Potions and Partnerships. (Friendships?)
Reducio
If you would like to follow Lily and Tala's story from the beginning, you might want to visit this thread : viewtopic.php?p=1555211#p1555177
Date: September 5th 2025 | Friday
Location: Slytherin Dungeons, Potions classroom
Time: Late afternoon
Mention: @Lily Young
Tala was ecstatic. But also terrified. This was her first ever Potions class, and she didn't know what to expect. Wands and spells she could understand, but this was a completely different branch of magic, relying on precise weighing and adding and stirring...
She of course has already learnt everything that was in their book about the first potion in the book - which is what they were taking today, she assumed - but doing it was most definitely going to be a lot harder.
Walking along the dungeons with the other first years, their footsteps echoing, Tala finally got her first look at the Potions classroom.
It was cold, dark, and very large. It's stonewalls were lined with shelves holding stuff she wasn't really sure she even wanted to know. Turning her gaze away from the peculiar jars, she went to sit in the middle front row - her favorite spot ever since she could remember - when she noticed that there was somebody already sitting there.
Thankfully though, it was a double seat, so not all was lost. She went over to the Slytherin girl. Getting closer, Tala realized that she looked familiar. Where had she seen her before?
Before she could ask, the teacher asked everyone to get into a seat.
"Excuse me, do you mind me sitting here?" She said hurriedly instead.
Me and you? We're like the 31st of December and the 1st of January. So close, yet a year apart.
Potions and Partnerships. (Friendships?)
Interacting with @Tala Wehabi
The air in the dungeons was different from the rest of the castle, it was cooler, heavier and filled with a faint tang of couldrons and something Lily vaguely reconised as herbs. She shivered as she stepped into the Potions classroom, not quite from the chill. The room felt like a secret kept hidden under the castle, dimly lit by low-hanging lanterns. Shelves, filled with fars of things she didn't want to identify, stetched along the walls.
She recognized the arrangement well enough from reading. Rows of workstations, each with a small cauldron and a set of basic tools. Precision, consistency. No improvisation. The book had noted. Lily's fingers curled around the strap of her bag, her nerves reappearing once more. Potions felt less like magic and more of a puzzle with no room for missteps.
Still, she liked puzzles.
She had managed to get to class earlier than most students, the advantage of her common room being nearby. Other than two others seats being filled by the other students here alreayd, she had free liberty of where to seat. She chose the middle-front because it let her see the teacher clearly, which meant she could catch every little instruction and detail.
The tble was a double seat, meant for two, but the other side was empty. For now. She slid into her chair, and laid out her notes carefully. She had read everything about all the potions studied in the first year, but she reread the first one multiple times before arriving.
As the other first-years filled in, laughter and nervous chatter filled the room. Lily kept her eyes on her notes, till she her footsteps nearing her table. She looked up to find a girl asking if she could sit in the seat next to her. This girl seemed familiar, but Lily couldn't remember as her nerves picked up.
As she went to answer, yes, the teacher began the class and the girl sat down next to her.
The air in the dungeons was different from the rest of the castle, it was cooler, heavier and filled with a faint tang of couldrons and something Lily vaguely reconised as herbs. She shivered as she stepped into the Potions classroom, not quite from the chill. The room felt like a secret kept hidden under the castle, dimly lit by low-hanging lanterns. Shelves, filled with fars of things she didn't want to identify, stetched along the walls.
She recognized the arrangement well enough from reading. Rows of workstations, each with a small cauldron and a set of basic tools. Precision, consistency. No improvisation. The book had noted. Lily's fingers curled around the strap of her bag, her nerves reappearing once more. Potions felt less like magic and more of a puzzle with no room for missteps.
Still, she liked puzzles.
She had managed to get to class earlier than most students, the advantage of her common room being nearby. Other than two others seats being filled by the other students here alreayd, she had free liberty of where to seat. She chose the middle-front because it let her see the teacher clearly, which meant she could catch every little instruction and detail.
