Chapter 12- I really never expected it to get this long.

The Knowledge Some Do Not Crave

Saturday morning came before anyone was ready. This game was going to determine our place in the House Cup, so the Gryffindors were testy all morning. And it was freezing. I wrapped myself in four sweaters, two hats, two pairs of gloves and three scarves, but I was still shivering.

I watched the team walk out onto the field. Albus shook hands with the Ravenclaw captain and they were in the air. He didn't need to worry. Lily scored thrice, Hugo blocked every shot and Rebecca caught the snitch in forty minutes.

If all went well against Hufflepuff in a few weeks, the house cup would be ours.

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I walked into the Gryffindor Common room behind the team, having had waited for them after the game. Cheer erupted, forcing me to cover my ears with my hands. The tables were covered with food, every kind I could think of. It felt like I was back in the kitchen of the Burrow.

The Potters and Weasleys settled down by the window sharing food and Hugo bragging about his best saves. I wiggled in between Albus and Lily, and laughed along with the rest of them. Rebecca, the seeker, joined us and sat down on the other side of Albus.

She giggled and ruffled his hair resting her hand on his knee. A knot tied in my stomach and I could feel Lily tensing too. It was the same thing for both of us, right? Albus was just like a big brother, and no one wants to see some girl flirting with their brother.

But a little voice inside my head told me our feelings about the scene before us were very different. I tried to push the voice away, but my conscience had always been a bit too strong.

I lost my appetite and tried to smile at the jokes, but I couldn't. An old man in a portrait across the room was jumping up and down waving, trying to get someone's attention. The music was too loud to hear his voice. One of the third years sitting under it had finally noticed and turned down the music.

"Finally! Never seen Gryffindors this crazy!" The voice was rough and scratchy. "Little Hufflepuff is trying to get in. Says he has a reminder for some Gryffindors. Something about rehearsal. Tiny voice, can't hear the lad that well."

Lily jumped up. "Sociology Rehearsal! Linera is going to kill us!" Albus, Lucy, Rose, Hugo and I jumped up and ran out of the room with some other Gryffindors.

The Hufflepuff was a second year and was sitting in front of the portrait. "Thank Goodness! I've been out here for twenty minutes!" None of us listened to him as we rushed by. We all entered the hall trying to catch our breath.

"Ten points from Gryffindor for lateness. Be lucky it isn't ten points for each of you, I do appreciate that celebration was needed. Now hurry and pair up, I want to teach the entrance and the first dance, and the presentation with the girls to the Headmaster."

I felt Albus grab my arm and he led me down the spiral staircase leading into the trophy room. "Now I want you all to line up by the girl's last name, so the young Miss Belby at the front and Miss. Lucy in the back, Rose is before you because she is older." We could all hear the stress in her voice and arranged ourselves silently. "Now the entrance music will play and starting with Miss Belby and Mr. Finnigan. Each of you will walk out the door up there and straight into the middle of the staff platform, then down the stairs onto the main floor. Each pair will follow the other out after four counts of eight and names will be read. You will all form a straight line down the middle of the Great Hall floor, facing your partner and the first dance will begin once every one is out. Any questions?" No one moved. "Good. Mr. Finnigan lets begin."

I heard the music begin and we all moved into places as we would be in exactly one week.

When the dance came again, it was just like it was back at the Burrow. I didn't sense anyone else in the room, only Albus. Only the boy who was like an older brother to me but had lately become so much more.

"Boys, you are all excused." Hugo, Albus and the other thirteen boys left. Professor Linera walked through the door down into the trophy room, and we followed.

Dom and Roxanne were all rushing about organizing garments and such. "These two have volunteered their time to transform this place into a dressing room for all of you. Each of you will get a section to prepare next week in." We all smiled at each other and Dom and Roxanne gave us two thumbs up, and then got back to work. "Now, as your gowns are more muggle styled, your presentation garments will be of witches."

"Our presentation clothes won't be our gowns?" The voice belonged to a seventh year Ravenclaw.

"It had always been tradition to change gowns. Now ours will be white dress robes with the trimming your house color and the emblem of your house on the chest, just like your school robes. Historically, this would be a family crest, but today and for our purposes house colors will suffice. The Miss Weasleys have your robes made but ask for five minutes with each of you to do final fittings."

Dom and Roxanne each put a box on a table. "Alright! I need Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs over here! Ravenclaws and Slytherin to Roxanne!" We all laughed at her use of a singular Slytherin because it was true. Only one Slytherin had signed up for the course and no one knew why.

Lily, Lucy, Rose and I, along with the other Gryffindors and Ravenclaws made our way over to Dom. She started to pull white robes out of the box and call each of us forward. The Ravenclaws went first. Lily and I sat down on the floor and practiced a spell for charms. "Liseanile Malfoy!" I was showing Lily the patronus Albus had helped me with. I still had only produced the full form once, but was getting closer every day. The problem was that since I was too busy kissing Albus, I hadn't noticed what form it took. "Liseanile Bella- whatever it is Malfoy get up here!" I heard Dom's voice and hopped up. "Merlin's beard! Are you going deaf?" Dom smiled and laughed as Lily followed me up. "Stand down little cousin, it isn't your turn."

"Well why should I have to wait to see it, when I can as easily see Lise's?" Lily put on her face letting everyone know she wasn't going to argue this.

"Fine!" Dom threw her hands up in the air. "Lise this is yours." She handed me a robe and pulled off my black school robes.

The white robes were softer, and flowed down past my ankles, and out behind me like a wedding veil. I felt Lily tug at my ponytail, and my hair fell loose over my shoulders. I walked away from the group to a mirror in the corner.

I saw my mother in my face, my father in my eyes.

I saw my grandmothers in my posture and my great aunt in my smile.

And most of all I saw Albus with his hands wrapped around my waist whispering in my ear. I saw myself smile and watched as he kissed me lightly on the mouth.

I couldn't be seeing this, Albus wasn't down here. I looked around and faced Lily. She was standing behind me trying to launch my hair tie at Dom.

I turned back to the mirror and saw Albus again. His hand was playing with mine, and both of us wore a tiny golden band.

NO! I screamed in my head. I looked along the sides of the mirror, tracing letters with my fingers that read Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.

A hand touched my shoulder. "I see you found the Mirror of Erised. I was rumored to be down here." Professor Linera's voice was a whisper.

My reply was even softer. "What is it?"

"It shows not your reflection on the outside, but a reflection of your inner most desire. I looked in it once years ago, and was surprised at what I saw, but it helped me realize what I really wanted. Some say this mirror is a curse, I think it's a blessing."

I turned back to the mirror and saw Albus and I sitting on a couch and he was playing with my hair, with one of his hands resting on my outward curved belly.

I ran from the room.

DUN DUN DUN!!! Reviews are received with love!!! Last chapter for a while I think- and the rewrite of the prequel is not my NaNoWriMo story. Unless I drop out of NaNoWriMo- see you all in December!