Disclaimer- Not mine, never mine, bummer huh? Well, the mirror's mine, she's crazy, but mine o mine Sorry it's been forever, I've been working on another story and just kinda found this one again.. I'll try to work on it again, I rather like it

Chapter Nine: Magical Mirrors

The early morning sun beamed cheerfully through open windows onto the crisp white pillow and the tiny sleeping head of Lillian Evans. Her curling red locks lay in tumbled strips, bright contrast to the stark bedclothes. Slowly, squinting against the sun, Lily opened her eyes and stared directly out through her window.

It really is a lovely view. Lily thought to herself as her eyes passed over rolling green hills, across a sparkling clear pond where two white geese were just setting out for a morning swim and up the slopes of the pristine mountain range that bordered the Potter's property. A slight breath of air wafted in from the window, teasing a bright strand of Lily's hair up off the pillow. In the breeze Lily could just make out the smell of

Below her, Lily could just make out the sounds of the Potter household beginning to awaken. On any other morning she would have remained in bed, her back sullenly towards the window, refusing to acknowledge the outside world. Despite Mrs. Potter's best efforts to encourage her to feel like a member of the Potter household, Lily had locked herself in the room she had been given and refused to join the family for meals, or conversation.

This morning is going to be different, Lily promised herself, remembering her dreams from the night before. Amy had told her, hadn't she, that life was for living,. Lily remembered so clearly her friends piercing blue eyes and sardonic smile. "Don't let them win," Amy had told her in her sleep. "Don't you ever let them win. Hiding yourself away gives them exactly what they want."

"Fine" Lily said aloud, startling herself out of her reverie. Her bottom lip began to tremble and her eyes swam for a moment, but as Lily dragged herself out of bed, she felt stronger, more confident than she had in weeks. She peered around her new room, seeing it as though for the first time. The large bed by the window stood opposite a large wooden dresser, marked with several deep scours and what looked suspiciously like burn marks, and a huge mirror. The entire wall by the door was covered with shelves filled to overflowing with books of all shapes and sizes. In the corner stood a large trunk, half-opened, in which lay several cauldrons, a few greasy looking bags and an empty cage that looked like it used to hold some sort of large bird.

As Lily investigated the room she stepped in front of the large mirror on top of the wooden dresser. Pausing for a moment to examine herself, Lily sighed at her reflection. The bags under her eyes had become even more pronounced, her cheekbones stuck out dramatically and her eyes appeared to take up half of her face. "I look like one of those starving children in Africa that are always on the telley," she groaned.

"Oh come now," said a voice from directly in front of her eyes. "Given what I usually have to work with, you're not half bad at all. Why you should just see Master James after he and young Master Black have gone at it. Oh dearie me, the things I have to put up with."

"I'm sorry," Lily muttered, glancing all around her. "But I'm afraid I can't see you. Who's speaking?"

"Of course you can see me, silly. You're looking at me right now."

Lily peered at her reflection in the mirror, seriously freaked out by the seemingly disembodied voice. The image staring back at her slowly winked, stuck out her tongue and spun in a circle. "See?"

"Oh, this is too weird," Lily cried, backing away from her gyrating reflection. The image stopped spinning like a top and glanced back at her.

"Lily, dearest. You're in a wizard's house now, and a Potter's at that. If you're going to get freaked out over unusual things, a magical mirror is the least of your worries."

"Now," said reflection-Lily, thoughtfully, "You're going down to breakfast right? Of course you are, silly me. It's just that you've been cooped up in here so long I was afraid you'd never decide to leave.. but anyway. We've got to get you ready! You've got to make an entrance, your first meal with the family. Oh it's such an honor!" The mirror giggled gleefully, rubbing her hands together in unconcealed joy. "You have no idea how wonderful it is to have something to work with for once! All Master James ever wants to wear is Quidditch robes, or beat up jeans. He's soo no fun! But you!" here the image paused and glared at the quaking Lily with greedy interest. "You've got potential! The things I could do with you."

"I was just going to go down like this" muttered Lily, looking down at her long gray sweatshirt and baggy sweatpants.

The image emitted a horrible shriek and throwing its hand to its forehead, proceeded to faint clear off the mirror. Lily was hard put to stifle a giggle as the image, clearly shaken from its fall, climbed back into the frame.

"Do you seriously mean to tell me," the furious mirror asked, "that you planned to go down to breakfast, with the POTTERS, dressed. like. THAT!!??" Lily grinned ruefully up at the image that shook her head and sighed. "Well then, I've got my work cut out for me, shall we get started?"

Fifteen minutes later, after refusing seven different outfits that ranged from floor length cocktail dresses to leather jackets and chain purses, Lily stepped back in front of the mirror for a final inspection. The reflection squinted, turned her head this way and that, asked Lily to spin a couple times before declaring the mission a success. Lily was now dressed in a comfortable, but classy pair of khakis and an emerald green short- sleeved shirt that brought out the color of her eyes.

"Now," asked the mirror, "was that so hard?"

"I guess not," Lily responded, grinning reluctantly up at her reflection. "And I actually do feel better getting out of those frumpy clothes."

"That's my girl", sighed the image, pretending to wipe a tear from the corner of her eye. "Now go get'em tiger. You show that breakfast who's boss!"

Lily smiled ruefully. "I'm still afraid," she explained. "I don't want to go down there, it's so much easier to stay up here."

"The important things in life are always hard, but they're always worth the effort." The reflection looked down at Lily with an affectionate smile. "You'll have to be brave today, to face what you saw and what you heard. But you're strong enough, you'll pull through. Everything'll be okay, you'll see."

With one last sniff and a baleful look at her reflection, Lily turned toward the door. She slipped her hand around the doorknob, barely noticing that she was shaking like a leaf. "I can do it," she muttered and turned the knob and shoved the door open.

Suddenly Lily's world was filled with the sound of rushing water, a freezing cold sensation came over her limbs and she stopped in her tracks, unable to move, through the sound of water she could hear a peculiar high- pitched laughter.