The tble was a double seat, meant for two, but the other side was empty. For now. She slid into her chair, and laid out her notes carefully. She had read everything about all the potions studied in the first year, but she reread the first one multiple times before arriving.
As the other first-years filled in, laughter and nervous chatter filled the room. Lily kept her eyes on her notes, till she her footsteps nearing her table. She looked up to find a girl asking if she could sit in the seat next to her. This girl seemed familiar, but Lily couldn't remember as her nerves picked up.
As she went to answer, yes, the teacher began the class and the girl sat down next to her.
Potions and Partnerships. (Friendships?)
Interacting with @Lily Young
Tala worked quietly next to the girl, following the teacher's instructions and hoping to not mess her first ever potion up. It was supposed to be a simple one, but she was struggling. Cooking wasn't really her strong suit, she didn't like it and didn't really care to learn how to do it. And unfortunately for her, potion making seemed - at least to her - as if it was very similar to cooking.
When the class was done, the teacher told them that they were to make a potion. It didn't really matter what potion - they can choose whatever one they wanted - but to keep in mind that their grade will depend on how perfected and complicated it is - they had a whole semester to work on it after all.
Murmurs filled the dungeon, some excited, some anxious. When they thought the teacher was finally done, he added one final thing. They were to work in pairs. At that, the classroom turned into a beehive, everyone trying to secure a partner they liked, and Tala's heart was actively trying to escape her chest. Who was she supposed to work with? The only person she knew who even wanted to talk to her was Veda, who was a second year. Sure, she would definitely help her if Tala asked, but she doubted that what the teacher meant.
She had tried approaching others numerous times before, but only managed to embarrass herself by freezing every time she tried to talk to anyone, leaving them wondering what was wrong with her.
Looking next to her Tala noticed that the Slytherin girl wasn't talking to anyone either, unlike the other kids who were shuffling out of the room in two's and threes.
She decided to give this talking to people thing one last chance. "Um, hi." Waving stupidly with one hand, and pressing her fingernails to her palms on the other. "I - I'm Tala. I was wondering if you wanted to do the project together? Unless you want to do it with someone else, of course." She added hurriedly.
Tala worked quietly next to the girl, following the teacher's instructions and hoping to not mess her first ever potion up. It was supposed to be a simple one, but she was struggling. Cooking wasn't really her strong suit, she didn't like it and didn't really care to learn how to do it. And unfortunately for her, potion making seemed - at least to her - as if it was very similar to cooking.
When the class was done, the teacher told them that they were to make a potion. It didn't really matter what potion - they can choose whatever one they wanted - but to keep in mind that their grade will depend on how perfected and complicated it is - they had a whole semester to work on it after all.
Murmurs filled the dungeon, some excited, some anxious. When they thought the teacher was finally done, he added one final thing. They were to work in pairs. At that, the classroom turned into a beehive, everyone trying to secure a partner they liked, and Tala's heart was actively trying to escape her chest. Who was she supposed to work with? The only person she knew who even wanted to talk to her was Veda, who was a second year. Sure, she would definitely help her if Tala asked, but she doubted that what the teacher meant.
She had tried approaching others numerous times before, but only managed to embarrass herself by freezing every time she tried to talk to anyone, leaving them wondering what was wrong with her.
Looking next to her Tala noticed that the Slytherin girl wasn't talking to anyone either, unlike the other kids who were shuffling out of the room in two's and threes.
She decided to give this talking to people thing one last chance. "Um, hi." Waving stupidly with one hand, and pressing her fingernails to her palms on the other. "I - I'm Tala. I was wondering if you wanted to do the project together? Unless you want to do it with someone else, of course." She added hurriedly.
Me and you? We're like the 31st of December and the 1st of January. So close, yet a year apart.
Potions and Partnerships. (Friendships?)
Interacting with @Tala Wehabi
Lily felt overwhelmed in her Potions classroom, the air carried a sharp, herbal tang. As she glimpsed at her notes and clung to everything her teacher said, unease settled in her chest. Potions wasn't like charms or flying outside in the fresh air. It demanded precision and had to window to make the air feel less suffacating. She liked puzzles and slight precision but Lily also liked to be outside and have more freedom and less fear of making a drastic mistake.
