Smile Like You Mean It

Ok, just to remove some of the confusion before this chapter begins, Sirius did not die in Harry's fifth year, I'm going to change it so there! Sirius is alive and well and looking forward to the rest of his life...
This is a long chapter, by the way..... I'm wrecked after it!


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Chapter 8 - A Lesson In Desire



By the time Aera entered the Great Hall, breakfast was underway. She tried to appear casual as she strolled over to the Gryffindor table, but Hermione and Harry caught sight of her and jumped to their feet.

"Where were you? Hermione said you weren't in bed when she got up." Harry said quietly. Hermione nodded emphatically. Aera shrugged.

"I went for a walk. This place is weird if you're not used to it and I couldn't sleep."

She hoped this would be enough to soothe their curiosity. She really didn't want to have to tell them the truth. Instead of replying, Hermione stepped forward and picked something off Aera's cheek.

"Some walk. You went rolling around in the grounds as well?" Hermione asked calmly, rolling the strand of grass between her fingertips before leaving it fall to the floor. She looked up at Aera and Aera was shocked by the suspicion in her eyes. It was clear that whatever courtesies Hermione treated her with in front of the other, she still didn't trust this impostor.

Aera turned away and sat down beside Ron, while Hermione sat on his other side. Ron didn't appear too bothered about Aera's absence, shovelling food continuously into his mouth. Aera wasn't too hungry, but she picked away at a piece of toast to avoid having to look at her brother. She could feel his eyes on her, searching for some hint as to why she was refusing to be honest with them.

Aera sighed inwardly. Yet another secret to add to the others.

As breakfast began to finish up, the prefects began handing out timetables. Both Hermione and Ron had been made prefects and they wandered up and down the table, giving out the long pieces of parchment.

Aera took hers from Hermione's outstretched hand and perused the classes. She had three free periods during the week, but the rest was crammed with double, or even triple, classes of Potions, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration and Charms. Her first for that Monday morning was D.A.D.A. The line under the title, which is where the teachers' names for the other classes were, had been left blank.

"Look's like they had just as much trouble finding a professor for D.A.D.A. this year as before." commented Harry, obviously looking at the same class. "Let's get there early, we might be able to find out who it is."

Hermione, Ginny and Ron followed her twin out to the Entrance Hall where Ginny said her goodbye. As a year below the others she had Herbology first thing that morning. Aera was the only one to notice Harry's eyes follow the red-head as she left for the grounds. How anyone else, including Ginny, could be so blind as to not see her twin's infatuation was beyond her. Perhaps they saw and thought it best not to comment.

D.A.D.A. was on the third floor, inside a classroom that looked as if it had seen many previous teachers. As Harry had explained on their way to the class, no professor had lasted more than a year teaching this particular subject in many years. Perhaps there was a curse on it. Or, as Harry put it glumly, perhaps some other teacher coveted it so much as to ensure no other would be able to stick it.

Aera took a seat towards the front. She excelled in this subject, along with Harry if what his friends boasted was true. As she unpacked her bag she took the time to examine the classroom properly.

There was little decoration on the walls. A few pictures of some strange looking creatures and a man in the process of turning into a werewolf. Leaning against one wall was an enormous mirror, though the face of it was covered with a white sheet. Aera had noticed Harry grimace when he saw it, then ignore its existence. Curiosity was bubbling inside her, but she refrained from asking what it was and how he knew of it.

Suddenly the door behind the teacher's desk opened and a man with shaggy dark hair falling around his shoulders entered. His eyes went straight to Harry and he gave a feral grin which Harry returned as he jumped from his seat and ran to embrace the man.

"Sirius! What the hell are you doing here!" Harry managed.

The man, Sirius, gave a bark of a laugh. "My name was cleared of all charges by the Ministry during the summer and Dumbledore agreed to let me teach at Hogwarts for the year. I suppose it's to help clear my name with the general wizarding world. Under one condition," his eyes twinkled. "I have to stay away from Snivellus."

Harry grinned, though Aera had no idea who this 'Snivellus' was. She felt glad that they had arrived early, however. It gave Harry a chance to catch up with this man who he obviously felt so much compassion for. Her eyes scanned the handsome man's face, looking for clues as to who he was.

