Who: Ophelia and Mikael When: September 6, afternoon Where: Potions Classroom What: Potion Mishaps! Rating/Warnings: None....unless you count awkward Status: Closed/Complete
There was brewing to be done. While Ophelia knew that class would leave plenty of time for that, her brother needed his potion as well and that wasn't standard. It wasn't even known outside of by her - she had figured out the process and ingredients and she had not shared it with anyone. It wasn't like anyone else she knew would have had any real reason to brew it. Maybe eventually she would share it with St Mungo's, but she obviously wanted to be sure that it was going to continue working and keep her brother healthy.
Today she knew that was on the agenda, and she figured showing Mik some NEWT standard (according to what she had heard) potions so that he would be ready before anyone and he could practice what he had learned. She had her hair tied back from her face and she bustled about, getting things ready for the brewing session. She had a list : amortentia, felix felicis, and veritaserum were all on it for starting today. The love potion could be finished today as well. The others? They'd take a bit longer.
Mik had been in contact with the elves because he had promised an array of coffees and teas with all of the fixings for their potions work. He did not drink coffee, but he did enjoy tea from time to time, and this would be one of those times. It gave him a certain kick that helped him focus and since potions work was so exact he would have to be on his A game.
He entered into the room and smiled in his small way to Ophelia. "Hello Ophelia," he said moving over to her. "The elves are following close behind with our refreshments so that we can have a little extra energy for the work to be done." He was quite skilled in potions, but not on Ophelia's level. He was excited to work with her and gain new knowledge. "I'm ready to learn. Potions is such a handy skill to have, and I know I will put it to good use some day."
Ophelia looked up from the roots she was organising carefully and a tiny smile twitched the corners of her lips. "Hello, Mik. It is good to see you." She picked up the list and held it out to him. "Aside from Lae's, these are NEWT standard. We can start them all today." She thought that some of the three would be useful. The amortentia would be discarded, but the veritaserum and the felix would likely be good to have around.
She acknowledged the fact that the elves would be coming with a nod and pulled out a sheaf of papers. While technically all of the potions were in the textbook she preferred keeping her own notes on alternate methods she had worked on, and so she rarely moved to the text anymore.
Mikael looked over the list with a nod. The potions were standard NEWT level workings and would all come in handy at some point. Even the amortentia could be used to a certain advantage if need be. After all, love was a powerful motivator and bewitched love that bordered obsession? Well, it could be used as an effective torture device even if nothing else.
"These look good," he said handing the note back to her and gesturing the elves in and toward an open table. "Set it there and leave," he said with no emotion. Servants, after all, did not warrant courtesy. "Which shall we begin with? The potion for Lae?" He assumed that would be first on the agenda because of the important nature of the mixture. "Need any help sorting?" he asked, indicating the roots.
Ophelia would have been uncertain over the idea of using amortentia for that purpose but it would have made sense at the same time. She had never really loved anyone but Lae so if it had motivated her, it was only to work harder to look out for him.
A glance at the elves and she nodded acknowledgement to them. While she would have understood his assessment, she had largely been raised by her parents' elf and so she was civil to them typically. "We can start two on the list, and then move to the other two." She picked up a silver knife and pointed at the second pile of roots. "If you cut those while I do these things will proceed faster."
"Sounds like a good plan to me," he stated. It made sense that they would not take on too much at one time. Potions were a very precise product that required a great attention to detail, thus not doing all four at once would be the best practice.
He took the knife, enjoying the feel of the blade. Though it wasn't a sword, it didn't take much for him to appreciate a blade. Knives were handy as well, and he knew should the situation arise that he would be able to wield this simple cutting knife as well as a long blade. Of course that wouldn't be the case, but he enjoyed the blade none the less. "Very well," he said beginning the precise cuts on the roots.
"So Lae's potion, did you create it yourself?"
"The two starting now will be finished today. The others will take much longer." Keeping themselves organised to work on what would be finished first would be the best plan in her mind. That way the processes could be followed exactly and proper stewing and blending of ingredients would be done exactly as it was meant to be.
The knife he held was one of her favourites honestly and she watched him begin before she got to work on her own roots. Her hands were deft as she worked, concentration clear on her face as she did so.
"I don't much talk about it, but yes." She didn't talk about a lot of things so it wasn't really a shock honestly. She just did what she had to to help her brother.
