PERFECT // JAMES POTTER

2. Amortenia

The girls were just finishing breakfast when the boys strutted through the doors of the Grand Hall, talking among themselves.

"Oh God, here we go." Scarlet muttered as the boys approached the table.

"Good morning my darling Scarlet!" Potter greeted loudly, swinging his arm around her shoulders as he sat down.

"It was a good morning until you arrived." Scarlet said quietly and shrugged James' arm off of her.

"You wound me." James replied with a cocky smirk.

Scarlet rolled her eyes and smiled at the others as they sat down too and began to shovel food onto their plate.

"Oh! By the way James, Sirius, Quiddich tryouts are happening next week." Scarlet informed them. She had gotten the place of Quiddich Captain this year and years to come and although she was ecstatic, she knew it would be hard work.

"What do we need?" Sirius looked up from his breakfast with his mouth full of pancakes.

"1. Swallow before you talk, it's disgusting. And 2. We need one more Chaser and a Beater." Scarlet said, rolling her eyes in Sirius' direction.

"Cool! What time?" James said, leaning his head on his hand.

"6 am." Scarlet replied simply while taking a sip of pumpkin juice.

Sirius spat out his milk.

"6 in the morning?!" He screeched.

"Yep, you need to be dedicated to be on the team." She said, watching the milk clean itself up.

"Fair enough." James said and he finally began eating.

After Professor McGonagall handed out the timetables, the girls left to go to their fist lesson of the year. Lily, of course, was hyper to start classes.

"Sometimes I wonder if she's sane." Dorcas muttered in Scarlet's ear as Lily began making plans to visit the Library whenever she can.

Scarlet laughed and asked, "What do we have?"

"Potions with the Slytherins." Mary chipped in.

Scarlet groaned.

They finally got to the dungeons and walked into the classroom.

"Partners?" Lily asked her best friend as they entered.

"Of course." Scarlet grinned and they sat down at a desk and took out their textbooks and cauldrons.

Slowly, everyone began to file on and take their respective seats.

"Good morning everyone!" Slughorn greeted as he stared the lesson, "Today we-"

Slughorn was cut off by four messy looking boys flinging the door open.

"Sorry we're late, Professor." Remus panted, running a hand through his disheveled hair.

"Not a problem, there are two tables there at the back." Slughorn dismissed them.

They walked over to the seats and James and Sirius sat together while Remus and Peter took the remaining seats.

"Anyway, who can tell me what potion this is?" Slughorn asked, lifted a vial of pearly pink liquid for the class to see.

Immediately, both Lily and Scarlet's hands shot up.

"Yes, Miss Winters?"

"It's Amortenia, Professor. It's the most powerful love potion in the world, of course, it can't create true love. It's supposed to smell differently to everyone, based on what they find attractive or what they like." Scarlet told Slughorn, who looked impressed.

"Very well done, Miss Winters! 10 points to Gryffindor." Slughorn praised before launching into a detailed explanation on the potion.

"I will invite everyone in the class to come up and tell us what they smell. Miss Prewett, why don't you go first?"

Alice obviously smelt everything that Frank likes, all the girls who shared a room with her rolled their eyes, already knowing the reason. A few other students came up and told the class what they smelt. There were normal ones like strawberry, rain, freshly mowed grass etc. Finally, it was Scarlet's turn. As she walked up, she saw James leaning very far forward on his chair and only stopped when Sirius pulled him back down.

Hesitantly, she sniffed the potion.

"I smell.. vanilla..."

Makes sense, her favorite scent.

"Pine.."

A classic, nice smell.

"And.....Broomstick wax?"

That's a bit random.

Slughorn chuckled and Scarlet walked back to her seat, confused. As she sat down, Lily nudged her in the ribs.

"Broomstick wax? You do realize who always smells of broomstick wax?" She teased.

"No! Don't be stupid! It's probably just because I love Quiddich!" Scarlet blushed, covering her red face with her hair.

"Yeah right. Now your face lives up to your name." Lily laughed.

"But chocolate, Lily? I hope you realize who is always eating it?" Scarlet shot back.

Lily stole a quick glance at Remus.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" She squealed, her face as red as Scarlet's had been.

"Who's the red on now?" Scarlet laughed as she began to unpack her ingredients to make the love potion.

____________________________________________

A couple of weeks after the first lesson, it was a Saturday and Scarlet and the Marauders were all sat by Black Lake. Remus was reading a book while sitting against a tree, Scarlet was sitting cross-legged in the sun, knitting a red and gold scarf and humming, James and Sirius were bantering back and forth and sometimes play-fighting and Peter would cheer them on whenever they did.

Scarlet was happily knitting when suddenly, the sun disappeared. She looked up to see Lucius Malfoy and his stupid lackeys behind him, sneering.

"Enjoying the sun, Granny?" He teased, kicking Scarlet's knitting out of her hands.

"I was actually, until your fat lump of a body blocked it." Scarlet shot back, standing up.

Malfoy's eyes narrowed.

"What was that, Mudblood?" He sneered.

That's it.

She took out her wand and held it to his throat.

"Say that again." She said darkly.

"Scarlet, stop. He isn't worth your time." Remus said, gently lowering her arm.

As soon as her wand was back in her pocket, Malfoy laughed, "You're pathetic with your empty threats."

She punched him.

And Remus didn't hold her back.

Lucius held his nose and started over-reacting.

"You'll pay for that, you Mudblood!" He yelled as he ran away, his lackeys following him like lost puppies. 

"Remind me to never get on your bad side." Sirius said in shock as Peter squeaked in agreement.

"He deserved that." Scarlet simply said.

"No, he deserved, much worse than that. Calling you a Mudblood, who does he think he is?!" James shouted angrily.

"Are you okay, Scarlet." Remus asked.

"I'm fine. I'll see you all in the common room later." Scarlet said as she waved and made her way back to the school, leaving the four boys behind to think.