A bird does not sing because it has an answer; it sings because it has a song.

Chinese proverb

...Lily and James's Story...

"Where are we?" Lily whispered. They had landed in a heap on a cold, stone floor a few minutes before and were now stood together in a deserted room.

"It looks like a classroom," James whispered back.

The room did, in fact, look exactly like one of the many deserted classroom they had often frequented in Hogwarts. There were desks pushed up against each wall and a grimy blackboard on one wall. There was even an upturned waste-paper basket in one corner. But propped against the wall facing them was something that looked as though it didn't belong there, something that looked as if someone had put it there just to keep it out of harm's way.

It was a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate frame standing on two clawed feet. There was an inscription carved around the top: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafry oyt on wohsi.

"I think," Lily murmured, "I think we're back in Hogwarts."

She walked forwards and pressed a hand to the surface of the mirror. It was surprisingly warm under her skin and she stepped closer, peering into the glass. She gasped and stumbled back into James's chest.

"What! What is it?" He asked in confusion, as Lily squinted around the dark room, searching for something. Then he looked into the mirrors depth and his mouth fell open in shock.

A boy stood in front of them, small and scared looking, maybe eleven at most, with a shock of messy black hair and spellataped glasses over bright green eyes.

"Homenum revelio." Lily whispered, then, when nothing happened: "James, there's no-one here."

James nodded and tugged her towards him so they were both framed in the mirror. He had known, instinctively, that they were the only ones there.

His eyes - his eyes are just like mine, Lily thought, bright green - exactly the same shape. And then tears were trickling down her face. She was smiling, and crying, though she hardly knew why. And James wrapped his arms more closely around her.

"Mum?" The boy in the mirror whispered. "Dad?"

They just looked at him, gazed at him with a hunger and a longing that they barely recognised. Then Lily, beaming at her son through her tears, reached out a hand and touched the glass. The boy stared back at them, both hands pressed against the glass as though he was hoping to fall right through it and reach them. Lily gave a sob, half joy, half terrible sadness, a powerful ache inside her.

How long they stood there, they didn't know. The reflection did not fade and they looked and looked until, suddenly, the boy turned away, glancing back in fear.

"I'll come back," He whispered, and hurried from the mirror.

-o-

When their son returned, perhaps the next night, perhaps that very minute, it was hard to tell how quickly time passed in the dark room, he was not alone. The red-headed youth he had with him was tall and gangly and covered with freckles but he was stood well back so that Lily and James could only just make him out. Then he was there, his black hair messy, his glasses slightly askew and they beamed at the sight of him.

He was whispering with the other boy and suddenly stepped backwards, out of sight and the redhead looked into the mirror. Lily and James stepped back, not wanting to intrude. From a distance they watched him grow excited and suddenly, just as suddenly as the last time, they were hurrying away leaving the mirror empty.

-o-

The next time they saw him he was alone again. He almost ran to the mirror and Lily and James beamed at him. The boy, Lily realised she still didn't know her sons name, sat down on the floor and gazed at them. James caught Lily's hand and Lily felt that familiar sadness well up in her, though, as always, she didn't know why. All she cared about was seeing her son, seeing him, even through this strange mirror, it quenched her thirst, her desperate longing to hold him close to her, to kiss his forehead with that strange scar.

They had all night, she and James and her son, her son, could spend all night together. Every night for eternity. Every night-

"So - back again, Harry?" Lily jumped and felt James glance behind him but, like always, the room was deserted.

Peering through the mirror James pointed, Lily realised they hadn't spoken a single word since first seeing their son, and in his world -Harry's world - she thought, none other than Albus Dumbledore was sat on one of the desks stacked in clumsy piles against the walls.

"I - I didn't see you, sir." Harry said, clearly startled by the headmasters sudden appearance.

"Strange how short-sighted being invisible can make you." Said Dumbledore and Lily was pleased on Harry's behalf that he was smiling.

"So," Said Dumbledore, slipping off the desk and walking more clearly into view, "you, like hundred's before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised."

Lily and James exchanged confused glances. Clearly, neither of them had ever of the Mirror of Erised.

"I didn't know it was called that, sir."

"But I expect you've realised by now what it does?"

"It - well - it shows me my family -"

"And it showed your friend Ron himself as Head Boy."

"And," Whispered Lily, her voice hoarse from lack of use. "It showed me my son."

"Our son." Said James and pulled her close, as the tears began to fall from her eyes.

"I don't need a cloak to become invisible." Dumbledore was saying. "Now, can you think what the Mirror of Erised shows us all."

James started to speak, but Lily put a finger to his lips. "Shh," She whispered, her eyes fixed on Harry. "Let Harry work it out."

Harry shook his head.

"Let me explain. The happiest man on earth would be able to use the Mirror of Erised like a normal mirror, that is, he would look into it and see himself exactly as he is. Does that help?"

Harry said slowly, "It shows what we want...whatever we want..."

"Yes and no." Said Dumbledore quietly. "It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts. You, who have never known your family, see them standing around you-"

Lily gave a strangled gasp and James's arms shook as he buried his face in her shoulder.

"Ronald Weasley, who has always been overshadowed by his brothers, sees himself standing alone, the best of them all. However, this mirror will give us neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible.

"The mirror is being moved to a new home tomorrow, Harry, and I ask you not to go looking for it again. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."

Dumbledore and Harry were walking away now, their conversation too hushed for the two behind the glass to hear.

"Lily?" James asked. She was stood, palms resting on the glass, desperately searching for Harry. "Harry! Harry come back!" She was crying so hard that she could barely stand and yet she felt so happy she thought she might fly.

"There's a door Lily."

"A door?" She hiccupped.

"A choice." He answered. "And we have to make it."

"Stay here." Lily said, "Stay and hope we see him again."

"Or leave, and know we may never." James nodded.

"We have to go back." She whispered. "He can't grow up without us, he's our son."

James caught her fingers and raised them to his lips, kissing them. "The let us see what adventure the door holds." Fingers still linked they began to walk, hesitantly, wonderingly, the ache in their chest's almost making them turn back.

When they reached th door, Lily turned back one more time. Harry was out of sight, invisible to their eyes but the shadowy figure of Dumbledore was still just visible in the mirror. As the handle turned and they stepped through, Lily was sure, though of course she couldn't e positive, that Dumbledore smiled sadly at them before vanishing from sight.