"Settle down, students. Settle down." Evangeline was trying to get everyone under control, but she knew she wouldn't succeed at doing so for long. It was the day before Christmas holidays were to begin. She needed to get her mind off of it, because she had told George that she would go to the Burrow. She was also trying to think of any way she could to back out of it.
"Everyone, to your seats!" She used her teacher voice. The students ran and sat in their chairs, and she softened her expression. "Now then. I realize that most of you will be going home tomorrow for your Christmas holiday. I hope that you will enjoy it. However, keep in mind that there will be a quiz when you return, to make sure how much you have retained from this semester. Let's begin our class today, shall we?"
When her class was over and all of the spilled potions were cleaned up (it was a first year class), she went into her dad's office...her office to get some things together. She stopped when she saw a large object covered with a sheet against the wall. She didn't know how it had gotten there, and there was no tag or anything. It was almost ominous. She walked towards it carefully, and pulled the sheet back.
It was the Mirror of Erised.
She had thought it was destroyed during the Battle of Hogwarts. No one had seen it for years. She was afraid to look into it, because of what she knew she would see.
She took a deep breath.
She looked.
And there they were.
Her father was standing on one side of her, smiling. He was tall. Taller than she remembered. Tears immediately started rolling down her face.
On the other side, Fred Weasley had his hand on her stomach, which was beginning to bulge. They were both wearing rings. Three small children stood in front of them, two boys and a girl. The girl had dark hair and blue eyes like her. She was holding a Hogwarts letter. The two boys looked like twins, with red hair and freckles. Fred and Evangeline's hands were on their shoulders. They were their children.
Evangeline put her hand to the mirror and sank to her knees. She began to sob, and she was glad that the children were gone so they couldn't hear her. She wept for everything that she had lost. She thought that she had pushed this down in her heart, and that the sting was barely there any more. But it was bubbling back up now. She looked again. They were still there, smiling, only now, she was kneeling to hug one of her sons.
There was a knock at the door. She looked over and George Weasley was standing there with a bouquet of flowers.
"Oh, George." She tried to stand, but her legs were asleep. He put the flowers on her desk and rushed over to help her. When she was on her feet, he pulled her into his arms.
"Are you alright? What is it?"
"The mirror. The Mirror of Erised." He started to turn, but she pulled his head back to her. "Don't look! It won't do for us both to be a mess."
He held her tightly, and then closed his eyes and put the sheet back over the mirror. "I'll get this out of here."
"No, it's...it's fine. I'll have someone else do it. What are you doing here?"
"I'm making a delivery. McGonnagall wanted Weasleys Christmas Crackers for the feast tonight. I said I would pop them over, but she wanted them delivered personally, to make sure there was no funny business. I'm glad I did. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. I just saw...so many things."
"What did you see?"
"I don't even want to think about it any more." She looked at the flowers on her desk. "Are those for me?"
"Yes. I hope you don't mind."
"I don't. They're lovely. Thank you." She made water appear into a vase and put the flowers in. "Will you be staying for the feast or going back to Diagon Alley?"
"I'm staying the night, actually. I thought I'd escort you to the Burrow tomorrow, to make sure you don't change your mind at the last minute."
"That's not necessary."
"I think it might be. You've changed, Evie."
"So have you. The years have done their work on us, haven't they dear boy?"
"They certainly have. You used to be so...commanding. Bold. You grabbed life by the shirt tails and were never afraid of anything."
"Yes. It's funny. Voldemort is dead, and the world is returning to normal. But I feel as though I have so many more things to fear now."
"Well, I won't let anything harm you Evie. I never would."
"It's not your job to protect me, George." She stood up from her desk and started enchanting books to be small enough to fit in her bag.
"Someone has to. You can't go through this life alone, Evangeline. I wish you'd let me help you."
"We should get going. How will it look if we're late to dinner together?"
"Evie..."
"Come on."
