Weasley Twins - A Fate You Can't Escape

Chapter 142 - Amortentia Antidotes

Eric closes the shop in the middle of the afternoon and we get to work.  We research and brainstorm, spending hours trying to come up with a decent first draft.  It's dark before we even agree on a recipe, and in the wee hours of the morning when we finish the brewing.

Exhausted and frazzled, we stare down at the shimmer onyx colored potion next to it's pearled sheened counterpart.

"Well, I guess it's time to see if it works."  I blow out a breath.

"How?  Are you going to take the amortentia first?"  He frowns.  "I'd really rather you didn't."

"No need."  I bite my lip, not looking up from the cauldron.

"Oh."  He says quietly, putting some of the pieces together.  I still supply a bit of an explanation to fill in.  It's easier now for some reason.

"Amycus had me alter this.  And I am wondering if one of the side effects..."  I trail off.

"Prolonged effect."  He fills in, bending down to grab a glass under the bench.  I ladle a bit in and nod to him before downing it.  It takes about ten seconds before it comes back up.  I vomit into the potion waste bucket in the corner, not feeling sick really.  Just like the antidote was wrong.

"Maybe it needs to be altered like the version you made."  He suggests, and I feel like an idiot.  Of course it does.

"Alright, let's get to it then."  I announce, yawning.

"No.  We are going to eat, sleep, and then get to it."  He gives me a firm look, and I know there's no arguing.

"Fine."  I conceed, yawning once again.  

"Come on.  I got left over pizza upstairs."  He offers, nodding to the door.

"That sounds amazing."  I follow him out.  

I have the most pleasant time I have had in a long time, eating and talking with Eric like everything was still okay.  I lay down on his couch, snuggled under one of his many fluffy blankets, falling asleep quickly and peacefully.

***

The next day we get to work once more.  Thankfully I've brewed the altered potion so many times that it's not hard to remember.  We also take into account the continuous dosage I had, factoring that into the antidote.  It doesn't take as long as it did the first time to come up with a formula as we already had a base recipe.

At long last, it's set to simmer, needing a full twelve hours before it's ready.

"Hopefully this is the one."  Eric says as he opens the store.  It's mid afternoon at this point, and he can probably still get some sales from the after work ministry crowd.

"I'm not even completely sure that this is real.  Like, it feels like a betrayal to even consider that I don't actually love my deceased husband.  And I wouldn't have even considered it.  But, I remembered something he did before.  And it makes me wonder how he could have done that if he really loved me."

"I'm so sorry that you're going through this Hazel."  He wraps me in a hug, and I place my head on his shoulder, blinking back the sudden tears welling in my eyes.  

"Me too."

***

About two hours into the wait, someone familiar enters the shop.  

"Draco?"  My stomach lurches, leaving my confused.  Am I happy to see him?  Am I angry at him for the roll he played in Amycus's death?  But if I was drugged that that was a good thing?  I feel queasy at all the thoughts in my head.

"Hazel!"  His eyes widen in surprise, quickly followed be a grin.  "I'm so glad to see you!  We've been looking for you!"

"What?"  I frown.  "Why?"

"Because you disappeared!  We were worried!"  He explains, stepping closer.  "Can I give you a hug?"

 "You were?  But why?"  I still don't understand.

"Because we care about you."  He frowns, staring down into my eyes.  "We're your family."

"Oh."  I murmur, "I'll take the hug then."

He wraps his arms around me tightly, my nose pressed into his chest.  I give a discreet sniff, curious if he was the smell I've been trying to place, but no.  He's more of a fresh scent, smelling of apples and cologne.

"Teddy misses you.  He's been asking for you non-stop."  He tells me, still not releasing me.

"I miss him too."

"You could come back.  Come stay at the house with us.  I'm sure Andromeda would love to have you."  He offers, finally letting me go.

"Oh.  That's nice, but I still gotta save for a new wand."  I tell him.

"New wand?  What happened to your old one?"

"The aurors think that Amycus snapped it."  I shrug.  "Either way it's broken."

"So what have you been doing?  Out there without a wand?"  He scowls, seeminly angry at the situation.

"I got a muggle job, live in a muggle area.  Once I get enough to buy a wand, I'll come back."

"What about all your money from your jobs?  Didn't you have quite a bit saved?"  He questions, things not adding up.  

"My husband spent it all."  I admit, causing him to curse.  "It's fine.  He probably needed it to take care of me and Teddy."

"I swear, if you say one more nice thing about that monster I'm going to lose it."  Draco grumbles angrily, fists clenching as he turns and glares out the window.

"I-"  I don't know what to say.  My first instinct is to defend Amycus.  I love him after all.  But if my suspicions are correct, than Draco would be right.  "Look, could we maybe talk about this tomorrow?"

"Sure?  I can come back after classes?"  He offers and I agree.

"Yeah that sounds perfect."  I smile at him gratefully.

He picks up the order Snape had sent him for and apparates away, leaving me and Eric once more.

"Is it bad that I kind of hope that I was spelled to love Amycus?"  I ask the man, picking at a scratch in the wood counter.  "If it's reversible, then I wouldn't hurt all the time.  I wouldn't miss him so much." 

"No, it's not bad.  Losing someone is hard, regardless of the circumstances.  And wanting that pain to go away is also normal."  He assures me, but I still feel a bit guilty for that little bud of hope.

***

A blaring alarm goes off, causing me to bound down the steps to the brewing studio.  It's three in the morning, but I don't care.  It's ready.  Eric comes down after me, bleary eyed and yawning.  I peek at the potion, it's sheen similarly dark as before, but this time with hints of purple in it.

"Are you ready?"  Eric rubs his eyes, trying to wake up as I eagerly grab a glass.

"Yeah.  I'm ready."  I lie, nervous butterflies making my hands shake.  I fill the glass, taking a sniff.  I shudder, recognizing the smell of Amycus.  That's a bit on the nose.  If amortentia smells like what you like, does the antidote smell like something you hate?  Does this mean I was right?  Merlin, this is stressful.

"Cheers!"  I say with a grimace and down the potion.  I have the bucket nearby just in case.  But this one stays down.  A wave of dizziness hits me, and I stumble, Eric grabbing my arms to steady me.  My vision swims, black clouding the edges and I attempt to remain conscious.

"Should I apparate to ST Mungos?"  Eric asks, his voice sounding far away and muffled.

"No, give it a minute."  I gasp, sinking to my knees to be closer to the ground.  

And then the pain hits.  It feels like my brain is being split in two.  I might have yelled, but I'm not sure.  But I do feel the crack of apparation as Eric takes us to the hospital anyway.  I'm not sure what's going on, but I feel cold hands touching me.  And then, the pressure builds, and I pass out.

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