"How much longer? And why extra requirements past this initial phase will they require?" He was eager to learn. He enjoyed brew work and felt like the classes offered at Hogwarts could be rather restrictive at times. This opportunity for extra instruction was not one that he would take lightly. He was so looking forward to it that he did not even register the fact that he was taking instruction from a female.
He noted that she was excellent with her knife as well. Obviously she was Well trained in this and took her potion making very seriously. That was good. That was what he wanted.
"That is quite an accomplishment. Experienced healers the world over struggle to make their own potions. Bravo, Ophelia," he said with a small nod. If she could create such a vital potion, who knew what her limitations were?
"Felix felicis takes six months to brew. There are additions that must be done during different moon phases and so it's a long process." She had managed it before but it was drawn out and so she had to time things very carefully. "Veritaserum only takes one moon phase, but it can be a bit picky." Because certain things had to be picked at specific times and added fresh, which could be a hassle.
"I simply wanted to make his life easier. It is nothing to applaud." A hint of pride was in her face though as she started to add her roots to her cauldron, using her wand to increase the heat of the flame so she could bring the liquid within to a simmer.
"I see." Those potions seemed particularly tricky with the length and the extra work that went into the making of them. "You must let me know when it is time to put more into them. That way you will not be alone in the continuation of the process." He was in this for the long haul.
"I am sure he appreciates what you do. You are a good sibling, Ophelia." He did not dole out compliments easily and they were always hard earned. The fact that Ophelia received one was a testament to her talent. "So," he said once he he finished chopping. "What next?"
"I have composed my schedule and will copy it for you." A smile and she started to stir the cauldron in front of her with one hand. "The flower and roots should be added together, do you'll have to pull the petals. After they're all in, stir it 24 times. Alternate 2 counterclockwise and one clockwise." It produced better results that way.
"I try to be. Lae loves me. I think he might be the only one." A moment of rare candor from her in stating that, and she kept stirring, adding in her next ingredient. "I guess parents aren't really supposed to care as much though." Because from what she'd seen it was common.
"Wonderful. I will pencil it into my own appointment book," which now that he was back in school was not very thick. Dueling club and potions club and class work. Finding the time to work on their private potions should be no hard thing to do.
At her instructions on what to do next he started pulling the petals off of the flowers. "I'm not sure I've ever heard potions texts give special instructions for stirring. Something you've found to enhance the potions?"
Mikael thought his parents cared for him in their own way. His father wasn't overly affectionate, but he was honest and open with him. His mother was affectionate, but tolerated no slip ups. He did not want pass judgement on her parents however. They were elders in their circle, of pure and noble blood. It would not be proper to comment. "You are loved, Ophelia. Lae loves you dearly. Many do not have that."
Ophelia nodded at his statement. They'd be able to come back and forth to work on the potions regularly and she believed she would enjoy the time they had to do that. He was good company and unlike most, she felt comfortable talking to him about things.
"The books are the simplest way. Not the best." Because most people didn't dedicate time and effort to making things the best they could. It was annoying to her but she guessed some people just found it acceptable to be mediocre.
"Lae is amazing." She smiled at the thought of her brother and carefully added her next ingredient to the potion she was working on. A small pleased look crossed her face at the colour change, and she glanced to his to ensure that his was going well too.
"The texts due tend to lean towards the water down version. I do believe that most things we are instructed upon have a better way of doing it, but of course not all people are worried about quality I suppose." Wasn't that the truth. Quality was not a high priority to most people these days sadly.
Her affection for her older brother reminded him of his affection for Serafina. Though they were but cousins, they were raised together. She was amazing, as well. Proper, talented, resourceful. The very qualities that would make her a good wife made him cringe at the thought of marrying her. She was, perhaps, the one person he was closest too.
It was a pity.
"I like to do what is best. Not what is easy." She carefully put in the ashwinder eggs in her potion, her eyes fixed on the work and the changing colors that were happening. A deep breath in though brought a frown to her face. It should have started to have a scent by now.
"I..." A tiny confused look as she shifted through her notes, trying to see what was wrong. The color was right. The shade was exactly what she always saw at this phase. She shook her head slightly. "I missed something. Something isn't right."
She had never messed up a potion around others and embarrassing herself in front of Mik? It made her stomach twist some.
"As do I. Easy is not always correct. We cannot get ahead in life if we do what is easy and ignore hard work. I like your philosophy." He planned on working very hard to see his mistress rise again, after all.
