"Hey, Prongs, could you help me with my transfiguration essay?" Peter asks as he sits at the end of my bed, tugging on a piece of parchment. "I still have about seven inches left."
"Yeah," I reply, tapping my wand to the folded parchment in my hand. "Mischief managed." The ink fades away from the creases of the map, erasing every trace of the school and the people within its walls.
"Looking at Lily again?" Peter asks hesitantly, his eyebrows raising in concern.
"Yeah," I muttered, tucking the map under my pillow. "Just making sure she's safe."
"Where is she?"
"Dunno," I answer, taking the essay from his grip. "I couldn't find her on the map."
A crease appears between his eyebrows, and he narrows his watery blue eyes. "What do you mean you-?"
"Let's just look at your paper, yeah?" I interrupt him. I'm not up to talking about Lily right now. It's ironic really, the lads couldn't get me to shut up about her for years, and now, when they're finally willing to talk about her too, I've gone silent.
"Um, okay," Peter responds slightly flustered. "So, I don't exactly understand what McGonagall was lecturing about on Friday. I have my notes, but they still don't make sense."
"Let's go down to the common room," I say rising from my bed. "We can look at my notes and essay."
When we get down stairs, the common room it is slightly full for a Saturday. People are throwing Remus dirty looks as he occupies a whole couch by himself, sprawled out with his long frame, his nose in a book.
I ease up to the back of the couch before swiftly yanking the thick book from his thin, pale hands. He shoots up immediately, wand drawn.
"The fuck do you think you're doing?" His brown eyes are ablaze as they land on me; they narrow as soon as he realizes it's me who snatched his book.
"Give it back if you know what's good for you," he spits through his teeth.
I smirk. "Touchy there, are we, Moons?"
"I hate you," he deadpans.
I laugh. "No, you don't." I drop the book in his lap. "Happy?"
He lays back against the couch, mumbling beneath his breath, thumbing through the pages. I turn back to Pete with a grin. "Come on," I say. "Let's get to work."
By the time we've gotten the rest of his paper finished, the sun is starting to sink from the sky, casting a warm, orange light through the windows of the common room. I squint at the bright light, stretching as I rise from my chair. Peter naps lightly with his head on the desk; he fell asleep as I did the last of the revisions.
I leave him to his slumber, as I stumble up the stairs back to the dormitory. I collapse onto my bed, flexing my legs trying to get the stiffness to seep out of my muscles. I pull the map from under my pillow, propping myself up on my elbows to look at the parchment.
I place the tip of my wand on the bundle of parchment. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
I am up to no good. The guilt had began to sink into my mind again, but I do my best to ignore it. I feel slightly invasive every time I pull out the map to find Lily Evans on the map, but it wasn't like I could actually see her. I just saw where she was in the castle, and if she was safe. Lately, I could never find her, and she was never in class. My worry was beginning to grow.
This time, however, I do find her name on the map. It takes several minutes of searching, but the name Lily Evans is tucked away in a first-floor classroom- apart of the castle that is usually barren. I watch her dot as she stays still, as if she isn't moving around the classroom. What is she doing?
My stomach drops as I watch the name of Albus Dumbledore approach the classroom. Is he going to find her? I get my answer as he opens the door to join Lily. She finally moves, so as least I know she is conscious. Is she in trouble? I need to know what is going on.
I jump from my bed and begin to dig through my trunk, tossing random pieces of clothing and parchment aside. I finally find what I'm searching for- my invisibility cloak. I grab my wand and the map, and tug the cloak on, masking me in invisibility from head to toe.
I begin my trek down the stairs, passing Sirius and Remus in the common room, not even stopping to tell them what I am doing. I ease out of the portrait hole, trying to not draw attention to myself. I walk briskly to the first floor, trying not to trip over the ever moving stairs.
I pass Professor Dumbledore on my way to the room, and I swear his eyes linger a second too long on where I am standing. I know it's crazy because I am under an invisibility cloak, but sometimes I wonder if he can see past my magical garment.