As the teacher finished explaining that they would make a potion and work on it all semester long, her classmates quickly paired off in hurried whispers. Lily was never good at this part, she couldn't rememeber the last time she freely went to ask someone if they would work with her.
As she glanced at the girl next to her, she thought she could maybe ask her. But Lily didn't know how to do that, and as she consideered it, the girl spoke. Lily listened carefully as the girl introduced herself and asked to work together.
Lily took a second longer than she wanted before responding, but she couldn't seem to find her words. "Hi." She spoke so softly she wasn't sure Tala could here her. "I'm Lily. I'd love to team up." After a moment of consideration, something clicked in Lily's mind. "I know you from somewhere, don't I? You were the one to help me in Flourish and Blotts. Yes, I remember now." Lily spoke in a rush, more so her thoughts spoken aloud than her actually speaking to Tala.
Lily felt overwhelmed in her Potions classroom, the air carried a sharp, herbal tang. As she glimpsed at her notes and clung to everything her teacher said, unease settled in her chest. Potions wasn't like charms or flying outside in the fresh air. It demanded precision and had to window to make the air feel less suffacating. She liked puzzles and slight precision but Lily also liked to be outside and have more freedom and less fear of making a drastic mistake.
As the teacher finished explaining that they would make a potion and work on it all semester long, her classmates quickly paired off in hurried whispers. Lily was never good at this part, she couldn't rememeber the last time she freely went to ask someone if they would work with her.
As she glanced at the girl next to her, she thought she could maybe ask her. But Lily didn't know how to do that, and as she consideered it, the girl spoke. Lily listened carefully as the girl introduced herself and asked to work together.
Lily took a second longer than she wanted before responding, but she couldn't seem to find her words. "Hi." She spoke so softly she wasn't sure Tala could here her. "I'm Lily. I'd love to team up." After a moment of consideration, something clicked in Lily's mind. "I know you from somewhere, don't I? You were the one to help me in Flourish and Blotts. Yes, I remember now." Lily spoke in a rush, more so her thoughts spoken aloud than her actually speaking to Tala.
Potions and Partnerships. (Friendships?)
Interacting with @Lily Young
"Really? You seriously want to work with me?" Tala's palm unclenched. Before she could find any more words, Lily told her that she remembered meeting her at Flourish and Blotts.
"Oh my God, yes, now I remember! I knew you looked familiar." Cringing at her overly loud voice - she tended to do that when she got excited - Tala dialed down her tone. A bit embarrassed, she asked if Lily wanted to walk with her to discuss their project.
"We can meet up in the library, or maybe in the Hufflepuff common room. Or the Slytherin common room. Whatever works best for you. I read about some potions that my father sometimes mentioned, an I was thinking maybe we can make Veritaserum or perhaps the Befuddlement Draught? Or ooh, maybe we can try the Polyjuice Potion, that would be amazing if we managed to pull it off. But definitely not Amortentia. I heard the girls behind us giggling and planning to brew it and try some of it on some Griffindor guy, and those are not the kind of people I want to be mistake-" Tala abruptly stopped when noticed the look on the girl's face which made her realise that she had got carried away, and had been talking non-stop. "I'm so so sorry." Her face burning. "I didn't even give you a chance to answer, it's just-"
It's just that the last person she felt this comfortable around was a girl from her old school. A girl who used to be her best friend. She was one of the only people Tala was sure would never leave her. But apparently, she was wrong. Not wanting to dwell on it any longer, she inhaled deeply, trying to reign in the flood of emotions that was trying to escape, and looked at Lily, waiting for what she'd say.
"Really? You seriously want to work with me?" Tala's palm unclenched. Before she could find any more words, Lily told her that she remembered meeting her at Flourish and Blotts.
