Amortentia
“Dear Mr. Collins:
I talked to Mattheo as you asked me to. He suggested you writing to him directly the next time that you need any kind of information about him.
About the main topic of this letter: no, he doesn't know anything about a missing Lestrange. He said he doesn't know anything about his mother´s political family.
He also said some other things regarding you, but I suggest you write to him if you want to know. I shall not write those words in this letter.
Best regards,
Mía López.”
I sent the letter first thing in the morning, I wanted that issue to be over soon. My mind was more focused on Mattheo and the words he said the previous night. He changed topics smoothly after complimenting Mr. Collins´s taste, and thank goddess because I was at a loss of words. We didn't talk much anyway after that, we needed to go to bed before it became too late.
Breakfast the next day was way more enjoyable. I ate the same as always, but I could talk a bit with Neville. I wasn't as nervous about classes anymore so I was more social that morning. Neville explained a little bit about the secret passages at Hogwarts, apparently there were eight of them, seven were there since before the war, the other one was made during the lockdown at Director Snape's command. He said that they knew some students sometimes ran away from Hogwarts through those passages, but “Mía, I did it too, I can't scold them for doing what I did, what is life without adventures?”. I just made sure to remind myself sometime to check those passages, just to be sure they were safe enough.
An hour later, kids from their first year were all well sat, completely quiet and still in their seats. I could sense their fear, and I didnt understand why. I was probably more afraid of ruining this class and their interest in the subject, than they were of the subject itself. They looked at me expectantly, I had a seven year student by my side. Michael Gamp was an extraordinary student that looked forward to being an Auror, so he needed to excel in my class. He was the happiest person alive when I asked him to assist me in a little demonstration for the childs.
- Good morning sweethearts. This year is possibly the most adventurous and exciting year you will have at Hogwarts. Everything is new: new people, new subjects, new friends and new spells. In this subject you are going to learn how to defend yourselves against all aspects of the Dark Arts. Which one of you can tell me what exactly will we study? - One of the Hufflepuff´s kids raised her hand and I let her talk.
- Curses? - She whispered, I heard a collective gasp. Kids tend to think that is a prohibited word, parents are weird if you ask me.
- In fact, yes. - I gasped louder than the kids while I covered my mouth with my hand. - Curses will be studied. - I opened my eyes to the brim and the kids started to laugh a little. - But I'm sorry to inform you that curses are studied in fourth year and higher. - Another kid, a Ravenclaw this time, raised his hand.
- My brother said something about duels! - He was highly excited about it, it made me smile.
- Exactly! you will duel against the most fearful creatures on your first, second and third year at Hogwarts. - All of them were paying attention. Being playful while serious was crucial if a professor wanted their class full of children to be interested in something. - The creature's name is: mannequins! - I saw their fear disappearing from their eyes, it was quite the class. - We will study the dark creatures and how to avoid them, fight them, and protect yourselves from them. We will study hexes and jinxes too. Let me tell you all a secret… - I lowered my voice and all of the kids looked at me expentactly.- This is the coolest subject at Hogwarts, but don't tell the other professors! they will hate me! I also have a great student from seventh year here with me! His name is Michael and he is going to help me today. Who wants to see a duel between Michael and me?
The class was filled with shouts and affirmative answers. Many professors would be against my way of teaching. I knew I was too demonstrative, too sweet for their preferences. I was strict and serious about the concepts and exams, but I tried to be sweet and friendly towards every student, kids and teens need sweetness.
I positioned myself at one end of the platform and Michael went to the other one. We both bowed to each other in a sign of respect and started the duel. Michael was highly gifted at dueling, he was good at reading his rival´s head. He knew when to cast a protego and when to hex a jinx. It was a friendly soft duel so we only hexed basic jinxes.
Michael ended up on the floor with his butt bruised, but he was smiling and thanking me for letting him duel with a professor. I offered him my hand and helped him to stand up. I patted his back and accompanied him to the exit. It was his free period but I didn't want to take his time for the whole two hours that this class lasted.
- So, how was it? Do you want to be able to do all of those spells? - And the class was full of noise again.
Classes that day went perfectly, I had enough time to say all I wanted to say and teach enough to be content with it. Students were beginning to be fond of me so they always greeted me when I crossed paths with them in the corridors, it was nice.
That day I had some more time to go to my office to continue the adaptation of methodologies for some students. Some needed bigger calligraphy so they could read better, others needed more detailed and direct instructions etc, I didn't want to leave anyone behind because of their learning challenges. I was completely absorbed in my work when someone scared me. I felt like my heart stopped beating for a second when a hand was put on my shoulder. I turned to whoever was the person that did it, raised wand in hand.
- Wow wow okay I'm sorry! No need to hex me. - He had his hands up in surrender and a smirk on his face. He was going to be the death of me.
- Mattheo you can knock on the door you know. You still have both of your hands. If you scare me again like that maybe you won't be as lucky next time. - I sat again on my chair letting out a breath slowly. He scared me to death.
- I promise to knock next time! I noted in my brain to not scare the sweetest professor at school. - I looked at him surprised, eyes opened to the brim, and mouth slightly upwards. Why was he always like that? Who gave him the right? - At least that's what students say. One even said I stopped being his favorite teacher! You should be more fearful so I can be the coolest teacher again. - He pouted and looked at me with his full big puppy eyes. He behaved like a five year old kid sometimes. But it was more than okay for me.
