Potter and Evans

Amortentia

'James?' Lily said for the third time, without looking up from adding the rose thorns to their potion, but getting all the more agitated at him for ignoring her numerous attempts to get his attention.

James didn't verbally answer, but instead looked up at her. Her thick, red hair was covering her face from his view, and there was nothing more he wanted to do than reach up and push it behind her ear.

But no. He couldn't.

Lily slowly lifted her eyes to reach his and pushed the loose hair behind her ear as she did so.

'Are you errr...feeling okay?' She tentatively asked him.

He lifted his left hand and ran it through his already messy, black hair 'Sure.'

'...sure? That's not really an answer.'

'Why do you care?'

'I...' Lily trailed off, trying to think about why she did care, 'I just...noticed you looked down.'

'It's really none of your business.' He suddenly snapped, surprising himself.

Lily looked a little hurt, and James felt a pang of guilt arise in his body that clawed at his stomach, trying to break free. He desperately itched to apologise, to tell her that he was sorry, but he didn't. Instead, he turned back to their potion and added the peppermint.

'I'm sorry.' Lily half whispered, still looking into the place he previously stood.

James froze where he was.

'...why?'

'For...for...I don't know.'

James shakily chuckled. Did she know he heard her argument last night?

'I think I should be the one saying sorry.' James suddenly said, allowing the clawing monster of guilt to break free.

Lily opened her mouth to object, or say something like 'James Potter apologising? What's the world come to?', but she shut it quickly when she saw James continue to speak.

'I know it was wrong of me to continually ask you out when you already said no, but I...I'm just sorry. For everything.'

'It's okay, James. Really.' Lily smiled.

James returned it with a delicate, unsure smile of his own, and then he turned back to their cauldron, adding the last ingredients and giving it a final stir, just as Slughorn walked past.

He stopped at their desk to take a quick look into the cauldron and a had quick sniff.

'This is perfect! Well done! I knew I was right to pair you two up.' He added with a wink, before continuing his rounds through the classroom.

Both Lily and James leant forward to take not so subtle sniffs of their potion.

James' POV

I don't know which Lily to believe. The Lily last night, or the Lily just now. I know that her accepting my apology doesn't really mean we're friends, but at least she doesn't hate me anymore...right? Merlin, girls are confusing.

I didn't need to smell the amortentia really, it just confirmed what I already knew. The unmistakable smell of Lily hit my nose - her perfume and roses, but also the smell of the Gryffindor common room, and the quidditch pitch - what Moony said about it being addictive? He was right. As always.

Lily's POV

I was wrong about James. What I said last night maybe went a little too far. Sure he was annoying, and I'd still never date him, but maybe under his mask of immaturity, there was a genuine, loving person.

I leant forward.

The quidditch pitch. That was the first thing I could smell (which was pretty weird if you ask me since I'm not all that interested in quidditch). Muffled in it was the scent of freshly cut wood and a definite smell of parchment and old books. There was a another smell that I didn't quite understand though. It was quite prominent as well. I've definitely smelt it before, but I have no idea where. It was a soothing smell, but something I'd never had a chance to smell up close, yet something definitely familiar. I can't quite put my finger on it though.