Hermione's hand shot up again. "It's Polyjuice Potion, sir," she said.
Ron had guessed the potion as well, recalling their second year, and honestly, even now he was still impressed by Hermione. As usual, she was eager to display her knowledge and excel. He expected nothing less and was simply glad their Potions master wasn't the sniveling Snape anymore.
"Excellent, excellent! Now, this one here... yes, my dear?" said Slughorn, looking slightly bemused as Hermione's hand shot into the air again.
"It's Amortentia!"
"Indeed. It seems almost foolish to ask," said Slughorn, looking mightily impressed, "but I assume you know what it does?"
"It's the most powerful love potion in the world!" Hermione declared.
This time, Ron couldn't help but snicker, watching Hermione practically bounce on the balls of her feet to answer. He was somehow baffled that he finds this endearing, but then he realized he had chuckled too loudly.
"Quite right! But it seems someone over there has an opinion, uhh, red hair, Wuzzlebee?" Professor Slughorn addressed him.
Ron's mouth twitched. "It's Weasley, Professor."
"Ah, of course, I apologize; I am old, you see. Now, can you tell me the characteristics of the potion?"
Ron was stumped, doing his best to recall from the book, briefly distracted by Hermione at his side, practically tiptoeing while raising her hand.
"It has a mother-of-pearl sheen?"
"Right! And what else?" Professor Slughorn waved his hand, gesturing for Ron to approach the potion. Ron walked towards it, his face scrutinizing the brew, doing his best to remember. He briefly cast a look of help at Hermione casting a disdainful glance at him as if chastising him from all the nights he didn't study and looked away and went back to raising her hand.
"And the steam rises in characteristic spirals," said Ron, though without confidence, an urge to scratch his cheek rising. "And it's supposed to smell differently to each of us, according to what attracts us, and I can smell... uh... bacon?"
Someone lightly snickered in the back, and Ron didn't need to turn around to know it was Harry. "And leather and grass? Oh, Quidditch."
Someone harumph-ed in the back, and Ron immediately knew it was Hermione.
"And last is... uh... Rose? That can't be right. Parchment? With…" Ron narrowed his eyes, his nose twitching, struggling to describe what he was smelling. "Beeswax with a slight hint of vanilla?"
He looked towards the professor, baffled, and wondered if the ruddy old professor had botched the potion-making.
"Good job, Wallenby. Now, Amortentia doesn't really create love, of course. It is impossible to manufacture or imitate love. No, this will simply cause a powerful infatuation or obsession. It is probably the most dangerous and powerful potion in this room — oh yes," he said, nodding gravely at Malfoy and Nott, both of whom were smirking skeptically. "When you have seen as much of life as I have, you will not underestimate the power of obsessive love..."
"And now," said Slughorn, "it is time for us to start work."
Everyone returned to their tables. Ron noticed looks, sniggering, and even giggles echoing in the room, and was he mistaken? Because it felt like it was directed at him.
"What's that about?" Ron asked Harry beside him; Hermione was on Harry's other side.
Harry was fighting a grin but was clearly losing. His eyes suddenly lit up as if he had a brilliant idea.
"I think you should take my spot." Harry quickly moved, allowing Ron to see Hermione's horrified but pink-cheeked expression.
"Huh?" Ron was confused as he was shoved forward, a strange smell in the air.
He was about to ask what was wrong, but then, "Sir, you haven't told us what's in this one," said Ernie Macmillan, pointing at a small black cauldron standing on Slughorn's desk.
With the prize of Felix Felicis, Hermione seemed more determined than ever, while Ron, however, was just hoping the potion in front of him wouldn't explode.
'If I did, I've got to stop hanging out with Seamus…' He grabbed an ingredient; by coincidence, Hermione reached for the same one, their hands touching, and she yelped as if she'd touched a burning coal.
Ron was taken aback. "What's wrong, Hermione?"
"Nothing!" Hermione answered, her cheeks lightly turning pink as she avoided eye contact.
Since it didn't seem like the proper time to ask, they focused on their work, and when it was done, surprisingly, Harry was the one who won!
Hermione tried to chastise Harry for not following the 'proper' school potion-making methods, and he defended Harry's case, expecting their usual argument. But surprisingly, Hermione backed down, as if she didn't want to tangle with him at the moment.
They soon walked out of the classroom. Girls and even a few boys were still giving him smirking looks or giggles.
Hermione walked ahead fast, as if running away from something. "Hey, Hermione—" Ron, with his long legs, quickly caught up and grabbed her arm. He might have heard some girls shriek in excitement in the back, but maybe he was mistaken.
"What's wrong with…" Ron was about to ask, but the wind shifted, the strange smell wafted through the air, and his nose twitched.
A combination of the smell of Rose, Parchment, and candle wax with a slight hint of vanilla.
And the smell was coming from the witch, with bushy brown hair, pink faced and biting her lip.
"Oh…"
Ohhh…
OHHHHHH!