Potion Making For Disastrous Witches, page 9
I pull out my phone, slightly disappointed to find no new messages. But that's on me as well as Michaela. I swipe it open and pull up our chat, pausing when I realise I have no idea what I actually want to say.
A loud ringing sound pulls my attention away, and I realise it's time to add the pickled snakeskin to my potion.
I put my phone down, intending to come back to it when I've had time to think about what I actually want to say. Somehow just messaging her to say I miss her company seems a little bit lame.
Though maybe she'll like it.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I never thought matters of my heart would be so complicated.
The kitchen timer I've been using gives one last bring and then falls silent.
Right, potion.
I pick up the jar of pickled snakeskin and twist off the top, releasing the pungent smell into the air. I wrinkle my nose. I deal with all kinds of weird ingredients in potion brewing, but this is one of the ones I can't get my head around.
And it bothers me a little bit that vegetarian witches have to use ingredients like this in their potions. At least there's been a shift towards making sure live creatures aren't used as potion ingredients anymore. Some of the older potions still call for them, but thankfully, there are alternatives.
I pull out my wand and point it towards the jar, lifting out one of the pieces of snakeskin and flicking it towards the potion below.
The liquid fizzles,, and I quickly drop a second one into the pot, followed by a third. The potion swallows the snake skins and melts them into the rest of it. I'm not sure exactly how it works, sometimes magic is more cryptic than any of us like to admit.
I screw the cap back onto the jar and put the snake skins to the side. I'll put them back later.
Steam rises from the potion, filling the air around me with a vaguely familiar scent. It takes me a moment to place it, but then another whiff comes and I realise I'm smelling ginger.
But not just any ginger. Crystallised ginger.
I'm seeing Michaela everywhere.
I double-check the potion recipe to make sure it's going to be okay if I leave it to stew for a bit. The last thing I need is to cause a potions accident and end up banned from the lab. Now I think about it, maybe it was a bit risky to try and teach Michaela how to brew potions here.
But it was worth it.
And there my mind goes again, unable to focus on anything other than the adorable witch for longer than a few minutes.
Satisfied my potion is safe, I grab my phone and try to think about what to say.
I could invite her to the lab. We've spent some good times together here already, but it doesn't feel special enough.
But that leaves me with the problem of what to ask. Everything seems to be either too big or too small, and I can't settle on the perfect thing in the middle.
I should just go find her. She said she planned on heading to the library's quiet floor, and they like it if you turn your phone off while you're there, so a message may not get through anyway.
Is it weird if I show up without telling her in advance?
Before I know what I'm doing, I pick up the lid for the cauldron and fasten it securely into place so it doesn't do anything bad while I'm gone.
I scan the bench to make sure there's nothing that could cause any problems. It's easy to have accidents without meaning to.
Satisfied that everything is safe and not going to destroy the lab, I slide my phone into my pocket and straighten out my shirt.
Should I go back to my room to change before I go find Michaela?
I shake my head. There's no need. She knows what I look like.
With nothing else for it, I head out of the room, determined to get to the library and ask Michaela on a second date in the hope she'll forgive me for not doing it earlier.
19
Michaela
* * *
It's a risk coming to the lab on a Saturday, especially as most of the student body completely ignores the main building on weekends. But something tells me that this is where Owen is going to be regardless of what day it is.
I still haven't decided exactly what I'm going to say to him when I see him, just that I need to say something. Krissi and Essie are right about the fact I can't be annoyed that he didn't ask me if I'm not doing it either.
I finally get to the corridor with the lab and turn the corner only to end up running straight into someone.
I almost fall over, only for the other person to reach out and steady me before I can. I shouldn't have mocked Krissi for falling over when she shifts last night, this is clearly payback.
"I'm so sorry, I..." I look up to find Owen standing in front of me, his hand still on my arm. "I was looking for you," I finish.
He raises his eyebrows. "You know there are easier ways to find me than running into me, right?"
"I do," I mumble.
"Is everything all right? Did the potion do something bad to your friend?" Worry colours his tone.
"No, no, she's fine. The potion actually spilt and she never got to take it, but it's all fine because apparently her date was a gorgon too. I'm not too sure about all of the details, I haven't seen her yet." And I'm babbling.
"That's good, I'm glad it worked out for her anyway."
"It did."
"Did you need some more hangover potion?"
I shake my head. "I came to see you, not get a potion," I admit.
"Ah, I see. What can I help you with?"
Is it me, or does he seem a little bit nervous?
"There's something I meant to ask you before I left yesterday," I admit, only realising after I have that we're standing very close together. It's a comfortable closeness. Or it will be if he says yes to my question.
"Oh?" Something akin to hope flashes through his eyes.
"I wondered if you wanted to grab something to eat today. Or whenever. As a date." The words almost trip over themselves on the way to get out and nerves jitter in my stomach as I wait for his response.
"I'd like that," he says. "A lot."
Relief crashes through me. I was more worried than I thought that he'd actually say no.
"I actually had something I wanted to ask you too." He lets go of my arm, but doesn't step backwards.
