Joyful Flights of Miss Robins
Author Note: Am I Joanne Kathleen Rowling? Nope. It's not mine, then. Here's a look into the heart of one of my favourite minor characters, Demelza Robins. You know how there are characters that are cited a few times but you can't help like them? Demelza definitely fits in that mix for me, and after seeing some Mirror of Erised fics, I wrote this. The subtle joke in the title had me chuckling when I thought of it. Robins being a species of birds, of course. Geddit?
Demelza was a bit tired after a Quidditch practice - Harry made them work hard, but she knew it would pay off. In her sleepy daze she wondered into an empty room.
"Where on earth...?" she wondered, but her eyes drifted to a large mirror. Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru out on wohsi. A bout of curiousity took over. Demelza walked closer to the mirror. At first she saw her faint reflection. It was faint, but she could see her distinctive thin face, clear-white smile and black hair streaked with blonde. But then as the grey haze around the mirror cleared, she saw something else.
"Wha- no... surely..." Demelza stuttered, heat rising in her cheeks. "N-no... w-way..." What she saw was herself, beaming inexplicably, with Terry Boot's arm wrapped around her shoulders, and Terry was smiling too. Demelza shook her head. Sure, Terry was a good accquintance of hers, despite the one-year age gap, but the mirror was making her see crazy things. Her heart pounded against her ribs.
"Nuh-uh..." she muttered. The mirror-Demelza leaned into mirror-Terry, and the Terry reflection kissed her on the cheek. The real Demelza's cheeks burned.
"OK! I admit it!" she whispered loudly - there was no escaping it. It had clicked in her brain. She loved Terry Boot. Loved him with all her heart.
After a sleep containing a few Terry-related dreams, she flew excellently at the next practice (again, Harry was planning daily sessions. Madness). As the team settled down, Demelza stayed behind.
"Harry." she called. The green-eyed boy turned around - his attention been caught.
"Demelza. What do you want?" he asked. Demelza shrunk a little - he was a bit intimidating. Harry noticed her reaction.
"Demelza, I am not Ron. I'm not going to yell at you. You obviously wanted a calm talk with me, just the two of us. If there's something you need to get off your chest, take your time." he said kindly. Demelza inhaled.
"Didn't you encounter a mysterious mirror in your first year?" she pondered. Harry nodded.
"The Mirror of Erised. Erised is 'desire' backwards. When you look into it, it shows you your heart's greatest desire." he explained. Demelza blinked.
"That's why the message on the rim looked weird." she chuckled. Harry laughed.
"Heart's greatest desire, you say?" the Chaser queried. Harry nodded.
"That explains a lot..." Demelza trailed, turning a shade of pink. Harry smiled.
"Aha." he smirked, his eyes twinkling. Demelza glared playfully.
"Yes, all right. I saw my crush in the mirror." she said, turning crimson now.
"Very well Miss Robins, why are you waiting?" Harry grinned. Demelza smiled nervously.
"I'm not sure whether he'll like me that way in real life. In the mirror he had his arm wrapped around me, and he kissed me..." she breathed, turning a positive shade of maroon. Harry allowed her to reminisce, before making a 'go on' hand gesture.
"...but I just don't know. I love him like crazy, but should I pine away?" she sniffed.
"Go for your Gryffindor gut feeling and sniff the Armortentia. Lousy metaphor, I know, but go for it!" Harry encouraged. Demelza beamed.
"Thanks Harry!" she grinned, hugging him. Harry chuckled - whoever this guy was, he was going to get smothered in Demelza's affectionate hugs.
"I won't go giddy, but when I ask him out, it'll feel like I'm on Felix Felicis!" the brunette exclaimed. Harry suddenly had a memory flash in his head from earlier that year. He knew who Demelza had seen.
"Why don't people drink it all the time, sir?" said Terry Boot eagerly.
"Because if taken in excess, it causes giddiness, recklessness, and dangerous overconfidence." said Slughorn. Harry smirked. Terry would soon be pondering whether Demelza had been overtaken by recklessness when she asked him out.
AN: The credit for Harry's memory goes to JKR and can be found on page 178 of the UK edition of Half-Blood Prince. I liked writing Nurturing!Harry in this - he encourages Demelza when she's feeling down once in the book and fixes her injury when Ron punches her, so I wanted her go to the green-eyed Seeker for advice. And I've always adored Terry and Demelza together... oh my Merlin, they're so sweet.