After telling Lily what happened last night, she forgives Sirius, but James is still on the outs. Two weeks pass with them barely speaking. I'm tempted to think there's a bit more going on than just her being angry at him for the party. I think she's mad at herself for liking him so much. Either way, both of them are my friends and even though they're arguing I'm glad to be able to hang out with all my boys again. Even though when Sirius and I are close together we both get fidgety and I blush a lot and feel kind of weird in my stomach, so I'll usually shove one of the other boys between us.

"Potions, come on, you two! We'll miss you too much if you leave now!" James groans as Remus and I rise from under the birch tree.

"James, you're acting like a toddler." I scold and drape my bag across my shoulders. It's November now and the cold has finally arrived to stay. It's refreshing, but also means we have to wear goggles during Quidditch. Not cute.

"Then you'll have to give into me, lest I cry." He fake pouts and I laugh.

"Nope. That's bad parenting. I'll leave you with your siblings." I wink to Sirius and Peter before heading up the hill with Remus. He'd been getting weaker this week and I often find myself fiddling with my changing moon charm. It's growing now. "How are you?" I ask gently and he glances over at me.

"Bit sickly, I suppose." He teases and I smile when he does. "The week before is always the worst." My friend shrugs before an interest alights in his eyes. "How does it feel for you? To change, I mean." His voice is low and quiet to avoid detection.

"The change? Or me once it's over?"

"Both."

I press my lips together to think as we walk through the castle. "Well, the change is easier now. When I first started it hurt, but now there's just an ache until either body settles in itself. After the change...I guess there's a choice. Choose to let your human mind take a back seat to the animal, or wield the animal." I tell him and he nods interestedly.

"And which do you choose?" He asks and I shrug.

"Depends on the situation. If there's danger I let the animal side take over because instincts usually know better defense than my panicked brain. Or if I just need time to not think, I'll let her just quiet my mind. Otherwise, I like to be me."

"Yes...I can see how that would be nice." His voice is quieter, but more from sadness than trying to stay undetected. I reach over and take his hand. His eyes raise to mine and he smiles, then squeezes sweetly. "So, what's going on with you and Sirius? It's been a bit weird between you two since the party." I actually stumble my own feet when he asks that and let go of his hand to fluff my hair.

"No, nothing's going on. I mean, we're fine. I mean, we're just friends." I answer while Remus stares at me skeptically.

"Okay. You are a terrible liar, but okay." He chuckles as we head into the potion's classroom. He walks over and sits with Lily as I settle at my usual table.

"It's a miracle and a travesty that no one has sat here yet." Garrett's voice drifts over as he stands in front of the stool. "May I?" I nod while setting my books and cauldron up on the table. We're quiet as my brain whirs restlessly. I like Garrett, I truly do, but my mind is too often on Sirius to entertain him of late. "Everything alright?" Garrett asks and I blink.

"Right, yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired." I tell him a half-truth before Professor Slughorn comes in.

"Alright students! We've got a very special class today. No brewing, so put your cauldrons away and just take out parchment and quills!" We all obey and I'll admit he has me curious. He walks to the back of the class and wheels out a long table covered in cauldrons to the front of the class. "Everyone up. Up, up, up!" He waves us all forward and I look to Garrett questioningly before following his orders. Severus, Lily, Remus, me and Garrett are in the front and Slughorn looks very pleased to see us there. Well, Lily, Severus, and I anyway. Slughorn claps excitedly and we all flinch.

"Now, I want each and every student to go through each potion and write down what they think it is. Only use your nose, ears, and eyes! Form a line, form a line!" He waves us back and we bustle about making a line. Poor Garrett ends up first with me behind him, then Remus, Lily, and Severus. He steps forward and I watch him carefully to see what his first reactions are. I scribble down the number of cauldrons, seven, with my handy pen before stepping forward when Garrett walks away with furrowed brows.

I lift the first lid and take a deep breath. My nose instantly wrinkles at the distinctive smell. Earthy and bitter; that's the draught of living death. I put the top back on and try to ignore Slughorn's delighted face following me as I go. The next cauldron's potion is a draught of peace easily identifiable by it's bright teal, then the next is the oculus potion that's deep orange and has bits of mandrake root floating around in it. The third is the antidote to common poisons that has a red tint from mistletoe berries, then the fourth is the antidote for uncommon poisons. Just a whiff of the fifth has me dizzy, so that's easily identified as befuddlement draught. The sixth is bright gold that shimmers even in this dim light upon the lid. Elixir to induce euphoria, almost certainly.

Finally, I come to the seventh cauldron and Slughorn's excitement reaches a peak.

