Boggart

Relationships: Draco/Hermione

Description: Its their last year of being students at Hogwarts. There is a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Braeden, who decides to go over things they've learned about in previous years. Namely, the boggart. So she tries again and Draco Malfoy won't be able to avoid it this time.

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Today seemed like any other boring day at Hogwarts, at least to Draco Malfoy it did. He was walking to his next class which happened to be Defense Against the Dark Arts, where his boring day would take a dramatic turn. He didn't bother talking to anyone either, once he made it to the classroom he simply waited.

He thought no one would notice and so far, he didn't think anyone had.

But Hermione Granger noticed, it caught her by surprise everytime. Her, Harry, and Ron were also waiting to enter the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. When she saw Draco Malfoy approaching she steeled herself for an insult or of habit. An insult never came, just as one hasn't came all year from the blond.

Hermione knew Draco had changed since the war that shook their world, he wouldn't be acting this way if he hadn't, she just didn't know how much. Could a cheetah change its spots so quickly? Ron and Harry didn't seem to pay him any mind; as long as he didn't bother them, they wouldn't bother him.

Before she could ponder Draco's change of behavior this year, Professor Braeden opened her door. "Good morning students!" She said enthusiastically.

"Good morning," most of the students mumbled while entering, still in a sleepy trance.

Once all the students were in the class and seated she closed her door and waved her wand in the direction of the chalkboard. One of her pieces of chalk picked itself up and began writing words as she spoke.

"Alright class, today we will begin reviewing magical creatures. Starting with the boggart. Now I know one of your previous professors already went over this creature, but I want to be thorough. Now, who can tell me about the boggart?" Professor Braeden asked, her eyes looking anywhere but at Hermione, whose hand was already in the air.

"Anyone?" She asked again when no one else bothered to raise their hand or simply forgot. Hermione frowned when some of her classmates snickered when the Professor was obviously ignoring Hermione.

"Ah Mr. Malfoy," She said happily after seeing his hand go up.

"I do believe there is a student who would like to answer your question," Draco said gesturing to Hermione.

The Professor's smile dropped at his words but she nevertheless called on the brightest witch of her age. "Right of course, Ms. Granger," she called.

"A boggart is a shapeshifter that usually lurks in dark spaces. It has no definite form, taking the shape of that which is most feared by the person who encounters it," Hermione explained.

"And what form does it take when not in the presence of a person?" Professor Braeden inquires, giving up on anyone else answering her questions.

"No one knows for sure but it is believed to look like a dark blob," Hermione stated.

"Very well, five points to Gryffindor," the Professor said offhandedly. "Now everyone line up," when no one made to move she added, "come on, quickly quickly! We don't want to keep it waiting do we?"

That's when the class sprung into action, some students were more awake now and others dragged along. The Professor went over the spell to use against a boggart, riddikulus. While Hermione wondered what shape the boggart would take for her, Draco was slightly panicking because he knew exactly what his would take.

Professor Braeden opened a box and put it flew, taking the first person's shape which happened to be Voldemort. There were gasps throughout the room and people stiffened.

"It's just a boggart, not the real thing," the Professor reminded the class. "He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named is dead thanks to Mr. Potter here, now remember the spell, dear," she encouraged the quivering student in the front.

"R-Riddikulus!" The student shouted wand pointed at the noseless man.

Not a second later, there stood Lord Voldemort in a clown outfit. The class laughed, especially when the red nose fell off having nothing keeping it there.

And the line went on, there were some much more gruesome than that -especially from the Slytherin's- and most of the other ones were Death Eaters or Voldemort himself. There were silly ones like snakes or spiders, but everyone was paying attention when the next one up was none other than Draco Malfoy.

"Do I have to do this?" He asked.

"Oh stop whining, Mr. Malfoy, you've seen just about all the other student's fears and now it's your turn," she said dismissing him.

He sighed and then hesitantly walked up to the boggart which was now in the form of a giant snake. Then it pulled itself together into a whirlwind of black to construct its next form. Then, in front of the entire class, Lucius Malfoy steps forward.

"Oh Draco, how much must you disappoint me?" He asked rhetorically.

"I-I..um..I.." Draco began to stumble not able to come up with any words to say.

"You betray your family, send me to Azkaban.." Lucius began to list off other things Draco has done. "That's not the worst of all is it, Draco? No you had to go and fall for a mudblood," Lucius said and the already quiet room grew deathly quiet upon hearing that word.

It seemed that one word was what snapped Draco out of his trance. He turned only to find a stricken class and Professor looking at him with wide eyes. His eyes briefly locked with Hermione's before he stormed out of the room, all the while Lucius was still throwing insults at his son.

"Alright well let's not waste more time, everyone will have a turn this time," Professor Braeden called determined when her surprise wore off. "Next!" She exclaimed when no one moved and the line continued.

Hermione looked at her Professor with disdain before walking out of the class to follow the blond boy. She looked around the corridor to find a flash of black robes turn a corner. She rushed to catch up to him before she lost track of where he was.

She didn't know what it was that made her care, was it the fact he stood up for her earlier? How obvious it is he's changed? She couldn't answer these questions, Hell, she didn't even know what she was going to say to the boy once she caught up to him. If she caught up to him, he walked so fast she found herself practically running to keep up.

"Wait!" Hermione called out to him before she lost him.

Instead of stopping and looking at her like she had expected, Draco sped up his pace. He probably would have done just that, but his pride and emotions were too strong at the moment. He wasn't sure if he could trust himself around anyone right now, let alone Hermione Granger.

And how could he? When a boggart form of his Father had basically announced to the entire class that he had fallen in love with her. Yes, that's right. Draco Malfoy had, over the years, fallen in love with muggleborn Hermione Granger.

"Malfoy!" Hermione called in frustration as she continued to follow him, until finally he stopped and turned to face her.

"What? What could you possibly want, Granger?" Draco asked annoyed.

"Well..I-uh...are-are you ok?" Hermione stuttered awkwardly.

"Am I ok?" He asked surprised.

"Yeah," she replied unsure why she was acting this way.

"No, no I'm not ok. Now everyone knows what I'm afraid of and no doubt they'll use it against me," he answered.

"I won't use it against you," Hermione told him, surprising the blond.

"Why wouldn't you? You, of all people, have the right to use that against me," Draco said.

"You haven't insulted me all year and as far as I know, you haven't insulted anyone who didn't deserve it. Even though with the war, I'm sure you have enough information to do so. As long as you continue that, I don't have a problem with you," she told him.

"Every other year I've been nothing but horrid to you," he pointed out.

"Yes, but this year I can see you've changed for the better and I, for one, would like to give you a chance to prove it," Hermione stated with a small smile.

Draco was left stunned, yet again, by what the brunette had said. "R-really? You would do that?" He asked unsure.

"Of course, everything is already changing and I'm glad you're changing for the better," she told him sincerely.

After a few moments of awkward silence while Draco was processing all that she said, he gave her a soft, "thank you."

"Don't mention it, and if there's anything else I can do to help just say the word," Hermione told him with a smile. Once she saw him give a weak nod, she walked back to Professor Braeden's classroom.

But Draco stayed there, in the middle of the corridor with hope of a better future for the first time in oh so long. Hope that maybe someday, others will give him the same chance Hermione just had. That he can gain a new reputation for himself and the Malfoy name.

Hope that, maybe, he can at least become friends with the girl of his dreams. Yes, this is the start of something beautiful.