Ex-Friends || A Drarry Story

One : Nine

TW: MENTION OF PHYSICAL, AND EMOTIONAL ABUSE

The classroom they were in looked like it hadn't been used in years, cobwebs and dust settled on nearly every surface. He heard Draco murmur, "Lumos," as he looked around the room. The half-lit silhouettes of the desks and chairs were piled against the walls, an upturned rubbish bin empty.

Propped against the wall was a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling with an ornate gold frame, balancing on two clawed feet there was an inscription carved at the top. Harry read it aloud, running his fingers along the words. "Erised. . .stra ehru oyt. .  ube cafru oyt. . .on wohsi. What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's backwards," said Draco, reminding Harry that he was there. Harry looked over, swallowing thickly when he saw Draco's face. His cheekbones were standing out a bit more, his face more angular. His flaxen hair was loose and free of gel, falling in front of his eyes until he brushed his bangs back. Draco Malfoy's hair looked soft and---

Harry blinked and shook his head, the image of Harry touching Draco's hair leaving his mind. "B---backwards?" he repeated. "How do you know that?"

Draco said, a sneer creeping into his voice, "Well, it's obvious, isn't it? If you know how to observe, of course." With an annoyed sigh, Draco pointed at the inscription, but he didn't get to read it before Harry clapped his hand over his mouth, his shout of surprise muffled. "What?" the blonde asked, his tone much more concerned.

Harry was speechless, turning his head to look behind him. Nobody was there. . .but in the mirror, there was a crowd of people. His breathing was quick as he faced the mirror again, his hands shaking as he stepped closer to the mirror.

He was reflected in it, white in the face and scared-looking, but there were about ten others in the mirror as well. When he looked over his shoulder again, nobody was there.

"What is it?" Draco asked, the concern in his voice gone, replaced with annoyance. Harry ignored him.

A woman was standing behind his reflection, smiling sweetly at him. Reaching his hand out behind him, Harry only found air. It seemed that she and the others only existed in the mirror. She was young and pretty with long, dark red hair and her eyes. . .her eyes were just like Harry's.

Edging a bit closer to the mirror, Harry reached his hand out, fingers pressing against the glass.  Her eyes were bright green, emerald-like, the same shape as his own. But then he noticed that she was crying. Smiling, but crying all the same.

Standing beside her was a man, tall and thin, raven-coloured hair that stuck up in the back just like Harry's did. He wore glasses as well, though his eyes were hazel and not green.

Now, Harry was standing so close to the mirror that his nose was nearly touching that of his reflection. "Mum?" he whispered, his eyes wide. "Dad?"

They looked down at him, smiling and crying. Slowly, Harry looked at the other people in the mirror, finding green eyes like his, noses like his, and there was even an old man with knees like his. For the first time in his life, Harry was looking at his family.

The Potter's smiled and waved at Harry as he stared hungrily at them all. His hands were pressed flat against the glass as if he wanted to fall into the world of glass. He had a powerful kind of ache inside of him; one of half joy and half terrible sadness.

Draco's voice brought him back to his senses. "That's not your parents." He added, "The inscription says I show not your face but your heart's desire. So that means that seeing your parents is what you want more than anything."