Written for the Harry Potter Chapter Challenge (Mirror of Erised - write about someone's heart's desire)

Written for the Multi Ship Challenge (PadmaHarry, apple)

Genesis

"You may eat every fruit in the garden. Except from the tree in the centre."

They had been the words spoken to Harry from the day he had been made from the Almighty Creator. And when the woman, Padma, had been created from his bones, the same words had been spoken to her as well.

A test, they had surmised. A test to test their loyalty.

At first the test had been easy. The Garden was filled with so many other beautiful creations that they did not need the fruit from the central tree. They were granted freedom within the richness of their home, and the love of their creator. What else could a man of their god need?

They spent their days enjoying the sun and the food provided for them. Padma would wander by the streams, catching fresh water Plimpies; Harry would get to know the animals of the kingdom, naming them one by one.

"Unicorn, Thestral, Dragon."

By night they would lay under the stars, making love and sharing what they had been given. It wasn't long before their creator spoke to them again.

"Harry… Padma… for your loyalty and devotion to my beautiful creation I reward you. I give you a child."

Padma glanced down at the swell in her belly, smiling. What a beautiful gift.

"Thank you," they both said in unison.

Not long after, Padma gave birth to a healthy boy. He was perfect in every way, so they named him Cain. He would guide them in their growth.

A year later Abel was born and their beautiful garden was growing into something of wonder. It was fruitful, it was healthy. They had everything they needed.

And then the Devil came.

"We do not speak his name," their creator had said. "We do not listen to such a vile creature; the Devil has fallen from my grace and shall not return."

The Devil was vile. As vile as any being could be. He appeared in snake form, first in their dreams, and then in person. His body twisted and turned around the central tree, coaxing them to have a taste.

"I'll protect you," the Devil hissed. "Just one bite."

"No," Harry and Padma insisted. "Never."

Their growing, healthy sons told the Devil the same thing. They were not fools.

The Devil appeared every night, though; vile and cruel, enticing them to take the fruit from the tree.

Every night, the family refused.

"No."

Until one day Harry woke with a start. There was a burning in his chest as he looked at his beloved beside him, and his two sons a little further away. Along with the burning in his chest, a voice in his head spoke; it was his creator.

"The fruit in the central tree is no longer forbidden."

Suddenly, the desire for Harry to take a bite from the fruit was overwhelming. He stood, allowing his family to sleep and silently walked to the place he had since been forbidden.

"You may taste the fruit. You have obeyed me for many years, doing as I asked. I am pleased. Your reward is the fruit."

Harry now wanted the fruit more than anything else in the garden. More than the clear water in the stream, or the love of his wife and his sons. He wanted a taste of something that had been forbidden to him for many, many years.

"Go on, my son. I grant you permission."

Harry stepped forward, slowly at first, but his pace increased as his mouth watered. The scent had filled his nostrils with the most pungent smell of lilies and other flowers in the Garden.

"Go on," his creator urged. "Go on, my son."

His heart pounding with desire and anticipation, Harry snapped a piece of the red fruit from the tree. There was silence for a moment, before the voice spoke again.

"Now taste it."

Harry did as his creator requested, bringing the delicious, sweet-smelling fruit to his lips.

"Taste it."

Harry obliged, eager. He parted his lips, and took a large bite from the fruit he now realised he had longed to try.

"Do you like it?"

"It is the most wonderful taste I have ever tasted, Creator," Harry said. "Thank you."

A chuckle sounded. "You are welcome, my son. Now, eat the rest."

Harry did as was requested of him, soon filling with the beauty and taste of the fruit. He collapsed by the tree into a slumber of blissfulness.

He'd only rested for a moment when a hand was placed on his arm.

"Harry, my love. You must wake."

Harry's eyes snapped open. It was light, but it was not like the Garden he had seen the previous day. Rather than beauty and blossoming flowers and animals of all kinds, it was a wasteland.

"Padma, what has happened?" Harry stood. The bright, green leaves from the central tree were missing. As was the fruit.

"You ate from the tree," Padma said. He saw an emotion in her which he could not name.

"As the Almighty Creator instructed," Harry responded, looking around the deserted Garden. There was not a sign of life anywhere, apart from his wife and sons.

"No, Harry. No, Harry, that was the Devil. He tricked you. The Creator is furious."

"Furious?" Harry did not know the term.

"We must leave the Garden," Padma continued, gathering her sons close. "We can no longer be here. We have been banished."

Harry's eyes widened as water began to pour from the sky. He had not seen such a thing before.

"Our creator would not banish us!" Harry shouted over the water. He had not raised his voice like that before, and it confused him.

"Yes, we must!" Padma returned the raised voice. "He spoke to me, Harry. We disobeyed."

Harry glanced to the sky. It was no longer blue, but dark and terrifying.

"You're feeling fear, Harry," Padma said before he could question the strange emotion that had started inside of him. "It is punishment for our disobedience. Man shall forever sin. Woman shall feel pain in child birth. Man and woman shall forever feel fear and hatred for what they have done."

Harry did not understand, but Padma grabbed his hand. "We must leave, Harry," she urged.

"I must talk to the Almighty," Harry argued. He had never gone against his wife's wishes before…. What was happening?

"Harry, we must leave!"

Harry looked up into the sky again, water pouring on his face. A light flashed through the sky.

"Almighty Creator, please come and speak to me!" he shouted over the noise.

Nothing happened. It was the first time that the creator had not responded to Harry's request immediately.

"Harry!" Padma cried. "Let us go!" She grabbed Harry's hand and began dragging him from the tree. Harry resisted, but the woman was strong.

"I must speak to him!" Harry said.

"You can't, Harry. We have been banished from the Garden. We must find refuge in another place. A place where there is sin. We have contaminated the Garden."

They continued to run as water poured all around them. Light flashed through the sky, and the children cried. Harry had never seen such devastation to the world he knew. And it was all his fault.

He turned to look behind him and saw that the central tree with the forbidden fruit was crumbling into the ground. Other plants were falling around it, and the beautiful creatures he had shared his life with were now running for cover.

A loud voice boomed from the sky.

"LEAVE. LEAVE NOW AND NEVER RETURN. YOU HAVE DISOBEYED MY ONE COMMAND, AND THEREFORE YOU MUST GO TO THE BARREN LAND WHERE THERE IS LITTLE WATER, MURDER, AND SIN."

"Almighty Creator, you must understand –" Harry began.

"Leave now! You have damned this world for eternity."

Harry wanted to cry out, but he knew that would be no good. He had disobeyed his creator; even if he had been tricked by the Devil.

He ran as fast as he could as the water came pouring down in a flood. The lightning was terrifying. Everything they had known had changed.

Everything.

"My love." Harry looked to Padma and saw something in her eyes that was welcoming. "My love," she repeated. "I forgive you."

Harry's face softened.

"The Devil was cruel. He was pure evil. We must not forget that."

Harry bowed his head.

"And in time, the Almighty will forgive you, too," she said. "For the Almighty created forgiveness."

They had escaped the Garden, into a barren place where they were the only remainder of the Almighty's beautiful world.

"Then," Padma continued. "Then we will be accepted back into the Garden."

Harry looked up into the heavens. There was no sign of his creator. Silently, he begged for forgiveness and moved forward.

It would be his job to turn this barren land into something of beauty. As his creator had done.

So, this was a little different, I admit :P I kind of used aspects on this topic from the Bible, Noah (the movie) and Supernatural (TV show). So, if it's not all accurate, that's why.

Thank you to my boyfriend for suggesting this idea. I may not be able to get him to write, but at least he can help me with the ideas :P

Please leave a review. I'd really love to hear what you thought of this :)