Neville looked around nervously. He couldn't believe this large, empty chamber was the same one in which Harry defeated Quirrell, and delayed Voldemort, in their first year. It could've been you, whispered a small voice in the back of his head. Neville merely sighed in response. He wasn't sure what he wanted, which is what brought him down here, but he knew it wasn't that. Fame, glory, and responsibility were not high on the Herbologist's list. Looking around, and realizing he had little way to procrastinate what he had come down here for, Neville took a few hesitant steps toward the mirror.
It was taller than he'd imagined it, and far less intimidating. The length of time it had stood in this spot was betrayed only by a thin layer of dust on the frame. Neville took a moment to admire the object in front of him, knowing he was one of the few to eye it in the last century. Summoning his Gryffindor courage, Neville stopped his eyes from tracing the edge of the mirror and looked directly at his reflection.
The glass was perfectly smooth; no cracks to speak of. For a moment, Neville saw nothing but his apprehensive reflection. Then, slowly, the image began to change. Neville saw himself dressed in his billowing professor's robes, despite the casual clothes he had ventured down here in. He looked well-dressed, but the tell-tale dirt under his reflection's fingernails showed that he had been amongst flora and fauna not long ago. Next to him stood Hannah, whom he was set to marry in a few months' time, and she was beaming simultaneously at his reflection and his real self. Neville couldn't help but smile back.
Behind Hannah, but not by much, stood three figures. A smiling man with Neville's goofy ears and a kind woman with Neville's soft eyes stood there, gazing at him intently. He knew the figures to be his parents, and although he visited them at St. Mungo's often, the mirror revealed a new depth to their gazes. They looked at Neville not only as if they knew him, but as if they were proud of him; knew what he'd been up to. The image tugged at his heartstrings, knowing it could never come to be. To add to the melancholy, Neville took the time to inspect the third figure. A blonde, plump, grinning woman met his gaze, and Neville knew at once this must be Hannah's mother. She had died before the couple had gotten together, and while her tragic death had not affected Neville at the time, he knew that the death of Hannah's mother weighed heavily on his fiancée's mind. Thus, Neville's greatest wish was for the person who made him the happiest to be happy as well. Neville stared wistfully at the people in the mirror, knowing this was the closest he'd get to truly knowing most of them.
It was with a jolt that he noticed Hannah's round belly, and he felt his cheeks catch on fire. After the way he was raised, Neville wanted nothing more than a loving family to surround himself with and also be a part of. He realized excitedly that Hannah and him would someday soon have their own bundles of joy.
Neville took one last look at the mirror, willing his brain to memorize every detail of his parents' lucid faces. Then, with a small nod, he turned away. He refrained from glancing over his shoulder as he left, but he wasn't as conflicted about leaving as he had feared he would be. He missed his parents greatly, and often mourned the relationship they could have had, but he knew it was in the past. He felt similarly, although not as strongly, about Hannah's mother. But he contrasted the underlying darkness in these thoughts by dreaming of the future him and Hannah would have together. It's not perfect, Neville thought honestly, but it's what I've got. Maybe Hannah and I's paths wouldn't have crossed without the sadness of our pasts. And so, with hope for the future burning inside him, Neville walked determinedly away from the mirror, confident he would never see it again.
xXx
A/N: first one done! Loved it? Hated it? Let me know! And also, please please suggest characters you want to see next. I saw someone said the marauders so I'm thinking I'll do one of them next! I do love me some Lupin. That does bring up the point though that hopefully you all can forgive that the timing won't exactly be realistic/canon (it's not like I can have James look into the mirror nowadays, yknow?) but if you can all ignore that blip, so can I! Until next time:)