Everyone was having breakfast in the Great Hall. Students were chattering loudly adding a buzz to the environment.

Sirius frantically tried to steal the Bacon off James' plate, continuing till there was no left. Suddenly it felt odd, James would never let him from his plate, so he turned towards him. Surprisingly he had not even noticed that his plate was empty.

Confused, he followed James' line of sight only to give out a loud sign, catching others' attention.

"What happened?", Remus asked.

Sirius silently gestured towards James, now causing Remus to sign.

"Prongs!", Remus called waving his hand over his friend's face.

"Yeah?", he answered not paying attention.

"You are staring at her again! You have to stop or people will notice", Remus exclaimed trying to bring James back on his senses.

James turned towards his friends fully, giving them his all famous potter smirk.

"Relax moony! This year is different", he said in a calm voice.

"What do you mean?", Sirius immediately asked not understanding him.

"You will see", he simply replied. "What do we have first?"

"Potions with slytherins", Sirius replied grumpily.

"Ah! My favorite class. See you there Moony, Pads!", he waved at them as he got off the table and set his way towards exit.

"Potions with slytherins? Favorite? Moony did he hit his head somewhere?", Sirius asked the sanest of their group clearly overthrown by James' statement.

~#~#~#~#~

"Hello students", Professor Slughorn greeted his students as soon as he entered a class.

"No no", he said eyeing every student. "Since this is your sixth year, i have already planned a seating arrangement for you", he announced smiling brightly.

Collective groans were heard all over the class as everyone walked away from their seats.

"Lily Evans and Remus Lupin"

"Severus Snape and Dorcas Meadows"

"Sirius Black and Marlene Mckinnon"

"Levi Parker and Alice Fortescue"

"James Potter and Melisende Rowle"

WHAT?

Melisende looked over at James, disbelief all over her face. James himself was quite shocked at first but then smirked as he sat beside her. Even god was helping him.

As soon as everybody was seated at their places, Slughorn soon gave them the task to create Amortentia, the love potion but only the milder version. He also promised a small vial of Felix Felicis to the best potion maker.

"Bring the ingredients Potter", she ordered him while rolling her sleeves back.

As soon as James had brought them, she began the process. After giving a quick lecture about how he was not going to destroy the potion and all she started the process making sure that James was at least a few inches away from the cauldron. 

He finally slumped down in his seat knowing that Melisende was not going to let him touch anything. With nothing to do he observed her beauty, but also that she was keeping an eye on Lily and Severus.

"Um... Mel, Why are you looking at them?", he asked her clearly confused.

"They are our biggest competitors Potter, we have to defeat them! Plus i want that vial of luck potion so...", she cut down her words as she realised something.

"What did you call me?", she asked narrowing her eyes.

"Mel", he replied not knowing why it worked her up.

Melisende inhaled sharply.

"You haven't called me by that name since...", she trailed off as she looked in his eyes.

Realisation hit him like tons of bricks. He hadn't called her Mel since their last rooftop gathering. 

"I think it's time to stir the potion", he said changing the subject. He didn't want to change the environment and the fact that she was talking to him willingly. 

Melisende was halfly done with the potion when suddenly someone approached her.

"Hey Mel, can i borrow some powdered moonstone? Actually Alice knocked it away", she heard a voice say. Instantly she recognized the voice. It belonged to Levi, her best friend. But people often mistook them as a couple.

"Of course Levi, i am done with it anyways", she replied with a smile.

Levi grinned as he grabbed the ingredient and waved at her.

"Alright, time to add mother of pearl", she muttered as she extended her hand, expecting James to hand her the ingredient like he had been doing earlier.

But she wasn't handed anything, turning towards Potter she realized that he was deep in thought.

She huffed loudly, snapping back James into reality. 

"Why did he asked you?", she heard him ask.

"Who?"

"That Levi of course", she heard him whisper yell.

"Why not i mean? He's  my best friend after all", she replied as she glanced at him not understanding his deal.

"I just don't like him! The way he is all over yourself. Clearly he wants more and maybe you are willing to give it", he said narrowing his eyes.

What? Where did this come from?

"It's none of your business! It's my life, my choices. Also it's not like you care", she hissed not liking the way he spoke about Levi. It hurt. Surely James cared about her, more than himself! But she didn't knew!

"You stirred the potion! We aren't allowed to!", James yelled as he saw her following wrong steps.

"Who said we aren't to? It's simply not mentioned in the book!", she exclaimed feeling on the edge due to his behaviour.

"Exactly! It's not in the book. I don't want to fail potions because of you", he said pointing a finger at her.

James didn't knew why he felt so angry. Obviously it was not because of the potion but maybe a certain slytherin named Levi. Never in his life had he been concerned about failing a subject so it really didn't bother him. He himself didn't knew how he came up with that excuse.

"I know what i am doing Potter! Now if you will shut up, the potion is almost ready", she replied frustrated casting him an annoying look.

"Anything wrong Miss. Rowle?", she heard Professor Slughorn's voice behind her.

That's when she realised that the whole class was silently watching them argue. She bit the sarcastic remark that was on her tongue and answered sweetly.

"Nothing to worry Professor, we are finished actually"

"Let me take a look", Slughorn replied.

A bright smile crawled on his face as he tested the potion. "Ah! The potion is just perfect Miss. Rowle, always exceeding expectation. I am quite impressed my dear. I am sorry Lily and Severus, but Miss. Rowle's and Mr. Potter's potion is by far the best i have ever seen", he praised.

Shock was the only expression James could muster. She definitely followed wrong instructions, yet it turned out the best! Melisende just smirked.

"Now it's quite clear that the luck potion belongs to them. But as you know Amortentia smells different to each person. Take a whiff Miss. Rowle", Slughorn ordered.

Mel did as she was told.

"I smell broomstick cleaner, pine, cookies?", she said aloud more like questioned.

"Mr. Potter", James heard Slughorn say.

"Roses, vanilla and old books", he said in a heartbeat. He knew who he had smelled. She used rose perfume, her skin and hair smelled like vanilla and he was sure she loved the smell of old books. The person with these scents was right next to him, not feeling surprised he looked up.

Melisende was trying hard to think about whom the scents belonged to. She thought about each and every girl but not herself and that's where she made the mistake. 

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

Hello buddies!

Here comes the next chapter. I am trying to build the characters and the plot.

 Also I am not going to show James and Melisende together in the following chapters, because i intend to make it as lively as possible.

I hope you liked it!

~Queen of hearts.