this love • theo nott

boggart

"does it hurt terribly, draco?" pansy asked, as she leaned towards the boy.

aurora exchanged glances with daphne, the two girls aware on pansy's massive crush on draco.

"she fancies him, huh?" enzo whispered to aurora.

"yes. and it's bloody disgusting." aurora said, noticing how pleased draco was with all the attention.

"he's been sighted! he's been sighted!" the group heard finnigan yell from the gryffindor table.

theo quickly snatched a paper from a first year as they read the news.

"that's just perfect." aurora said, as she realized just how close sirius was from hogwarts.

"there's dementors all over the place, no way he's getting in." enzo said, trying to reassure aurora that she would be fine.

"he got past them before." aurora said, slamming the paper down and storming off.

theo told everyone he would handle it and followed the girl.

"rory, merlin. this is ridiculous." he said, before grabbing her and opening the door nearest them.

"we're in a closet." aurora said, looking around her.

"look at me. it's going to be okay." theo said.

"you don't know that, everyone thinks i'm like his helper or something." aurora said, leaning her head on the wall.

"but you're not. and i know that. blaise, daphne, enzo, draco, pansy. they all know that. not everyone thinks that, rory."

"potter does." aurora said, her eyes turning glossy.

"why does it matter what potter thinks?" theo asked, confused as he stared at the girl.

"because i owe him. theo, my dad didn't just kill people. i hate him for a lot more than that." aurora said, thinking over how she could explain the situation.

"you don't owe potter anything." theo said. "did he say that?"

"no, no. he doesn't know. at least i think he doesn't know. look, my father got his parents killed. he betrayed them." aurora said.

"how do you know that?" theo asked.

"cissy told me over summer. the second we heard the news, she felt i deserved to know. draco doesn't even know, theo. please keep this between us." aurora said, taking hold of theo's hands as she begged the boy to keep quiet.

"don't worry, tesoro. i'll keep quiet." theo promised.

"thank you."

aurora leaned her head on the boy as he rubbed her back, creating patterns to help soothe her.

"where did you two go?" daphne asked, as the pair walked into dada together.

"talking." aurora said, standing in between theo and daphne towards the back of the class.

they all watched as professor lupin let a mirrored dresser shake.

aurora looked at it in confusion, wondering what could possibly be in it.

"Would anyone like to venture a guess as to what is inside?" lupin asked the class.

"hopefully not another hippogriff. draco might pee himself." blaise said, laughing as draco glared at him.

"that's a boggart, that is." dean thomas said, making aurora's mouth go dry.

she prayed she wouldn't have to face it.

as the entire class chanted riddikulus over and over, draco was not the slightest bit entertained.

"this class is ridiculous." he said, under his breath so only those close could hear.

aurora laughed as neville was brought to the front of the class and had to admit his biggest fear was snape.

the boggart left the dresser, in the shape of snape. aurora burst out laughing as neville made it where their potions professor was in his grandmothers clothes. wishing she could capture the moment to have forever.

but her laughter was soon over, when draco shoved her up to the front.

everyone watched as the boggart took the shape of sirius black.

"aurora, i missed you." the boggart said, looking just like his picture in the papers.

"stop it." aurora whispered, her eyes becoming glossy as everyone watched her worst fear.

"we can be a family, aurora. just you and me." the boggart continued.

"make it stop, please. make it stop." aurora said, her fear causing her to forget the spell.

blaise noticed her close her eyes as her father continued. he stepped in front of her, his own boggart being his friends dead around him before casting the spell.

"it's okay, rory." he said, wrapping his arm around her and leading her back to the back of the classroom.

but soon enough, harry potter went up, only for professor lupin to cast the spell before the boggart could even finish.

the teacher than approached the two slytherin's in the back. "ms. black, stay after class, please."

aurora just nodded as blaise gave her some candy he had in his bag.

"i can stay if you'd like." blaise said, as aurora nibbled at the chocolate bar.

"no, it's okay. thank you." aurora said, as the class came to an end and everyone shuffled out. her other friends making sure to stop and check on her before leaving.

"i'll be right outside, love." daphne said, placing a quick kiss on the top of her head before theo had the chance to ruffle up her hair.

aurora smiled at daphne as she moved her head away from theo, thankful for her friends.

"are you okay, aurora? that was quite the boggart." lupin said, taking a seat next to the dark haired girl.

"i'm fine. blaise gave me chocolate." aurora said, finishing off the piece and faking a smile towards her professor.

"chocolate always helps." he said, smiling. "y'know, i knew your father, back in school."

"what? are you serious?" aurora asked, her eyes going wide as she gave him her full attention.

"yes. he was my best friend." lupin said, looking away as he spoke. "we were inseparable. mcgonagall probably hated us."

"holy shit, she's old." aurora gasped, shocked the transfiguration professor had taught both her and her father.

lupin just laughed, nodding as he pulled a picture out of his robe pocket. "i want you to have this, aurora. try to see past what the ministry says, he was a good man." he said, handing her the photo of her father back in his sixth year, his smile bright and grey eyes shining with true happiness.

"i've never seen him smile." aurora said, staring at the photograph in her hands. she felt her eyes tear up as he waved at her, his smile getting even brighter.

"they truly painted him as a madman. sure, he was a little crazy, but he was good." lupin said, thinking of all the times sirius black had helped him throughout the friendship.

"thank you, professor." aurora said, giving him a small smile before leaving the classroom, the photograph of her dad still clutched in her hand.