Title: What Do You See?
Author: Frances Potter ()
Artwork: Mirror of Erised by Milena
Rating: R
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
"What do you see?"
"What do you expect me to see?" Draco Malfoy folded his arms across his chest and turned slightly. "It's a mirror."
"You do realise what mirror it is?"
"Of course." He looked back at his reflection and peered closer. A hand casually rose to brush a lock of hair back into place. "I read about it in Hogwarts: A History..." His companion snorted. "What's so funny about that?"
"Oh, nothing. I just didn't think anyone really read it, that's all."
"That explains your pathetic marks." Draco touched the puffy dark smudges under his eyes. It almost looked like he was bruised in this light. He shifted slightly in the hope of a more flattering position.
"My marks aren't pathetic. I beat you in Divination."
"I don't take Divination." Draco scowled at his reflection. It didn't work. No matter where he stood the smudges remained.
"There you go. That's why I beat you."
"Harry, you have the most perverse sense of what constitutes good marks I know. No wonder Snape's always giving you detentions."
Harry Potter shifted slightly on the window seat, making himself more comfortable. The small room was empty apart from the large mirror in its ornate gold frame. The window was open and the sound of voices drifted upwards on the warm summer breeze. If he leaned out carefully, he could see people below ... a long way below. But he wasn't interested in the happy sounds; his eyes were fixed on the tall blond standing in front of the Mirror of Erised.
Draco was beautiful. Maybe not in the accepted aesthetics of male beauty, but then Harry wasn't worried about how beautiful other males were. He'd once asked Hermione (his confidant and as far as he knew the only other person to know of his relationship with the Slytherin) if she thought Draco was beautiful. She had paused for a moment, a look of thoughtful review on her face, and finally replied with along, drawn out "Hmmmmmmm."
His chin, Hermione had declared, was a little too pointed for her tastes. And maybe he could do something with his hair to make it, well, a little sexier. With that comment her hands had gesticulated in front of her as if preening the soft blond strands. Then there was his mouth (Harry was sure he was blushing at the thought of that mouth), which was perhaps a little too large. "But," she finally admitted, "he has lovely eyes, except of course when he's scowling, or pouting, or smirking or..."
Harry had held up his hands in mock defeat, announcing that he got the picture.
Then without warning, the Head girl had asked if Draco had a hairy back. Harry knew he must have looked like a fish out of water, mouth opening and closing repeatedly before finally managing to ask why she needed to know. Hermione shrugged and said simply, "I don't like hairy men."
The words were out of Harry's mouth before he could stop himself... "that's okay, Draco's got no body hair."
"Anywhere?!" Hermione had squeaked, suddenly sounding like a13-year-old rather than someone who would be 19 in four months. "Not even ... you know...?" Her hand had flapped wildly in the general direction of Harry's crotch. He had immediately gone bright red with embarrassment and spluttered some response that he would rather not think about.
Certainly not with Draco standing in profile before him right now, his tight trousers not exactly hiding the almost too-perfect lines of his arse.
One comment Hermione had made in their discussion sprang to mind again as he looked at his beautiful partner. She had pointed out that Draco had lost weight since his birthday. Studying him now, Harry could tell that she was right. Perhaps it was the way the light was falling, but he did look painfully thin. He would have to make sure the Slytherin was eating properly.
"What did you see in the Mirror?" Draco suddenly asked, his tone making Harry shiver.
There was a low baritone voice Draco would sometimes speak in that reminded Harry of liquid chocolate, and it was this tone he was currently using. It always caused a strange gooey sensation to pool in the area of Harry's hips and he had made the mistake of admitting this to Draco. For several weeks afterwards, it has been this voice Draco had used whenever talking to Harry in their Potions lesson.
"Lots of things," Harry finally answered. "My family was the main thing. But I've seen Voldemort..."
"The Dark Lord is one of the most desperate desires of your heart? You are clearly stranger than I ever thought, Potter."
Harry grinned at the mock-serious _expression on Draco's face. "No stranger than you, Malfoy. At one point I saw myself getting rid of him."
"Of course. The Gryffindor Hero." The words that had once been spat at Harry in torment where now said with affection. "Did you ever see me?"