Mikael watched curious as Ophelia became flustered. He had never seen her like this and it alarmed him just slightly. Was something wrong? When she said that something wasn't right he peered over her shoulder into the potion. "What's wrong Ophelia? I'm sure we can do something to fix it."
He felt sympathy for her. It was obvious that mistakes were not something she was used to dealing with.
"Easy is rarely correct." Because when things were too easy it usually meant that shortcuts were being taken and the finalized product wasn't as good. She was used to working hard whenever she wanted to do something. It was important.
When he looked over her shoulder she frowned. "The color is right. The consistency. All of it. But I can't smell anything new. It's just...metallic. I think?" A small frown and she breathed in again, trying to find a new smell in the room and not detecting anything.
Had she said metallic? He didn't smell anything metallic. He smelled....parchment and paint? He leaned a little closer to her and took a few breath in. Perhaps he was getting the scent of the room confused with the scent of her. After all, she was an artist. "I don't mean to overstep, but I smell parchment. And paint. I do not smell anything metallic."
He took another deep sniff in and blinked at the fact that two more scents had been added to the mix. "Is that.....lavender? And it seems like the smell of the roots and herbs we have been using have intensified as well." He looked around confused. How could they be smelling completely different things.
"Amortentia has a very distinct scent, but it smells different for everyone. It is..." She looked thoughtful for a moment to try and decide how to explain it. "It is the scent of love for each person, basically. The things that most attract them." She ran her hand through her hair and frowned. "I should step back. You're smelling me. My shampoo and things."
She took a few steps away from him, knowing that the potion needed to stew at this point before the next steps were taken. She could let him see if she was wrong about making a mistake. Maybe he would smell something and there was just something wrong with her. A cold could easily explain it.
"What could cause what is happening then?" He was very confused about what was going on. He knew the properties of Amortentia. He knew it smelled like each individual's preferences. But he did not particularly like any of the aromas that he was smelling. They were not bad, but they did not define what he loved and was passionate about.
When she stepped away he took another step to the potion. No, it was not her or the potion. "No....I do not believe it is you. The potion smells like lavender and paint. And sometimes I catch a whiff of freshly opened parchment, as well. I don't think it should smell like that to me. It should smell like...." to be honest he wasn't quite sure. They he touched on the potion, but he'd never bothered to seek it out and smell it. "not that."
"I don't know." She looked very confused, a flicker of distress in her eyes now. It didn't make sense. She had done everything right and she'd never had this issue before. She sighed and moved to add the next ingredient in, stirring before looking at him. "I don't know what I did wrong. Everything is right but the scent."
A tiny frown as he detailed the scents. They were all things she would have associated with herself. That was strange. "Paint. Lavender shampoo. Herbs. And parchment. They're all smells that are sort of around me a lot." She ran a hand over her hair and brought it over her shoulder. "Smell. The same. I messed up somehow."
He did not want her to be distressed. The thought of her being troubled bothered him. He wasn't sure why he cared so much, but it bothered him. which in turn only confused him. "I watched you. You were very thorough and precise. Could something have been mislabeled?" He just wanted her to not be upset. For some reason, that was important to him.
When she started saying that what he was smelling could be applied to her, he frowned. It wasn't supposed to work that way, was it? Each person smelled what they loved, not the other people around them. What had went wrong? When she offered her hair to him he stepped forward and took a deep breath. Yes, the lavender was exactly the same. "I can tel no difference between the smell of your hair and the lavender of the potion,"
An odd thought occurred to him at that point, but all things considered it made sense. "Tell me, the metallic scent....is it twinged with a small burnt smell? Perhaps also a little bit of a earth smell?" All three of those would be indicative of a polished blade, which would definitely suit him.
"I am always precise. But...clearly I made a mistake. Perhaps something was mislabeled, yes." Because that would explain it possibly. "But normally... It wouldn't be almost exact. There would be color differences." Not to mention that if something went wrong enough things could explode. None of that seemed to be happening though.
"That doesn't make sense." Her voice was soft as she considered it. "You're betrothed. There has to be something wrong with the potion." Because clearly he could not be smelling her if it was proper amortentia.
A slight nod at his question. "A bit, yes. It's a strange smell. I don't think it's something I've been exposed to before." A small shrug and she looked back at the cauldron, pondering.
