I was browsing around all my notebooks today when I discovered this tucked into the back of one of them. I liked it and decided to post it. please review!

Disclaimer- I don't own Harry Potter. So there.

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It was dark, very dark, and late. She'd estimate it was around one in the morning. But she wasn't going back, not yet.

Lily Evans, head girl at Hogwarts, was sitting crossed legged in front of the large mirror, staring at it. Slowly, her gaze shifted up to the top of the mirror, where the words 'Eristed stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi' were, meaning 'I show not your face but your hearts desire.'

Lily sighed, her gaze moving to stare back at the mirror.

At first, an older version of herself stared back at her beaming, holding 2 certificates in her hand. One for Hogwarts and one for the ministry's auror department.

She had obviously graduated from Hogwarts and had passed her auror exams.

Her older self beamed at her for a while, but then, the scene began to change.

Lily sighed, this happened every time she came here- her reflection changed.

Now, her reflection was of her a year or two older, about 20 years old. But this time, she was not alone.

A baby was in her arms, snuggled against her shoulders. Next to her stood a man, obviously her husband by the gold bands on both their fingers. But Lily wasn't too happy with this certain man being her husband, for next to her, one arm wrapped around her shoulders, stood James Potter.

Lily sighed and leaned back on her hands. Her feelings for James had grown now that he had deflated his head and grown up a bit. He was still a prankster, but he no longer hexed people because he could, nor did he act so immature.

But no matter how much James had changed, Lily refused to admit she'd finally fallen for him. She was in denial, still afraid that she would get hurt if she went out with James. She didn't want to admit it, but she was scared. Yes, Lily Evans was scared.

But still, she couldn't help but wonder- why did her reflection keep changing? The only conclusion Lily could come up with was that she simply didn't know her heart's desire. How can one not know their heart's desire? It couldn't be THAT hard to discover, could it?

Lily curled her knees up to her chest, watching again as her reflection shifted back to her holding the graduation certificates. She sighed.

"Is it truly possible for one not to know their own heart's desire?"

She obviously hadn't expected an answer back, for she was alone- or so she thought.

"You know, if you talk to yourself like that, people might think you're crazy." Lily turned her head towards the voice, surprised yet at the same time, not surprised.

"Potter." She acknowledged before turning back to face the mirror. "What are you doing here?"

James Potter stepped out of the shadows and took a step towards Lily, his face gentle and his wand in his hand.

"I could ask you the same thing." He said, taking another step towards her. "What do you see?" he asked. Lily sighed.

"I don't really know. It keeps changing. First it's just me graduating then it's me holding- " she broke off, and he took a few more steps forward until he was standing right behind her.

"You wanna tell me about it?" James said, taking a seat next to her. Lily didn't answer for a second; she just stared at him. But after a minute, she said,

"I don't think you'd understand." James scoffed, leaning back on his hands.

"Try me Evans. My heart's desire might not change like yours, but I do know how you feel." Lily stared at him. "How? How could you possibly know?" James glanced at her before looking back at the mirror.

"I first discovered this mirror in my third year. When I first looked into it, I thought it was broken. I was only thirteen, how in the world could that be my heart's desire?" He glanced at her again.

"Since that first day I looked in the mirror when I was thirteen Evans, my heart's desire hasn't changed, and I know it never will."

James stopped talking, and for a minute the two sat in silence, thinking. Finally, Lily broke the silence.

"What did you see?" she asked. For a minute James didn't answer her, studying her with his hazel eyes. When he did speak, it was only one word.

"You."

Lily's eyes widened in shock; "Me?" James nodded, and Lily mouth fell open. "but why?"

"Isn't it obvious?" James said quickly. He paused, and then he spoke again, his voice was softer.

"You are my heart's desire Lily. I love you; I've loved you since before I even knew or understood what love was. And as I said before, I know that will never change."

Lily was quiet as James poured out his heart, thinking. How could James Potter love her? James Potter, the boy who'd pranked her and asked her out continuously since first year, loved her.

But why her? It didn't make any sense to Lily. Why would James love a woman who continuously rejected him? What could he possible see in her? Lily shook her head.

"No…" she said, causing him to look up at her. "You don't- you don't love me." James looked confused, but Lily continued.

"You can't." she said softly. "You can't love me. There's nothing about me that could possibly attract you." James looked a little upset, but grinned non-the less.

"Haven't you ever heard that opposites attract?" Lily shook her head.

"What could possibly attract you to me? What could you possibly like about me?" James reached his hand out, a bit hesitantly in case she pulled away (she didn't) to run his fingers down her cheek.

"I see everything." He said as if that explained everything. "Even now, just sitting here staring in your eyes. I see the world."

That wasn't exactly the answer Lily was looking for, but it made her heart beat faster anyways. She sighed, pulling away from him and turning to look back into the mirror, watching as her reflection holding the graduation papers shifted to the one of her and James with the baby.

"But why me? Why do you see all that when you look at me?" James took a deep breath, releasing it slowly before he answered her.

"I don't know." He said, "The heart works in strange ways. I certainly didn't choose to fall in love with you, but I did." He grinned.

"Although I suspect it's the Potter curse." Lily started at him. "The Potter curse?" she said, eyebrows raised. James nodded.

"Yup. Potter men seemed to be attracted to redheads." He touched a piece of her red hair as he said this. Lily smiled.

"Does that mean your mother is a redhead too?" James nodded. "And my grandmother, and my great-grandmother, and so on."

"What about your father?" Lily asked. James touched a piece of his untidy black hair. "I inherited his black hair, but my mother's eyes." He thought for a minute. "That seems to be another thing in my family." Lily cocked her head. "What?"

"All firstborn sons seem to inherit their mother's eyes, but their father's hair. My mum has hazel eyes, and my dad and grandmother both have dark blue eyes."

"Wow," Lily said. "You have a lot of…. Inherited genetic things in your family." James nodded. "Yeah."

Suddenly, a large clock on the wall behind them began to chime, signaling that it was two in the morning. Both Lily and James stood up.

"We should probably head back," Lily said, and James agreed.

"Wait!" he suddenly said as Lily stared towards the door. He glanced towards the mirror.

"You never told me what you see." Lily stared at him for a second before taking a few steps until she was in front of the mirror. When she saw the reflection of her, James and the baby, her face broke out into a smile.

"Well?" James said. "What do you see?" Lily turned to him, the smiled still on her face.

"You."

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Don't yell at me!! I know I haven't updated any of my other storied in ages and I'm soooooo sorry! I just started my senior year, and I've got all this stuff going on and I'm going to school full time and stuff that I've had a hard time finding time to sit down and type. that, and I've hit a bit of a writer's block. i've just temperarily lost my muse. don't panic though, thanksgiving break is coming up, and I plan on giving my poor stories some much needed TLC!

Oh yeah, and I could use a few ideas for 'Link's Hardships' and 'Impossible Miracle' so if you have an idea, please let me know!!!

phew, that was long. please review!!!