"No." Harry got to his feet and sauntered over to the mirror. "But once I saw world peace."
"Not very likely."
He reached up a hand to caress Draco's cheek. "About as likely as me seeing my heart's desire in a mirror I suppose."
"Mmm. I bet this is a Gryffindor mirror and only Gryffindors can use it."
Harry felt the delicious strength in the deceptively slim arms that curled around him. A hand ran up his back, finally pushing into the dark black curls. Leaning into the touch for moment, Harry licked his lips. It had the desired effect, and Draco bent slightly to kiss him. It was a long languid kiss rather like the sultry summer afternoon they were enjoying. "I'll ask Professor Dumbledore," Harry volunteered when Draco finally pulled away. "He'll know who made it."
"Made what?"
"The Mirror, idiot." He poked Draco in the belly and just happened to aim the finger so that it slid into his navel, where he held the digit perfectly still.
"Yes, the Mirror. I had other things on my mind." Draco wriggled a little, helping the finger to slip in deeper. "So, now we've found out my heart's desire is clearly myself, because that is all I've seen, how would you like to spend the rest of the day?"
"Well..."
"We could go for a walk. Or you could catch up on your potions homework..."
Harry's finger pulled out of little depression and snaked down to the waistband of Draco's trousers. "What I'd like to do is find somewhere we can curl up in the sun together and laze out the rest of the day."
"Hmm," Draco leaned forward, his hips pressing into Harry's. "I think I know just the place."
********************
The sun shifted as the afternoon drifted towards evening. It now reflected off the stonework of the window frame and flooded the small circular room with a reddish glow that could have been mistaken for sunset.
Draco had been watching the shadow caused by one of the bedposts for some time. It was like a huge sundial as it marched across the ceiling, ticking away the minutes until he knew they would both have to leave and go their own separate ways. Harry off to Gryffindor Tower and he to the Slytherin Dungeons.
Worlds apart. Up to Gryffindor. Down to Slytherin. He wondered if the Four Founders had ever considered the implications of where they had decided to put each House and why Salazar Slytherin ever agreed to be down in the ground instead of up in the sky.
He felt Harry shift beside him and almost without thinking his hand drifted to stroke through the black curls.
Touching Harry was one of the great joys of his life. Making love was incredible, but being able to touch, caress, pet or just simply hold him could almost reduce Draco to tears.
He turned onto his side, spooning against the warm, tanned back and let his cheek settle against the back of Harry's head, against the dark hair which was just a little damp.
Harry sighed and nestled back a little closer. He muttered something unintelligible before sighing again.
Draco had been surprised to find that Harry often slept with his back to him. They would start out sprawled across the bed or wherever their lovemaking had taken place, but eventually Harry would turn on his side away from his partner and snuggle back against the warmth behind him.
At first it had worried Draco. Why would Harry not want to cuddle him? Why turn away? Then had come a night when he had been with Harry during one of the Gryffindor's terrible nightmares. He had helped calm Harry down and by the time Harry had felt safe enough to fall asleep again, he had been spooned back against Draco, with both the Slytherin's arms wound tightly about him. As Draco had felt the fast-beating heart slowly return to normal, he realised that this was the position Harry felt most safe in. That he wanted to be cradled back against his lover, and that he trusted Draco enough to turn his back on him. Trusted enough to allow Draco to protect him.
But, Draco wondered as he felt the soft rise-and-fall of his partner's breathing, if Harry trusted and wanted him that much, why hadn't he ever seen Draco in the Mirror of Erised? They had both said they loved each other, so that wasn't an issue. But did he desire Harry? Was that different? He knew he would have to go back to the Mirror again, this time on his own.
In the meantime, he knew they both should leave their peaceful hide-away and rejoin the outside world. Sometimes he hated the fact that their relationship was still a secret. He watched other people enjoying their friendships and wondered what he would have to do tobe able to be as open with Harry as that.
