All That Mattered
"You know, I saw you in the Mirror of Erised."
Lily turned to face him, slightly confused. "Is that supposed to be romantic?"
They were sitting on the couch in their brand new house in Godric's Hollow, enjoying a rare night in. Those had been scarce ever since they'd graduated, and even more so since they'd married. The old Muggle television Lily had insisted on having since it reminded her of home displayed colourful pictures of Muggles, but neither of them was really watching.
"The Mirror of Erised," James said again, as though repeating it would be explanation enough. "The huge Mirror at Hogwarts that shows you the deepest desire of your heart."
"Oh, that mirror. When I was younger it showed me my sister and I getting along again. I never knew exactly what it did, though."
"Well, when I looked into it, I saw you."
Lily beamed, and James gave her a lopsided grin in return. "You can be so sweet sometimes."
He pretended to be hurt. "Only sometimes?"
She rolled her eyes, crawling closer and kissing him sweetly.
"Um, Lils? Your hair is tickling my cheek."
She sighed, shifting so that she was sitting on his lap, resting her head against his chest, where she could hear the reassuring beat of his heart. "Better?"
"Mmm…"
"I'll take that as a yes." There was a pause as they both relaxed, completely content. Lily broke the silence. "You never asked me what I see in the Mirror now…Don't you want to know?"
Obligingly, James replied. "So what do you see in the Mirror of Erised now, Lily?"
"Well…" She drew it out, knowing that his curiosity and impatience, once sparked, would only increase.
"Yes, well… What do you see? Are you going to make me wait all night?"
"I hadn't considered that, but it's a tempting idea," she smiled. She was enjoying this.
"Come on, Lils," he whined.
"Okay, okay. I see us. You and me, just as we are."
It was true, and she didn't have to look into the Mirror again to make sure. She felt it, in every fibre of her being.
Sometimes she thought that the two of them simply made no sense. More often than not, he drove her up the wall with his arrogance (which only decreased somewhat as he aged) and his inability to take things seriously (which hardly decreased at all.)
But then, she reasoned, she didn't have to understand, she just needed to accept. James loved her, and she loved James, and that was all that mattered.
Written for:
The Sherlock Competition: Part 1, Prompt 10
Monthly Het-tastic Drabble-athon Competition, prompt: night
A Jury of Your Peers Competition: Fluff
Florence + the Machine Challenge: All This And Heaven Too
Flower Language Challenge: Lily
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