Author's Notes: Thx much to everyone who reviewed and Lily for starting a Yahoo Group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lily_and_lily) with me!! J Thx for betas Anjali & Jayne & Megan who got past that she dislikes slash in every form.


Not All Sugar and Spice

Chapter One: I Show Not Your Face But Your Heart's Desire

By Lilyria Ali

       

"Really?" Harry asked, peering Albus Dumbledore, current Headmaster of Hogwarts School. "The mirror is back?"

"It's the prophecy Harry," Dumbledore replied gravely. "It says here..." he pulled out a dusty, rolled manuscript. "That which shows the Heart's true meaning will fathom what even the best cannot." He smiled slightly. "Apparently the mirror is smarter than myself."

"It's enchanted," Harry pointed out. "It has an extra advantage."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Thank you for that boost of self-esteem Harry," he said. "But I suggest you go back to your dormitory now."

Harry nodded before giving Fawkes one last stroke (it had been sitting on its shoulder) and got up. "G'night Professor."

"Good night Harry."

       

Harry was strolling back to the Gryffindor common room when he bumped into an invisible figure.

"Who's there?" demanded Harry. Who else has an invisibility cloak? He wondered-for all he knew, only he had one in the whole school.

But Harry wasn't surprised when the blonde head of Draco Malfoy appeared from thin air.

//Of course. Malfoy's rich enough to buy Hogwarts if he wanted.//

"Potter," acknowledged Malfoy coolly. "Wandering after hours-aren't you scared that Voldemort will come and kill you in the dark?"

"I was talking to Dumbledore," said Harry shortly. "And Voldemort can't come into Hogwarts, though I'm sure you'd been glad if he did kidnap me."

"I would," agreed Malfoy instantly.

Harry didn't comment, but somewhere, deep down in his heart, an old wound was cut open and it bled.

"So, what are you doing? Shagging another girl in the trophy room?" Harry asked, smiling to himself. It pays off to have the Maruader Map.

Malfoy looked taken aback. "O-of course not!" he objected, a little too quickly. Harry smirked and raised an eyebrow. "And don't copy my signature smirk! You so *cannot* pull it off well," he said huffily, seeing the other boy's expression.

"It's not your signature smirk," Harry said, starting towards the stairs. "And the world, contrary to your belief, doesn't revolve around you, so I can do what I want to do."

"I-" started Malfoy, then crossed his arms. "So, what were you talking to that old man about?"

Days from now, Harry would've cursed himself for answering that question.

"Don't call him an old man," snapped Harry. "And we talked about the Mirror of Erised, not that it matters since if you looked in it you'd just see your own reflection."

Malfoy began smirking furiously. "You don't even know what it's called," he taunted, grinning. "Erised? Can't you see that's 'desire' spelled backwards?"

Damn, thought Harry darkly. "Whatever," he muttered. "Just go away Malfoy, and I won't report you to McGonagall."

"You know," Malfoy said thoughtfully. "We never had a duel in our first year."

"Since you chickened out and didn't show up," said Harry, glaring at Malfoy. He remembered the incident well-it was when he, Ron, and Hermione had found Fluffy on the Third Floor and in the process almost got killed.

"I was occupied," replied Malfoy smoothly. "But now I formally challenge you to a duel. The Mirror room, right now." He checked the silver watch on his wrist. "At eleven o' clock sharp."

//With what, I wonder?// "What'd you do, bring poisoned needles?" said Harry irritably. "I want to go to sleep Malfoy-"

"Unless you're too scared?" said Malfoy, drawing out his wand and twirling it reflexively. "Don't tell me famous Harry hero Potter is conceding to Draco Malfoy?"

//I'm not a hero.//

"Don't call me that," said Harry, drawing out his wand impulsively. "Fine. Lead the way Malfoy."

