𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒 [𝐑. 𝐋𝐮𝐩𝐢𝐧]

𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐇 𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐇

Song:
Best Friends (The Weeknd)
"I love you so, but we can't get close. You're my best friend now."

31 of March 1977: Callisto would remember that day forever.

She had never looked at a potion with so many emotions all at once, disbelief washing all over her as Slughorn handed her a single, crystal vial, the beige etiquette reading "WOLFSBANE" on it with dark red ink. She switched off the fire a bit unsurely, observing the light blue steam rising from the cauldron and filling the room with an unpleasant, bitter aroma. It made her lungs burn, and she waved her wand, the window flying open.

"This is it, Callisto." Horace said, staring at the potion with the same awe. It was an azure blue color, nothing too extraordinary to the eye. If he didn't know better, he would have discarded it without a second thought. Yet, this potion could be the answer to so many people's pain.

Callisto closed the vial shut, her hands trembling as she let it down on the wooden desk.

"And now?"

"Now, we wait." Slughorn smiled mischievously. "There's someone I want you to meet."

~ ~ ~

Euphemia Potter told her sons everything. They were a tight-knit family, much different than Sirius' and Callisto's. It was obvious from the moment someone talked to James Potter, his borderline motherly attitude and bizzare quirks hinting at a happy family.

Perhaps that was why it felt so wrong for the woman, when she visited Hogwarts without notifying the boys. She could only imagine how offended James and Sirius would feel if they ever found out she didn't come to see them. Well, James would probably be passive agressive for a good week, repeating the phrase "my own mother..." many times to himself, while Sirius would probably pretend to look for another mother, while claiming that "third time's the charm."

Alas, she was here for business, called by her own professor from when she was in Hogwarts. She was curious when she received his letter, the allegations about a new potion that was worth a shot catching her attention immediately. Of course, she understood why Slughorn wanted specifically her help, when she learned that the potion creator was a 17 year old girl, going by the name of Callisto Claire.

She had known Thomas Claire from work for years, and she could swear he had no children. Euphemia had actually talked about it with Fleamont, when she saw Thomas and his wife, Vera, in Gringotts once. Fleamont and Thomas had been friends in Hogwarts, but had parted their ways amicably after James' birth. Well, it was more as if the Claires had disappeared off the face of Earth, but that was expected at some point.

After all, how many friendships lasted outside the walls of Hogwarts?

Unfortunately for the woman, the four Marauders had eyes everywhere, so after Euphemia was seen by Peeves roaming down the corridors, James learned it in an instant. One look at the Marauders Map was enough to convince them that indeed, Euphemia Potter was in the castle, and also to give them her exact location.