Enemies with Benefits - A Drarry Story

Banishing Boggarts

          "Now," said Professor Lupin. "I would like you all to picture the thing you fear the very most, and turn it into something funny."

          Harry still had tears pricking at the corners of his eyes from the hilarious image of Professor Snape in drag. Lupin was allowing the students to use a live boggart to practice the Boggart-Banishing spell; Neville had gone first, and while his boggart being Snape was hilarious in itself, it was only when he shouted the incantation that everyone was able to enjoy the sight of the greasy-haired professor wearing his grandmother's clothes.

          "Next, Ron!" Ron stepped up, looking a bit green. As expected, Snape morphed into a huge acromantula, and some of the other students screamed.

          "Riddikulus!" Roller skates appeared on the arachnid's feet, and it flailed around in an attempt to stay upright. Laughter erupted once more.

          "Next, Parvati!"

          She stepped up, fiddling nervously with her hair, her wand clutched in her hand. The spider turned into a huge cobra, and as it reared up its head, ready to strike, she shouted, "Riddikulus!" In the blink of an eye, it turned into a huge jack-in-the-box. 

          As she scurried to the back of the line, Harry stepped up, ready to face what he knew was probably going to be Voldemort. But as the boggart shifted, he saw no red eyes or serpent-like face—no, it was huge and black, and it reached out with long, gnarled fingers—a Dementor.

          But just as Harry began to feel faint, he was shoved aside, and the boggart rearranged itself again to form the shape of... Lucius Malfoy.

          Draco stood in front of him, jaw clenched and eyes cold as steel. Mr. Malfoy stepped up to glare at his son, brandishing his cane menacingly. He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything―

          "Riddikulus!" Mr. Malfoy's staff yanked itself out of his grasp and began to hit him sharply on the head until he was chased back into the cabinet. The click of the lock brought Harry back to reality as he saw Lupin grimacing. He was suddenly aware of the roaring silence.

          "Well, that's all for today, if you'd all like to collect your books at the back of the class. That's the end of the lesson. Thank you!" 

          Harry turned to ask Draco if he was alright, but he saw with a pang in his chest that the head of platinum blond was already speeding out the door. He turned to a shocked Ron and Hermione, mumbling something about a quick trip to the loo, and rushed off to go follow him.

. . . . .

          Harry's legs were burning by the time he had caught up enough to see Draco heading into the boy's bathroom. He quickened his pace and jogged into the bathroom, which was thankfully empty except for the both of them. "Draco?"

          "Go away, Potter." He felt another sharp pain in his chest at the use of his surname. But there was no usual venom behind it―he knew that it wasn't genuine.

          "Draco, it's alright. You can talk to me." Harry finally zeroed in on the stall where his voice was coming from. The door was unlocked, so he pulled it open. Draco was in fetal position, on the floor, as tears flowed silently down his cheeks. 

          With no hesitation, Harry sat next to him and threw his arms around his classmate. Draco went stiff in his embrace, but then relaxed, crying into his shoulder.

. . . . .

          After about ten minutes, Draco straightened, wiping his eyes roughly. Harry waited patiently as he watched the blond think of what to say.

          After a few more minutes, he spoke.

          "My father... he's a terrible man. I―" he choked on a sob. "I hate him."

          "That's not your fault, though," Harry spoke softly.

          "I know, it's just―" he sniffed. "Never mind, you wouldn't get it."

          "You don't know that." Draco lifted his head to look in his eyes.

          "Are you sure you won't freak out or something?"

          "Freak out about wh―"

          "Please."

          Harry sighed. "Oh, alright." 

          Draco moved his eyes back to the floor. "My father... He has a temper.

         "When I was little, he wasn't a horrible father. I mean, he didn't really care all that much about me, so my mother did the parenting, but he started paying more attention when I started attending Hogwarts.

          "At first, it was just one knock with his staff, but...well...it got a bit worse." He winced.

          Harry's blood began to turn to ice.

          "And, well... He did it more and more. Mother had to get a private Healer to tend to me afterwards, sworn to secrecy with the Unbreakable Vow, of course. But it wasn't always an emergency, so I just...got good at healing charms, I guess."

          By now, Harry's blood had gone from freezing to boiling. He would kill Lucius for this. But he forced himself to calm down. He didn't matter right now. 

         There was only one thing that could convince Draco that Harry truly understood, and that involved Harry divulging a secret that he had never told anyone, not even Ron.

         "Listen, I... I get it, erm..." Harry hesitated. Now he was the one looking down at the floor. "My aunt and uncle, well...when I said they didn't feed me much... They didn't feed me at all sometimes." He heard Draco gasp softly.

          "They hate magic, hate it. So they shut me in a cupboard under the stairs and kept me in there for weeks sometimes. Went days without eating. When I finally got my Hogwarts letter, they saw that it was addressed to the cupboard, so they moved me to my cousin's old bedroom―but they put bars on my window later. Whenever people come over, my job is to 'stay in my room, being quiet and pretending I don't exist'." Harry chuckled quietly.

          "It's a bit hard to fight Voldemort when you're underfed. But I get by, especially when I'm at Hogwarts." He smiled, then frowned again. "I know it's not anything like what you have to go through, but I thought maybe if I―"

          "Shut up, Harry." Draco hugged him tightly. "You can't compare abuse. Your aunt and uncle are slimy bits of dragon dung, but you're better than them, Harry." Draco chuckled. "Merlin, you even ran in after me when it didn't concern you."

          "That's the thing, though. It does. You know I would have passed out if you hadn't gone in front of me."

          Draco's cheeks turned a faint shade of pink. "I just didn't want you to have to deal with that. You're the Chosen One, people will be talking about it for weeks. I'm just some stuck-up Slytherin with daddy issues just like any other."

          Harry rolled his eyes. "Of course this would come back to social status."

          "Of course, Your Majesty."

          For once, their tears of sadness turned to ones of laughter.