- You are a Potions teacher, you can't be cool.
- What do you have against Potions?!
- Uh… okay, story time.- He let out a small shout in a super high voice and sat in front of me. - I was a student back then, I remember it was in my seventh year. We were learning how to brew Amortentia, and I was good at Potions, but that one is difficult as fuck. - He nodded. - So my partner and I were fully concentrating, but I made a mistake. Added something in the wrong portion and the potion started to smell so bad the entire class had to be evacuated. I kept smelling bad for days even if I took like four showers a day. It was horrible.
- …Oh my god. - He started laughing so loud that I worried students might hear him from the other side of the castle. He ended up laying on the floor trying to sit himself on the chair again. Even if I was starting to feel a little bit offended, I ended up laughing a bit too, his laugh was contagious. - You probably put too many rose thorns, that had to smell like hell.
- Yes, that's why I hate potions. You don't have a counter-potion for a bad smell. Too many things can go wrong. I leave it to you.
He didn't say more, he just sat closer to me and started doing his own job. Maybe he needed some companion those days. Maybe his class and office were too dark back in the dungeons. I didn't understand the reason why he was being so friendly towards me but it made me feel warm. I felt like I had a friend inside the huge castle. It was soothing.
We spent a couple of hours working until it was around nine in the evening, I stopped for good and closed every book that I had on the desk, and Mattheo did the same in silence.
- We missed dinner, so that gives me the perfect excuse to bring you to the kitchen, I'm sure that you have never been there.
- Oh right, I never thought of going to the kitchen. Who works there though?
- You will see, let's go!
We walked side by side for almost twenty minutes. It was a pleasant silence. The castle was mostly quiet, only some prefects from seventh year were warding the corridors until eleven o'clock, one of the “perks” of being a prefect. Prefects were given their position as such if they had great marks and behaved correctly, I thought that was more of an inconvenience than a privilege. We arrived at a corridor that seemed to be a dead end with an enormous paint of some fruits and vegetables. Mattheo stopped right in front of it and tickled the left pear, and then a doorknob appeared out of nowhere. Hogwarts was magnificent.
- Here we are, this is the kitchen!
It was giant, had an uncountable number of crockery, a lot of stoves, ovens, food everywhere, four full tables exactly like the ones at the Great Hall… and the most remarkable thing: it was full of elves.
- I don't know why I didn't think of elves, it was the same at Beauxbatons.
- They work a lot and really hard. But McGonagall made sure to give them all the rights they deserve, so they work a full time job of eight hours and they are given a salary, it's the basic but elves still have it really bad in a lot of places. - He looked a little agitated at that, his hands were moving around a lot, maybe a bad memory. - I will go to talk with Poppy, she probably can give us something to have for dinner in the living room.
When he came back he had two bags with food on his hands. He said that the elves noticed us not going to dinner so they prepared it just in case. They were so thoughtful and had so little credit for it… I was glad they had a good and decent life in the castle. We took one of the secret passageways to the professors´ tower so the food wouldn't get cold. When we entered our little living room the place was still the same, the couch still smaller like the prior day, but the table was a little taller so it was easier and more comfortable to eat.
- So sweet lady, here we have some roasted vegetables with potatoes and some meat, a couple of soup bowls and a couple of apples. What would you like to have first, my lady?- I wanted to vanish from Earth. Or to rail him. Both were good options.
- Oh sweet gentleman, thank you! I would like soup if it's okay, I need something warm before going to bed. - I helped him with the food but he made me sit.
- Let me warm you up. - Good lord I needed a cold shower.- With some soup, obviously. - Yes, obviously.
We had dinner together while talking about his childhood and how Hogwarts was decorated for Halloween and Christmas. He said that he usually spent his Christmas at the castle when he was a kid, and he still did it too. He had no family to come back to, and Hogwarts needed professors to look out for the kids that spent their Christmas at the castle. I wanted to spend my Holidays with him, but I had a family that I wanted to visit, a mother that was obsessed with spending holidays with the family, a father that I missed too much, and a grandparent to indulge with my stories about magic.
- Do you know that I received a letter from our friend Robert this evening?- I put my empty bowl on the table and sat facing him.
- Uh? About what?
- Something about having to behave better in front of you and stop saying “words that a good lady like Mia shall not listen”.
- Did he really say that? - I couldn't believe it. What was wrong with that man? I wasn't a teenager he had to take care. Mattheo nodded while laughing in a low voice.
- I'm not sure if he sees you as a little sister, or as someone to marry.
- Oh god, I hope neither of those options. - He came closer to me on the sofa, smirk on display, crossed arms so his biceps were in full view.
- Don't you want to marry someone? - I came even closer to him, hands on my legs. I wasn't wearing something too revealing, but enough for the crest of my chest to be seen in that angle. His eyes lowered to my chest. I smirked, that always worked. I wasn't proud or happy with my body, but men are easy.
- Not a narcissist. - His eyes came back to mine.
- Who then?
- Someone that doesnt mind saying words a lady like me shall not speak. - I winked and got up from the couch, retrieved an apple and got out of the living room. - Good night Mr. Riddle.
He wanted to play a game and I was all for it.