It was the third week of their seventh year, and the air in Potions class was heavy with the usual mixture of nerves, excitement, and the distinct, pungent aroma of brewing potions. The students of Gryffindor and Slytherin were crammed together at the long, narrow tables, stirring their cauldrons with varying degrees of focus and skill.
Professor Slughorn, as jovial as ever, paced around the room, offering words of encouragement to those struggling, while occasionally stopping to admire the work of the more gifted students—namely, Severus Snape and Lily Evans.
James Potter wasn’t concerned about his potion, though. His attention was split between several things. First, he was trying not to glance at Lily every five seconds, though it was becoming increasingly difficult as she sat just across the table from him, her fiery hair shining in the dim light of the classroom. She was focused, as always, on her work, looking more beautiful than ever. And second, he couldn’t help but glance over at his best friend, Sirius Black, who was sitting a few seats down, slouching as usual, trying (and failing) to look like he wasn’t about to burst out laughing at something Remus had said.
But then Professor Slughorn gave them the assignment of the day: Amortentia.
The most powerful love potion in existence. The one that would show them exactly what their deepest, truest desires were—at least, the ones that could be revealed by scent.
"Now, now," Professor Slughorn said, rubbing his hands together in glee. "Everyone knows that Amortentia smells differently to each person, depending on what they most desire. So go ahead, give it a good sniff."
James leaned over his cauldron, a bit more excited than he should have been. The thought of finally getting to smell his own deepest desires made his heart flutter a bit. Lily. Obviously, he would smell Lily—he had already imagined their future together, the house, the kids, the Quidditch matches. He was sure he would smell her perfume, or perhaps the faintest trace of roses.
But as the steam from the Amortentia rose, swirling in thick, intoxicating tendrils, James was hit by something unexpected. His nostrils flared, and the scent that wafted up to greet him wasn’t the flowery sweetness of Lily Evans. It wasn’t roses or lavender or anything he could have predicted.
No, it was something entirely different.
It was a mixture of musk and leather, mixed with something else—a hint of cinnamon and smoke. It was so familiar, so entirely Sirius.
James froze, his hand stopping mid-motion as he took another long sniff. The scent intensified, richer this time, wrapping itself around him like a cloak. It was so distinctly Sirius, so unmistakably his best friend. It was everything he had ever associated with Sirius: his cologne, the leather of his jacket, the warmth of his presence, and even that strange, intoxicating scent of his hair after a long day of running around the castle.
The world seemed to tilt slightly. His heart began to race, but not in the way it usually did when he thought about Lily. No. This felt different. This felt like something was shifting, something he hadn’t been aware of until this very moment.
“James? Are you alright?” Lily’s voice broke through his thoughts, and he turned to find her looking at him curiously. She was watching him with a furrowed brow, but there was a faint smile on her lips. Her green eyes were full of the same warmth, the same gentle affection.
“I—uh—yeah,” James managed, trying to shake off the fog that had settled over his mind. “I just... I think I’m allergic to something in the potion.” He waved his hand nonchalantly, hoping that his face wasn’t as flushed as it felt.
Lily didn’t seem convinced, but she gave him a knowing look and returned her attention to her own cauldron. James, however, couldn’t stop thinking about the scent. The overpowering, all-consuming, unmistakable scent of Sirius.
Was this a joke? Was the potion messing with him? His pulse quickened. He hadn’t planned on this. He had planned on Lily. He had already mapped out their life together. He had visions of a house in the countryside, children running around their backyard, long summer days spent playing Quidditch, and evenings by the fire with Lily at his side. It was all so simple, so perfect.
But now… now he was smelling Sirius.
James blinked, pulling himself back to reality. His thoughts were whirling as he tried to understand what was happening. Why was his deepest desire—his truest, most powerful longing—not Lily, but Sirius?
He stole a glance at his best friend, sitting across the table. Sirius was smiling at something Remus had said, looking effortlessly charming as always, his grin wide and carefree. But something about the way he tilted his head, his eyes flashing with mischief, made James’ chest tighten in a way that was entirely unfamiliar.
What was happening?
James closed his eyes for a brief second, his heart hammering in his chest. He hadn’t expected this. He hadn’t planned for it. He had always thought that one day, once he finally got Lily’s attention, things would fall into place. He had envisioned himself with her—confident in his future, his love for her sure and unwavering. But now... now he was standing on the edge of something he hadn’t even realized was possible. Something he wasn’t ready for.
Was he in love with Sirius?
The thought slammed into him like a bludger to the chest. No, that couldn’t be right. He couldn’t be in love with Sirius. He couldn’t be.
He had always seen Sirius as his best friend. His mate. The one who had his back no matter what, the one who shared his most absurd ideas and his most dangerous adventures. They were inseparable. He had always assumed that what he felt for Sirius was just a deep, unshakeable bond of friendship.
But now, with the scent of Sirius’s presence filling his lungs, James couldn’t ignore the truth. He felt something more. Something that went beyond friendship, beyond the easy banter, the inside jokes, the endless teasing. The heat in his chest wasn’t just from the Amortentia. It was something real. And it was terrifying.
James shot another quick glance at Sirius, his stomach twisting. His heart thudded loudly in his chest as he watched his best friend laugh with Remus. Why was he feeling this way? Why hadn’t he realized sooner?
“James?” Lily’s voice was louder this time, more insistent. “James, are you—”
But James couldn’t focus on Lily. He couldn’t focus on anything except the fact that his entire world was crumbling down around him. The life he had envisioned for himself—the one with Lily, the one he’d pictured since they were children—now seemed like a fragile fantasy, a dream that was slipping through his fingers.
It wasn’t just Sirius’ scent that was confusing him. It was how he felt when he was around Sirius. The way his heart raced when Sirius smiled at him, the way he felt that strange, inexplicable longing when their hands brushed, the way his stomach flipped whenever Sirius looked at him with that mischievous, knowing smile.
He wasn’t just smelling Sirius.
He was feeling him.
And the worst part? James didn’t know what to do about it. He didn’t know how to face this new reality, this revelation that turned everything he thought he knew upside down. He had already mapped out his future. He had already planned for Lily.
But now, it seemed like the map had shifted. The roads were no longer clear.
The future he had envisioned with Lily seemed a little further away now, a little less certain.
Because James had just realized something that had been hiding in plain sight all along: He was in love with Sirius Black. And he didn’t know if he was ready to face it.
---
Later that night, in the privacy of their dorm, James lay awake in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. His heart was still racing, his thoughts still a whirlwind of confusion and fear. Beside him, Sirius was snoring lightly, asleep on his back, one arm flung over the edge of his bed.
James’s mind kept returning to the same thought: How had he not seen it before?
He was in love with Sirius. And now he had to figure out what the hell to do about it.