I frown. "Okay?" I'm not sure what he's going to say, and I fear I'm not going to like it very much.
"Would you mind if I kissed you?"
"Oh." Not what I expected, but definitely not unwelcome. "I'd like that."
A wide smile spreads over his face and he reaches out to brush a stray strand of dark hair away from my face. Nervous anticipation fills me, but the good kind that I think will lead to something new and exciting.
His fingers linger on my cheek and we're both frozen in the moment before a first kiss. The air thickens and the world around us fades away.
Which is probably a good thing. I don't think I ever imagined my first kiss with someone was going to be in an academy hallway.
Owen leans in and my eyes flutter closed as his lips brush against mine. He pulls me closer with a hand on the small of my back, and I wrap my arms around his neck, bringing us even closer together than we were before.
I lose myself in everything that is the two of us. My whole body tingles, almost like my magic is zinging around my blood in response to the connection I have to him. But that's all in my head. Magic doesn't react to romantic moments unless the caster does it on purpose, and I'm certainly not.
This could only be more perfect if it was in the lab where we first met. But it's not like either of us have planned it well enough for that to have been the case.
We break apart and I find myself looking up at him with a wide grin on my face.
"Yep, we can go to a place that doesn't serve lactose," I joke.
He chuckles. "I'm glad to hear it. I have a couple of potions to make, but I'm free after that. I can message you when I'm done, or you can come and help if you want?" He gestures to the lab.
"I like the sound of that." Maybe I'll even pluck up the courage to prepare some of the fresh ingredients before I give them to him. Except for herbs, I don't think I'll be touching them in a hurry at all.
"Good. It's been really fun having you in the lab."
His words only make the warm feeling inside me spread. I'm glad he feels that way, I've been having a surprising amount of fun doing it too. And spending the day with him making potions somehow sounds perfect, even if it's not something I ever thought I'd be doing.
I don't think I'll ever be able to successfully brew a potion on my own, but with the way Owen lets me help, at least I can feel like I've had some part in making one.
"Oh, and I have some crystallised ginger for you to try. It's my Grandma's recipe. I asked her for it, and meant to let you try it yesterday, but I completely forgot," he says as he leads me back into the lab.
My eyes widen and a giddy feeling fills me. "You asked your Grandma for a recipe for me?"
He chuckles nervously. "Is it too much?"
"It's perfect," I assure him, going up on my toes and pressing a swift kiss against his cheek. "Now let's go make some potions."
20
Owen
* * *
Michaela's leg bounces up and down with nerves. I reach out and put a gentle hand on it. "It's going to be okay," I reassure her.
She sighs loudly. "I know, I know. Thalia's not going to hate you."
I chuckle. "What if she does?"
"I'm trying not to think about it too much."
My eyes widen. Is it really so important that her best friend likes me? I suppose I wouldn't like it much if Evander doesn't like Michaela. I should make sure they meet soon so I can get that worry off my plate.
"Do you want to head to the movies tomorrow?" I ask.
She nods. "That'd be good. What do you want to completely ignore?"
I cock my head to the side, confused about what she means.
Michaela lets out a light laugh. "We'll be mostly ignoring the movie, right? We'll just be paying attention to each other."
"Ah, right. I hadn't thought about it like that."
"In fact, is it silly to go to the cinema and spend the money to ignore the film when we could just stream something in one of our rooms?" There's a sparkle of something in her eyes, but I know I can't assume it means what I hope it does.
"I didn't want to presume and just invite myself to your room."
"You could invite me to yours though," she responds. "But I don't mind which."
"Then I guess it depends which of us has a bigger screen."
"Hmm, and just like all guys, you're focused on the size, and not how well it works," she teases.
I'm about to counter her point when she lets out a small squeal.
"They're here." Michaela waves at the redhead who has just entered the pub. For some reason, I'm surprised by how Thalia appears, she doesn't match the person I imagined from Michaela's descriptions, though I can't put my finger on why.
She leaves her date to get drinks and heads over in our direction with a nervous smile on her face.
"Thalia, this is Owen," Michaela introduces the two of them. "Owen, this is my best friend, Thalia."
"It's nice to meet you," Thalia says. "Thank you for all your potion making on my behalf."
Everything clicks into place. This isn't just Michaela's best friend, this is the gorgon she's been trying to help. "Ah, so you're the friend Mickie was trying to help?"
She nods.
"I'm glad I get to meet you." I offer her what I hope is a reassuring smile.
She sits opposite us and is joined by a familiar figure.
"Here you go," Evander says, putting a glass in front of her and then turning to face us. "Hi, I'm..." He trails off and starts to laugh. Amusement bubbles up within me too.
What are the chances that he's the one dating Thalia? I should have put the pieces together when they both needed the gorgon potion at the same time, but I was too distracted by the enchanting witch sitting next to me.
"I'm sorry," Evander says after a moment. "Owen and I are flatmates. I never realised it was him we were coming to meet."
"You're flatmates?" Michaela says.
