Using the prompts for Camp Potter: Mirror, "Hush hush," and Sleep

Using the prompts for dimitrisgirl18's Big/Lil' Sister Competition: here and now and scream

Word count: 619

Completely and utterly AU.

little slythe- hufflepuff- boy

(but we all know he was meant to be a snake)

he wanders the corridors every night

misses hours and hours of sleep

to prove himself

to prove himself worthy

to prove he's strong

ambitious

cunning

(everything they tell him he's not allowed to be)

so he wanders the corridors

until he reaches a room that makes his dreams come true

*o*

little huffle- slytherin- boy

(but he's a sweet little badger at heart)

find the mirror of erised one night when he's wandering

(homesick

for the home that makes him sick-

he's always loved irony)

he sees a boy standing next to him

wearing slytherin robes

while his have suddenly turned to hufflepuff

it's a dream;

he can be the badger

with a snake by his side

(only later does he realise the boy isn't an illusion)

*o*

"hufflepuff!"

the cry that broke his dreams

the cry that made him into a weakling

a boy with no ambition, no skill

but still, he thinks he understands

he's loyal

(to the ones he knows he shouldn't be)

hardworking

(to make sure they all suffer)

patient

(as long as there's something in it for him)

but still, he shows off his ambition and trademark smirk

and hopes that everyone can see

this is not where he belongs

*o*

"slytherin!"

that was the cry that broke his dreams

and fulfilled them all at once

he had finally made his family proud

(or, at least, as close as they can get)

it's all he's ever wanted

but this...

he never wanted to be a snake

finally, he gets what he's always dreamed of

by way of getting what he wanted least

(oh, the irony)

*o*

he screams as he turns around

because his vision flips, too

he's still in slytherin robes,

but a boy next to him- that boy- wears hufflepuff ones

(and doesn't look too happy about it)

the boy drawls, "who're you?"

and regulus says his name with hesitant pride like always,

never sure if they'll be impressed

or disgusted

the boy- barty, he says- appears to be neither;

simply nods, whispers "figures," and looks at the slytherin robes jealously

regulus ignores it

"what do you see, barty? what does the mirror show you?"

and the way he sneers, regulus can't quite say he's surprised when barty growls,

"slytherin robes."

and then, so quietly reg almost can't hear,

"and... someone else."

the way he averts his eyes tells him just who that someone else is

but he's disappeared into the night before regulus can say he saw same thing

*o*

the next time he sees the mirror, he's older and colder

and just a little bit insane

but he realises that he hasn't changed, much

his hufflepuff nature shows

in his unwavering loyalty to the dark lord

and when regulus says, standing beside him

"what do you see, barty?"

he hesitates (just a moment) before telling him

"the dark lord. he's pleased."

and the look in barty's eye tells regulus exactly what the dark lord wants,

what will please him this way

"you used to see me," regulus whispers,

heart beating

beat after beat after beat

(he knows they'll be his last)

but regulus knows that the dark lord knows he has turned

and he's going to destroy him if he can

all he's ever wanted was for barty to be happy

(that's what made him happy)

and all barty's ever wanted is to please the dark lord

(so he's forced to get rid of regulus

because here and now,

that's all the dark lord needs)

so the only thing that will make regulus happy

is having himself destroyed

(hush, hush

it's not so bad)

((after all, he's always loved irony))