not here to see me like this."

"I'm sure Tom would be proud of your hard work though," Sophie countered. "You've done well, Buffy."

"You really have, Buffy," Vin agreed. "You've completed two potions this evening...both done without a professor to instruct you."

"Excuse me!" Sophie snapped, her feathers obviously ruffled. "What do you call us?!"

"Not professors," Vin said. "But I take your meaning."

Pushing her hair back again, Buffy smiled a bit. "I'm not sure I want to brew another one right now. I think I need a shower."

Both Vin and Sophie laughed. "So take a shower then," Vin said.

Sophie nodded. "And we'll bottle these, then make something to eat."

Vin looked up at the clock. Hours had passed since Tom had left the house and they'd been so busy that they'd forgotten to eat.

Buffy nodded. "I'd like that."

"And then, if you wish, you can brew the next one," Sophie said.

"Or wait until tomorrow," Vin suggested—as she wanted to relax and drink her wine without distractions instead.

Sophie nodded. "Yes. This has been fun, but...perhaps we should call it a night."

Vin sighed with relief. She'd about had it with potion brewing.

"Okay," Buffy agreed. "I'll go get cleaned up. Be back in twenty." With that, she dashed out of the kitchen.

The sisters watched her go, then looked at each other. "What are the chances she's back in less than an hour?" Vin asked.

Sophie chortled. "It isn't likely, but it'll give us time to clean up and have a glass of wine."

Vin laughed. "A glass of wine? More like a bottle of it!" she corrected.

Sophie giggled, then started cleaning up the mess in the kitchen while Vin opened a new bottle of wine.