Chapter 28: Heart's Desire
In the Head Boy's Apartment,
"So Colin." Polaris said. "What did you get Megan for Christmas?"
"That is none of your business." Colin said blushing.
"Uh huh." Adam said sarcastically. "I bet he didn't get her ANYTHING."
"I did too." Colin argued. "It's just none of your business."
"Well, I got Vega a book of pranks." Adam said.
"She'd love that." Polaris said. "She's starting to run out of ideas."
"Tell me about it. How many times have we turned the Slytherins' robes red and gold?" Colin asked.
"I lost count at 50." Polaris said. "How about you Adam?"
"I got Ariel a magical watch." Adam said. "It's waterproof, fireproof, magicproof, and any other type of proof you can think of."
"Oooohhhh." The other boys joked.
"Why a watch though?" Polaris asked.
"Well, you know how she's gotten. Always trying to find some type of clock to see the time."
"She's gotten paranoid about being late." Colin said.
"Well, her parents both work at a hospital." Adam defended. "They have to get to work on time. That way there are more lives saved"
"C'mon Colin. We told. Now spill." Polaris turned to the third boy.
"I'll give you a hint." He said. "It took me ages to save up for it."
"Expensive?" Adam asked.
"You have no idea. I had to get a part time job this summer. And I talked Megan into giving more Hogsmeade trips so I could earn some money from Harry. When I told him why, he paid me double."
"Lupin. Spill. What is it?" Polaris begged.
"You'll see on December 25th."
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December 25th,
The boys had sent the gifts to their "girlfriends" houses so they could open them without the boys around. That morning, all three girls woke up and ran downstairs to open presents. Adam did get Vega a book of pranks. He did neglect to mention the rubies and sapphires on the cover. Vega nearly dropped the book when she saw the gems. Spica's and Sirius' mouths dropped and realized that Colin wasn't the only boy who had passed the crush stage.
Meanwhile, Ariel opened the small box sent by Polaris as her parents watched. It was the watch, but he had neglected to mention the gold band encrusted with diamonds. Ariel's mouth dropped as far as it would go. (Colin wasn't the only one with a part time job)
In Arduel, Taran, Tara, and Megan were attacking the presents as Harry, Ginny, James, and Lily watched and opened presents from each other. Megan finally got to Colin's gift. When she opened it, like her cousin's mouth, it dropped.
0000
That evening,
"Hi Meg." Vega said as she entered Potter Manor with Sirius and Spica.
"Hi Veg. How was your Christmas?" Megan asked her best friend.
"Great. I can't wait to show you what Adam gave me."
"What did Adam give you?" Ariel asked as she entered with her family
"A book.' Vega said. "Of pranks."
"We know." Polaris and Colin said as they entered with Rigel and the Newtons and Lupins.
"Here's the book." Vega said as she held out the jewel encrusted book.
The others starred at it for about 3 minutes. Then Colin and Polaris turned to a blushing Adam.
"You forgot THAT detail." Polaris said.
"So I spent some extra money to get some gems and decorated the cover myself. No big." Adam said.
Ariel then looked at her watch which got everyone gapping.
Adam turned to Polaris. "Speaking of forgetting details."
"Gold band with diamonds?" Colin said as the girls admired Polaris' gift to Vega.
"It's also waterproof, fireproof, magicproof, and any other type of proof you can think of." Ariel said.
"I did tell you that which is more than I can say for Colin."
"Hey kids." James said coming over to the teens with Lily.
"Hi Dad. Hi Mum." Megan said.
"Hi Uncle James. Aunt Lily." The others said.
"Colin. Where did you get the money for Megan's gift?" Lily asked.
"Part time job." Colin explained with a small blush "I've been saving for a while now."
"What did Colin get you?" Vega asked.
Megan pointed to her necklace that she was wearing. It had a gold chain and the pendant was shaped as a lion. The pendant was outlined in gold and filled with opal. The girls gasped and the boys gave Colin a look. Colin blushed.
"Do you still have yours?" James asked Lily.
She pulled her necklace out and showed the kids.
The kids gasped at emerald pendant that was surrounded by diamonds and rubies held by a gold chain.
"Potter girls are expensive once their boyfriends get a hold of them." Hermione joked.
