Halloween Prompt - Anxiety

School Of Prompt - Mirrors by Justin Timberlake. (used as inspiration)

Mirror Image

He could have done the rounds by using the Marauders Map, but Harry was feeling particularly restless. He'd been sitting in his office for hours, delaying the moment he had to return to the quarters he shared with Severus, sure that he would only be walking in to the same argument they'd been having for weeks.

He just didn't understand why Severus thought he wasn't happy. He'd never been happier than he was now, or at least, he was before the arguments started. He was scared that they couldn't fix whatever was going on with them, and he was terrified that the arguments signaled the beginning of the end of their relationship. Grumbling to himself, Harry started his patrol, making his way to the top of the castle. By the time he'd gotten all the way down to the dungeons, hopefully Severus would be in bed.

When he reached the fourth floor, he noticed an odd light shining from one of the abandoned classrooms, and made his way towards it. Pushing the door open wider, Harry was shocked to see the Mirror of Erised standing proudly in the middle of the room. In two minds whether or not to just walk away, he edged further into the room.

He knew the power of the mirror, but it wouldn't really hurt just to take a glance, right? He knew what his parent's looked like now, but it'd still be nice to see them again.

Moving quicker, he shifted through the room until he was stood directly in front of the mirror.

Only, he didn't see his parents.

There, in front of him, was Severus Snape. Smiling at Harry from behind the glass, holding his hand out. Automatically, Harry held his hand up, unsurprised but somewhat sad when he only felt the cold glass beneath his fingers. How he longed for that image to be real. For himself and Severus to be happy again.

A distant laugh sounded, pulling Harry's thoughts back to where they should be, and he forced himself away from the mirror. Promising himself he wouldn't come back, even while part of him knew it was futile, he left the room in search of the miscreant roaming around the corridors.

"Where have you been?" Severus asked when Harry walked through the door to their living room.

"Patrolling."

"Why didn't you just use the map?" the older man asked, frowning.

Harry shrugged. "Didn't feel like it. I'm going to bed, you coming?"

"I'll be along in a few minutes."

"Suit yourself," Harry replied distantly, wandering towards the bathroom. Severus watched him go with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Had his insecurities pushed Harry too far.

As he finished the marking he'd been doing, he acknowledged to himself that tonight was the first time Harry had ever gone to bed without kissing Severus good night.

His foot tapped anxiously on the floor all the way through dinner, the only thought in his head; to get back to the mirror. To see his partner smiling again. He didn't notice the looks Severus kept sneaking in his direction, nor, when dinner was over, did he notice the soft footsteps of someone following behind him.

He found the classroom easy enough, his knowledge of the castle being much larger than it was when he was still a first year, and he stepped in front of the mirror without hesitation. There was Severus, smiling at him, holding out a welcoming hand.

Tears fell from Harry's eyes as he touched the mirror.

"That rush was all about standing in front of a mirror?" Came a familiar voice behind him, making Harry spin around.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, moving away from the mirror.

"I wanted to see what you were in such a hurry for. Really, Harry? A Mirror."

"It's not a normal mirror. It's... Special."

"Special how?" Severus asked, moving closer. Harry tried to block him from looking into the glass, but it didn't work.

He stood beside Severus as he looked in the mirror, half afraid of the answer to his next question. "What do you see?"

"What do you mean? I see us as we are stood. It's a mirror, Harry, what did you think I was going to see. Granted, we look a damn sight happier in the mirror than we actually do. Is that the magic? It shows people looking happy?"

A smile blossomed on Harry's face as he turned to Severus. "You saw us?"

"Of course."

"Severus... this is the Mirror of Erised."

"Mirror of... desire. This is the mirror you told me of, from when you were a first year?"

"Yes."

Glancing back at the magical glass, Severus swallowed hard. "And what do you see now?"

"I see you, Severus. Only, in the mirror, you're smiling at me."

As the words sunk in, Severus pulled Harry into his arms. "I'm sorry."

"Me too. I love you."

"Hmm, and I you."

Both of them glanced back at the glass, only to find a mirror image staring back at them.

"Come on, Harry. Let's go home."