Amortentia.

The strongest love potion of all time. It was a powerful and dangerous potion in even the most innocent of hands. It created an infatuation - not quite love - like no other.

The potion was designed to make the one who drank it to become obsessed with the one who administered it.

The scent was unique to each and every person. The scent was that of things they find the most attractive, things they love.

Even if the person smelling it may not accept their affections or even know about it, the potion would still register the object.

When Briar moved to the golden plated cauldron that was emitting a scent that brought her in like nothing ever before, she couldn't help but follow the tantalizing smell. She bent her head down by a bit to get a closer inspection of what she smelt. Briar's eyes closed and let the fragrance of the potion consume her.

Aged leather and parchment, pine and ash, lilies, a breathe of fresh air when flying in the sky, a hint of treacle tart, and ink... Most of the scents reminder her of-

Her eyes widened and she staggered as she tried to remain her footing once more.

It was a mistake, she thought, coming here.

"When you smell the potion, its scent takes on what you adore or love the most. I didn't smell much but fresh air and candles that are frequently lit by Mum."

She had listened to the ramblings of her upperclassmen and had wanted to know what it was she had smelt. It had seemed like a great idea. Now, she regretted her decision.

Briar wanted to scream, shout, sob, and all things in between where no one could find her. She hadn't allowed herself to do these things previously because she was able to distract herself with everyone waking up from their prolonged sleep, Ginny - sweet, sweet Ginny - and of course Professor Dumbledore with his words that tried to ease her into what she now knew was something called being - completely and utterly - let down.

She couldn't recall what occurred after her leave from the damp dungeons but somehow when she recollected her surroundings she found herself in front of a door that was entirely new to her - which wasn't quite possible as she had scourged the entire castle her first two years - and it seemed to be on the seventh floor.

Despite being a Gryffindor, there were reasons on why she was almost a Slytherin and one was because she believed in self-preservation - at least most of the time - but alas there were also reasons why she was chosen for Gryffindor and thus she opened the door.

When she entered she was not expecting a very familiar imposing and golden mirror and in front of it was a throne - facing the mirror - fit for that of a queen.

Even from here she could read the horrid inscription, but she didn't need to read it to knw it. After all, it was one of the several things engraved in her mind.

Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.

I show not your face but your heart's desire.

Now that she knew what she adored - for Briar had never loved that monster and she wished that she had never loved him and could hardly believe that she adored him - the new image wouldn't quite surprise her as the Amortentia had. But of course, she just had to jinx it.

There had to be a reason that her magic or Hogwarts had brought her here so she moved and closed her eyes, humming a tune she heard so long ago and one that-

When she sat down in the throne, her mind wandered to Tom and wondered if he had ever sat on this exact throne but her questions would never be answered and the words that had slipped through his mouth had probably been lies - or at least that was what she told herself - because he had been nothing but a cheat, a manipulator, and a liar.

Briar Rose Potter looked into the mirror that had once shown her with her parents adorning her sides with such bittersweet smiles on their faces, hands stroking her hair - she had hoped to feel it but it was nothing but an illusion and she saw him.

Tom Marvolo Riddle was to her left and she was no longer on her throne but she could see two thrones in the back - what for, she didn't know - and she had gained height and age. She was to his chin - she had only been to his chest previously - and her hair, which had always been short because of her Aunt's favorite pastime, was long and wild yet tamed and luscious. Her eyes - bright, full of knowledge, with a glint to an unknown emotion, one she had never truly felt - crinkled with happiness as the mirror Tom's arms wrapped around her mirror self. A smile - not a fake one, or a smirk, or even one of his grins - but a true smile lit up his features and she had only seen it once. It had become one of her favorite things in the short time she had known him - before he had done that.

"Tom, I just want to tell you that you are probably one of my closest friends as we are very similar and I've never felt quite like this about someone like this. Thank you Tom." Briar Rose smiled at the shade of the Slytherin teen and hugged him. She buried her head in his chin and let herself calm. His very presence lit up something inside of her. He made her feel whole

"You are quite welcome my dear Briar Rose." She looked up to catch a glance of his eyes closed and a small smile on his face.

It was a memory that she never wanted to for-

Briar shook her head let the bittersweet memory fade, no matter remembering something that had no place in her new year.

(However if he had no place in her life, then why was he always reoccurring?)

It seemed that even her own thoughts betrayed her.

She gazed back at the mirror and found her eyes drawn to the jewelry she was adorned in. A crown - it was so much more - on her head, an eagle spreading its wings and a large jewel in the middle. Around her neck was a medieval locket that looked to be pure gold with a serpentine S in a glittering dark emerald color set upon a stone. On her left hand, she bore a large gold ring and it was set with a obsidian stone with a small design in the middle of it. These were not normal pieces, of that she was sure.

Just as she was about to inspect herself further, the mirror Tom swept her off her feet and their faces looked so joyous. Briar Rose looked so happy that Briar almost believed the mirror's image but she knew the truth.

Tom Marvolo Riddle was a master manipulator. He was charismatic, electric, magnetic and everybody knew it. He fooled them all with his silver tongue, good looks, and his intelligence. However, Briar knew that he was everything aforementioned, yet so much more. He was a liar and a cheat. He used any means to meet his plans. If he thought it would make him prevail, he used it. It had hurt to know that everything he did and said was all a lie.

(Was it all lies? He shared his background and his signature didn't once waver? Yet so many other times it did and he said it due to being out of his diary for so long. Tell me Briar, why are lying to yourself?)

Yet again, her own mind betrayed her. Briar had no answer, she never would have one.

(Hmmm, another lie? One might say that you're following in Tom's footsteps...)

Briar's eyes widened and she let herself choke back on an upcoming tears.

"You are wrong. I am nothing like him. I would never make someone depend on another so much so that when that person betrayed them, they broke. So when that person laughed and laughed and told the other that he was going to kill an innocent girl to get a body, he would let the other watch. I would never make someone care about another so much that when the truth came out, the other was left but a husk of her true self. I would never do that." Briar let out chokes of air and inhaled sharply as her vision blurred and her throat full of sobs. Her arms were wrapped her shoulder and her body shivered in time with her sobs.

"I hate him so much... I hate him. I hate him. I hate him. I... hate... him..." Her body rocked back and forth as her emotions finally caught up to her.

Her mind was silent once more and she was grateful.

It was a long while before she had finished crying and letting everything out. Briar pondered if she had ever even allowed herself to cry over him. Her.

She hadn't.

Briar got up from the corner - in which she had slowly moved to in her fit - of the room and left without looking back.

After all, desires were nothing but wishes and Briar knew that her wishes were ones that would never come to fruition. Tom Riddle was but a murderer and she hated him and yet... she still loved him.

(throughout her time in the room, she never did see the diadem that was gleaming in the moonlight under the starry ceiling.)