A/N: Written for the Houses competition
House: Slytherin, Year: 7, Category: Drabble, Prompt: [Speech] "I used to think you were my best friend,", and Word count: 612
"I used to think you were my best friend," I said, studying my image in the mirror. The face looking back at me had my shoulder length black hair and dark eyes. It was the same crooked tilt to my nose where Potter and his friends had broken it too many times. The lips, though, tugged up into a smile even when mine did not.
It was supposed to be a reflection. Just my mirror image looking back at me, but I knew better. I was seven years old when I first realized my reflection had a life of its own. Regardless of what I was looking into, be it water or glass, my reflection could move and speak on its own. There was a time when it was my only company, but over the years it had grown stronger and bolder…and darker. At first, he only had power over me when I slept. I would wake up in strange places with no memory of how I had gotten there. The nightmares were almost continuous now- nightmares about it taking over entirely, when I will be the one trapped inside of this body, under its control, powerless to do anything but watch.
Today I finally realized just how powerful it had gotten. After my reflection realized I intended to abandon the Dark Arts to save my relationship with Lily, it acted out in a way I had never expected it could. It spoke to her of its own accord. It called her a mudblood, and she had thought it was me.
"We are friends, Severus." The image smirked back at me. "The best of friends, and we will do great things together. Great, terrible, unimaginable things. Just as soon as that witch is out of our way."
"You leave her alone, or I swear-"
"You swear what?" The reflection smirked, "You'll get rid of me? Haven't you learned by now that you can't hurt me without hurting yourself?"
"I'll do it. I'll kill myself and we'll both die," I snapped desperately.
The reflection laughed. "No, you won't. You're a coward, Severus. You don't scare me. I'm not a coward. I'm not afraid of taking…drastic…measures to ensure I have what I want. Do you really believe that you can protect her from me?"
"What do you want?" I asked, fear tightening in my chest. My fingers curled into fists and it was all I could do to keep myself from smashing the mirror. Even if I did, it wouldn't do any good. I had been trying to figure out what he was ever since I had started Hogwarts, five years ago. There were no records or books detailing anything like him, and the more magic I learned, the stronger he became. Breaking the mirror wouldn't even phase him. I couldn't stop him.
"Pledge your loyalty to the Dark Lord," It whispered, leaning towards me.
"She'll hate me," I objected. If I did that, then Lily would never speak to me again.
"You're right." The reflection shrugged. "She's probably better off dead."
The reflection turned, as though to walk out of the side of the mirror.
"No! Wait!" I cried out, pressing my hands against the edges of the mirror as though I could stop it.
It slowly turned back towards me, a knowing grin slipping across its face.
I hated it for the power it held over me, but I had no choice. I had to protect her…from me.
"If I do this…if I become a deatheater….you'll leave Lily alone?" I demanded.
"If you pledge your loyalty to the Dark Lord, I will leave Lily alone," The reflection said.
"Fine." I sighed in resignation. "Alright. I'll do it."
