long live (all the magic we made)

First Year

Maya gets sorted into Slytherin and she dons the colours of silver and green extremely well. The Hat didn't even have to think about it, a decision had been made the moment it touched her head. She tells the story to anyone who asks why she wasn't sorted into Gryffindor. The Hat doesn't make mistakes, at least never in all of Hogwarts history, and she isn't about to question it now. Besides, Maya has no qualms with being in Slytherin.

What she does have a problem with, however, is Potions. Slytherins take the class with the Hufflepuffs and the professor, whose name Maya has already forgotten, insisted on them finding partners in the other house. To promote inter-house relations, he said, mumbling something about the fact that Quidditch isn't the only thing that can bring houses together. She doesn't know what Quidditch is but she wants to find out because it sounds exciting. Right now though, she needs to find a partner before he starts lecturing her about being open-minded and willing to make new friends.

Maya's eyes dart about the room until they land on an empty stool next to a harmless looking girl who looks like she could pull both their weights in this lesson, which is excellent because everything is going according to plan. Coast through the year and then get her partner to share notes so she can pass the finals. Foolproof.

The professor is going on about something called Amortentia, which is what they'll be studying today. It is far too early in the year for them to try their hand at making potions, apparently, and they need to start with the basics: analysing them. This class just gets better and better, doesn't it? The girl next to her is listening with rapt attention and Maya is just about ready to drown herself in the potion she's meant to be studying.

There's a collective rustling noise as everyone gets their quills and parchment out and she takes that as a sign that they're starting to do their work. What did the professor say again? Something about this being the most powerful love potion in the world and something else about Amortentia smelling different to everyone based on what they love. It all sounds a bit far-fetched to her but she is in a school that taught magic and where the pictures move so Maya isn't about to doubt the good professor.

Her eyes flicker to the girl next to her, who is busy writing something down, before she leans toward the small cauldron that's set on the table between them. To be honest, she's quite curious as to what she would smell from the potion, and if she was going to be in the magic world then she might as well start taking advantage of it.

The vapour glows green as she breathes in deeply, and a sensation similar to getting vertigo after standing up too fast starts to bleed into her mind. Orange juice, like her mother used to give her every morning. Watercolours and graphite and the distinct scent of her sketchbook. Morning dew, fresh and clean, because she's always liked watching the sunrise. And something else that's almost familiar, tickling the edge of her memory.

"Hey! I was wondering, uh, if you were going to help me?"

Maya turns to the right, eyebrow raised at the girl who had just interrupted her thoughts. The feeling of vertigo is gone, and she didn't manage to figure out what that last one was. It's equal parts frustrating and frustrating, which made it 100% frustrating.

"I would, if you told me what to do," she shoots back, lips curling into a smirk as she twirls her quill between her fingers, watching the girl watch her. That's all it takes, really, for the both of them to fall into something that can only be described as instant friendship. It's like they click on some insane level that no one else knows the password to. Maya smiles when she realizes the lessons is over and they've done nothing, and Riley (that's her name) is horrified.

"It's alright, we'll do it on the weekend, the deadline is in a fortnight anyway," she says, standing up and cramming her stuff into her bag, letting herself smile genuinely at Riley as the rest of the class file out the door. Besides, analysing a potion can't be that hard.

It's not til Maya is halfway to the Great Hall for lunch that she remembers what that last thing was, from the Amortentia. Honey, which is weird because she's never been partial to that. Maybe magic makes mistakes after all.