CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN: AMORTENTIA

The next day Lucy sat at the foot of Fred's bed, cauldron placed in front of her and she stirred the contents the correct amount of times before adding the final ingredients. Fred and George watched on in awe; it had taken hardly any time at all for Lucy to brew this. This potion alone would fill at least ten small vials which was the perfect amount to snare a victim.

"Done," she announced.

"How do we know it's going to work?" George wondered just as Molly Weasley's voice hollered for someone to help her out. There came protests from Ron and Ginny was oddly silent. George groaned and got up.

"You just have to smell it," Lucy responded before George left.

"What should it smell of?" Fred wondered, he got onto his knees and sat opposite Lucy, the cauldron standing between them.

"Whatever you most desire," Lucy bent forwards slightly and took a sniff of the contents of the cauldron. "I smell..."

"Yes?"

"You," a blush tinged her pale cheeks. "Freshly mowed grass on the quidditch pitch, Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans and the burning fire in the common room. It's all that things I associate with you."

Fred leant over the potion and sniffed too. He was instantly greeted with the smell of Bertie Boots Every Flavour Beans also and cinnamon as well as the very same perfume Lucy wore. He didn't want to admit the adrenaline that seemed to course through him at coming into contact with these smells; he loved it.

Lucy peered at Fred curiously and their eyes met. When she spoke her voice was low. "Don't get too close, you'll become addicted."

He winked at her. "I already am."

She picked up a series of vials. "Let's bottle this up, we can't have you in a trance."

He took a few vials from her. "Implying you aren't."

The burning fire smell from the common room, hit her inbetween her nostrils again and she gasped. Mortified, she stood up and opened the window. Fred was amused somewhat with her actions as she tried to clear her head of the smell.

George arrived minutes later, brushing soap suds onto his trousers. "Can you believe mum just made me wash up the muggle way?" He huffed then looked up to view the scene before him; Lucy practically hanging out the window and Fred spooning love potion into vials. "What did I miss?"

"Love potion, it smells of your deepest desires."

"Oh cool!" George grinned, his question finally answered. He walked over and smelt the contents before beaming.

"What is it?" Fred asked eagerly, thinking he could trap his twin into revealing his love.

George laughed a little and turned to his brother excitedly. "Money. This potion is going to be a real hit."

In no time at all Lucy had brewed enough Amortentia to fit in Fred and George's suitcase. George slammed the lid shut in triumph but then noticed a vial at Fred's foot. He picked it up and admired it.

"I know that smelling it works," George commented. "But do you really think it will?"

"I'm sure," Lucy nodded. "But I did say I'd be the test subject on any inventions I created so if you need me too I'll take it."

"But you brewed it," Fred reminded. "Won't that create self love?"

"Not if you're the one to administer it."

"How can you do that?"

"Hide it in a drink or in food; your choice."

Fred stared down at the potion before dashing out of the room. He returned with a chocolate cupcake and put a few drops of the potion on the icing. He offered the cupcake to Lucy.

"I feel bad," Fred did in fact look very concerned.

"Don't be, you both want to know if it works," she took the cupcake from his outstretched hand and took a bite. She chewed quickly and then swallowed the bite and set the cupcake down.

"How do you feel?" George asked, staring at her with excitement in his eyes.

"It doesn't work instantly," Lucy frowned. "I should mention that this won't create real love, only obsession."

"How will we know? You're in love with Fred anyway."

"You'll notice the obsession, don't worry."

Then came a knock at the door and they all stared at it.

"Who is it?" Fred asked.

Sirius poked his head around the door. "Only me. I was wondering if I could steal Lucy away from you."

"We're sort of in the middle of an experiment," George looked worriedly at Lucy as if she was going to throw herself at Fred at any moment.

Lucy guessed George's fears and glared at him.

"Well what're you up to?" Sirius invited himself in.

"Fred's just given me some love potion," Lucy shrugged. The twins were astonished at her truthfulness.

"Oh? What for?"

"They didn't believe the potion worked, they said it was just a myth. So I let Fred give it to me and now we wait."

Sirius chortled. "I love your stubbornness, care to join us so we can see if it works?"

"Sure," Lucy gestured to the twins. "But let them join us, they want to see the effects."

When they reached the kitchen, they sat around the table with Tonks, Remus and Sirius as well as —

"Hi, dad," Lucy waved.

"Lucy," he nodded, he'd missed her. He'd only decided to stay on from the meeting just so he could see her once again.

"Your daughter has taken love potion," Sirius interjected suddenly and pressed the tips of his fingers together excitedly. "She's proving to the twins that it does, in fact, work."

Snape glared at Sirius but his comment was intended for Lucy. "You fool."

"Don't sweat, it'll be fun," Lucy smiled a little dreamily, the potion was starting to take effect.

"Who administered it?" Snape had gripped the edge of the table at this point, furiously trying to control himself. He knew he should've taken her home yesterday despite her protests.

"Me," Fred spoke up.

This in no way improved Snape's mood, if he could kill the boy he would have there and then.

"No worries," Lucy stared at him with a smile and then looked at Remus and Tonks. "You've never seen anyone under love potion, right?"

"No," Tonks shook her head and when she finished her hair was a different colour. "I can't wait to see how this turns out."

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Lucy wondered, taking control of herself. She was wondering if she could possibly fight the love potion.

"How much do you know about animagus'?" Remus asked.

"Enough to know what they are but not enough to tell you how to become one."

"What if I told you I was one," Sirius' moustache twitched.

"No way!" Lucy gasped excitedly.

Her sudden outburst caused the twins to laugh but the look they received from Snape silenced them.

"Why're you telling me this?" It was the last sane thought she had.

"We were wondering if you'd like to learn how to become one," Remus offered, unable to stop himself from smiling at Lucy's dreamy look.

"Absolutely not," Snape spoke up. "I'm not having you dragging my daughter into your old school tricks."

"But she'll love it!" Sirius protested.

"I love him."

All turned to Lucy.

She had a hand on her chest and a faraway look in her eye.

"Who?" George prompted, knowing that Lucy's change in mood was definitely proof that the love potion worked.

"Fred Weasley," Lucy finished with a small giggle. "I hope he's going to ask me to marry him."

"What do you love about him, Lucy?" Sirius wondered.

Lucy took Sirius' hand excitedly. "He's got the most wonderful red hair, have you seen it? Oh! But his eyes, you could get lost in them."

"He looks exactly the same as George," Remus raised an eyebrow.

"Remus," Lucy stared at him as seriously as she could in the state she was in. "Don't mock me."

"You know he's right there," Tonks jerked a thumb in Fred's direction. "Go tell him how you feel."

Lucy's eyes followed where Tonks had gestured and her eyes landed on Fred's. She looked so lost in him. "I love you."

"Enough," Snape barked. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a vial but Lucy was too quick for him. She was lazily opening her handbag and pulled out a similar vial with the same potion and took it. Her expression returned to normal and she turned to her father.

"I always carry antidote on me, no need to worry."

"So it works," Fred breathed.

"Sorry for doubting you," George added.

I'm not, Fred thought slyly, he'd relished the way Lucy looked at him.

"That was not wise," Snape folded his hands on the table, still tense but glad Lucy had sobered up.

"I brewed it myself, I knew it wasn't going to kill me."

"I don't want you to get involved with — " Snape glanced at the twins. "The wrong crowd."

"Potions is my forte, I'm only involved in what you taught me," her voice surprisingly lacked sarcasm.

Snape got up, squeezed her shoulder from behind and whispered to only her. "Behave yourself."