Content Warnings: None.
His parents smile at him from the mirror, their eyes warm and loving. Jon has to wonder about that: would they really look at him like that if they were still alive? They have no idea what he's like, if he's anything they wished for. Still, Jon doesn't move away from the mirror, sitting in front of it and hugging his legs against his chest. It's so peaceful, being here with them. He never quite wants to leave.
He doesn't realize that he isn't alone until he feels a pair of slim hands sliding over his shoulders, gripping him gently.
"You should be at the Ravenclaw tower around this hour," Professor Bouchard says, leaning close to Jon's ear to whisper his words. "What are you doing here, Jon?"
Jon can't say anything first; he is frozen from embarrassment, from shame, his words getting stuck in his throat. He tries to clear it, not daring to look away from the mirror. His parents still stand there, still smile at him.
"I'm with my parents," he says. "They are there, Professor. My friends, they say they see other things, but for me it's just them."
"Of course your parents are there, Jon. You have longed for them your whole life." Professor Bouchard lets one hand slide off his shoulder, but he keeps the other there as he sits down next to Jon, stretching out his long legs. "It's the things you desire more than anything else in the world that you see in this mirror. It's bittersweet, isn't it?"
Jon's throat feels tight now, his eyes both damp and burning at the same time. "Yes." He frowns, hesitating before he dares a glance sideways and up, at Professor Bouchard's face. "Do you see things in there, Sir?"
Professor Bouchard's grey eyes are focused on the mirror now, full of contemplation. He is silent, long enough that Jon starts to regret his question, but the professor's fingers tighten for a second on Jon's shoulder before loosening again, rubbing him.
"Of course I do. All of us want something, Jon. And that's what makes this mirror very dangerous." Professor turns his face towards Jon now, and although he is smiling, his eyes are serious. "That's why I will have to ask you and your friends to stay away from it."
Jon knew this was coming. It only makes sense, but simply hearing those words makes Jon shake all over, his eyes darting back to the mirror. His parents are still looking at him, smiling on.
"You must know, Jon." Professor Bouchard's other hand returns on Jon's empty shoulder, their grasp gentle, but firm. "You must know that it's not your parents there, just your dreams."
"I know." It hurts, it hurts so much to say that out loud, and for a moment Jon can't even blink, his eyes focused on the mirror and the mirror alone. He stares into the eyes of his mother, his father, into the love he sees there.
There is nothing he wants more than that love.
Jon closes his eyes tight, breaking into shudders.
"That's it, Jon." He can hear Professor Bouchard getting up from the floor, feel the pull of his hands. It takes a moment for Jon to follow that pull, get up on his feet himself. "Don't lose yourself in that mirror. Too many good people have."
Professor Bouchard strokes his shoulders, stepping closer to him, and Jon can't help himself; he flings himself into the professor's arms, pressing his face against the professor's chest through his fine robes. Professor's response is immediate: he wraps his arm around Jon, hugging him close while cupping the back of his head with the other, stroking his fingers through Jon's hair. Jon trembles, taking in deep breaths as he tries to calm himself down, to keep his tears from falling. He can't cry. He can't cry.
He hasn't lost anything, only his delusions.
Drawing in a deep breath, Jon pulls back, shrugging the professor's hands off him. Professor Bouchard lets him go, watching him as Jon takes a step backwards, as Jon rubs the back of his hands over his eyes.
"I'm sorry," Jon whispers, sniffling. "I didn't mean to break rules. I just-"
"I know, Jon. It's all right." Professor Bouchard hesitates before reaching out for him, stroking his fingertips against Jon's cheek. The touch is light and gentle, and it makes Jon ache so much inside, his eyes burning as he tries to hold the tears back. But he manages. They don't fall, and after he takes another deep breath in, he can feel the sting in his eyes easing.
"You are a very clever boy for having found this mirror in the first place, but you must leave it behind now." The professor's fingertips trail along Jon's jawbone before withdrawing, and when Jon looks up, the professor is smiling at him. "You have so many things waiting for you in this life, Jon. Not in the mirror."
Jon snorts. "Sometimes I wonder about that," he murmurs.
"Don't wonder. Believe." Professor Bouchard steps closer to him, wrapping an arm around Jon's shoulders. "You have no idea what you can be."