"And friends, yes," I say. "Evander is who I've been making the potion for."
I see the moment it all clicks into place for her and she works it out.
"Wait, you never talked about who you were making the potion for?" Evander asks us.
"Of course not," Michaela says instantly. "The potion was for a gorgon, which meant that if I told Owen Thalia's name, he'd know what you were. I didn't think that was fair. And I assume he did the same out of respect for you. I certainly never asked for the same reason."
"And he didn't work it out when you came to chaperone our date?" Thalia asks.
"I guess I never said Evander's name," Michaela responds. "I'm not sure, it's just one of those funny coincidences."
"It's certainly that," Evander agrees. "But I'm glad it's all out in the open now."
"It's going to make hanging out together easier," Michaela says. "That's a definite advantage of our oversight."
While I do like the idea of that, I hope she doesn't invite them to our movie night. I'd much rather spend the time alone.
Maybe we should choose which room we watch stuff in based on whether Evander and Thalia are going to be at my flat or not. It's better for all of us if we're not in the same place for dates, at least at the start.
"Have you had dinner yet?" Michaela asks the others.
"Not yet, no. I think we were planning on picking something up on the way back to my flat," Thalia responds. "Unless you're thinking of something else?"
"I was wondering about the café Owen took me to on our first date. It was great there and I want to go back." She glances at me and smiles in a way that makes me think I'm the only person in her world.
I search for her hand under the table and give it a squeeze. She returns it, and I realise just how much I like it. There's something about the way she makes me feel that I've never experienced with anyone before.
I'm glad a potion brought her into my life, and now I'm going to do everything I can in order to keep her in it.
Epilogue
Michaela
* * *
The soft beat of the music coming from the radio fills the lab and I hum along to the melody as I grate some willow bark into a container.
The door swings open and Owen walks in, his face lighting up when he sees me. Which feels silly when I was here when he left, but that's not the point. Every time he looks at me like that, it makes my heart skip a beat.
He heads over to me and kisses me on the cheek. "How are you getting on?"
"Almost done," I say. "This is the grated bark, then there's some fresh aloe vera in that pot, and some crushed cloves on the shelf. You should have everything you need to get started."
"Great. Thanks." He grabs a lab coat and goggles, readying himself for another attempt at an experimental potion that will help combat his lactose intolerance. I'm not sure whether he really thinks he can find the right formula, but he's been happy testing it, so I don't mind.
"Will you get me the lotus stems from the fridge?" he asks.
"Mmhmm." I make my way over, trying not to think about how weird of an ingredient they sound like, especially when I'm a poor judge of what should and shouldn't be going in a potion.
I pull open the fridge door and go to the shelf where I know the freshly cut flowers and stems normally live, only to find a white box with my name on it.
"What's this?" I ask Owen, picking up the box and turning around to face him.
He looks like he's barely keeping a juicy secret. "It's for you," he says.
I frown. "Okay, but why?"
"It's our one month anniversary, I wanted to get you something."
"But I didn't get you anything." Was I supposed to? If I'm honest, I haven't been keeping track of the time very well.
"That's okay, I promise. It's just something I thought you'd like."
Intrigued, I flip open the lid and find a cream cake inside. "You might have to explain," I prompt him.
He chuckles. "Sorry, that would be helpful, right? It's rhubarb and ginger, like you had on our first date. I've been practising my ginger recipes considering I have a girlfriend who says it's her favourite flavour now."
My heart flutters, both at his use of the word girlfriend, and at the fact he's been so thoughtful.
I set the box down on the bench and step closer to him, wrapping my arms around his neck.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." The smile on his face says he can see how much it means to me.
I lean in and press my lips against his. He pulls me closer, deepening the kiss and reminding me of how well the two of us fit together.
It's hard to believe that I owe all of this to a potion, but I've never been so glad of my lack of ability before. If I'd even been semi-passable at potions, I wouldn't have sought him out, nor would I have spent enough time with him to know that he gets me.
I may not believe in fate, but right now, I could become a believer.
Thank you for reading Potion Making For Disastrous Witches, I hope you enjoyed it! If you want to continue the series, you can with Essie's story in Making Mischief For Polite Fae: http://books2read.com/makingmischiefforpolitefae
You can also get a free bonus scene of Michaela and Thalia meeting here: https://books.authorlauragreenwood.co.uk/h2in85dpfx
Author Note
Thank you for reading Potion Making For Disastrous Witches, I hope you enjoyed it!
If you want to know more about Michaela's best friend, Thalia, then you can in her story - Blind Dating For Lonely Gorgons.
I've wanted to write a mixed supernatural academy for a while now, and combining it with paranormal romance was just perfect for me as I love writing both. The flat Michaela lives in is actually based on the very real flat I lived in during my first year of university. I think one of the reasons I love writing university aged academy is because of the amazing friends I met there. It's been seven years since I graduated, but I'm still friends with the amazing people I met there and some of the people I lived with during that first year (and all of the people I lived with during my second and fourth years! For my third year of university, I lived and worked in Paris, France, so was around different people).
