So, here it is! For the Mirror of Erised Competition in the HPFC forum. Hope you guys enjoy! :D
I apologize in advance for any typos or non-British terms that may have been used.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. No matter how much I wish I did.
Unseen Desires, Impossible Wishes
"What do you see when you look into the mirror?"
It had been a while since he had been asked such a sincere, honest, simple question. Quite a while indeed. The question itself was unexpected, but Dumbledore knew that when it came to this boy, you should always expect the unexpected. Dumbledore looked down to the boy, the boy he knew had so much suffering and loss and pain ahead of him, and then looked into the mirror.
What he saw took his breath away. What he saw wasn't that elaborate or complicated. What he saw... what he saw, he wanted. He wanted it so bad.
He saw himself standing in the mirror, young and carefree, laughing freely. He saw himself as he once was. He saw himself when he wasn't burdened with regret and grief... regret and grief he had wrought upon himself.
Next to him, standing hand in hand, was none other than Gellert Grindelwald. He too was smiling and beaming, and the two were leaning into each other. It was obvious that in the mirror, he had confessed his love to Grindelwald, and Grindelwald reciprocated those feelings.
And then, there was his sister. His sweet, beloved little sister, alive and happy and beaming at him in the mirror. There was a wand in her hand, showing him that she was a true witch. She was smiling at her older brother, the older brother that she thought would protect her from everything, and older brother she had trusted and admired.
An older brother that had failed her, in reality. An older brother that deserved nothing less than scorn and hatred.
His brother was there too, a smile on his face. He was the young and carefree boy that he should've been, instead of the responsibility-burdened boy he had been. He was smiling and laughing, and was looking at his brother with love.
His brother, who had done nothing, nothing for him in reality.
His parents were behind them, his father's arm slung around his mother. They were smiling in adoration at their children, together and happy. In this alternative reality, his father hadn't gone to Azkaban, and his mother was still alive.
Oh, how Dumbledore ached. He ached with pain, with regret, with grief, with guilt. It was his fault, his fault, that so much suffering had been brought upon his family.
These were his unseen desires, his aching wishes.
These were scenes that he knew couldn't happen, wouldn't happen.
These were scenes, desires, wishes that no one could know about.
So, he looked back down at Harry, into the emerald green eyes alight with child-like curiosity.
He peered into those swirling depths of green, and lied.
"I? I see myself holding a pair of thick, woolen socks."
He lied, because no one could know.
Thoughts? Please, do review! It'll make my day. :3
~SCYS