"Yeah." Ginny agreed. "All the jewelry I wore at my wedding were all gifts from Harry. The diamond necklace, the diamond earrings, and the diamond bracelet."
"Dang Harry!" Megan called "Gave Ginny enough diamonds?"
The boys stood aside and talked as the girls compared jewels.
"Wow Colin." Adam said "That MUST have been expensive."
"It was." Colin said. "You should have seen my dad when I showed him what I got her. Would you believe he laughed and said that he knew it?"
"Oh yeah." Polaris said. "And…I think you guys were right. I think I'm in love with Ariel."
"Considering the diamond and gold watch, I'd say you were." Adam said. "Just like I am with Vega."
"Since we're all admitting," Colin said. "I'll admit it. I've been in love with Megan for ages."
Meanwhile,
"Girl. He is so in love with you." Vega said to Ariel.
"I know." Ariel said. "I think I'm also falling for him, but how can I be sure?"
"Ariel. He gave you a gold watch with DIAMONDS! That is devotion."
Megan was looking at her present.
"Even with a part-time job, this would have been too expensive for Colin." She said.
"Hello Ladies." Harry said.
"Hi Harry." They said.
"Harry?" Megan asked "Do you know where Colin got the money?"
"Yes. He worked all summer for it. After summer ended, he was short on cash, so he spent his Hogsmeade weekends helping us out around the house. I think he did more work that Dobby."
"Talk about devotion." Vega said.
"Harry? Do you know what ever happened to the Mirror?"
"No I don't" Harry said. "Why?"
"Just wondering." She said.
0000
About a month later,
"Vega. Ariel. Wake up." Megan said under the invisibility cloak.
"Huh? Meg?" Vega asked tiredly. "Where are you?"
"Get up." Megan's voice said. "I want to try something."
"Can't you do it yourself?" Ariel asked her cousin as she pulled the sheets over her head.
Megan moved the sheet off her cousin.
"No. Now move it."
0000
"Okay. So, what's this plan?" Vega asked grumpily.
"You'll see." Megan said as she held the map. "Taran and Tara are asleep. The boys are in the kitchen. Filch is in the Astronomy Tower. The third floor corridor is this way and clear."
Ariel and Megan did not see the first memory so they had no idea what was in store.
When they got to the door, they opened it and saw the trap door.
"Isn't this the room that held Fluffy?" Ariel asked. They had seen when Harry first saw the giant dog. (Or is it dogs)
"Yes." Megan said as she opened the trap door. "Hagrid must have moved him. Who's first?"
"Meg. I saw that part of the memory." Vega said. "There's Devil Snare down there."
"Then light a fire. You're a witch." Megan said as she got behind her friend and cousin and pushed.
"AAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHhhhhhhh!"
"Can't afford to have you two chickening out on me." She said before she jumped in herself.
After a few seconds of falling,
CRASH
"Ouch." Megan said as her cousin and friend winced in pain.
"I guess they got rid of the plant too." Ariel said rubbing her head.
"Let's go." Megan said leading the way.
"Megan. Tell us what the bloody hell is going on." Vega said.
"We're on a mission." She said. "It will make sense when we're done."
"It better. It's two in the morning." Ariel said looking at her watch.
The girls went through the room that once held the flying keys, a troll, and a giant chess set. The chess set, was still there, but it let them through.
"Whew." Vega breathed. "I was scared we'd have to play. I stink at chess."
Then they got to the room with the potions. Luckily, no fire sprouted, so they went on through. When they got to the location of the first memory.
"Thank you, Dumbledore." Megan sighed at the mirror.
"A MIRROR! YOU WOKE US UP TO FIND A MIRROR!" Vega yelled.
"It's not just any mirror." Megan said as she looked at it. "Dumbledore must have left it here."
The three girls looked at it and read the inscription.
Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.
"I'm not even going to try to say that out loud." Ariel said. "Megan? WHAT are you doing?"
Megan was circling the mirror while admiring it.
"Harry told me about this. It's where Dumbledore hid the Sorcerer's Stone before the stone was destroyed."
"Megan. You said that we'd understand when we get there. Obviously this is our destination and I'm still clueless." A cranky Vega said.
Megan moved over to her friend and pushed her in front of the mirror.
"And furthermore…" Vega continued just before she looked in. "Whoa. It's me."
