Amortentia

Chapter 9

“John!” Holmes said in surprise, setting down his book. The violin was sitting on the table as if he was about to start playing.
“Sorry I’m early professor, I had an early dinner.” John said.
“Professor sounds too adult, call me Sherlock.” Holmes said with a warm smile. Sherlock, John had never heard that name before, but it was still as beautiful as the one it was called.
“Okay, Sherlock, it sounds like Snape doesn’t like me very much.” John said. Sherlock was still in his robes, probably because Snape was around.
“Snape doesn’t like anyone.” John pointed out. Sherlock smiled, getting up.
“Give me a second, Snape hates muggle clothes and I can’t stand robes.” He said, walking through a door in the back. It leads to a small hallway, but that was all John could see. While he waited for Holmes, Sherlock, to come back, he got his ingredients out and prepared. Like last time the directions for the fire potion were still on the board, so John got a knife from the cabinet. Sherlock came back, dressed in the same slacks, purple button down shirt, and black jacket.
“Better.” He smiled. “So, the burning potion is difficult, but I think you can do it, just be careful about the Blast Ended Skrewt powder, we don’t want it to end up like last time.” Sherlock came over and sat across the table again, observing John’s work. John did his best not to stare at Sherlock, just sideways glances now and then. He concentrated on the potion, carefully adding all of the ingredients so he didn’t embarrass himself again. Sherlock didn’t interject with anything; apparently John was doing everything right. But then everything broke with the sound of a door opening behind him. Sherlock looked up and John turned to see Molly Hooper, another seventh year, standing in the doorway with an awkward smile.
“I was wondering if I could have potions help.” She said, her voice more high pitched than usual.
“I already have a student.” Sherlock pointed out.
“You can’t have two?” she asked hopefully.
“You can sit next to John, he’s halfway through though.” Sherlock agreed. John tried not to look disappointed as he Molly placed her bag beside him and sat down.
“So, what are we making?” She asked, looking at the professor dreamily. Sherlock and John both looked at her with confusion.
“It’s the burning potion we made before.” Sherlock answered.
“Oh ya, that.” She squeaked. Sherlock looked at her with annoyance, but she just gazed at him with wonder. John hoped he didn’t look like that, all love sick and disgusting. Molly took out her ingredients and started cutting up the fire newts, very sloppily. Sherlock didn’t correct her as he had with John, which John found odd.
“So, I heard that the new quidditch season is coming up, are you two going?” she asked.
“I’m the Gryffindor captain.” John pointed out.
“I don’t know whether I will or not.” Sherlock answered. Molly smiled at him flirtatiously, she drove John insane.
“I’m going, and I was maybe wondering if you’d like to come with Me.” she said with determination. Sherlock looked shocked, and a little scared.
“I’m truly sorry, but I can’t have any attachments to any of the students.” Sherlock said quickly as if he was trying to turn her down in the nicest way possible. Molly looked as she was about to cry, quickly packing up her things and running from the room. They watched her go with confusion, wondering what the whole point of the visit was. Once the door slammed behind her, John looked at Sherlock.
“Um, that was odd.” John admitted.
“Yes, it was.”
“Why’d you turn her down?”
“I’d turned down at least ten girls in the past three days.” Sherlock said with annoyance.
“Why’d you turn them down? I’m sure some of them were decent.”
“I wasn’t interested.” Sherlock shrugged.
“You told her you weren’t allowed to have attachments.”
“Well, I’m not supposed to.”
“You sound like you will.”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Who’s on your mind?” John asked, trying to hide the hope in his voice.
“Why would I tell you?” Sherlock asked with a smile. John looked at him with amazement, he already knew who it was, and it was him, Amortentia. John continued making his potion, trying his best not to mess up. Sherlock still sat in front of him, watching him with interest. John’s heart was beating faster; there was awkwardness in the air. They both wanted to say something, but there seemed to be a lump in John’s throat. Finally he added the last ingredient, powered musk root, and the potion was the correct shade of orange, bubbling slightly.
“I think it’s done.” John said. Sherlock got a log from the other fire as he did the other time and stuck it in the potion, watching as fire consumed it and letting the ashes fall to the floor.
“Perfect John, another 100%, and that was all you.” Sherlock smiled.
“Molly helped a little bit.” John shrugged.
“Not at all, she added one thing, and did a sloppy job.” Sherlock pointed out.
“Why didn’t you correct her like you did me?” John asked.
“Because she was only here to ask me out, not for real potions help, she does perfectly fine in class.”
“You said yourself that it was all Greg’s fault.”
“But Snape doesn’t see it like that, he thinks it’s you also.”
“Then why don’t you help Greg?”
“Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it.” Sherlock pointed out.
“That’s just a slogan.”
 “But he doesn’t ask for help, he makes up excuses.”
“Oh.” John said, looking into Sherlock’s eyes accidentally and freezing for a second, lost in the brilliant blue. Sherlock paused for a moment too, because he had looked into John’s eyes too, losing his train of thought. He blinked and got up, taking a flask from the shelf and holding it out for John.
