Hello hello hello. This story is about Harry and Sirius. it's set during year six. there aren't any warnings--yet! I'm thinking about making future chapters slash...but anyway. this one here is just part one. I'll make more chapters soon.

Disclaimer: no, I still don't own Harry Potter. So I obviously don't own any of the characters, either. I just like to play with them.

ok, on to the story!

Reflections

Chapter one: The Mirror

Blood-red light from the brilliant sunset filtered into the library through a small window and fell across a table where two people were working. The table was littered with books and spare bits of parchment.

Hermione glanced up from her essay to study her friend's face. His brow was furrowed and there was a far-away look in his eyes that she had seen frequently since they returned to Hogwarts. "Harry? Are you all right?" She asked softly. His head snapped up.

"Yeah. I'm fine," Harry answered, forcing a smile.

"Okay, then." Frowning slightly, but understanding that he didn't want to talk about it, Hermione returned her attention to her essay. Harry looked back down at his blank paper. They'd been sitting there for a long time now, but he still hadn't written anything.

For the last hour, Harry had been thinking about the previous June. Someone he'd never see again. How it was all his own fault. He knew that it did no good to keep dwelling on it, but he couldn't stop. It was at times like this, when he had no other distractions, that the loss of Sirius really hit him hard. Five months had passed, but it somehow still felt as though he'd just seen Sirius fall through the archway. That same pang of regret and pain so intense it was almost unbearable. When he wasn't keeping himself busy, when he allowed himself to remember, Harry missed him so much it hurt.

A pause in the steady scratching of Hermione's quill made Harry look up again. She was gazing at him worriedly.

"I think I'm going to go back to the common room," Harry said, getting up and packing his things into his bag. He didn't want her questioning him. "See you later." He left the library quickly. After that, he didn't really know where to go, since he had no intention of returning to the common room.

Harry wandered aimlessly through the castle, not thinking about where he was going. It was much easier not to think about anything. He concentrated instead on his own footsteps echoing through the empty hall. One, two, three, four. Counting his steps didn't seem to be enough of a distraction. Memories and regrets flashed through his mind, even though he was trying hard to block them out. Ten, eleven, twelve. Sirius had been locked up in Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place for so long, even though he'd hated it. Where is he now? Harry kept walking long after he had lost count. He finally paused in front of a window and gazed into the black starry sky. He knew that he'd be in trouble if he was caught out this late, but he still didn't feel much like returning to the common room just to be questioned by his friends. If only there was another place he could go--

But there was! Struck by a sudden idea, Harry turned and hastened to a certain seventh floor corridor. He wanted a quiet place where he wouldn't be disturbed, but also something else…Something he hardly dared to hope for…but he had to try.

Stopping by a tapestry in which a troll was advancing on a scared-looking wizard, Harry closed his eyes and thought about what he needed. He walked past a bare stretch of wall three times, then came to a halt outside of a polished door. He stood staring at it for a few moments, bracing himself for whatever bitter disappointment he was sure he'd feel when he walked inside. The two-way mirror hadn't worked, why would this? But a small part of him was still hopeful as he pushed the door open. He stepped into a rather small, dark room. It was dark because the floor, ceiling, and walls were pitch black. His eyes were drawn to the center of the room, where a tall gleaming mirror stood, perfectly illuminated despite the lack of any other lights. Harry stepped closer to it, close enough to read the words etched across the top: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi. The Mirror of Erised. He'd seen it before, in his first year. He looked at his reflection and, with a pang, the person standing next to it. Sirius stood in the mirror, smiling, with his hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry stared at the familiar handsome features, the black hair, dark eyes…He reached out to the mirror, as if to tough Sirius's face, but his fingers just hit the glass. His vision became blurred. Tears he had been holding back all evening were spilling down his cheeks. "No…Sirius…" He moaned as he sank to the floor with his head in his hands. "Come back, come back…! Why did you have to leave?" He rocked back and forth, his breath coming in searing gasps. "Please…Please…Sirius!"

An hour or more later, it was hard to tell, Harry forced himself to get up. He wiped his face and replaced his glasses with a shaking hand. He looked once more at Sirius, who was still smiling softly back at him. He turned and walked slowly to the door. Pausing and looking back, Harry said softly before closing the door, "I miss you so much. I love you."

ok. now that you've read it, tell me what you think! I live off of feedback. I'll make another chapter soon. just to warn you, I'm toying with the idea of making the next one a bit slashy.