Spells and Mirrors

Hermione dragged Harry through the corridors of Hogwarts by the hand. That this interaction was found completely unremarkable activity between the Head Girl and Head Boy to the students and staff of the school just gave testament to how often the scene had occurred over the years, especially since they became a couple during their fifth year. Rumor had it that they were engaged, but whenever asked they would just look at each other lovingly with a strange and enigmatic smile on both of their faces.

Disappearing down the little used third floor corridor on the right, Hermione stopped before the door to an old room he'd not ventured near since the end of first year.

"Why are we here, Love?"

"I was curious the other day about what these rooms were being used for now, and there's something I wanted you to see."

Now curious himself, Harry waved a silent Alohomora at the auto-locking door and bowed his beautiful, bushy-haired companion inside. Following her inside, he was surprised to find a couple of old school brooms and the shattered remains of a harp but little else in the room.

"It's down below… come on!" Hermione said excitedly, quickly mounting one of the brooms and floating down through the uncovered trapdoor.

A little surprised that Hermione had willingly used a broom, Harry had hesitated then snagged and mounted the second broom and took off after her. He almost immediately regretted not pulling out his shrunken Firebolt 2, these old school brooms really needed to be replaced. Landing in the dungeon levels at least three floors below Fluffy's Room, he left the broom beside the one Hermione had used and took off after the woman of all his dreams and fantasies.

At first, it looked like all of the traps had been removed and cleaned up, then he saw the remains of the chessboard where Ron had sacrificed himself so he and Hermione could proceed. He held some regrets for how that friendship had finally ended, the boy he knew from this room had been a good friend, but later his jealousy drove a wedge between them, hammered home by Harry and Hermione getting together, and finally shattered when Harry became Head Boy, quit the quidditch team to focus on NEWTs and handed the Captaincy to little Demelza Robins instead of his former 'Best Mate'… never mind that the girl had far more leadership ability and somehow got along with practically everyone in the school regardless of House.

Shaking his head and banishing the thoughts of his old friend, Harry delved deeper into the passage to find Hemione bouncing lightly in excited anticipation waiting for him in Snape's Potions Riddle room.

"Remember this place, Harry?" she asked glancing around.

Harry nodded, "More than I'd like to sometimes…"

"I never went past here before last night," she continued, a bit melancholy herself at that comment.

"There are more important things… friendship and bravery and…" he whispered, thinking back on that night again.

Hermione beamed at her messy-haired best friend, "Love."

"Even then?" Harry asked, surprised by the answer, even though it was exactly what he'd always imagined it to be.

She nodded, her bushy hair bouncing around wildly, "Not like now… but it had definitely been sparked by then."

"So what did you want to show me?"

"It's in the next room, Love."

"Don't tell me it's still here!" Harry exclaimed, concern lacing his voice.

"I'm pretty sure it's the mirror you told me about," Hermione shrugged, "I wanted us to look into it together before the House Elves take it to Gringotts tomorrow for disposal."

"That's… a very wise choice, I think." Harry sighed heavily, then took Hermione's hand and lead her into the final room.

The fight with Quirrell didn't even cross his mind as he walked towards the Mirror of Erised. Stopping before the mirror and gazing deeply into Hermione's cinnamon touched brown eyes, he asked, "Are you sure you want to do this? The Headmaster said this thing gives neither knowledge, nor truth after all…"

"I'm sure," she smiled up at him, staring into his impossibly green eyes.

With a slightly nervous gulp, Harry nodded, then spun them both so she was standing directly in front of him while they both gazed into the mirror.

At first nothing happened, then the image slowly cleared. Harry remembered doing something similar with Ron in first year and the mirror showing them each something totally different. What he saw this time however, made his breath hitch and his arms tighten around Hermione slightly.

With a loving sigh, she leaned back into his chest and asked, "So what do you see?"

"I see… us…" Harry started hesitantly, never really great at describing things like this, "standing on Platform Nine and Three Quarters near Neville and Luna." He hesitated as the scene played out a little more before him, "Our… our daughter bumped into this lost looking first year boy, knocking his glasses off and breaking them. She held them out towards me, but rather than fixing them, we knelt down next to the two new Firsties and taught them that spell you used on my glasses during that first train ride…"

"Oculus Reparo," Hermione whispered with a smile.

"Yeah…" Harry breathed out at another memory of his love doing something for him. "Then you drag me off while…"

"Neville stands there chuckling, and our younger kids bounce around happily at something Luna said to them?"

"You see that too?" He asked surprised.

"That's the whole reason I brought you down here, dear husband."

There was only one thing Harry could think to say as she turned around in his arms, "I love you."

"I know," she chuckled, as she pulled him down to her for a lusty kiss. "Now it's time to get back to practicing for those little ones we just got a glimpse of."

"As you wish."