The Family In The Mirror

Challenge issued by PrimroseAmelia

Molly Weasley was visiting her daughter and son-in-law at their home, Number 12 Grimmauld Place. Ginny and Harry had moved into Sirius' old home right after they were married, which was just after Ginny's Seventh Year. They had been living there for a year and the place was still dusty and molded. Because Arthur was busy at work, Molly had gone to visit the couple.

The redheaded woman was currently working on cleaning out one of the rooms on the top floor. Harry and Ginny had told her not to worry about it, that they rarely went past the second floor anyway, but Molly wouldn't listen. This particular room only had a few items in it; a broken dresser missing two drawers and a broken leg, a lamp with a busted bulb, and a mirror with a blanket thrown over it. Molly used a quick spell to dust off the dresser before she repaired the broken leg. The drawers were obviously long gone, though. The light bulb was also quickly fixed. She went over to the mirror and pulled off the ratted blanket and gasped in surprise.

There in the mirror were several people. The majority of them had red hair. But she knew all of them.

Arthur was there beside her, an arm wrapped around her image. Both of them looked extremely happy. To their left was Ginny and Harry, laughing. Close to the two stood Ron and Hermione, Ron waving and Hermione rolling her eyes at her husband. George and his girlfriend, Angelina Johnson, were standing behind Ron and Hermione. But beside George was his twin brother, Fred.

Molly felt a stab at her heart and a lump formed in her throat. Fred was dead. He'd died during the Battle of Hogwarts. Just what was this thing?

Fred and George were laughing at something only they seemed to be able to see. To Molly and Arthur's right Percy and his wife Penelope were holding hands proudly. Bill and Fleur were behind them, sharing a quick kiss. Charlie had his arms crossed over his chest and was leaning against Bill, tossing a small wave at his mother. Next to Charlie stood two very familiar men that Molly had not seen in years. Her brothers.

Fabian and Gideon were smiling huge smiles at her and playfully knocking into each other.

Seeing her dead children and dead brothers was beginning to get too much for her. Molly closed her eyes for a moment as several tears began to sprinkle down her face. Taking the cuff of her sleeve, she dabbed at her face and opened her eyes. They were all still there.

"Mrs. Weasley?" Harry's voice startled her. Molly turned around quickly and saw her son-in-law. She remembered the first time she'd seen the boy. He'd been small and scrawny, trying to find his way onto the Platform that would lead him to the Hogwarts Express. Now he was much taller than she was and wasn't as scrawny, but close enough to it that she was constantly inviting him and Ginny over for dinner. The only thing he had in physical common with his younger self was that untidy black hair, his glasses, and his emerald green eyes.

"Oh, hello dear. I was just dusting. The dust must have gotten into my eyes." She lied quickly, sniffing.

Harry looked around and spotted the mirror. He entered the room carefully and gave the woman a small smile. "That's the Mirror of Erised. Professor McGonagall asked me to keep it here so students wouldn't find it at Hogwarts like I did."

"What is it, exactly?" Molly questioned him softly, glancing over her shoulder to her family.

"It shows your heart's desire. The thing you want most appears in the mirror."

Molly nodded. It made sense. The thing she wanted the most was for her family to be together again. But she knew that would never happen.

"Lunch is ready, Mrs. Weasley." Harry continued, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I'm going to move the mirror after we eat." Molly was about to ask why when Harry spoke again, "I found this in my First Year. Professor Dumbledore told me people would go crazy and get too attached to seeing what they wanted and sometimes people would forget what is real and what isn't."

Molly nodded and pulled Harry into a hug. He was such a sweet and wonderful boy, he always had been. They released each other and Molly took one last look at her family before leaving the room. Harry glanced at the Mirror of Erised and smiled slightly before following her.

a/n: Like I said, a challenge on one of the forums on fanfiction(dot)net.