"Well, hello to you, too," Sierra said with a grin, opening the door and edging her way in. "Merlin, am I glad to see you." She plopped down in the chair, sighed, and then laid her head back for a few seconds. Classes had been excruciating today. The homework was really piling on way too early in the school year. She had to do it, though. All of it. She had a goal, and she would succeed this year.

Only, that wasn't what was important at the moment, so she lifted her head and sat a little straighter. "I don't suppose you have a potion that gets rid of homework for the rest of forever, do you?" she asked.

Hecate sat doing working on some papers and didn't bother looking up. "Funny." She said deadpan. "What is it Miss Greingoth, I'm rather busy with work here." She said not really treating her as a daughter, but as one of the other student.

Sierra sighed. Very softly and very quietly, yes, but it was still a sigh. How was she supposed to ask the question she needed to ask when Lafay was being all distant with her? She knew why, but she of course didn't bring it up. "I was hoping to ask you a question," she said. "About a potion," she added. Should she even bother asking it? She wasn't even sure if Lafay was really listening to her. She seemed really interested in those papers. "I was wondering if you could tell me everything you know about...Amortentia."

Hecate had been writing furiously, and just about when she was ready to toss the girl out of her office, she asked about a love potion.

She put down her quill and turned her chair towards the girl. She folded her hands over her crossed legs. "What questions do you have... exactly...?"

As Sierra watched Lafay write furiously across the parchment, she frowned to herself and even allowed a disappointed look to creep across her face. No matter what, she just couldn't used to to this type of conversation with the woman. It was too weird and unfamiliar.

Then a second later, she noticed the quill being put down, and suddenly she was faced with a very expectant Lafay. "Oh," she said, a but surprised. She'd only started to think she was just going to be ignored the whole time. "Thank you." For listening to me, she meant. "I wanted to know how it was made, and how exactly it works."

"I take it you know that it's the most powerful love potion out there. Powerful infatuations can be induced with this potion... as for how it's made... It's not a potion that will be on your syllabus this year Sierra..." or ever... "Why exactly do you wish to know more about this potion?"

"Infatuations," Sierra repeated, biting her bottom lip as she thought that one over. "So that's pretty much just...when someone always wants to be with you and always thinks about you but doesn't really have true feelings for you. Right?" She was trying to decide whether it was actually something she'd desire or not. "How long does it last?"

She shook her head. "I knew we wouldn't be learning about it in class," she said. "I just thought it might be something I could manage on my own." Why did she wish to know more about it? Well... "I don't know," she said with a shrug and then diverted her attention to the floor. The truth was, she'd never had a boyfriend, ...and it was starting to really bother her. Then she suddenly looked up again. "Have you ever made one?" Or used one?

Merlin's sweaty armpits, she was serious!

Perfect...

Alexander would kill her if she taught her the potion...

... then again, she was her professor.

"It does not create true feelings of love, if that's what your asking. It fabricates an infatuation that can sometime be unhealthy. It can certainly be kept up for a long time, if the potion is administered on a regular basis... but once it's no longer taken, the subject will show resent and bitterness towards the potioneer who created the potion." She said to her.

She was going to lie when the child asked her if she'd ever brewed the potion... but she decided not to. "I have." She said in answer.

Sierra braced herself. She sort of thought she'd either get kicked out the office really soon, reprimanded for asking about such a potion, or...well, something which would either disappoint her or make her cringe. She was pleasantly surprised when it was neither. As a matter of fact, she was surprised to hear Lafay actually answering her questions.

"Oh," she said, but she'd still need time to think it over. She'd thought about it so long that she'd somehow gotten excited about making it, but she trusted Lafay, and she knew this woman wouldn't steer her wrong. "Will you tell me about it? I mean, the time you made it."

No. It was worth asking, though.

"It took me a long time to brew, and I made it... administered it to someone. He professed his undying love to me... I... used him... I made him do some deliveries for me, among other things. And when I was finished... He hated me... he probably still hates me, but he can't say anything about it. I have enough to bring him down..." She sighed. She hadn't wanted to tell the girl.

"I never used it for someone I wanted. The men who were infatuated with me, actually were."

...

Was she thinking her father was under the effects of amortentia??

"Have you been speaking to your sister?"

Who else would have put that filth in her head?!

After hearing the story, Sierra actually felt bad about asking for more details. The whole thing sounded so bittersweet. At least the ending sounded better. With a shrug, Sierra said, "Well, sometimes you just have to do what what you have to do." With a smirk, she added, "Good job on the blackmail. Spoken like a true Greingoth." She gave Lafay a playful wink.

