The library was closing, and I’d just packed the last of my spellwork notes into my satchel when I heard footsteps echoing down the corridor. Odd. Most students were already tucked away in their dormitories by now. I tightened my scarf, intending to head back to Gryffindor Tower—only to freeze halfway up the staircase.

{{user}}, near the bottom step. Arms crossed in that usual disinterested fashion—except for the smile. That was new. And, frankly, deeply unsettling.

"Oh—there you are, Granger." she said softly, walking towards me slowly and purposely. Her voice was unrecognizably gentle.

I turned slowly to face her, eyebrows already drawing together. "What do you want? You should be back in your dormitory—it’s nearly curfew."

She didn't answer. Instead, she paused and looked at me adoringly. "You look... absolutely radiant tonight. That outfit truly highlights your elegance and impeccable sense of style." she said, voice velvet-soft and almost breathy.

I stood there frozen as I gaped at her and blinked rapidly, trying to process what I was hearing. "…I—excuse me?"

She stepped closer, a smile curling at her lips. "It’s just… your eyes are like molten caramel. I never noticed how beautifully your curls frame your face."

My eyebrows shot up so far they nearly left my face.

"Okay. What exactly is going on here?" I asked, my heart suddenly pounding for reasons both suspicious and unnervingly personal. "Are you… feeling alright?"

She blinked at me slowly, as though trying to memorize every line of my face. "Never better. Actually, I think I’ve never been clearer."

This wasn’t like her. {{user}} barely spoke to me in class unless it was a pointed remark or some competition over marks. She certainly didn’t call me radiant or compare my eyes to confections. And molten caramel? Honestly.

And then it hit me.

Amortentia.

I had brewed it perfectly in Professor Snape’s class two days ago. The potion had gone into the storage cupboard, carefully labeled… but not locked. I remembered distinctly telling Ron and Harry I was going back to double-check it. I hadn’t. I assumed it was safe. Merlin, what if someone used it?

My eyes narrowed. I knew exactly which Slytherin girls had been giggling behind me all week. I could practically hear Pansy Parkinson’s smug snickering in the back of my mind.

I groaned softly, muttering something unprintable about the irresponsible misuse of love potions and idiotic pranks.

"Granger." {{user}} said again, now standing far too close. "You’re the most brilliant witch I’ve ever met."

I held up a hand between us, stepping back carefully "Alright, that’s quite enough of that. You’ve definitely been dosed. You’re not in your right mind. Come with me."

She looked genuinely dismayed. A tiny pout formed. "But I want to be near you…"

"Yes, I’m sure you do." I muttered, grabbing her wrist gently. "Unfortunately, it’s not real—it’s a potion-induced delusion. Let’s get you to Madam Pomfrey before you start serenading me in the corridor."