"That's what a mirror is." A just-as-cranky-Ariel said to her.
"I…I'm a pro Quidditch player." She said as she turned to admire her outfit. When she saw her back, she stopped and starred over her shoulder with a confused look. "But the uniform said "Newton"…and…Adam?"
Vega looked forward and saw that the only people there were her friends. She turned around and saw Adam standing next to her.
"I don't understand." She said. "In the mirror, Adam is here, but, in real life, he's not."
"Let me see." Ariel said pushing her out of the way. "Adam's not here. It's me. I'm a Healer. And…Polaris?"
This time Ariel turned around to see Polaris not there. "How is it, he's here in the mirror, but not in real life?"
"Can I take my turn now?" Megan said. "I've admired the mirror on the outside, but I haven't looked in."
"Sure?" Ariel said stepping aside letting Megan get a clear view of herself
There she was. Red hair, hazel eyes, necklace in plain view, Megan Potter stood looking at herself. There were some differences. She was holding a book. She didn't see the title, but the author was Megan L. Lupin. And there, standing right next to her, was Colin.
"Well?" her friend and cousin asked.
"I'm holding a book." She said. "By Megan L. Lupin. And Colin is right next to me. Harry was right. This does show it."
"Show what?" Vega asked.
Megan conjured a quill and a piece of parchment and wrote the inscription down. Then, she wrote it backwards and showed it to the others.
Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.
I show not your face but your hearts desire
"Our heart's desire?" Ariel asked. "So that was our mission."
"To see what we really wanted." Vega finished. "Now I know I love Adam for a fact and it's just not puppy love. It's true love." She started congaing in the room.
"Then that means that my crush on Polaris is more than a crush if I see him in the mirror." Ariel said looking at her watch. Not for the time, but the watch itself. Then, she joined Vega in the dance.
"Colin." Megan said looking in the mirror. "Would you see me if you looked in?"
The reflection of herself and Colin smiled at her and looked at each other lovingly.
0000
Meanwhile,
"Colin. Eat." Adam said. "You're taking this too far."
"Mum said that she kissed Dad on graduation. Should I do to Megan?"
"I don't know." Polaris said as he took a bite of his éclair. "All I know is that you've hardly eaten all day and the N.E.W.Ts are coming up."
"He probably hasn't eaten because he was too busy starring at Megan." Adam whispered.
"Mate. You have it BAD." Polaris said. "I love Ariel, but not enough to go anorexic"
"Same here." Adam said.
"It's more than Megan." Colin admitted. "N.E.W.Ts are coming up. I'm nervous. And what if we're caught with the animagi thing? We could get in trouble."
"I just said that, mate." Polaris said. "That's why we're here eating sweets. We're all nervous for those tests."
"And our parents, Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Fred and George managed the animagi thing and they didn't get caught." Polaris added.
"And the girls. I've know Vega and you've know Megan for our entire lives. AND WE'VE NEVER BEEN KISSED!" Adam said.
"Adam!" the others shushed him.
"Sorry." He apologized.
Just then, the painting swung open to reveal….nothing.
The boys looked confused and shrugged before continuing.
"At least you've known them your entire lives." Polaris said. "I've know Ariel for five years, four months, and fourteen days."
"Someone's been keeping track." Vega's voice came.
The boys jumped as the girls came out of the cloak.
"Hi girls." The boys said in a guilty tone of voice.
"Hungry?" Colin asked.
"Just a little." Megan said sitting next to him.
"So, NEWTS will be coming up soon." Adam said. "Ready?"
"As we'll ever be." Ariel said.
"I have an idea." Megan said. "I know what to give Tara and Taran for their birthday."
"That's not until August." Vega said.
"What?" Polaris asked.
She held up the blank map and the cloak.
"One can go to Taran, and the other can go to Tara."
"But what goes with who?" Colin asked.
"We have eight months to think of that." She said to him.
After a few minutes of silent eating.
"Colin." Adam said.
"What?" Colin asked snapping out of his daydream.
"EAT!" the boys told him.
TBC
"Colin, just get it over with." Adam said.
Then, as if to prove a point, "HEY VEG!"
"Yes Adam?" Vega said to him after he interrupted her conversation with Ariel.
"Next Hogsmeade weekend, do you want to go with me?"