FOUR DO YOU TRUST ME?

The first few days of classes for Eurydice's sixth year at Hogwarts were unequivocally some of the most boring days she had ever experienced. Nothing had really changed since last year except Snape had become the new Defense Against The Dark Arts professor and now, she was stuck with some new guy for Potions. She really didn't have to take Potions this year, but it was one of her favorite subjects and she was pretty okay at it so she might as well have something to kill the time. It wasn't like there was much to do around Hogwarts before Quidditch season started anyway.

Eurydice was watching with careful eyes as Hermione was explaining what one of the potions Slughorn brewed was, "It's rumored to smell differently to each person, according to what attracts them. For example, I smell freshly mown grass and new parchment and spearmint toothpaste--"

The girl blushes as if she just remembered something she shouldn't have shared and steps back. No one comments as Slughorn continues with what it was he was saying.

"Now, Amortentia doesn't create actual love, of course. That's impossible. But it does cause a powerful infatuation or obsession. For that reason, it is probably the most dangerous potion in this room."

Subconsciously, Eurydice had stepped forward. She wasn't leaning into the wafting steam as eagerly as some of the other girls in the class, but she certainly could smell the potion. It smelled like the air after a rainstorm, a warm fireplace, and -- Slughorn slammed the lid down on the cauldron before she could fully identify what she was smelling. She cleared her throat and stepped back, trying not to seem as into the love potion as the others. It wasn't that she was any better than them for not wanting to indulge in a love potion, she just preferred not to possess whatever knowledge the Amortentia would reveal to her. Besides, she already knew who she loved. Not that it mattered anyway.

Slughorn revealed what their assignment would be and whoever could brew the best Draught of Living Death would win a vial of Liquid Luck, but Eurydice already knew she would win no such thing. She didn't mind though, as she worked carefully with Hermione by her side. She ducked as Ron had tried to cut his Sopophorus bean, but the pressure from the knife had caused it to rocket across the room. Eurydice chuckled quietly, sharing a small glance with Hermione as the bean nearly hit Katie Bell in the head.

"So --" Hermione turned to speak to Eurydice until she noticed that Harry had managed to get the juice from his bean with ease, "Hey! How did you do that?"

Harry shrugged, "Crush it. Don't cut it or else you'll end up with a bean-shaped bruiselike Katie just did."

Eurydice snickered at this, making brief eye contact with Harry as Hermione argued with him, "No. The instructions specifically say to cut."

"No, really --" Harry tried to reiterate, but Hermione shushed him. The boy just shrugged and poured the juice into his cauldron.

Looking over at this, her eyes flickered back to the knife in her hand and the bean in front of her. Hermione glared at her, "Don't listen to him, it'll bruise my ego."

"We'll do proper experimentation, you be the control. You cut it and follow the instructions, I'll crush it. Let's see who gets juice faster," the dark-haired girl offered with a shrug. There was a biting smile on her expression as Hermione teasingly rolled her eyes but nodded anyway.

"Okay, fine," Hermione chuckled, "Three... two... one!"

Taking her knife, Eurydice pressed the flat of the blade against the bean just as Harry had and a satisfied smile spread across her face as the juice flowed bountifully. Sticking her tongue out at Hermione who was still struggling to get the knife embedded in the bean, she poured the juice into her cauldron as she watched it turn a blissful lilac color.

"I win," she commented as the bushy-haired girl shook her head with a laugh as she finally got her knife through the bean. Her potion was a bit of darker purple as she didn't seem to get enough juice out of the bean, but Hermione was just satisfied she had been able to cut it.

"Whatever," the girl laugh, "What I was going to ask before Ron's accidental assassination attempt of Katie transpired, I noticed you smelling the Amortentia, can I ask what you smelled?"

"I'd rather not discuss it," Eurydice sighed, her eyes drifting over to Harry who was concentrating on his potion. Thankfully, the conversation was interrupted as an explosion rattled the room. Turning around, the girls laughed as Neville's cauldron overflowed.

"Why is it always me?" Neville muttered to himself and the two girls chuckled.

Shaking her head, Hermione commented, "Poor Neville, never gets anything right. Your potion looks pretty good so far, though."

"You're still gonna kick my arse with yours, though," the dark-haired girl complimented with a smile, "I swear, I could follow these instructions to a T and yours would still turn out better than mine."

"If you've already given up, then of course mine is gonna turn out better than yours," Hermione laughed as the two girls fell into an easy silence as they worked.

"Pst, Eurydice," Harry whispered over to her, trying not to get Hermione's attention. She leaned over so she could hear him, Hermione and Ron both absorbed in their work, "Try tearing up the leaves before you put them in, don't put them in whole."

"Why should I listen to you?" Eurydice asked with a gentle teasing in her tone as she smiled at Harry, her eyes glancing back cautiously at Hermione. "Since when have you been such a potions aficionado? Very suspicious if you ask me."

Harry rolled his eyes, but it was clear there was no malice behind the motion, "Do you trust me?"

She scoffed, "Of course, I trust you."

The boy nodded, motioning to her cauldron and the ingredients in front of her, "So tear up your leaves."

"Whatever," she leaned back in her seat but tore up her leaves regardless as she sprinkled them into her cauldron and stirred. Looking over at Hermione, she saw her hair was twice as bushy as it had been from the beginning of class and it made Eurydice grateful she had remembered to tie hers up before it was affected from the steam.

After a while, Harry tossed one more ingredient in his cauldron and stepped back, signaling that he was finished. Everyone slowly finished up with the best they could considering it was such a difficult recipe especially for one of the first days following the summer holiday. Slughorn wove his way around the classroom, observing each and every mess of a potion.

"Not bad, Miss Granger, you as well, Miss Noblezada, definitely some contenders, but not quite," Slughorn muttered as he walked past their table. When he walked around to Harry's, he stopped. "Merlin's Beard! But it's perfect! So perfect, I daresay one sip would kill us all. Your mother was a dab hand at potions, but this... My, my, what can't you do boy? Perhaps you will save us all in the end... Here you are then. As promised, one bottle of Felix Felicis. Use it well."

Hermione scoffed as Harry reached out and grabbed the vial, all eyes in the classroom trained on his nervous expression. Eurydice didn't even mind that she didn't win, though, because hers had been on par with Hermione's and that was more than she had ever accomplished in potions so she was proud of herself. As the class was dismissed and students began to leave, Eurydice shot a glance at Harry only to find that he was already looking at her.

She offered him a small smile, saying, "Good job. And thanks for the help."

He grinned at her, "Any time."

eurydice and hermione's friendship makes me soft jk rowling WISHES she could write female friendships but NO no one is allowed to be like Other Girls >:(