#ANYWAY FINALLY some cosmo and flint content

[strawglicks]

Talk shit get hit, fireboy!

[rhodesmystery]

cosmos

July 27, Day 6: Potions

“That seems… quite specific,” is all Penny can say

Seventh year again! And I’m honestly 100% sure Penny could whip up something this powerful by then, too.

There were a small number of people Natasha had expected to run into partway through an afternoon in the potions classroom with Penny. Andre had not been at the top of her list. 

Never mind that it was only a few hours out from the Ravenclaw v Hufflepuff match, and she was quite aware that Hufflepuff wanted to pay Ravenclaw back for the disgrace from the previous year. Surely he should’ve been out with the rest of his teammates, at the very least, doing some last minute checks. Maybe a few strategies.

Instead, Andre had made his way, down into the dungeons, as Penny was busy messing around with high level potions, whilst Natasha herself simply doodled. A new plan of attack for the vault, but it had dissolved into little more than scribbly dragons burning buildings. 

“Andre, hey, what’s up?”

Natasha’s greeting was met with a loud sneeze, that did nothing but have both Penny and her share a smile. “What’s this? Star player, caught a cold? What would your team think?” 

Penny finished with a scandalised gasp, yet continued to carefully stir with her free hand. For his effort, Andre could only grimace, and pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket.

“Har har. I’ve been so careful all week, until Arnold left the window open overnight. And now I’ve got,” with irritation that could only so strong, Andre pointed at his nose, “this!”

“Why don’t you see Madam Pomfrey? You’d be better in minutes with her.” Natasha raised her brows, as Andre took a seat at their table. Only a few other fellow students turned at the scrape of the chair on the floor, and Natasha waved them off. 

“I can’t. Hufflepuff have the Hospital Wing locked up.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I heard you right.” Penny actually stopped then, hand raised over her cauldron. “‘Locked up’? But that’s a—” and then she pauses, side eyeing Natasha. 

With a snort, Natasha finishes her sentence. “Slytherin thing to do, yes, it’s fine. Granted, I haven’t orchestrated such an action. Been trying to play fair this year, after all.” 

“Apparently, Hufflepuff has thrown in with Slytherin. They want us out of the final, and if Hufflepuff beats us, they go into another round with Gryffindor, and Slytherin don’t have to verse us again.” Andre explains, as if the allegiance between the two houses shouldn’t surprise anyone. 

It did, of course. A slow sort of blink leaves both Penny and Natasha, as they survey Andre before them. “That seems… quite specific,” is all Penny can say, while Natasha went towards another stream.

“I’m going to throttle them. All of them. Honestly, what a bunch of pricks. I told them to not interfere.”

Andre looks at her then, a mild amount of alarm. “You knew they wanted to do something?” 

“To Gryffindor, yes. But I put it down before anything could happen. Selwyn wasn’t particularly impressed, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he put Flint up to this.” Oh, they were all doomed once she got her hands on them.

If the conversation was going to go any further, it didn’t, as Andre sneezed once more. “Anyway, back to my original point,” he begins, fishing out his handkerchief once more. He didn’t put it away, this time. “I need something — anything — to get rid of this cold.”

“Pepperup?” Penny was up and out of her chair before anyone had a chance to comment, already fiddling with jars. 

Natasha took the cue, dragging another cauldron closer while edging the one Penny had been working at to the side. “This one done?” It was bubbling gently, a soft sort of sheen to it. Distinctly, Natasha could smell honeysuckle, grass, and something she would consider an open fire. How strange.

“Need it to sit for half an hour before I keep going. I can make this quickly while we wait.”

Penny was nothing if not efficient, with how quickly she got the pepperup potion going. Andre too, was staring at the other one with some intent, frowning as the shimmer of silver seemed to turn pearly. “What?” Penny finally asks, as she’s stirring the contents of her second potion, until it resembled something thick and orange. At least that one smelt familiar and distinct, while the other one just. Kept dragging Natasha’s attention back.

“What’s that one?”

On one hand, Natasha could list the number of times Penny actually looked embarrassed. This was the fourth time. “Nothing, just messing around with a recipe.”

“It smells like honeysuckle.”That comment earns Natasha a very confused look. “… doesn’t it?”

“I—no, I smell broomsticks, and fresh rain…” from how Andre trails off, and with how Penny starts to look particularly proud, Natasha finally wrestles her book from her.

Flipping it around, Natasha pours over the details, before only being able to gape. Had Andre not taken the book off her next, they might never have questioned her. “‘Amortentia’? Penny,” and he sounded so scandalised, that she shushed him immediately.

“I was just experimenting! And I wanted a challenge. What better than… this.” She sniffs then, a small frown on her face, before returning to the bubbling orange concoction. “If you can smell something, that means it’s worked! My last few didn’t go as well.”

“You’ve tried this before?!”

With a shrug, Penny whips out a vial, administering some of the pepperup into it. Handing it over, she can only roll her eyes. “Oh, stop. I’m not going to give it to anyone! I just wanted to see if I could do it.”

Andre stares as he drinks, while Natasha finally snaps her jaw shut. “Penny, I’m am so proud, yet so terrified, of you sometimes.”

“Thank you.” A pause, as steam begins pouring from Andre’s ears. But he no longer needed his handkerchief, and was considerably clearer in the face. What a grand success. Until she smiles, noticeably wicked. “‘Honeysuckle’? ‘Rain’? Who are you two thinking of?”

“No one at all,” Andre answers, a little too quickly, and all Natasha can do is nod, before ending in a stare at the pearlescent sheen of the cauldron. Huh, who was she thinking of, anyway?