Amortentia ↠ James Potter

THREE

Severus was somehow doubtful, frightened, and attracted all at once (whoever said that girls were the complicated ones was most certainly wrong).  As he drank in Marcella's appearance, it was quite obvious that she was nothing less than a goddess.  He couldn't help but notice how she resembled the snake embroidered on her well-endowed chest.  The way she paralyzed him with the venom of her beauty and he suddenly began to have difficulty breathing, as if she was wrapping herself around his neck (but what he really wanted was her wrapped around his waist).

"Are you alright, Sev?  I think you're turning the shade of Black's hickeys," Her melodious voice reminded him to take a breath.  Severus tried to repel his thoughts away with a mantra of Lily, Lily, Lily. It didn't work.

"You just look different," Cursing himself inwardly, he met her eyes expected to see a fury swarming within them. Lucius and Regulus had given him 'girl lessons' earlier in hopes of him moving on, and that sentence was at the top of the list for exactly what not to say to a girl. Yet, Marcella simply laughed and it caused a sigh of relief to escape him.

"I would hope after three bloody hours of maintenance I'd look slightly better," Marcella could not help but show off her pearly whites.  Sev had just indirectly complimented her, and it wasn't very often he admitted someone else besides Evans was even remotely attractive. Suddenly, it was if she could no longer feel the shaving nicks on her legs or the burns on her fingers (beauty was most definitely pain) because Marcella had never quite felt so beautiful.  She could clearly see the admiration in his eyes and the nerves in his voice, a reaction that reserved for a certain red headed Gryffindor.  Yet, right now, she saw it for her.

Throughout the conversation Severus hadn't noticed how close they were, to the point where he could feel her hot breath on his lips and he briefly wondered how her lips would feel instead.  Then he saw Marcella slowly move towards him and close her eyes, as if moving gradually would make Severus less uncomfortable.  It didn't.  When their lips were about to meet, centimeters apart -

Severus jumped back.  His first love was Lily, his first kiss would be Lily, and his first time would be Lily.  Not Marcella. It would never, could never, would never be Marcella. He didn't notice Marcella blinking back tears.  After all, he was too busy holding back his own.

Marcella was wiping underneath her eyes, silently wishing her mascara had not smeared.  It was a reasonable request; her heart was just shattered a few moments ago, so at the very least her makeup could cooperate.

"So, uh," Severus awkwardly scratched the back of his head, "Time to head to the Great Hall!"  He held out his arm to her, since it was a tradition of theirs from the beginning of first year.  Marcella, however, decided that if he was allowed to break her heart, then she was allowed to break a stupid ritual between them.

"I think the plan would work better if I go to the Great Hall alone," The surprise on his face forced her to give a reason, "Potter will be more likely to talk to me if I'm not with his mortal enemy.  I'll come back as soon as I'm done."

Her logic did make sense even if he heavily disagreed with it.  He thought that he should be there because it was as much of her plan as it was his, and he needed to be there for her in case something went wrong.

"Oh. . . Alright," Severus handed her the vial of amortentia, "Remember, slip this into his goblet and before you know it, you've got your very own Potter!  Hurry while supplies last!"  Even his awful attempt at a muggle commercial could not break the tension. Marcella strutted down the corridor, farther away from Severus and closer to James Potter. Severus banged his head against the walls, asking himself how he could have possibly fucked up his relationship with Marcella so badly in less than five minutes.

Her newly bought black heels (she was slightly wobbly as she had never worn heels before) clicked with every step, like a watch counting down her last moments. Marcella patted the pocket of her robes, validating that the vial was still there and this was not simply a bad dream. Her worst nightmare was coming to life as Marcella knew that, as soon as she slipped the potion into Potter's goblet, she would be just like her mother. So utterly unwanted to the point where it took a goddamn love potion to get a boy to look twice at her.

Standing before the Great Hall doors, Marcella stopped in her tracks and contemplated what she was about to do. Visions of being sent to Azkaban for administering Amortentia and the mantra "Like mother, like daughter" flooded her mind. Marcella Gaunt may have been from a family of monsters, yet she could not bring herself to become one. Turning on her heels, she began walking back to the Slytherin common room. Back to Severus.

As she quietly berated herself for even allowing herself to go this far, Marcella walked straight into a girl that was all too familiar. Her emerald eyes that Severus so dearly loved were staring directly at her, and despite the collision being Marcella's fault, Lily broke into a series of apologies.

"Oh, pardon me! I wasn't paying attention! I'm incredibly sorry," Lily extended her a hand and Marcella suddenly understood after so many years exactly why Severus liked Lily and not her.

Because Lily was kind.

Sure, Marcella was equally as beautiful and intelligent as Lily, but she didn't have Lily's heart. While she wasn't prejudiced like many of her housemates, Marcella had this darkness looming over her from the years spent at the horrid orphanage and not to mention, she was bloody related to the next Grindelwald. Lily smiled at Marcella, so widely and brightly, Marcella was positive it could cure dragon pox.

Marcella took her hand hesitantly, as if Lily would suddenly attack her at any moment (she slightly hoped she would so there would be at least one thing wrong with her), and quietly responded, "Not to worry, I was too wrapped up thinking about... the potions homework."

Nodding politely, "Slughorn is rather tough! However, if you need any help whatsoever, just ask me and I'd be happy to help!" Marcella felt nauseated at how perfect she was. "By the way, aren't you Severus' friend? He hasn't introduced us formally yet, but he talks about you all the time!"

Marcella wanted to scream about how that was a lie because whenever Lily talked, Severus was too transfixed to worry about anyone else, much less Marcella. "Yes, I am and he mentions you quite a bit as well. Marcella Gaunt, pleased to make your acquaintance." Marcella observed the flush on Lily's face as she mentioned Severus talking about her and she knew.

She knew that she'd have to go through with the bloody plan because she finally understood that Severus didn't really care about getting even with Potter. No, he just wanted to get Lily. And as Lily animatedly chatted about Severus, she realized the love of his life was well within his grasp. That is if Potter was out of the picture, of course.

Waiting until Lily finished talking, Marcella bid her goodbye with the promise of another conversation in the future and went back to standing in front of the Great Hall doors.

It didn't matter what the consequences were as long as Severus had the opportunity to finally win over Lily. Severus being happy was all Marcella had ever wanted and she knew he would never be content with anyone else besides the fiery redhead. This imaginary competition between Lily and her for Severus' heart had never existed as Lily was and always would be first place. Marcella wasn't even in the running.

She let out a humorless laugh as she threw open the Great Hall doors because both her and Merope had been in love with boys who would never love them back (like mother, like daughter).

▲▽▲▽

im back!!  this is really short and took forever but I hope you guys forgive me!  please don't forget vote and comment on this chapter as I love hearing from you guys! 

next chapter will have James reacting to marcellas makeover and im literally so excited I love them both with a passion