Lullaby

Chapter Seven

"Come on!" Hermione pulls my hand once again as she races to our destination. A few weeks after winter break, Hermione suddenly had something she wanted to show me.

"Why are you so excited about me seeing this?" I raise an eyebrow as I'm being tugged to my supposed death trap.

She doesn't answer and pulls me into another corridor, hidden in the school. In the middle of a spacious room, there's a single mirror. 

Gold lined the rims with some sunlight peeking out of the window nearby. Hermione finally lets go of my hand as I examine the mirror.

"How old is this?" I turn to this.

"I'm not sure," she shrugs. "Look into it. This is the Mirror of Erised. Whatever your deepest heart desires is shown here."

I give her a suspicious look before turning back to the mirror. As I walk closer, I see a figure that looked like me...but older.

My dark brown girl was cut into a bob and my blue eyes were brighter than usual. I was still dressed in Gryffindor robes with my wand, but my eyes widen when I see another figure appear next to me.

I narrow my eyes trying to depict the second figure but he was cloaked in the dark. The second figure was taller and wrapped an arm around...future me?

The figure then shaped into a man with black robes. I saw the glimpse of a Hogwarts crest on his robes but I couldn't figure out what house the stranger was in.

"What do you see?" I'm snapped out of my thoughts and turn around once more to a curious Hermione.

"Um...I'm not sure," I glance back at the mirror. "It was a future me?"

"Ooh," Hermione's face broadens into a bright smile. "Are you a successful witch after we graduate?"

"I was still in Gryffindor robes," I explain. "But there was a second figure. His arm was wrapped around me?"

Hermione breaks out into a squeal and pulls me into a quick hug. "Aww, you have a crush!"

"Hm?" I look at her oddly when she takes some steps back. "But I don't like anyone."

She continues to giggle, "Obviously you do, your brain doesn't know but your heart does."

I roll my eyes at her cheesiness. "It's not like he would like me back, anyways."

Hermione lightly slaps my arm before hooking it with hers as we exit the mysterious room. "Don't say that or I'll jinx your porridge."

"No! My food!"

~*~

I cough again into my handkerchief, and sigh as I look down at it. My eyes look at the trail of blood on it.

"Are you okay?" Mae looks at me worriedly.

"I don't know..." I shake my head as I look up at her. "I just suddenly started coughing up blood after I got back from Christmas break."

"Come on, let's go to the Hospital Wing," Mae takes my arm gently and escorts me to the room.

Madame Pomfrey takes me to a bed and quickly makes me drink a weird liquid.

I cough more, but blood doesn't spit out of my mouth.

"How did you..?"

"Mae, here, had been worried the first time you coughed up blood so she alerted me immediately," she explains.

Mae looks around the wing with her hands behind her back, pretending not to be listening.

I smile softly and lean my head back onto the pillow, falling asleep.

When I wake up, I open my eyes  and sit up slowly. I rub my eyes open just as I see a cloak fleeing the doorway.

Madame Pomfrey walks in, glancing at the student that ran away before placing another cup of medicine in front of me.

"What's wrong with me?" I ask her in confusion.

"You have an illness," she replies with a dejected sigh as she sits on the chair near my bed. "You will either faint, cough up blood, or get migraines when you...how do I say this? Get overexcited. Your blood pressure rises  and it's just not well for you."

I look down at the floor. "How did I catch this illness?"

"I'm not sure."

"Who...who was that student who was running out of this room?"

"Draco Malfoy, I believe."