"Well, thank you for being honest and for telling me what you know," she said. It'd been more than she thought she'd learn. She was just about read to change the topic when Lafay asked if she'd been talking to her sister. "Talking to Anna? No," she said, furrowing her eyebrows inward as she shook her head. "Why?" Had Anna brewed an Amortentia or something?

"She's a poor potioneer. I don't want her teaching you wrong." She said to the girl. "Any more questions Sierra?"

A knock?

She turned to the door and yelled, "Keep your knickers on, I'll come get you when I'm done with this student."

Anna was a poor potioneer? Sierra hadn't realized that. Her sister had always seemed on top of the game and had even taught her a few potions here and there. "I see," she simply said, nodding just once. Did she have anymore questions. Hmm. A smirk slowly spread across her face. A joking smirk, that is. "You're kicking me out of here, aren't you?"

Then a knock sounded on the door, and the sound of Lafay's voice echoed throughout the office. Laughing and shaking her head, Sierra said, "Keep your knickers on? Good one," she said. Standing up from the chair, she added, "Well, I guess that's my cue to leave. I want to hit up Hogsmeade anyway before it gets too late."

"Yes..." She said thinking of Hogsmeade. It would be good for the girl. "Have fun in Hogsmeade..."

She was going to send a note to the boy she knew held Sierra's heart.

"Good day, Miss Greingoth. Send the next student in."

"Mmkay. See ya," she said, turning and heading toward the door. "Oh, and...Quidditch rosters are up. I made the team again." Then she made a slight face. "So did Alex. The first game's next weekend, too. Against Hufflepuff."

Then she turned the doorknob, stepped out into the hallway, and closed the door behind her.

She looked at the door as it shut...

"Alex who?" she thought to herself...

... no matter...

Sierra hadn't send in the next student...

That girl's infatuation was going to get her in trouble...

"In!" She hollered at the door.

Ah, now see? The 'In!' was so much better than vague comments about undergarments. Whatever.

Dale had watched the visitor before him leave and raised an eyebrow before he was actually bidden into the office. So he had not been forgotten.

Wasting no time, as it did not seem to him that this was someone who appreciated that, Dale pushed open the door, entered, and shut it carefully behind him. After a glance around the room, particularly at the empty bookshelves, the young man took another step in.

"Professor..." Uh oh. What was her name? Oh noes! She might have been different to the one his brother had known... but she seemed to match the description so far. Uh oh, how did he start? "My name's Dale... I was told by... someone... that I should come and see you when I first got here."

Because he was awesome.

"Oh?" She said looking up at the boy. She took out parchment and quill and began writing, "Dale... what is your full name? After that tell me who referred you to me and why, as you seem to be dawning Hufflepuff colors and not Slytherin ones..."

... She was still the Slytherin Head of House, wasn't she?

"Uh... well... my brother told me to come and see you," Dale started hesitantly. He didn't reeeeeeeally want to get on this professor's bad side. Also, he was trying to think of how NOT to prattle on. "I've been homeschooled 'til now and... well... potions is the only thing I'm good at. So he said it would be a good idea to make myself known to you, or at least to meet you."

As for the name question... he could now no longer avoid it.

"Um... I'm Dale... Upstead."

"Upstead..."

Hmmm....

"Doesn't ring a bell... but if you are good with potions, then you wont have any trouble picking up the material. Is that all Master Upstead?"

OhthankMerlinforthat.

Dale relaxed, not quite visibly, but there was a feeling of relief. The way Jake went on about it this woman was a dragon who liked to put live bunny rabbits in potions. Or some other creature. Details...

But if she couldn't remember, Dale would leave it at that.

"I hope so, Professor. Yep, that's it. Just thought it would be a get idea to make myself known if I want to stand out," he gave a little smile. "May I... am I excused now?"

You had to hand it to him. Manners; Dale had 'em.

She finished writing on her parchment and said, "Yes, you are free to leave, Upstead."

"Next!" She said.

Minerva walked into the office and gave a small smile. "Professor, I won't keep you. I was just about to go into the potion lab and noticed it was locked. I wanted to make sure I was allowed to go in and if it could be unlocked for me." She was eager to get in there since she finally had a chance.

Dale smiled. "Thanks, Professor," he said as he turned to the door. It had already opened, so Dale waited for the other person to come through, caught the door before it shut and slipped out of the office before the other student started talking.