Feather-light, Draco began running his fingers over the smooth muscular lines of Harry's chest and stomach. He liked to watch Harry wake up, to watch reality return to him with little mumbles and sighs as he stretched and moved. Sometimes Draco was reminded of a stray kitten he had found at the Manor. He would take food for it and play with it, or just watch it stretching as it slept in the sun. It would wake up and wobble around a little before bounding off to play with a leaf or blade of grass. Harry always seemed a little wobbly when he woke up, as though he was surprised at finding himself in this particular universe and that in his mind he actually belonged somewhere else ... another world ... another lifetime. He would look around, slightly bemused as if thinking 'what am I doing here?'
Pushing himself up on to his elbow, Draco moved slightly and grey eyes fixed on the face of the still sleeping boy. He slowly let his fingers work gently, their actions more teasing than anything else. But the touch was enough to bring forth a little rousing moan. He kept up the slow gentle pressure as Harry's face lost the relaxed attitude of sleep and slowly took on the awareness of something else happening.
"Oh, Harry," Draco sighed as moved a little away and gently pulled Harry onto his back. "Come on, time to wake up." He leaned forward; dropping light kisses over the beloved face, gently touching lips, cheeks, eyelids, forehead.
Eventually eyelids fluttered open and Draco was met with the vivid, if still sleepy, green of Harry's eyes. They looked at him from a face still caught between sleep and wakefulness, a half smile just curving his lips as Harry stretched, kitten-like yet again.
"Mmmmm," was all Harry said as he let Draco kiss him.
Draco gathered the relaxed body into his arms, not ever wanting to let him go.
This was what he wanted to see in the Mirror. This was his need... his desire.
********************
He didn't bother with dinner. In fact food made him feel faintly sick these days. His excellent appetite had been lost after the events of his 18th birthday. Instead he made his way back to the room where the Mirror stood on its two clawed feet.
For a long time Draco didn't approach it. He stood off to one sidejust looking at the frame and the letters carved into it. Erisedstra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi. When he had first seen the strange wording, it had thrown him for a moment. But he'd seen mirror writing used on a looking glass his mother owned; so it hadn't taken him long to work out what it really said.
I show not your face but your hearts desire.
He leaned back against the wall. His heart's desire. Hadn't he decided what that was earlier? Hadn't he already realised what he should be seeing in the mirror? He should see Harry. Or, at least he should see more than just his own reflection. Even he didn't think himself to have such an over-inflated ego as to only desire himself.
Draco crossed to the Mirror, deliberately not standing directly in front of it. At the very least he thought he might see Malfoy Manor. Didn't he desire to go back to his home? Or his grandmother. He longed to see her again. Why not Voldemort's demise, for that matter? Didn't he want that like everyone else?
He ran a hand over the frame and was surprised to find that although he wanted to be rid of the Dark Lord, it wasn't that big apriority in his mind. Voldemort was a nuisance getting in the way ofthe greatest joy of his life at this moment, stopping him from enjoying Harry.
And why, if Harry loved him like he said, didn't Harry see him in the Mirror?
Hesitantly, Draco edged around the Mirror. He didn't look into the glass until he was right in front of it, then slowly he opened grey eyes to the shimmering surface.
Nothing.
Just himself, wearing a pale blue shirt and dark trousers, sleeves pushed up to his elbows. The same slightly messy hair as earlier. The same tired eyes and dark bruised-looking skin.
He leaned against the glass, feeling the cold hardness against his bare arm. Maybe he'd been right earlier. Maybe it was a Gryffindor thing and he was getting worked up over nothing. His forehead dropped onto his arm and he closed his eyes. He really needed to get some sleep -- tomorrow was a big day. Slytherin vs Gryffindor. It would be the last match of the year, the last he would ever play as a Hogwarts student and the decider for the Quidditch Cup.
Maybe Harry had shown him the Mirror today to get him all worked up and disconcerted like this.
You still don't understand do you?
The little voice whispered inside his head. It sounded like Harry, but then his inner voice had ceased to sound like Draco Malfoy after his birthday. "No I don't," he whispered, his mouth so close to the glass that it became translucent with his breath.
"I love you."
This time the voice was real and his eyes flickered open. They fell onto the glass and for a brief heartbeat he found himself looking into Harry's green eyes. Not the green eyes of a reflection, but a vision of Harry in the Mirror, leaning against him; chin resting on Draco's shoulder as he held on to Draco's arm.
