Blood In the Water

chapter 4.

  Sarah walked into defense against the dark arts class, joining Ava in the corner. "Just the Slytherin I was looking for!"
  "You've got the wrong person, Sarah. Malfoy's over there."
  "Shut up, Ava," Sarah jokingly shoved Ava to the side as Ava held a hand over her heart like she was in immense pain. Although, Ava was in pain but that was because she was in class and only got around two hours of sleep the night before.
The entirety of the class stared at a mirrored closet centered in the front of the class room as it rattled around, nearly tipping over in the process. Professor Lupin walked around the room, asking what the contents of the wardrobe were. Matthew McCormack, the male version of Hermione, confidently answered, "A boggart, sir."
"Very good, Matthew. Now does anyone know what a boggart looks like?"
Hermione popped out of nowhere and chimed in, "No one knows, sir. They are shapeshifters and shape-shift to whatever a person fears the most." Hermione's obnoxious ramblings were cut off by Lupin as he continued on with his lesson. The closet suddenly began to rattle again, making Sarah jump out of her sleep.
To her misfortune, Malfoy was standing right behind her. Draco leaned forward and brushed some of Sarah's hair behind her ear as he taunted her. "What, Lennon? Are you afraid?" She could feel his warm breath painting thin lines down her neck. His annoying smirk was evident in the way he talked and in the way his lips were quirked upward as they lay on Sarah's ear.
She quickly replied, "Only of hearing you talk for another minute, Malfoy." Draco lightly chuckled in her ear and stepped back from Sarah. She soon felt as if she was missing something vital without the touch of Draco's lips on her ear.
The closet rattled yet again as the entire class recited, "Ridiculous." The class stepped back as the cabinet shook more vigorously. They recited, "Ridiculous." This time it was with more urgency than before.
Sarah had to hide her chuckle when Malfoy said, "This class is ridiculous." However rude and snobbish he was, his comments still kept Sarah amused when she was bored out of her mind.
As Professor Lupin continued on with his never-ending lecture, Sarah found herself falling asleep again until Neville cautiously walked up towards the closet. A boggart in the form of Professor Snape slowly stalked towards Neville as he timidly held his wand within his trembling hands. A surge of confidence overcame him as he pointed his wand at the boggart and shouted, "Ridiculous!" Sarah found herself laughing along with the rest of the class as the boggart masquerading as Snape was suddenly dressed to the nines in Neville's grandmother's clothing. Sarah and Ava pushed their way to the front of the line, Ava before Sarah due to some fake sobbing.
Ava confidently walked up to the boggart. In an instant, her confidence was lost as the boggart transformed into herself but much older. The boggart started to walk forward but proceeded to trip and break its hip, crying out in pain as she lay helpless. Ava shakily rose her wand to face her fear of being old and helpless. She shouted ridiculous at her boggart which then became a woman that appeared to be Ava around twenty doing one-armed push ups with ease. Ava let out a shaky breath as she walked away, giving Sarah a tired look.
After Ava's turn came to an end, Sarah's chance to face her fear began. Her boggart instantly transformed into a hoard of roaches and stink bugs that grew larger with each step closer to Sarah. She could feel the bile creeping up her throat as they became the size footballs. Professor Lupin urged Sarah on. "It's okay Sarah. Just raise your wand and say the phrase." Sarah could not feel her legs as she raised her wand out of instinct. She did not realize that she was doing this as she was paralyzed by her overwhelming fear.
Sarah tried to steel her nerves as she quietly stated, "Ridiculous."
Lupin praised her as she walked away, but Sarah could only feel heat rushing to her head and bile rising faster and faster up her throat. Suddenly, she burst out into a run, pushing people out of her way as she rushed to the restrooms a few doors down.
Sarah barely made it into a stall before she felt her lunch leave her body. Leaning her head against the stall door, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When Sarah left the stall, Ava was waiting right outside of it to check on her; Sarah didn't say anything instead she just walked over the sink. Splashing some water onto her face, she looked in the mirror and told herself, "Get it together, Sarah." She then spun around on her heel and asked Ava, "How do I look?"
Ava, without missing a beat, replied, "Really hot, but your breath smells a little like throw up. Here's a mint for that." Sarah took the mint, nodding in thanks and looked into the mirror to make sure everything was back in its rightful place before the pair went back to the classroom. When they arrived, she felt Draco's eyes stalk her as she walked back to the place she was standing before. Luckily, he and his friends had moved closer towards the front of the room, so he did not have the opportunity to make a comment about her charming performance. Of course, it was Draco Malfoy, and he always found a way to get what he wanted, so Sarah was not yet free of his ridicule.
She did not dwell on Malfoy for too long as her attention was drawn to Harry Potter. He was laughing with Ron as he took the stage, but his laughter was soon cut short when his boggart turned into his worst fear: a dementor. Professor Lupin rapidly pushed the boggart back into its cabinet and dismissed the entire class for the day. Sarah spared a look at Harry as she walked away; she went to comfort him, but he appeared to already be in a conversation with Lupin.
Sarah and Ava filed out of the classroom with the rest of the class. While Ava's mind was filled with worries about Sarah, Sarah's mind was busy worrying about Harry. Nothing was ever simple or easy at Hogwarts.

enjoy!!
edited 10/4/20