The other boy smiled. "I knew Hero Potter wouldn't back down," he drawled, turning into an empty corridor. "I knew-"

Harry held his wand up to Malfoy's throat. "Do not CALL me that!" he hissed at him. I killed Cedric...I'm no better than Voldemort-I'm no Hero. I was the main ingredient in Voldemort's resurrection; I...

Malfoy looked surprised, but nodded and kept silent until they reached a small dusty room, the same room Harry remembered from his first year. What's Dumbledore playing at? He knows I found it here-I could just come back and get obsessed with it all over again...

"In a Malfoy Wizard's Duel, you look in the mirror first," Malfoy said, gesturing towards the mirror. "Then you duel, fighting for whatever you saw in that mirror."

"I thought-" Harry began.

"There was only one mirror?" Malfoy said. "There should be, but then, Malfoys' don't follow the rules." He smiled, an almost-sincere smile, and stepped aside.

"What do you see in the mirror?" asked Harry curiously, then bit his lip. //Why do I care? //

"The Malfoy riches, always," said Malfoy, not missing a beat. " 'I show you not your face but your heart's desire'" he quoted. "That's my heart's desire. How about you, Potter? Saving the world?"

Harry didn't answer, but instead walked over to the mirror, expecting the many images of his parents and ancestors, but what he saw was not even close to what he was anticipating.

He saw the reflection of a pale, slender, and blonde Slytherin that was unmistakably--

Draco Malfoy.

       

Draco could see that Potter was shocked. Shocked and horrified. //Wonder what he's seeing//, he thought wryly, //maybe my reflection; no wonder he's gaping. I am sexy aren't I Potter?//

"So, Potter, your heart thinking something illegal this year?" asked Draco. "Is it because-"

"No," said Potter, unsteadily. "It's nothing important." But that was an outright lie; he was paler than uncooked pita bread. "Let's duel."

Draco shrugged. "Alright-but let me look in the mirror first."

Potter nodded and closed his eyes. //Wonder what he saw,// thought Draco. //It really did shake him up.// He elegantly walked to the original mirror, and watched a figure emerge from the mist-

Harry Potter.

"No!" snapped Draco, fighting to urge to break the mirror. "This is crazy! Is this some kind of joke Potter? Because it's not funny!"

Potter stared at him. "What did you see?" he asked hoarsely. "Did you see-"

"I saw you," said Draco, distastefully. "That's impossible-I wouldn't care if you died right this instant except perhaps you'd spill some blood on my new robes; expensive too, they were."

"Go to Hell Malfoy," said Potter. "To tell you what, I saw you in that goddamn mirror, which is so absurd I think I'll go puke in the Gryffindor dormitories about now."

"Spare me the sight," retorted Draco. "I can see the headlines 'Hero Potter puking-that'd make the headline-Wonder Boy Feels Sick: Is our Hero actually very Vulnerable?'"

Potter glared at him. "Are you going to duel or not?"

"Fine," said Draco, pointing his wand at the other boy's heart.

"Good," said Potter.

"1-2-3-Expelliarmus!" cried Draco.

"Expelliarmus!" cried Potter at the same time.

A jet of red light and a jet of green light hit each other squarely before intertwining into a golden ball. Both boys stared at it in shock.

//What IS that? //

Suddenly a sweet, melodic singing could be heard and Fawkes, the Headmaster's phoenix, swept into the room before perching on the globe and letting out one wavering last note.

No one spoke or moved.

Then Potter broke the silence. "Fawkes? What are you doing here?"

The phoenix fluffed its wings and flew to the ground, clutching the golden ball in its talons before nuzzling it with its head then-

Fawkes swallowed the globe.

"Hey!" said Draco, indignantly. "I made that globe, and I didn't say you could eat it!"

"The world does NOT revolve around you," repeated Potter, looking quizzical. "What in the world is going on?"

Draco glowered at him. "Duel over because of unwanted involvement," he said pointedly, and stalked out the room.

Potter continued staring at the bird, and he could almost swear Fawkes winked at him.


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