The image shimmered before his eyes as it became reality. He felt the weight against him as Harry came to his side. They stared quietly at the reflection for a moment -- the real reflection of their desire rather than the mirror version.
When Harry finally spoke, it was with a composed, commanding voice that turned Draco's legs to jelly. "Professor Dumbledore once told me that the happiest person on earth would use the Mirror as a normal mirror. They would look into it and see themselves exactly as they were."
"And?"
"The reason I have never seen you in the Mirror is because I don't need to be shown that you are my heart's desire. I already know that and I have you here in reality. The Mirror just shows what you still long for."
"Really?"
Harry nodded, the sensation sending a little shiver along Draco's shoulder. "Really."
"Are you saying that if I'd found the mirror before Christmas --before we got together -- I would probably have see you in it?"
"I don't know." Harry pulled Draco away from the glass and slid his arms around his waist. "Did you desire me then?"
"I hated your guts at the time."
"Of course you did. And I hated yours as well if it makes you feel any better."
"It would have been nice to see something though." Draco cast a quick glance at the Mirror. "I'm 18 and according to that Mirror I have no desires left to fulfil."
"Poor Draco." Harry leaned forward and kissed him briefly on the chin. "Come on. We've both missed dinner, but Dobby's made me a coffee cake I'd like to share with you."
"Cake?" Draco frowned thoughtfully. "I guess I could handle cake. Unless, of course, this is some diabolical Gryffindor plot to make me so fat I can't keep up in the air during tomorrow's match."
Harry pulled Draco's arm around his own shoulder and snuggled closer. "I promise I will match you bite for bite, then all things will be equal." He slid his knee forward slightly until the Slytherin's legs parted a little. "Mind you, Coffee-flavoured icing on your skin is one of my favourite tastes."
Draco's arm tightened while his free hand slid down to cup Harry's arse. "And your stomach makes the most delicious plate to eat off of."
They stood for a moment, intent only on touch and feel, lost inthe sensation of warm soft kisses and the hard sharp planes of their bodies as they pressed against each other. It was Draco who finally spoke, the tip of his tongue tracing along the edge of Harry's ear. "There is a desire I still have. I want to wake up next to you, iny our bed."
He felt Harry's giggle against his own chest.
"My bed? I share a dormitory with four other people. I think they may be shocked to find you there in the morning."
"Are you ashamed of me?"
Harry pulled back and stared at the beloved face before him. His expression was as serious as Draco could ever remember. "Never. You do know that, don't you?"
Draco took a sudden hiss of breath as Harry's hip dug into the soft flesh of his groin. Did he know? Was he really sure how Harry truly felt. "I..."
"Did you understand what I meant earlier, when I was explaining about the mirror?"
"You said you'd never seen me in it."
"Because I don't need to, you stupid arse!" Harry nipped at Draco's lower lip, his tongue glancing over the full, pink flesh. "I have my heart's desire right here in front of me."
"Oh," was all Draco could think of saying. Of course, it didn't help that he couldn't speak by virtue of the fact Harry's tongue was currently in his mouth. When he was finally free to speak again, he realised he was getting hard and that the only sound he could force out of his vocal chords was another "Oh."
"Draco, I would love for you to wake up in my bed, and to walk with me through the Gryffindor common room and to go to breakfast together. But I'm not sure the day of our final Quidditch match is quite the moment for us to come out to the entire school."
"No, I guess it isn't." A typical Malfoy smirk slowly appeared on Draco's face, his lip curling slightly as a manic gleam lit his grey eyes. "Especially as I am going to pound you into the ground."
Harry pulled away from the Slytherin, keeping hold of his hand. He took a step towards the door before glancing back over his shoulder, a particularly provocative smile dancing on his face. "We'll see," he murmured. "Come on, the coffee cake is waiting."
Draco let himself be lead from the room. As he reached the door, a flash of gold caught his eye and he cast a look back towards the Mirror. He saw this own reflection wink at him, but this time he was dressed in his Quidditch robes.
Held in his right hand was the fluttering Golden Snitch.