Desired Tension || Draco Malfoy x Reader

Chapter 9 - Boggarts

The following day we had a defence against the dark arts lesson with Professor Lupin. I walked into the class with Pansy and the now weirdly formed group of Slytherin's. I noticed that the room was cleared, and all the desks were pushed to the side of the room. At the front was a cupboard that was shaking around every few seconds.

We stood at the back of the group of students while Professor Lupin started talking to us all. "Intriguing, isn't it? Would anyone like to venture a guess as to what is inside?" He asked the class while walking around to the front of the group.

"That's a boggart, that is" Dean called out.

"Very good, Mr Thomas. Now can anybody tell me what a boggart looks like?"

Hermione began answering the question, she was standing a metre or two in front of us, but It was almost like she appeared out of thin air. I could swear she wasn't there a second ago nor did I see her enter. "No one knows, boggarts are shapeshifters. They take the shape of whatever a particular person fears the most. That's what makes them so".

"so terrifying, yes, yes, yes," Professor Lupin said cutting Hermione off

"Luckily a very simple charm exists to repel a boggart. Let's practise it now. Without wands, please. After me, Riddikulus" He instructed.

"Riddikulus" the class repeated back to him. I couldn't bring myself to say it, it all felt kind of embarrassing to be saying riddikulus without actually casting a spell, so I just stayed quiet leaning against one of the pillars in the back.

"very good, a little louder and very clear listen, riddikulus"

"Riddikulus" the class chanted again in a cult-like fashion.

"This class is ridiculous" I heard Malfoy scoff from next to me. I mean it was kind of funny so I couldn't help but let out a small laugh trying to hide it from the professor by dropping my head and looking at the ground.

"you think I'm funny, Potter" Malfoy smirked while Lupin kept talking.

"shut up" I rolled my eyes annoyed at the fact I'd shown any form of positive emotions towards him.

By now he had called Neville up to the front of the room "Neville what frightens you most of all" he questioned poor Neville. Why was it always him?

"P-p Professor Snape" he murmured quietly so no one could hear.

"Sorry?" Lupin persisted.

"Professor Snape" Neville said again only louder this time allowing us all to snicker and laugh knowing fully we all fear snap to some degree.

"Professor Snape. Yes, frightens all" Professor Lupin repeated while chuckling to himself. "and I believe you live with your grandmother".

"Yes, but I don't want it to turn into her either," he said sounding truly scared while everyone laughed at him again.

"No," Professor Lupin said shaking his head.

"It won't. I want you to picture her clothes. Only her clothes very clearly in your mind." He instructed.

"she carries a red handbag-" Neville began describing before being cut off by the professor.

"We don't need to hear. As long as you see it, we'll see it. Now as soon as I open the wardrobe here's what I want you to do" he stepped forward and whispered something into Neville's year which I assumed to be instructions.

"Can you do that" he queried.

"wand at the ready". Neville nervously pulled out this wand and pointed it at the cupboard while jittering.

The door slowly opened, and Professor Snape strutted out of the darkness towards Neville.

"Riddikulus" Neville enunciated. Suddenly Professor Snape was wearing this horrendous outfit. On top of his head sat this foul hat which had a bird stuck to the top, he wore a tight long green dress and had this red handbag which perfectly finished off the look.

It was quite a humorous sight sending the class into a fit of laughter myself included. "where's a camera when you need one" I laughed turning to Pansy who looked like she was incapable of responding with how hard she was laughing.

"wonderful Neville, wonderful! Incredible! Ok to the back Neville everyone form a line" The other Slytherins walked to the back of the line pushing everyone around in the process while I ran and pushed in front of Harry. What are brothers for?

"Thank you," I said dragging the 'u' while I slipped my way in front of him.

"form a line. I want everyone to picture the thing they fear the very most and turn it into something funny. Next, Ron" Lupin said while placing the needle onto a record. The room filled with music as Ron approached the boggart and it began to shape-shift.

A large redback spider was now in front of Ron. A spider really, you're a wizard and you're scared of spiders. I thought while rolling my eyes. He pulled his wand out of his robe while literally trembling with fear.

"Riddikulus" The spider was now slipping on the floor trying to keep itself upright as a roller skate had appeared on each of its legs.

"Yes! You, see? Very good, very good" Professor Lupin exclaimed loudly across the classroom. "marvellous! Absolutely, very, very enjoyable! Parvati! Next!" Ron began walking past me to the back of the line receiving high-fives on his way.

I drew my attention back to the front where I saw a snake. What kind of fears do these people have, you can kill it or flick it away with one swish of your wand what's to be scared about?

"Riddikulus" she yelled turning the snake into a clown in a jack in a box.

"The clown is scarier than the snake" I whispered back to Harry.

"And next, step up, step up" Lupin said still laughing and congratulating Parvati. I was next in line, I stepped forward pulling my wand out watching as the boggart began to shapeshift. Almost as it was thinking the boggart kept spinning in and out of itself. It did this for a solid 5 to 10 seconds. I looked at Professor Lupin who continued to stare in front of me confusion yet curiosity.

Eventually, it stopped and what I saw didn't scare me just confused me. I stared ahead looking directly into my own eyes. My boggart was me? She didn't move or do anything, she just stood there staring at me. Her eyes were different from mine they looked cold almost dead. Like there wasn't a single happy thought or memory behind them.

I didn't want to look at it anymore and could hear the whispers starting to rise from behind me.

"Riddikulus" I pronounced confusedly causing me or my boggart to burst into a bundle of feathers.

I awkwardly turned around to go to the back of the line, everyone watching me, but I didn't care. I was mainly confused, I wasn't scared of myself, was I?

Luckily everyone's attention was brought back to the front of the room where the boggart had now turned into a dementor in front of Harry, I was ready to help but Professor Lupin beat me to it stepping in the way. His boggart was the night sky with a full moon in it, how peculiar. Maybe he was scared of the dark I questioned myself.

"Riddikulus" he spoke turning the moon into a balloon that went flying around the room. He threw the boggart back towards the cupboard locking it inside.

"Right sorry about that. That's enough for today if you'd all like to collect your books from the back of the class. That's the end of the lesson" everyone groaned out in annoyance. "Sorry, sorry".

I watched as Harry stood in his place not taking his eyes off the cupboard in front of him. "come on Harry let's go" I said snapping his attention onto me while I pulled him out of the classroom.

A/N: I promise I'm not about to talk about chapter lengths, this time. This was confusing are we really scared of ourselves? If I'm being honest when I wrote this I had no idea what the answer to that question was haha. ALSO MORE MALFOY yayaaya, and heaps more to come ;). (1323 words)

Love you loads x

- Em