"Oh my God, yes, now I remember! I knew you looked familiar." Cringing at her overly loud voice - she tended to do that when she got excited - Tala dialed down her tone. A bit embarrassed, she asked if Lily wanted to walk with her to discuss their project.
"We can meet up in the library, or maybe in the Hufflepuff common room. Or the Slytherin common room. Whatever works best for you. I read about some potions that my father sometimes mentioned, an I was thinking maybe we can make Veritaserum or perhaps the Befuddlement Draught? Or ooh, maybe we can try the Polyjuice Potion, that would be amazing if we managed to pull it off. But definitely not Amortentia. I heard the girls behind us giggling and planning to brew it and try some of it on some Griffindor guy, and those are not the kind of people I want to be mistake-" Tala abruptly stopped when noticed the look on the girl's face which made her realise that she had got carried away, and had been talking non-stop. "I'm so so sorry." Her face burning. "I didn't even give you a chance to answer, it's just-"
It's just that the last person she felt this comfortable around was a girl from her old school. A girl who used to be her best friend. She was one of the only people Tala was sure would never leave her. But apparently, she was wrong. Not wanting to dwell on it any longer, she inhaled deeply, trying to reign in the flood of emotions that was trying to escape, and looked at Lily, waiting for what she'd say.
Me and you? We're like the 31st of December and the 1st of January. So close, yet a year apart.
Potions and Partnerships. (Friendships?)
Interacting with @Tala Wehabi
Lily saw Tala's exitement and the way she was quickly speaking about her passion calmed some of Lily's nerves. Tala's unfiltered enthusiasm felt like fresh air coming in through the strong smell of herbs and potion ingredients. Lily's chest warmed with relief, she had been prepared for rejection, but there was someone who saw her and wanted to work with . This partnership didnt feel like a trap, like some of the others she had in the past. It felt like a new chance, a fresh start, even when Tala suddenly stopped talking and rushed out an apology.
Lily's lips curved into a soft smile as she tucked her hair behind her ear. "No, it's okay. Really," she said gently, her voice steady and cutting through the noise of her other classmates. "I like your ideas. Veritaserum sounds ambitious and tricky, maybe to tricky. But I've read about it, the truth serum right? I think it'd perfect to try, I've always liked a good challenge. We would need to plan out the ingredients carfully" She paused, her stubbron curiosity taking over. "The library works best for me. Is tomorow after lunch a good time for you?"
She looked over her notes, her own rambling made her shy self take over again. She lowered her head, recalling past hurts she tried to forget. She looked back up and internally shooked her head, Lily was not going to let past failed partnership ruin this one. "And if we nail this first potion we could go ahead and try the Polyjuice for fun after."
Lily saw Tala's exitement and the way she was quickly speaking about her passion calmed some of Lily's nerves. Tala's unfiltered enthusiasm felt like fresh air coming in through the strong smell of herbs and potion ingredients. Lily's chest warmed with relief, she had been prepared for rejection, but there was someone who saw her and wanted to work with . This partnership didnt feel like a trap, like some of the others she had in the past. It felt like a new chance, a fresh start, even when Tala suddenly stopped talking and rushed out an apology.
Lily's lips curved into a soft smile as she tucked her hair behind her ear. "No, it's okay. Really," she said gently, her voice steady and cutting through the noise of her other classmates. "I like your ideas. Veritaserum sounds ambitious and tricky, maybe to tricky. But I've read about it, the truth serum right? I think it'd perfect to try, I've always liked a good challenge. We would need to plan out the ingredients carfully" She paused, her stubbron curiosity taking over. "The library works best for me. Is tomorow after lunch a good time for you?"
She looked over her notes, her own rambling made her shy self take over again. She lowered her head, recalling past hurts she tried to forget. She looked back up and internally shooked her head, Lily was not going to let past failed partnership ruin this one. "And if we nail this first potion we could go ahead and try the Polyjuice for fun after."
Potions and Partnerships. (Friendships?)
