Work Text:
•~| 21 // November // 1991 |>•
“What did you say you found again?” George yawned as Fred led him through a secret passage. Last night Fred had come back to the dorms talking about some enchanted mirror he’d found. He’d insisted that George needed to see it, so, despite how unbearably late it was, here they were.
Eventually, they arrived at an unused classroom. There was a mirror in the middle of the room. “Wow, Fred. A mirror.” George deadpanned.
The older twin huffed. “Not just any mirror. Look!” He brought George closer. George didn’t see anything unusual, except the writing on the top.
‘Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.’
“..I show not your face, but your heart’s desire..?” Fred nodded. “Isn’t it cool?” George resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
This was the weirdest prank Fred had ever come up with.
“I guess.” George shrugged tiredly. The older twin huffed. “Come on, Forge! I thought you’d at least be a little bit more enthusiastic..”
The younger twin sighed. “What do you see then?” George asked, deciding to humor him. Fred gave him a weirded out look. “It’s far in the future. We’re running a successful joke shop together. What do you see?”
George rolled his eyes, intending to call Fred’s bluff, when he suddenly caught eyes with his reflection. He couldn’t help the goosebumps that quickly formed on his skin. Why was his reflection moving on its own?
The twin stared at it for a moment. That wasn’t him. Despite the similarities, there was no way it could be. It wasn’t Fred either. Fred didn’t carry himself like that.
George’s ears began to ring. That wasn’t him, but, at the same time, it felt more like him than himself. He couldn’t bring himself to look away.
“..orge?”
Fred’s voice sounded muffled, like George was underwater. He hardly processed the words at all. All he could do was stare at his not-reflection. It felt like he was looking into the depths of his own soul.
“George!” The older twin shook him suddenly, snapping him out of it. George flinched. “Wha-?”
Fred got in between the younger twin and the mirror. “You’ve been staring into it for like, ten minutes. You weren’t answering when I was calling you either.”
George blinked, feeling ill all of a sudden. “Oh.” Fred frowned at him, clearly noticing something was wrong. “Are you feeling alright..?”
The younger twin wanted to say yes, but he caught a glimpse of the mirror again. It made him want to throw up. “..Can we go back now? I’m tired.”
Fred gave George a look, but didn’t say anything. He’d probably ask him about this again later. “Okay.. let’s go.”
George didn’t sleep that night, not really. He still felt unsettled by his reflection in the mirror. What had that been?
He’d probably never know. One thing was true however, though thirteen year old George didn’t know it. That memory would haunt him for years to come, and he’d have no idea why.