OMINISxMC 𝒊 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒎𝒚 𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆

Chapter 4: Erised, Again

Spring arrived, or at least, what passes for spring in Northern Scotland, and the grey winter clouds broke apart to reveal a bright blue sky. The snow began to melt, running down the hills in little streams, and the lake swelled, collecting the water.

The students had a break the first week of April, which many of them used to catch up on schoolwork—Ominis included. He told Euphemia that he planned to spend the whole week in the library, much to her chagrin.

"I can't spend another second reading, Ominis," she complained when he told her of his plans. "Can't we just relax?"

"You can," he laughed, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "I'm going for twelve O.W.L.s, though. I'll be in the usual spot if you change your mind."

She huffed a bit, but let him leave, wondering what to do with her sudden wealth of free time. She ended up wandering through the castle aimlessly, thinking it might be nice to get lost and discover some hidden room or interesting painting, or perhaps a shortcut between classes that she was unaware of.

Instead, she found the mirror. It was quite by accident, again—it never occurred to her to go looking for it; after all, she wasn't sure she even wanted to try to go back. She wasn't even sure which floor she was on, and then suddenly there it was.

The mirror was all alone, in a disused classroom, just as it had been the last time she came across it. There was no glowing light surrounding it, however. It just looked like a mirror.

She walked up to it slowly, not entirely sure she wanted to do so. The last time, she'd seen a strange shadow, some dark figure behind her that caused her to jump. This time, however—

"Mum?" She gasped. There, in the mirror, clear as daylight, was her mother, smiling and waving happily.

Euphemia broke. She had accepted a long time ago that she'd never see her mother's face again, and yet here it was—youthful, healthy, and full of life. It didn't matter that it was just a reflection, it didn't matter that it wasn't real—it was a salve on an aching wound. She sank to her knees, tears streaming down her cheeks, and stared.

She sat there for hours, her arms hugging her knees, until the sun had well and truly set, until dinner had long passed and her stomach complained loudly, until her bottom could bear the cold stone floor not a minute longer. She got up, stretching, clearing the wetness from her eyes with her sleeve, and pressed her fingers to her lips. She blew a kiss. "I miss you," she whispered to the reflection, and with a pang of sadness she left the room.

She made a mental note, however, of where she was. Every time she turned a corner she stopped, reciting the directions over and over so that she wouldn't forget, and by the time she got back to the common room she was confident that she could find it again.

She returned as soon as she could—not even stopping into the Great Hall for breakfast the next morning. She sat there, again, as long as she could before exhaustion threatened to lay her out on the floor, and by the time she got back to the common room it was empty for the night.

On Wednesday, she brought her bookbag, prepared to spend the whole day again. She laid her cloak on the floor and spread her books out around her, planning on starting with her Transfiguration homework. It was almost like her life was back to normal—her mother used to sit with her while she did her school work at the kitchen table—only the subjects were a little different now. And the mirror didn't speak.

"So this is where you've been hiding," Ominis' voice broke the silence.

Euphemia scrambled to her feet and over to the door. "Ominis! You followed me?"

"Of course I did. You haven't come to the library, you missed every meal since breakfast on Monday, you weren't in the common room, or in your dorm—"

"You checked my dorm?" Her stomach fluttered at the idea of Ominis standing in her bedroom.