Hidden Feelings - A Draco Malfoy Love Story

Chapter Five

It looked so fun, fighting the boggart; the entire class was laughing at what each person was able to do, no one judging others' fears or worrying about their own. So I stepped forward.

What a terrible mistake that was.

Ron's tap-dancing spider immediately begins to change as I stand before it. Its form is thrashing around, shrinking toward the floor. I wait with my arm outstretched, my wand grasped tightly in my hand.

I blink. That's all it takes for the boggart to decide. 

My wand clatters to the floor. A cry escapes my throat as everyone in the room gasps. My mother and father are sprawled on the floor, a deep red substance seeping out of multiple wounds that are scattered across their bodies. Their bloodshot eyes are wide open, staring at the ceiling, looks of horror on their faces. I drop to my knees, my mind going numb, forgetting that this isn't real.

Before I know it, I'm screaming, Lupin throwing himself in front of me. I bury my face in my hands, shaking violently, not paying attention to anything but what I had just witnessed. Their dead bodies are burned into my vision, and all I feel is the overwhelming horror that is taking over my mind.

Lupin tells me to calm down, but when I don't stop sobbing, he calls out for everyone to leave class early. Now all I can hear is myself, my cries echoing throughout the classroom. The Professor kneels down beside me and pulls me into his arms.

As reality slips back into my mind, my sobs turn into shaky breaths, and Lupin releases me. I look up at him, blinking a few times to get the remaining tears out.

"I'm sorry, Professor," I whisper, my voice breaking.

"No, Miss Medlor, I'm sorry," he sighs. "I don't know what I was thinking, bringing a boggart in. Someone with a fear as mature as yours was bound to step forward."

I look over at the spot I had just seen my parents in, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Why did that happen for me and not anyone else?"

"I don't know. Some people just...don't ever think of things like that," he says. He stands, glancing past me at the clock. "It's about time for you to go. Would you like to stay here or go to your room, perhaps?"

"But my next cl-"

"I'll go and talk to the professor. I'm sure he or she will be willing to let you off the hook," he assures me. I hesitate, shakily pushing myself to my feet. I grab my bag from the desk behind me and my wand from the floor.

"I'll go to my room," I tell him. He nods.

"Who do you have next?" he asks.

I grimace. "Professor Snape."

He smiles a little at my reaction. "Don't worry, Elizabeth. I'll make sure he understands. Just go back to any other classes you have after potions, alright?"

"Of course. Thank you, Professor," I sigh, turning to leave the room. I freeze with my hand on the doorknob. The halls are not yet clear, so I look back at Lupin, worried that Hermione or one of the boys are waiting.

"You can stay until they leave," he says. I smile weakly, collapsing down in the seat closest to the door.

Minutes later, I walk through the empty halls, no longer crying but still in that emotional state where anything may set me off; I feel as if thinking about what happened will make my eyes begin to water. I try to clear my mind, but I can't rid the image of my parents from my thoughts.

I head straight to my room, letting my bag drop to the floor as I fall back on my bed. I close my eyes only to see blood and sit upright, letting out a frustrated cry.

I glance over at the picture on my bedside table.

"It wasn't real," I whisper to myself, tearing my eyes from the frame. "It wasn't real. They're okay, Elizabeth, they're..."

I clear my throat and blink away the tears once again.

But I realize that I have no reason to stop myself from crying. It's better now than later in front of everyone else...

So I lay down, and I cry. I cry as long as I can before having to get up again.

Hermione's POV

Our walk to potions is spent entirely in silence.

We don't know what to say, of course; what do you talk about when you've seen something like that of a person's mind?

Those who came from Professor Lupin's class arrive to potions early, sitting down; the room was silent aside from the scratching of a quill against parchment coming from Snape at his desk. A few minutes later, when class is about to begin, the door opens.

We all expect to see Elizabeth walk in, I'm sure, but at the same time, it wouldn't have made sense. It's why I'm both surprised and not as Lupin enters the room. Snape looks up from his parchment, his permanent sneer deepening.

I see Ron and Harry leaning forward to listen as Lupin approaches Snape's desk, and bite my lip. I don't want to invade Elizabeth's privacy, but at the same time, I'm worried about her; I want to know where she is.

"Miss Medlor will not be here today," Lupin says, softer than a normal tone of voice but not secretive whatsoever. Snape raises an eyebrow.

"May I ask why?"

Lupin glances over at all the students, his eyes landing on the three of us before returning to the potions teacher. "There was an incident in my class just now and I didn't believe she was quite well enough to be around others. I hope you'll understand."

Snape doesn't say anything else; he simply nods and looks back down at his desk.

At first, I think of how good he's being about it. Lupin doesn't even seem worried as he leaves. However, the moment class begins, Snape stands up, his dark eyes narrowed as he surveys the room.

"Professor Lupin has informed me that Medlor will not make it to class today. He didn't care to tell me specifically why, so I hope that one of you will care to be honest with me," he says. My fist clenched underneath the desk at his voice; does he think she made some silly excuse to get out of class?

No one looks at the professor. Even Malfoy's eyes were trained down at his cauldron.

"Alright, then," he sighs. "I guess I'll have to talk to Medlor later. Granger!"

I flinch, looking over at him.

"I'll give you an extra copy of the homework assignment. Give it to her," he orders.

I nod quickly. "Yes, sir."

As the class continues, I can only think of how terrible I feel for Elizabeth. Snape is going to be as hard on her as he can about this. Isn't it bad enough to see something like that?

She isn't at dinner, either. I want to believe that she's eating something in her room, but I doubt she truly is. Once again, we don't talk much, only speaking to request for something to be passed over.

"Will she be okay?" Ron finally asks softly. Harry and I both glance at each other.

"She has to be okay at some point," I say carefully. "Seeing that...it's enough to make anybody freak out. It'll take her a little time to calm down."

"I'm sure she'll be at breakfast," Harry tells his best mate. "Don't worry."

Ron nods, but it's obvious that he's doing the complete opposite of 'not worrying.' In fact, Harry's expression is almost a mirror image of Ron's, and I'm certain that I don't look entirely calm either. Silence swallows us three once again as we continue to eat, our thoughts unable to stray from that one moment. 

It's strange how something that happened so quickly can have such a lasting effect.