Interacting with @ Lily Young
Tala was ready to say that she totally understood Lily not wanting to work with her anymore. No, really, it was on the tip of her toung. After all, who would want to work with the trainwreck of a girl Tala was? Surprisingly though, the first year smiled and said that it was ok. She smiled. A genuine smile, not just a patronizing one like the ones she usually got.
"Okay! So Veritaserum it is." When Lily mentioned trying the Polyjuice Potion Tala smiled a smile so wide that she was sure her jaw would hurt for days afterwards. Not just because she was really excited about brewing this potion that fascinates her on her own - though that definitely helped - but because this nice girl - who for better or worse reminded Tala of her - wanted to spend time with her even outside of the project when she didn't have to.
"Maybe we can plan out the ingredients tomorrow when we meet at the library? And yes, after lunch would be perfect. For our session tomorrow, we can write a list of the things we need so we can ask the professor if he has them in the storage room or not. In addition to any basic questions we might have about the potion in general. What do you think? And I can bring the snacks!"
Tala was ready to say that she totally understood Lily not wanting to work with her anymore. No, really, it was on the tip of her toung. After all, who would want to work with the trainwreck of a girl Tala was? Surprisingly though, the first year smiled and said that it was ok. She smiled. A genuine smile, not just a patronizing one like the ones she usually got.
"Okay! So Veritaserum it is." When Lily mentioned trying the Polyjuice Potion Tala smiled a smile so wide that she was sure her jaw would hurt for days afterwards. Not just because she was really excited about brewing this potion that fascinates her on her own - though that definitely helped - but because this nice girl - who for better or worse reminded Tala of her - wanted to spend time with her even outside of the project when she didn't have to.
"Maybe we can plan out the ingredients tomorrow when we meet at the library? And yes, after lunch would be perfect. For our session tomorrow, we can write a list of the things we need so we can ask the professor if he has them in the storage room or not. In addition to any basic questions we might have about the potion in general. What do you think? And I can bring the snacks!"
Me and you? We're like the 31st of December and the 1st of January. So close, yet a year apart.
Potions and Partnerships. (Friendships?)
Interacting with @Tala Wehabi
The excitment Lily felt grew when she saw the genuine smile on Tala. Which added to how Lily's nerves had fully disappeared now and realized that Tala's true happiness had lead to her own joy. She found that she was smiling widely herself and the assignment started to feel more like an after class activity.
"That sounds perfect," Lily answered with excitement she didn't often feel. "We'll be able to avoid future mistakes by making the ingredient list tomorrow. And I've got some notes on substitutions I can bring that I made while preparing for this class, just in case the teacher's storage is low and doesn't have the original ingredients available. Then we can go through the steps we need to take and see if there's anything we could prepare in advance." She was feeling more confident and knew she was talking a lot but needn't really feel like stopping. "Maybe after we understand the basics, we can start working on the Polyjuice steps too, if we have the time."
I can't wait to start this project tomorrow. I've never been this excited before, it feels a little weird. I really hope Tala doesn't change her mind about me, and still likes me by the end of this project. She's really nice and would be such a good friend. I just know it.
The excitment Lily felt grew when she saw the genuine smile on Tala. Which added to how Lily's nerves had fully disappeared now and realized that Tala's true happiness had lead to her own joy. She found that she was smiling widely herself and the assignment started to feel more like an after class activity.
"That sounds perfect," Lily answered with excitement she didn't often feel. "We'll be able to avoid future mistakes by making the ingredient list tomorrow. And I've got some notes on substitutions I can bring that I made while preparing for this class, just in case the teacher's storage is low and doesn't have the original ingredients available. Then we can go through the steps we need to take and see if there's anything we could prepare in advance." She was feeling more confident and knew she was talking a lot but needn't really feel like stopping. "Maybe after we understand the basics, we can start working on the Polyjuice steps too, if we have the time."
I can't wait to start this project tomorrow. I've never been this excited before, it feels a little weird. I really hope Tala doesn't change her mind about me, and still likes me by the end of this project. She's really nice and would be such a good friend. I just know it.