Celeste || Sirius Black

Chapter 15: The Power of Potions

A couple of weeks passed by and in this time, none of the students met each other, growing busy with catching up on homework and studies. They had to be serious this year and could not wile away their time.

So when Lily Evans ran in the direction of the common rooms after her time at the library and bumped against someone, she did not care that they left her alone to pick her books up and ran down the hallway. But there was someone that was lending a hand.

"Here you go." He handed her a stack of books that he had collected.

"Thank you, James," said Lily, stacking her books together again. The librarian would give her a detention of sorts if she found scratches on the hard covers of the books she had given to Lily from the special section after Professor Slughorn's permission.

"No problem." He scratched the back of his head, not knowing what else to say. "I'll take half of that. I'm going to the rooms too."

Lily did not want to owe James Potter of all people a favour but she couldn't turn it down then. Her hands were going sore from carrying books all over the school all week long. "Thank you." She smiled and handed him half the load.

The two of them walked side by side, silent for the first corridor that they covered. "So," started James. "Can I ask you something?"

"Let me think about it." She extended the silence to tease him. "We'll have to talk about something to pass the time."

James smiled at her teasing him. "What is your relationship with Celeste?"

Lily stopped walking to look him straight in the eye. "What is it to you? Are you implying something? Look," she put forward a hand as if to stop him. "I can tolerate the laughing and the staring. But I will not hear one word against her-"

"I'm not implying anything! I'm sorry if that came out wrong. I just...." He sighed. "I just want to know where I'm going wrong. With you."

Lily's eyebrows knitted together. "What do you mean?"

"Celeste can talk to you so easily, and so can Sirius and Remus. So why can't I?"

"Maybe you should ask that to yourself rather than blaming others. And besides, even if Celeste asked me to be her girlfriend, I wouldn't deny her. At least she would have the guts to ask me out rather than wondering about it for five years." Lily hid her smirk as she continued walking.

James had a cocky smile on his face as he followed her. "Does that mean you would have accepted me asking you out too?"

"Too bad you won't find out."

"I would like to," he said, standing in front of her. "I want to get to know you."

Lily grinned. "Then buy me a cup of butterbeer first."

Meanwhile, drowning in Potions class with Professor Slughorn's endless notes were Celeste and Remus. The two of them did not start the topic that was running in their head but were more worried about the potion that they would have to brew that day as per the instructions of the Professor.

"You will be making a batch of Amortentia, also known as the Love Potion!" Professor Slughorn said, removing his glasses and making them rest on top of his book on the table that he was leaning against. "Whoever gets it close to the actual potion will be given a free period next week for studying. And once you have completed it, I expect you to drain it properly. I don't want any cases of romantic flings to reach the Headmaster's ears. Understood? Now. Begin the work!"

Gasps and horror spread through the room because this was a golden egg that nobody wanted to let go. NEWTs were nearing and time was slipping out of their hands, no matter how many times they tried to manage it. All they would need was one period of peace and calm to catch up with their studies.