The man looked up, obviously feeling Aera's eyes on him. It was clear from the widening of his gaze that he knew exactly who she was. He recovered quickly however and gave Harry another friendly hug before ushering him back to his seat. As he passed by Aera's desk he gave her a nod.

"I quick word with you in my office please, Miss Vale."

Aera stood up, giving her friends a shrug at their confused looks. Hermione was glancing between the new professor and Aera with a thoughtful expression, though thankfully she didn't appear close to figuring anything out.

Once the door to his office had closed behind them, Sirius turned back to Aera and gave her a wide grin.

"I'm Sirius Black." he said casually, "And you are the spitting image of Harry, though I doubt anyone would think to look. Dumbledore told me who you are, though I've known about you since you were born. You've grown up since I last saw you, of course." He gave another barking laugh and flung himself down onto a comfy looking sofa.

Aera scowled and raised her hand. She waved it quickly around, casting a strong silence spell. "If Dumbledore told you about me, he must have told you I'm not known to Harry. I'll not thank you for revealing it right now."

Sirius raised his hands in defeat. "Ok, ok, so I should be a little more cautious. But you have to understand, I knew Lily and James very well, they'd want their children to know of each other, not sitting in a classroom like two strangers."

Aera's shoulder's sagged as she dropped onto the sofa beside the older man. "I know, Sirius. But I can't tell him yet. At some point... I hope. For now, I have to play along with Dumbledore's plan, because honestly, I don't have a better one."

Sirius slung an arm around her and pulled her into an embrace. For a moment Aera froze, unused to this level of intimacy. Then the comfort of his arms around her made her relax and she laid her head against his chest.

"I'm here to help you, Aera. Dumbledore has asked me to look out for you so that you don't have to keep meeting up with him. I'll keep an eye on you and if you have any problems, come see me about them, ok?" His tone was soft but firm, making her smile. At least she would have someone to talk to now.

Suddenly she shot up from the couch, pulling Sirius with her. "Oh sweet Morgan! You have a class to teach and they'll all be wondering why you're cooped up in here with me!"

Sirius paled slightly before standing too. He moved forward and opened the door back to the classroom, motioning Aera to enter before him. She nodded and walked out into the room, feeling the eyes of the students on her.

"Ok, professor, so I'll contact my old teacher and have her send the results of my previous tests to you so you know where I am in the syllabus." she said as she returned to her seat, noticing the look of suspicion fade slightly from Hermione's eyes where she was seated behind Aera's place.

"Thank you, Miss Vale. Now class..." Sirius leant against his desk at the front of the room and addressed the pupils. Aera took that moment to look around. The class was a mixture of students from all the houses, those who had achieved Exceeds Expectations or higher were the only ones allowed to continue in this subject. She could see the bright blonde hair of Malfoy towards the back. His eyes were fixed on their new professor with a dark look in them. She shivered and turned back to the front.

"Most of you will recognise me as Sirius Black, the man who was wrongfully accused of betraying the Potter family's whereabouts to Voldemort." A collected shudder passed through all the students except Harry and Aera. Ron gave a low moan. "My name was cleared during the summer by the Ministry itself and Dumbledore was kind enough to allow me to join his teaching staff.
"Now, I have been in many fights, both provoked and unprovoked in my life. Therefore, I am fully qualified to teach you about the effects and counter-spells against quite a few hexes and curses. I can teach you how to defend yourself, how to recognise silent spells by their shape, colour or even smell. Dark creatures will also be covered in this class and you will be delighted to know that I believe greatly in the casting of spells to better prepare ourselves. I realise that last year your teacher prevented the use of wands in the classroom. This year we will mix theory with practical. Every class will see us using wands!"

With these last words a number of the class whooped with enthusiasm. Aera grinned. The man was charismatic in character. This would definitely be one of her favourite classes.

"Now, our greatest enemy is ourselves. If we act badly, we betray the good in us. One thing I will hopefully teach you all is that what we desire most will usually be the thing that causes our downfall, or causes us pain. Take me, for example. I wanted more than anything else to protect the Potters. So, in trying to do that, I persuaded them to choose another as Secret Keeper. But that person betrayed them, as he himself desired the protection of a powerful Dark Lord."

