the brewer's handbook: amortentia | harry potter

- IV -

ㅤ _ ❀ V.

There isn't much room for Colette in the castle, so the fact she was given a little chamber to sleep in was surprising, even if it is the size of a muggle dorm room. There's a small kitchen and a common room with a bed instead of a couch, and there's barely just enough room to get around comfortably, but with the lovely Capacious Extremis charm, she can fit almost everything she needs inside the little dresser and cabinets. It's in a corner of the castle, so there's plenty of natural light coming through the gorgeous ceiling-high windows, and she rarely has to resort to lighting candles during the day. 

Except, when the day starts by getting fucked in the eyes by a harsh ray of sunlight, she curses under her breath at the large windows. She fumbles around, getting dressed, and realizing she'd severely slept in and the first class of the day had already come and gone. Her gloves are twisted around her arms, haphazardly showing off the tattooed vines, her cloak is working on falling off of her shoulders as she runs down to the dungeons, and to top it all off, her hair's a mess.

Colette stops just outside the classroom door, catching her breath before walking in. Inside, she can hear Professor Snape muttering to himself, "-Irresponsible! Is it so hard to be on time? And who makes trying cheesecake a deal for smacking her with a book, how immature do you have to be?"

His assistant leans against the doorframe, watching him wander about the classroom cleaning up what he would have been making her do, slamming cabinets, and setting down potions hard enough she's surprised the bottles don't shatter in his hand. Colette sucks on her teeth, making a wet, audible noise that gets his attention. "Are you done?"

Professor Snape simply stares at her for a moment, with no visible expression, before speaking. "Aren't you aware eavesdropping is rude?"

"Eavesdropping is rude?" She scoffs, wandering into the classroom before hopping onto his desk, letting her feet dangle over the side. "You certainly didn't think it was when you smacked me with a book."

Here they are again, in this stuffy classroom with enough potion fumes to make anyone who walks in dizzy, at each other's throats. It's like every time the both of them are in this room they get into an argument. Maybe the room is cursed in some way? A few students line up at the door, watching in a mix of confusion and fear as their instructors attempt not to kill each other, trying to stay behind the wall but close enough they can see the drama unfold. 

"If you're so sure I'm teaching my class wrong, then be my guest and teach it yourself!"

"Fine!" Colette gestures to the students outside the door, her gaze never leaving Professor Snape's. "Come on in, students!"

"You'll be teaching a Draught of Peace," Professor Snape smirks, ordering her to teach one of the more difficult potions known. What he doesn't know, though, is that his lovely assistant carries a small amount of that very potion around her neck in a small quartz vial. It's for panic attacks, mostly, they happen every once in a while and it's good to have on hand.

Professor Snape goes and sits in the corner his assistant usually does, crossing his arms as he observes. The students seem happy, elated even, for Colette to be teaching rather than Professor Grease-Bat, which helps boost her confidence further. She explains what the potion is, simply that it's used to relieve anxiety and agitation, and that with overuse or making the potion wrong, it can put the drinker into a deep sleep. She lists down the ingredients on the blackboard, noting that her handwriting is a little messier than Professor Snape's own, but still very legible. 

Powdered moonstone, powdered porcupine quills, syrup of hellebore, and powdered unicorn horn are gathered and brought to the front cauldron, set down on the desk for ready accessibility. Colette skillfully adds in the powdered moonstone until it turns green, stirring until the concoction turns blue, and then adds in more moonstone once again until it turns purple. She allows it to simmer, waiting for the liquid to take a pink shade before adding the syrup of hellebore, allowing it to take on a turquoise shade, instead.