The cupboard shook again.
Dan sighed in defeat, stepping forwards to open the door, which would inevitably release a boggart.
His Defence class had covered them. Well, covered them in theory. But, as his best friend Phil had told him on many occasions, Dan was stellar at the practical portion of his classes. That's why instead of getting a professor, Dan stood nervously tugging at his Slytherin cloak sleeves, ready to battle the offending creature.
He hesitated.
This thing would take the form of his worst fear, be it moths or spiders or that creepy girl from The Ring, and Dan wasn't sure how he would handle that. What even was his worst fear? As he reached towards the rusty latch, his breath caught in his throat and his eyes slammed shut. He didn't know how the boggart could quite replicate the feeling of being alone or the dark, but if it found a way, he knew it would be terrifying. Dan took a step back from the cupboard, waiting for his (literal) worst nightmare to come crawling out.
Almost at once, Phil was standing before him.
Dan was confused. He wasn't afraid of the dark haired boy, he didn't think anyone was. Phil was the most kind-hearted person he'd ever met, a gem even among the Hufflepuffs. With his beautiful blue eyes and soft white skin, warm smile and joking demeanour-
Oh.
As faux-Phil's blank face morphed into that of malice (which was a shocking expression to see on his face at all), Dan understood. He suddenly felt very self-concious under this creature's scrutiny.
"Disgusting Slytherin," it spat out, and Dan recoiled as if it had actually hit him. He had to remind himself that this wasn't actually Phil, that this was just an illusion. He raised his wand to perform the charm when the pale boy opened his mouth again. "You never liked me. You were just using me to get your grades up," the Phil-boggart managed a sad-yet-distasteful look, the piercing blue eyes staring into Dan's own brown ones.
Dan lowered the wand in astonishment. It was hard to remember that this wasn't actually Phil, not when those eyes were just so clear and utterly real. "Phil, no! How could you ever possibly think that? You're my best friend," his voice lowered considerably at the end,
Phil sneered. "Well you know what, best friend? he spat out the phrase like it was poison, and Dan's eyes widened. "You're not my mate. I only hung out with you because my actual friends dared me to." It was such a not-Phil thing to say, and yet Dan couldn't ignore the fact that is was said in Phil's voice.
"That's not true," he mumbled, more for himself than anyone. Even as he said the words, a weary voice in the back of his head doubted him. It was something that had been bothering him for months. He was a good for nothing Slytherin. Far from a scholar. He talked back to his teachers, he got detention, he was depressed. Then there was Phil; a Prefect, a NEWT student, friend to all. What did Dan ever do to deserve him? Nothing. Ever.
"Oh but you know it is, Daniel. How could I ever love someone as awful as you?" the words crushed Dan, and he raised his wand half-heartedly again. He tried to imagine something funny. That's what the professor had said. Make fun of it, and will go away. He thought about Phil in a rabbit suit, or attempting to ride a unicycle, but none of the images managed to trump the one of Phil scowling at him.
"Riddikulus!" he tries to shout, but the word sounds faint and broken even to himself, and the Phil-boggart only laughs at his attempt. He tries again to no avail.
"How did you ever think I could love a dirty Slytherin?" it calls at him, chucking snidely. An agonizing ache fills Dan, because he knows it's true. Even if Phil wanted to be his friend, the other boy would never sink so low as to love him. Not like that. He drops his wand, hands covering his face as he sinks to the floor. Tears prick at his eyes while the boggart shouts obscenities at him, calling him names, telling him how worthless he is. Dan lets out a sob, desperately trying to block out the sounds of the love of his life traumatizing him.
It goes on for a few minutes longer, though to Dan it felt like hours, when a strong voice shouts, "Riddikulus!" the faux-Phil turns into a Phil in a clown costume right in front of Dan's eyes before disappearing out of existence. He lets out a ragged sigh of relief, but the tears don't stop because now the fears are engrained into his mind.
"Dan?" a small voice asks, so similar but so different to the one screaming profanities at him just moments before, and Dan flinches. There's a gentle touch to his hair, sweeping it out of his face, and Dan leans into the caring hand. "Danny? Are you okay?"
He cracks one eye open to come face to face with a worried-looking Phil, blue eyes still so clear that Dan lets out another sob. "No, of course you're not, that was a moronic question," Phil sighs, sitting down on the floor beside Dan and wrapping a gangly arm around his shoulders. Dan sniffs quietly, and Phil looks pointedly at the ground. There's an unasked question between them, but Phil doesn't talk about it so neither does Dan. After a while of silence, they both get up off the ground of the classroom, dusting off trouser legs and cleaning glasses.
"What are you doing here?" Dan asks, voice still trembling as he purposefully stands at a safe distance from Phil.
"I came to look for you, idiot," Phil says, and even though the term is meant as an endearment, Dan still inspects his trainers. "What were you doing here?" he inquires as an afterthought, tilting his head in that adorable way that Phil always does.
"I was looking for my homework. I saw that boggart and thought I'd get rid of it," he explains, still not looking up from the floor.
"Well did you find it?" Phil asks pointedly, and Dan nods slowly. "Come to the Great Hall with me. I'll help you finish."
Dan's head snaps up at that. "No," he says quickly. Phil looks at him in confusion, and Dan elaborates, "I don't want you to think I'm taking advantage of you."
Understanding dawns on Phil's face, and he looks at Dan again, this time with warmth all over his face. "Is this what that was about?" he asks, referring to the boggart. Dan looks away.
In a feat of bravery, Dan speaks again, "it said you could never love me. Because I'm a Slytherin."
Phil's brow furrows in confusion. "Of course I love you. You're my best friend," he points out. "You're my only friend. Plus, you've got the kindest soul out of anyone I've ever met, Slytherin or otherwise."
Dan hesitates before speaking again. If he says these words, it could possibly ruin his friendship with Phil forever. The boggart saying those awful things could really become Phil. "You could never love me in the way I love you." it comes out as a whisper, barely audible, but Dan's sure that Phil hears it because he takes a step back.
"Oh. Oh. Y-You mean- oh," he stutters, pushing up his glasses nervously, and Dan's sure he's wrecked it. Phil takes a couple uncertain steps towards him, and Dan braces himself for the blow that Phil's about to deliver, when the blue-eyed boy spoke again.
"You daft wanker. You bloody moron," Dan nearly starts crying again, because this is so much worse than the hitting, but then Phil does something entirely unexpected. He grabs Dan's face and pulls their lips together in a gentle kiss.
It takes a minute for Dan to respond, because this is not at all what he was expecting and it takes a while to get over the initial shock that Phil is kissing him. But he does relax into the embrace, hands grasping Phil's cloaked shoulders tightly, and all too soon they break apart, gasping for breath.
"I love you so much," Phil breathes out before resting his forehead against Dan's.
Dan closes his eyes.
Does he mean it?
When he opens them again, he sees noting but love and admiration in Phil's eyes, and a sort of adoring expression on his pale face. In that moment, he's sure. Phil does love Dan, and Dan loves Phil.
"And I love you." His voice is finally strong again, and Dan's surprised at how happy he sounds.
Phil laughs softly. "I've been waiting for you to say that for so long." Dan's lips quirk up in a contented smile, his cheeks flushing pink under Phil's words. "Now, let's go. We still need to finish your homework."
They walk off hand-in-hand, the memory of the boggart now replaced by the memory of Phil's lips on his.