“You bottle it, it’s your creation.” He said. John looked at his quizzically, but took the flask from Sherlock, their hands touching slightly, sending a tingle up John’s arm. John opened the flask and scooped a little bit of the potion in it. The bottles were enchanted to hold any type of potion, even one that burns on contact. John did his best not to splash any on himself, successfully thankfully. He handed it to Sherlock again, hoping their fingers would brush again, and he was not disappointed. Another tingle shot through his body, making him feel like he was floating. They were standing unusually close, and John hated the gap between them. He looked up at Sherlock, whose pale cheeks were blushing. He still smelled very good, making John sigh deeply with every breath he took, loving the Amortentia. Every second felt like a lifetime, but he was enjoying every moment of it. John could feel his cheeks getting hot too; there was just a small gap, easily closable with one tiny step. Sherlock took a step, but backwards, turning and walking to the desk and setting the flask down with a small thump.
“Well then, you should probably get to the common room, it’s almost curfew.” Sherlock suggested.
“Yes, ya I should, thanks for the help Professor.” John said, packing his stuff.
“Sherlock.” Sherlock corrected.
“Sorry, Sherlock.” John said with a small smile. He left the room slowly, hoping Sherlock would call him back, but no such luck, the door snapped quietly behind him and he ran as fast as he could up the steps to the portrait hole. The common room was still filled, and his friends had their usual spot in front of the fireplace. They all looked at him expectantly, but he let them hang for a bit as he sat down.
“Well, how’d it go?” Greg asked hopefully.
“I made a perfect potion.” John smiled. They all groaned.
“That’s not what we mean!” Sara pointed out.
“Well, I called him professor and he insisted I call him Sherlock, which must be a step in the right direction.” John shrugged.
“What type of name is Sherlock?” Mike asked with disgust.
“I’ve never heard it before, but I like it.” John said with agreement.
“Okay, go on.”
“Well Molly Hooper, that annoying Hufflepuff, came in halfway through the potion, and she asked him to go with her to the quidditch match.”
“What did he say?” Sara asked.
“I’m getting there. He turned her down, claiming he couldn’t have attachments to students, so she ran out crying. When I asked him why he turned her down he said that he’d turned down almost ten girls already. He said that he wasn’t interested, so I said that he told them he wasn’t allowed to have attachments.”
“And…” Greg asked impatiently.
“And he said that he wasn’t supposed to, so I said it sounded like he was going to have one and said he was considering it. But when I asked who it was he didn’t tell me.” John finished.
“You should’ve just kissed him, it’s obviously you.” Sara pointed out.
“It’s been three days.” John pointed out.
“Anything else?”
“When I was done he told me to flask it, and he handed me the flask. Our fingers brushed, and when I gave it back we stood close together, and he was blushing, but that was it.” John said. Greg smiled.
“You’re getting there.” He assured.
“It’s been what, six years with Mary and you haven’t even been able to talk to her, and it’s been three days with this Sherlock and look at you now!” Sara exclaimed.
“It’s easier when they know you exist.” John pointed out.
“Well we’ll help out mate, don’t worry.” Greg said.
“Don’t scare him away.” John smiled.
“I think we’re far past that, I think he’ll do whatever he can to impress you.” Mike assured. John blushed a little bit, but he was smiling slightly. It was so easy now, Sherlock liked him back, all the pieces fit together, and John felt for the first time in his life that he might actually have a chance with his crush. But it couldn’t exactly be public, he’d be hunted down by bullies, like Jim and Irene, and all of the girls that Sherlock had turned down, not to mention the teacher’s reactions. John, the potions failure, going out with the assistant professor and his grade magically going up, it would be very suspicious, but Sherlock was right, Greg was the one messing him up, maybe Greg needed extra help too, but he would never suggest it, extra help was the only time he and Holmes were alone. Snape would obviously be furious, expelling mood, but he always was in an expelling mood even though he never accomplished it. John was still nervous, Thursday was coming up soon, and he didn’t have an excuse for anything. Practice wouldn’t be that night, thankfully, it was still after tryouts and the official practices started Monday. They weren’t every night, only Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, sometimes Saturday, until the championships started coming. He still debated telling his friends, Greg was the one that had made him go into the woods that night, but when John ended up in the hospital wing they told him it was one of the giant spiders. Greg still didn’t know that the scars on John’s neck were the reasons he disappeared every month. John wondered if he could trust Holmes with the information. Probably not yet, that would definitely scare him off. Who could ever love a werewolf? Even his family abandoned him when he changed, not like they had a choice, but they were always terrified of their son anymore.
“I’m off to bed then, I’m tired.” John decided after a long while of silence. The common room was starting to drain out, so John climbed the steps to his dormitory, changed into his pajamas, and got under the covers of his bed. The air was starting to get colder, so the blankets felt warm and toasty, helping him go to sleep faster.