He glanced over at her notes on the color. It was perfect, from what he could tell. Nothing seemed to be wrong, other than the smells coming from the potion. "It does seem to be fine, other than the aroma. There has to be an explanation, however. I'm sure the blame doesn't lie with you, perhaps it's something to do with the equipment or something."
"Yes," he said slowly, "I am betrothed." He was thrown momentarily by that being brought up as he had completely forgotten about his pending vows to Serafina. Having it brought up, especially in this circumstance, made him falter. "I do not know what is going on," he confessed honestly.
"Ophelia, that is the smell of a polished blade. A true polish is tempered in a flame and the earth smell is the solution I use to preserve the metal. It is a solution that I devised myself, not a commercial or well known one." Why would she be scenting something that was so obviously his passion?
Ophelia continued to frown at it slightly. It didn't make sense that the smell would be the only thing wrong. It was eluding her what variable could have gone off to make the scent be other than it should.
She shook her head. "I cannot expect the potion to smell of my betrothed. I do not love him." A slight shrug and she absently bit her lip, staring into the brew. "It is strange. Very strange."
Her eyes moved to his face, her expression thoughtful before she slowly started to realize what was happening. She could not think like that though and she turned her face away from the potion, away from him. "I'll brew it again. It is probably a flaw with the cauldron. There should be standards, but the school may have gotten one that was faulty. Too much nickel in the silver or something of that sort."
Very strange, indeed. Mikael felt odd. He couldn't explain why he felt odd, but this whole situation made him feel very uncomfortable. It was not Ophelia's fault, but his gut was telling him something that he couldn't catch, and that uncertainty and odd feeling was bothering him. "It is very strange...." he said, thoughtfully looking over at the pearl colored potion.
The next thing he knew Ophelia seemed a little frantic, which took him off guard. He wasn't sure if the potion being incorrect was bothering her that much or if it was something else, but he was slightly dumbfounded at her rushed tone. "Perhaps we should brew it again in a different cauldron. Honestly, how do they expect us to work with faulty equipment? Another reason this school is on such a downward slide."
Because the cauldron being faulty was the only possible explanation, right? "I do hate to lose all of your hard work, however."
Ophelia waved her wand, vanishing the potion. She could not do this. All of this was too much for her to deal with. Her eyes moved to the other potion and she stepped forward, putting in the next things. That had to be finished. "I will order some cauldrons of my own. We can't redo it now. We have to finish Lae's though." Because that was vital.
Her hands were a bit shaky as she started to work on cutting up the next ingredient for the second potion, and her words, which had been coming so easily, seemed to have dried up. She wanted to be done so she could go hide in her room and pretend none of this had ever happened.
Her mood seemed to change considerable. Or maybe she was just now focused on the potion for her brother. He did struggle so much with social cues so he wasn't quite sure of what he was supposed to say or do. At a complete loss, he nodded his head. "Yes. Right. The potion for your bother. It needs our attention." He tried to get his head back in the proper headspace, but he was having trouble doing so. Her switch in demeanor, plus his own odd feeling, was making it nearly impossible to do so.
He went over and stood beside her and glanced at her. He wasn't sure if at this point he was supposed to comfort her or leave her be. Females and emotions and all that came along with them were completely foreign to him. Perhaps if he said nothing, her good mood would return and things would go back to the way they had been. That was his best course of action, in his mind.
Ophelia turned off all emotional ties to what had happened. Shutting down what she felt came easily to her and always had since she had to hide things from her parents, though it hurt a little to have to do with him. What had happened though? That was something she had to avoid.
She was grateful when he stopped talking and she quietly continued working, focusing as fully as she could on the potion at hand. It took a bit to get everything right but she did it, as she always did. It was bottled and she looked to him. "I think that's it for today. I'll have to get cauldrons we can actually use. Felix is a testy potion and I would rather not explode things."
It seemed that one minute they were still working and the next minute it was over and she was finished with the potion for Lae. He looked over at her as she bottled it, nodding slowly.
"Yes, I would like to avoid explosions too. Please do let me know when you have the new cauldrons so we can continue our work together." He knew she was having a hard time and assumed it was because the potion had been faulty. He hoped she would t beat herself up over it. Of course, he was oblivious to the real reason behind her attitude change.
He straightened up and nodded to her. "I will see you soon, Ophelia. I suppose I had better leave now so that you can get that to your brother," he said, gathering his things and walking out the door.