Sadly, There Is More Than Us

{6} Amortentia

I woke up to the sound of Lavender Brown running to the window. 

"Look!"

Everyone gasps and cheery conversation fills the Gryffindor girls dorm. Everyone crowds around the window. Groggily, I wake up. Hermione, in the bed beside mine, is rubbing her eyes and quickly fixing her hair. 

"They do know how to make an entrance", Ginny says.

I follow Hermione over to the window to find out what all the commotion is about, and I see a beautiful blue carriage pulled by a dozen Abraxans, flying into Hogwarts' Grounds. It elegantly floats around the sky before softly reaching the concrete. 

"Look over there, in the water.". Another girl has noticed a tiny, measly looking boat in the water.

"and that's how you upstage an arrival?" Ginny notes sarcastically. Then, from this tiny boat, a huge ship emerges from the sea. It is enormous, dark and powerful. 

"hmm, I'm sure there's a life lesson in this somewhere." Ginny jokes and the girls giggle. 

Excitedly everyone gets dressed in their robes to head down to breakfast. Hermione sends a few glares me way but I try to ignore them. Oh if only she knew.... If only I could tell her why this would never work.... no matter how strong our feeling are for each other. I wish I could turn it off. I wish I didn't feel drawn to her. I wish she hadn't come into my carriage on the train on my first day. Things would be so much easier.

I sit with the Weasley twins at breakfast, trying desperately to get a certain witch out of my head. Moody was staring at me from the professors table without blinking once. 

"What's with Madeye?" Fred says.

"Looks like he has a crush on L/N. Ay Y/N, have you been spending some time with Moody after class?" George follows as Ginny blows kisses teasingly at me, and laughs.

"Surprisingly boys, the....wondering eye, doesn't really do it for me" I sarcastically, joke back and they all laugh. 

Our fun is interrupted as Dumbledore stands and calls for everyone's attention. 

"About time, I'm bloody starving", Ginny says.

"Before we can eat," Dumbledore starts and Ginny groans in hunger, "I would like to introduce our partner schools, that our champion shall compete against in this years Triwizard tournament." 

As the ladies from Beauxbaton's Academy of Magic, beautifully frolic in, I catch Hermione searching my face. Perhaps she had every right to, as I'm undeniably blushing. These girls are beautiful and charming and their accents were to die for.  Hermione had anger and jealousy all over her face, but I ignore it. 

We were told that there were two days to put your name into the goblet. Throughout breakfast people gave out about the age requirements, but I don't understand why anyone would sign up to such a useless competition. I don't need eternal glory.. and I definitely don't need the attention. 

 I had been dreading potions class, I can't believe Hermione is my partner for the year. I walk in and everyone is huddled around a cauldron at the top of the classroom. "Can anyone tell me what this potion is?", Snape announces and Hermione's hand shoots up.  Snape ignores her, "No one?"

"Please sir", Hermione starts, "It's Amortentia, the most powerful love potion in the world"

"Correct Miss. Granger..... You recognized it, I suppose, by its distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen?'

"And the steam rising in characteristic spirals,' said Hermione enthusiastically, "and it's supposed to smell differently to each of us, according to what attracts us" Hermione glances at me. "For example, I smell, fudge flies, parchment, freshly mown grass, mint toothpaste and..." she catches herself and stops before saying to much. She turns slightly pink and does not finish  the sentence.

Snape rolls his eyes and a few Slytherins laugh and jeer.

 "Today, with your partners, you will try to create this potion. I have no faith that any of you will complete this... But after teaching for many years I've come to realise that expecting disappointment from the terrible students I am given, comes with the job." Snape says as we all rush along to our benches.

Hermione and I work on the potion while speaking as little as possible. I can  see that she is still very angry at me for my neglect to tell her why it is I've been distancing myself from her, but she also wishes to do well on this assignment. Forever trying to get on Snape's good side. That is until she can't hold it in anymore. 

"Did you smell the Amortentia?" she askes me through gritted teeth, "I'm sure it smelled of French perfume and blue silk" 

I roll my eyes.

"I find it quite amusing that you can't even glance at me but these girls come in and you can't keep your eyes off of them. So which is it Y/N, are you ashamed of liking women or not?"

That got my attention. My eyes shoot up into hers. "I-I'm not ashamed of-of... that"

"You can't even say it Y/N. it's ok if you are, I just want you to talk to me about it... to stop freezing me out", her voice cracks as she finished her sentence and I look at her with sympathy in my eyes. 

"Hermione" I say softly, putting my hand on top of hers, stopping her process of very aggressively chopping a rose, to put into the potion. "It's not that your a girl. Of course that's new to me but.... I can't- It's just really complicated" Her eyes meet mine again. It feels like she's looking into my soul. Her eyes glance down to my hand on top of her and I slowly take my hand away. 

We silently continued to create our potion. We ended up being the only pair in the class to complete it successfully. Snape was obviously impressed but tried to hide it. Instead of giving us house points, he had the nerve to take five away because ' Smugness and pride gets young girls nowhere in life', whatever that means. 

I knew the moment we had successfully created the potion as the most beautiful smells filled the air...

... Tea, old books, burnt wood and ....most potently.... Hermione Grangers perfume.