I keep walking until I reach the door of the room, pushing my way inside as quietly as possible. It looks like an unused classroom with the desk stacked haphazardly against the back walls and pieces of trashed parchment littering the floor. The only thing that seems to not belong in the room is a mirror.
The mirror is majestic and ancient looking, looming over the rest of the room. Its tall, golden frame brushes the ceiling. It stands on clawed feet, and the sides twist in a complicated design, looping up to a flat top. Words are etched into the gold: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on woshi.
I don't even try and decipher the wording, as the red headed girl sitting in front of the mirror catches my attention She sits so closely her knees are brushing the glass. I see her reflection; her tears stain her cheeks as they drip onto her lap. She smiles though, her green eyes shimmering.
I let the cloak drop to my shoulders. "Lily?"
Lily jumps to her feet quickly, pulling her wand from her clothes. She turns to face me swiftly, her long hair swinging over her shoulder. Her face relaxes as her eyes land on me, and she tucks her wand away.
"What are you doing here? How did you find me?" She demands.
I shrug my shoulders, allowing the cloak to fall to the floor and pull the map from my pocket, holding it up for her to see. "I saw you on the map," I explain. "And then I saw Dumbledore meet up with you. I wanted to make sure you were okay and make sure you didn't get in trouble."
"Oh," is all she says.
Right, we're not exactly on speaking terms at the moment. my heart sinks as I look down at my feet. "I'll just be going."
I turn to leave wordlessly. "James, wait," she calls, her voice echoing off the empty walls.
I turn back to look at her, not letting my hopes rise. "Yeah?"
"I'm sorry," she says, voice cracking, as she shifts her gaze to the stone floor. "I'm sorry for the way I've acted. I just needed some time and some space, but it wasn't fair for me to shut you out. It wasn't fair for me to say you don't understand because I honestly don't want you to understand because I never want you to loose your parents. I'm just sorry, James."
I swallow thickly and cross the room, pulling her to my chest. "It's okay, Lily," I breathe against her soft hair. "You don't have to apologize. I just want to help in any way I can, but I've just felt so useless. I love you, Lils. I know this sucks, but I promise to try everyday to make it at least a little bit better for you."
She stands on her toes and presses her lips to mine. "Thank you, and I love you too." Merlin, I've missed her.
"What's with the mirror?" I ask, staring at it over the top of her head.
She takes my hand in her grasp and leads me to the mirror. She pushes and pulls me, centering me in the glass. She takes a step to the side, staring up at me with a peculiar look on her face, something I don't recognize shining in her emerald eyes. I stare into the mirror, waiting for something to happen because it looks as if Lily is waiting for something to happen, but all I see in the reflection is Lily and me.
"What do you see?" She asks impatiently.
I look down at her unable to hide my confusion. "What do you mean what do I see? I see us, of course. It's a mirror."
She smiles up at me, her teeth bright against her skin. My heart swells because I haven't seen that smile in weeks.
"Hey, you smiled!" I grin in return, before looking back to the mirror. "But I still don't get it."
"That's not a regular mirror, James," she says wrapping her arms around me.
I hug her to me tightly. "What does that mean?"
"I show not your face but your hearts desire," she says with a grin.
I look back at the reflection and realize, Lily and I are slightly older in the mirror. Not by much, we look to be in our twenties. Wedding bands decorate both of our ring fingers on our left hand. I also notice children in the background of the mirror. A small red-headed girl with my tall frame and nose. A lanky boy that is the spitting image of a younger me with Lily's green eyes.
I smile down at Lily knowing she is my heart's desire and press a kiss to the top of her head.
A/N*
Hello lovelies. I have a test tomorrow and am procreating like nobody's business. So, I hope you enjoy my coffee induced chapter! lol We're getting close to the end. (Cue the tears)
Anyways hope you all enjoyed! Sorry I'm a tad late! Love y'all!