Pain was etched deep on their professor's face as he struggled to finish his story. "Perhaps if I hadn't been so consumed with the desire to see them safely through that hard time I would have seen the telltale signs that could have warned me. I was wrongfully accused for betraying the family, while the other man slipped away. In the end, my desires blinded me to the truth."

He trailed off, his eyes focused on some point far away in the past. Aera waited a moment then gave a delicate cough. Sirius jerked and returned his attention to the classroom. The students had remained silent, spellbound by his words.

"So you see, desire for a certain thing can warp our sense of judgement, allow us to make faulty decisions. People believe I paid for my mistakes with the long years I spent in Azkaban. In truth, I will spend the rest of my life paying for it. If I can help any of you, make sure you don't do as I did, I will feel this year well spent."

Sirius got up from his position against the desk and approached the mirror leaning against the wall. With a quick flick of his wand the sheet floated from its surface and folded itself neatly on the floor beside it.

"This is the Mirror of Erised. It was a gift to Hogwarts many years ago, If you will look at the engravings around its surface you will see it reads 'erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi ' which when read in reverse and properly space says 'I show not your face but your heart's desire'. However, it is necessary to realise that the mirror does not show the real truth. For example, it could show you imagery, which will require you to decipher the true meaning. It could show you yourself, but with subtle differences, it could show you other people. No one will see what you see, nor can they using any spells. Your desires are for your eyes only. Therefore, there is no need to be afraid of a lack of privacy in this classroom setting."

"I've heard of this mirror!" spoke up a girl from Hufflepuff, who Aera recognised vaguely as Hannah Abbott. "I heard a discussion on it once. Its supposed to be one of the most dangerous magical objects known to wizards as men and women are supposed to have wasted their lives away, seeing the reflection of themselves they so desire for."

Sirius nodded in confirmation. "Indeed, but in this classroom, with the knowledge that what you see may never come to pass, you will be unlikely to be caught in such a snare. It cannot grant you what you see, it is only showing you what is truly in your heart. Whether you spend a minute or a year in front of the mirror, it will not reveal to you how you can achieve what it shows. Now, if you will all line up."

Most of the students hurried to stand before the enormous mirror. A few lagged behind, joining the line at the end. Harry was one of them. He eyed the silvery surface with a mixture of resignation and sorrow, though a hint of impatience also showed through.

Aera had been bustled into the queue around the middle, with Hermione behind her and Ron in front. She was a ware of Draco Malfoy a few people ahead, eyeing the mirror with caution.

"Now, I will be the first to approach, so you may be reassured that you will not see each other's desires." Sirius stepped forward and gazed at the surface. As far as Aera and the other students could see, it showed no more than the shaggy, slightly rough appearance of their teacher. But by the look of sorrow, self-revulsion and longing on Sirius's face, it was clear he saw something very different. Aera could quite well imagine what he saw there. The Potter's standing beside him, embracing the son they had never watched grow, Jame's embracing Sirius in a brotherly hug and saying he forgave him.

Sirius backed away until the mirror once more reflected nothing but the opposite wall. "As you see," he said quietly, "You were shown nothing of what I desired. You saw only me, nothing more. Mis Abbott, you're next."

Hannah stepped forward, her original look of excitement replaced by apprehension at the professor's reaction. She peered into the mirror and let out an exclamation.

"No way! Me?" she whispered, joy filling her voice. She turned to Sirius. "Are... Are you sure Sir? That it doesn't show the future?" Her voice was filled with such yearning that Aera felt a twinge of sympathy for her.

Sirius shook his head. "I'm sorry, Hannah." he replied. "It is only an image."

Hannah sighed, but took one last glimpse inside the mirror before stepping away. The reactions of the next few students were very similar. Each one of them questioned the nature of the mirror, staring hungrily at what appeared to be their own reflection. Aera began to realise, as the line grew shorter, how very dangerous an object like this could be.

Draco Malfoy stepped forward, his robes billowing behind him. He seemed unsure as to whether or not he really wanted to know what would be revealed to him. Finally, with a shrug, he stared into his own eyes.

