The Other Evans

Chapter 15

Chapter 15:

Developing Feelings And Brewing Amortentia

Jasmine was confused. She didn't know what was happening to her. That weird feeling she had...she just couldn't understand it. Every time she found herself around James Potter, she couldn't help I but feel...better? Relieved? Happy? It was a weird mix that she had never experienced before. In the last days, where she often had been found broken, he had always been there and consoled her. Somehow, he always had managed to find her. Jasmine was very grateful, but she did not entirely understand why he was being so nice to her. She also had noticed that he didn't ask  Lily any longer out, but lately spend much time with her, seeing that they had an upcoming Halloween Ball.

It was only a day before the Ball, and half of the school was freaking out. Girls ran with costumes in their hands, exchanging tips, hiding in the library and gossiping, boys presumed that their costume was the best, others flirted around, and others tried to disappear behind books. Yeah, the boys were the Marauders. Black had been flirting the entire last week and changed girlfriend four times, Potter had also been flirting (though without girlfriends) and been boasting about his costume, Remus had been trying to disappear behind his books and Peter simply stood there, not doing anything.

Jasmine wasn't that nervous, but she was a little; after all she had to open the Ball with Potter, as they were the Heads, followed by the prefects. What if she did something wrong? What if she blamed herself in front of the entire school? But then she remembered that she had won some prizes dancing, so she relaxed a little.

As previously mentioned, it was the day before the Ball, and she still didn't have a costume. The conditions were simple; everybody who was in Year 5 and up, had to wear a costume and, on midnight, right before the Ball ended, six Winners if the best costume would be chosen. Three girls and three boys. The first girl and boy, would be the King and Queen of the Ball, the seconds Prince and Princess and the third Duke and Duchess. To determine the winners, you would have to enter your votes in enchanted boxes, that only let you enter your vote, if you were voting for a girl and a boy. The winners would get special prizes: for the first place, a few galleons and a giant chocolate cake, for the second, a few sickles and a medium chocolate cake and, for the third, a few knuts and a little chocolate muffin.

Seeing as she didn't have a costume, Jasmine knew she would have to go to Hogsmeade right after lessons to buy it, and a few decorations, to adorn the Great Hall the next day.

So Jasmine attended all her lessons, until she only had one more: Potions, her favourite (and best) subject. When she entered with Alice and Marlene, they were greeted by the typical ,,Settle down, settle down" that Professor Slughorn always said.

,,Alright students!" He said ,,Today I am going to change your sitting arrangements!" Jasmine was okay that she didn't have to sit next to Lily any longer, and Lily was beaming, while shooting glares at her sister. This made her sad; Lily had seen her Boggart, but she didn't seem to care.

,,So...(Sirius)Black and McKinnon" Marlene beamed as she stood up ,,Yes, here, in the middle, no, two seats to your right. Good. Then, let's see" Slughorn looked at the little piece of parchment in his fingers ,,Yes, Vance with Lupin, McDonald with Pettigrew, Longbottom and Fortscue,Lily with Trelawney, Greengrass and Black-"

,,Excuse me sir, which one?"

Four voices asked at the same time. Jasmine turned around and saw three girls with their hands up, including (Sirius) Black. One of them had beautiful black hair and green eyes, the other one had platinum blonde hair and blue eyes, and the last one had brown hair and brown eyes. Even if they looked so different, Jasmine couldn't help but think they were siblings.

,,You, Andromeda" He nodded at the girl with brown hair, who did not look very happy as she sat next to the boy.

,,Alright, Snape with Bellatrix-" the girl with black hair walked over to Severus ,,-Narciza with Malfoy-" this time the blonde one stood up ,,-And Jasmine with Potter"

Okay, that surely wasn't a coincidence; how come she ended up with Potter no matter what? First they're both Heads, then the patronus, then he finds her crying and now she has him as partner for the rest of the Year!

Jasmine plopped into the seat next to him and looked at Slughorn, who seemed very pleased with himself:

,,Today you're going to brew...Amortentia!"

Of course. Of course he wanted to play matchmaker.

,,So, who can tell me what Amortentia is?"

The usual two hands of the Evans twins shot up, but he ignored them

,,Excuse me Mister Potter, but you're supposed to pay attention in class."

Potter groaned: ,,But it's boooooring"

Slughorn wasn't happy:

,,Well, if it is so boring for you, maybe you can tell me the answer to my question"

Potter leaned on his chair:

,,Amortentia is the most powerful love potion in the world, correctly brewed it makes you smell that what attracts you, it doesn't produce real love, just an obsession, bla,bla,bla. Happy?"

Slughorn, along with the rest of the class looked shocked: ,,Y-yes, Mister Potter. T-ten points to Gryffindor" He cleared his throat: ,,Now, you will brew Amortentia in pairs, instructions on page twenty-seven."

The entire class opened their books and started. Potter went to look for the ingredients, while Jasmine threw a look at the recipe and changed a look with Severus; it was, once more, wrong again.

,,Stop, Potter!" She said when she noticed what he was doing ,,You need to stir it four times clockwise, not counter-clockwise"

,,But the book says counter-clockwise!" He insisted

,,Well, the book is wrong"

Jasmine grabbed the spoon and closed the book: ,,This won't help us"

Once she was done, ignoring Potter's protests, Potter looked at her weirdly: ,,We are supposed to use the book, we're not, we're supposed to stir counter-clockwise, we're not, and the potion still looks perfect! How?"

Jasmine shrugged:,,One, the potion recipe is wrong, two, that's why I changed it, three, I invented my own recipe in the last thirty minutes"

Potter seemed speechless, even more when their Professor came over and yelled: ,,Perfect Potion! Like always! Fifty points to Gryffindor! Now tell me, what do you smell?"

Jasmine was a bit uncomfortable. She sniffed; broomsticks, a stag and an invisibility cloak. should she share that? She chose not to.

,,Broomsticks, a...an animal and...some kind of cloak"

The class burst into murmurs, trying to find out who she smelled.

,,And you, Mister Potter?" Slughorn asked. Potter neared the potion and, like Jasmine, seemed not to be telling the entire truth:

,,Flowers,-"

,,Do you know what kind of flowers?"

,,No, sir. Em...yeah, flowers, vanilla and...a Quaffle"