"This is a tricky one, Miss Ackley." He warns as my hand rests on the knot of the lid. I nod and open it, then take a deep breath. A multitude of scents instantly surround me and my brows furrow as I try to name them all. Broom polish, chocolate, a soft flower smell, oh! That smell is the one that gets me and I grin. Broom polish for James, chocolate for Remus, and lilies for Lily. But there's another smell that's near intoxicatingly strong. I take another deep breath and the scent hits me like a slap to the face. It's that strange smell that's so distinctly Sirius, that wild dog smell with the leftover scent of rainwater. But why is that one so strong? I put the cap back down and nod to the professor before heading back to my seat.

I spend a few moments scribbling down what I smelled just so I don't forget and tuck it away in my pocket. "I think I got three," Garrett whispers as he stares down at his paper. I'm watching Remus go through and smile when he grins at the last cauldron. "How about you?" Sheepishly, I shrug.

"Well, uh-"

"All of them. You got all of them, of course, you did." I chuckle at his sigh and watch Lily breeze through them as I did, then watch her blush at the last one. That cinches it. Amortentia. I make a mental note to ask what Lily smelled later. The line continues and once everyone has gone Slughorn rolls it back where it was.

"Now, I want everyone to write out the ingredients to each potion you think it was. The student that gets everything right will receive a very special gift indeed! Class dismissed!" We gather our things and I sling my bag over me.

"See you later, Garrett," I tell him before he can suggest we walk together. My feet carry me to Lily who says goodbye to Severus to join me. "What did you smell in the last potion?" I ask and her cheeks brush pink again.

"Uh well, sugar cookies. My mom makes the best. Old books, musty sweaters, that could be Remus or my dad they both wear comfy sweaters, cigarettes, vanilla, and uh, broom polish I think." Even her ears are pink now and it's hard not to smirk. "What about you?" She asks back.

"Lilies." I sway into her playfully and she smiles. "Chocolate, broom polish, and...rain." I nearly slip and say Sirius, but manage to catch myself. "Seems we love the same people, Lily." Her eyes widen a little and I laugh.

"So, I'm lilies for you and you're vanilla?" I nod.

"That's my soap. Vanilla and brown sugar." I tell her and realization washes over her features.

"Aw, that's sweet then. Although, now I'm craving my mom's cookies. I'll send her a letter asking for them on winter break."

"That's still months away!" I tell her and she shrugs.

"Never hurts to be prepared. What will you do for winter break?" She asks and I frown at the very thought.

"Stay here," I say instantly. No chance I want to spend Christmas at the orphanage.

"Really?" Lily asks and I nod.

"Orphanages aren't the happiest of places even during the holidays." I joke as we come into the great hall for dinner.

"Right." She says, but there's something else whirling around in her mind. Maybe it didn't really sink in that since my parents are dead, I would live in an orphanage. Don't have any other relatives that I know of. "You could come with me for winter break?" She offers and my eyes widen. "My sister can be a bit...trying, but my parents and I would love to have you there."

"Lily, that's darling of you, really, but I'll be fine here," I assure her as we sit down. She must be really thinking because she hasn't realized that we've sat down next to the boys.

"Love, what did you do to red?" Sirius asks as we stare at her. She blinks and looks up, her eyes narrowing at James.

"Potter, Arell is thinking of staying here during Christmas." She tells him and he seems slightly afraid that her next words will be a hex. Lily stands, then bends over to whisper to me. "You may be able to stop me from kidnapping you, but the boys are something else." She grins before walking towards our dormmates.

"Was that a threat that I just didn't get?" James asks the group and we shrug. "Either way, Mane," He points to me while crouching in his seat. "this means I get to swoop you away to the paradise that is my household."

"James, that-"

"Nope! No arguments! Sirius is coming too since the other two were roped in by their families, so to deny me would only wound me further." My eyes roll and Remus hits him in the eye with a very well-aimed chip just under his falling glasses. "I'll write my parents as soon as I have parchment and can see out of this eye again. Moony, try aiming at something not crucial for Quidditch." Remus then smashes a creampuff on the table with a smirk. White cream splatters across James' lower torso and crotch. None of us can hold it together as he looks down and we fill the room with raucous laughter. James hops onto the table, pushing the food out of the way and strikes a few provocative poses before McGonagall threatens him with detention.

"It's settled then. Remus is banned from creampuffs and it'll be you, Padfoot, and me for Christmas." He finally says once we've calmed relatively. I sigh, but I've a huge grin on my face. I meet Sirius' eyes and can't help the fluttering in my stomach.

"It's settled then."