Aera was not prepared for the widening of his eyes, nor the paling of his face. For a moment he stood frozen, staring wildly at the glass, then he raised a single finger and touched it, just over the spot where his own heart was reflected, a look of confusion in his gaze. Sirius softly cleared his throat and Malfoy stepped back, but not away. His brows creased in confusion. After a moment he stepped forward again, watching as things moved beyond what they could see.

Just as Sirius opened his mouth to speak again, Malfoy turned abruptly and stepped quickly away from the mirror. He was the first one not to look back. Aera felt her mind whirring. She was filled with curiosity as to what he had seen. But she couldn't ask him, it wasn't her place.

Ron was next, the last before Aera herself. His face split into a wide grin as the image of himself appeared. It faltered slightly after a moment and his ears began to burn red. He hopped to one side, away from the mirror, and turned to give Sirius a sheepish grin.

"Don't think it showed me any more than I already know, Sir." he said, the blush now creeping up his cheeks.

Sirius laughed aloud. "Very well, Ron. Aera, you're next."

Aera moved towards the mirror. She had a slight suspicion as to what would be revealed, but knew she didn't know her own heart as well as Ron's.

Indeed, it appeared she knew it less than she had thought. The first moment showed herself and Harry, hugging each other as tears of honesty poured down their cheeks. Two shades, a man and woman were in the background, nodding and smiling. Their parents. It was obvious what that meant. She wanted so much to tell Harry that she was his twin, that he would receive the news well.

In a moment the image changed and she was there, Harry by her side, Voldemort lying dead on the ground before them. They had conquered him, together.

Things in the mirror began to go blurry, blocking out the shapes of Harry and Voldemort. She squinted, trying to make out the new shape being formed, approaching herself. Shock made her mouth fall open as she saw Draco Malfoy sweep her up in a burning kiss, the two ripping each other's clothes away to touch skin, his body poised above her own as he paused and mouthed "I love you..."

Aera prepared to move away, glad that no one else could see the intimate nature of the scene unfolding before her.

But then the reflection changed and there she was, dark eyes staring back at herself, face serious and unsmiling. The mirror was unable to create noise, but Aera could read the words mouthed by her reflection well enough.

"Liar." It said. "Deceiver."

Aera felt tears fill her eyes. She didn't want to see this. She felt a chill rise up her spine as her mirror self turned her back and walked away. Aera heard the indrawn gasp of her own breath, felt herself turn away from the mirror as the words she had herself spoken came back in all their nastiness.

It was true though. For once the Mirror of Erised had shown the truth. She was a liar, and she was deceiving everyone with this facade she put up. She felt Sirius guide her back to her seat as he called Hermione forward for her turn. At her desk Aera raised her head and through her tears saw Hermione's face fill with joy. Her expression changed slightly and Aera saw her look back over one shoulder, straight at Aera, eyes full of questions. Unwilling to allow the answers to be found in her own eyes, Aera looked down at the desk, studying its surface intently.

Harry was among the last to be confronted with his desires. He looked into the mirror with resignation and let out a gentle sigh. Aera felt her heart twinge, for she had looked up to watch his reaction. The longing and pain in his face was so stark she felt she herself could see what was there only for him. Their parents, waving and smiling, Ginny running to embrace him and give him a loving kiss, Voldemort dead and his friends alive.

Sirius sat behind his desk as the final students returned to their seats.

"I must stress again that what you see is not what will happen. It is only an expression of what you truly want. Your reactions are varied, showing us that we all see something different. I'll ask you now not to question each other about what you see. It is private, though of course if you wish to discuss it among yourselves, that is up to you. Anyone who is confused about what they saw is welcome to come ask me about it and I promise all you say will be treated with confidentiality.
"Your homework is to research the Mirror of Erised and to write an essay on one character from history who's downfall was caused by his or her desire."

There was a feeling of discomfort and pondering as the class was dismissed and the students prepared to leave. A few hesitated in packing away their books and Sirius called them forward one by one, taking them into his office. Aera considered waiting with the others, but decided against it. She would prefer to wait for another time to ask about her own reflection and the Aera she saw inside the mirror.

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Sooooo? How'd you like the chapter? Please review because I'd like to know whether or not this part of the story flowed at all...

And I promise I'll provide you with some action in the next chapter or two! I think perhaps it's time for Aera and Draco to have another confrontation...... What do you think?