I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.

Relief

Alex stared at the ceiling in silence. Last day, then he could disappear underwater. He closed his eyes for a moment, and after a few seconds, images began to swim into his mind, Luna starring in all of them. He sighed heavily. They were coming slower. It seemed to be nearing the end of the cycle. Finally. He pushed himself up wearily, and no sooner had his feet touched the ground did Dean and Seamus shoot him sympathetic glances, both partway through getting dressed for the day. Alex felt his throat close as memories of the fiasco of the last Defense Against the Dark Arts class returned to him. He picked his wand up off the bedside table, pulling it out of its sheath and formed a hole in the window, then set it down, lighting a cigarette with trembling hands. He took a long pull and felt his nerves settle slowly. He remained where he was for a long few moments, blowing smoke out the window. Once he'd finished, he flicked it out the hole and repaired the window. Then, he pulled his clothes on and headed down to breakfast, struggling to ignore the other sympathetic looks he got on the way down, and not only from Gryffindors. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students apparently knew about what happened as well, now.

He dropped heavily onto his seat and began to butter several slices of toast lethargically. However, after a moment, Luna sat beside him, looking worried.

"Are you alright?" Luna asked. "I heard what happened."

"I'll be fine," Alex said, feeling his attention drift away from his toast but barely having the strength to stop it, fighting to remain in control. He gripped his pantleg tightly and Luna's expression grew even more concerned.

"Do you need me to go?" Luna asked.

Alex hesitated before shaking his head. "I can manage. It's not as bad today, so I think the cycle's almost over. At least, for now."

Luna nodded, smiling, Alex catching a hint of relief in her eyes.

"Oi!" a cocky, mirthful voice called out. "Pruitt!"

Alex looked up, seeing Malfoy sitting on the side of the Slytherin table closest to them, leaning back against his table. Alex's right hand curled around his fork so hard he crushed the handle into the shape of his fingers.

"Fancy yourself a monster, do you, Pruitt?" Malfoy sneered.

"Piss off, Malfoy," Luna said venomously, surprising Alex and the others they were usually around, who all stared at her as she glared at Malfoy. "Boggarts don't show what we want to be, and you know it."

"Oh, that's right," Malfoy nodded. "It's the charm that shows what we want to see." His sneer grew. "Fancy yourself a scared little kid in a cage, then? I'm sure the Ministry of Magic would be happy to make arrangements to accommodate you. A freak like you shouldn't be in this school anyway, even if you are in Gryffindor, who slums so low as to even admit Weasleys."

Alex moved to stand, only for Luna to beat him to it, swiping her wand up to aim at Malfoy, a bowl of porridge sailing across the room and splattering onto the top of Malfoy's forehead, coating him and splattering Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy Parkinson. Crabbe and Goyle stood instantly, fuming, as did Malfoy once he'd taken the bowl off his head and wiped the porridge from his eyes. However, as the three of them stood, so did Alex, Luna, Ginny, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Seamus, Dean, Parvati, and a handful of other Gryffindors. More and more of both houses stood quickly until both houses were all standing, brandishing their wands. However, before anyone could cast a spell, a sound like a cannon shot went off from the high table and they all froze, looking over and seeing Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore, Professor Lupin, and Snape all watching them, McGonagall and Snape both looked furious, but Dumbledore and Lupin both had cold, calm expressions that made the room go silent.

"Pruitt, Lovegood, and Malfoy, my office, now!" Snape snarled.

"My office," Professor Dumbledore said coolly. "You too, Miss Granger."

The two houses all sat as the four who were named left the room. After a moment, Dumbledore reached them and led them through the castle quickly to a huge Griffin statue. He said what Alex assumed was a password, and the griffin statue came alive, beginning to rise and revealing a spiral staircase. They all climbed it to Dumbledore's office and Alex didn't bother looking around. He was starting to tremble again, especially from having Malfoy beside him and not being able to rip his throat out. Dumbledore stopped in front of his desk and turned to them.

"Fighting between students is absolutely forbidden," Dumbledore said curtly, raising a hand to stop all three from speaking. "None of you needs to explain a thing. We could hear your insults from the far end of the room, Mr. Malfoy. You insulted him, you insulted his friends, and you nearly set off a duel between the entirety of Gryffindor and Slytherin, a duel which Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff would have, quite literally, been caught in the middle of. Such conduct is absolutely unacceptable. Two hundred house points shall be taken from Slytherin, and you shall be serving detention with Mr. Filch every Sunday from eight in the morning until an hour before curfew. I will instruct Mr. Filch to keep you inside the castle, so the dementors will not disrupt your detentions."

"What!?" Malfoy gaped. "That's not fair! When my father hears about this-"

"Oh, your father will most certainly hear about this," Dumbledore said coolly, suddenly seeming to shine with authority and power. "I believe he will not take too kindly to you dragging your family's name through the mud with such behavior. And be warned, Draco. If something like this should happen again, you will be expelled from Hogwarts. I will be sure to mention this to your father as well."

Malfoy began to sputter.

"You may go," Dumbledore said.

Malfoy stared at him for several moments before turning and storming out of the room.

Dumbledore turned to Alex and Luna. "I'm afraid that despite the circumstances, I must deduct five points from Ravenclaw as well, Miss Lovegood."

Luna nodded. "I understand, Professor."

Dumbledore nodded. "Alex, how are you feeling?" He glanced at Alex's left hand, which was clenching his pantleg. "Feel free to use my window, if you need to calm yourself down."

Alex thanked him and walked quickly to the window, lighting a cigarette.

"You are very strong, to be able to face your fears on a daily basis, as you do," Dumbledore said, then paused. "Would you prefer to have Miss Lovegood wait outside?"

Alex shook his head. "It's alright. She knows."

Dumbledore nodded. "Professor Lupin informed me about what happened between you and the Boggart. How are you?"

"Shaken," Alex admitted. "My secret would have gotten out if not for Professor Lupin's quick thinking, and I exposed more of my past than I ever wanted anyone to know."

Dumbledore nodded. "It is understandable that you would be upset after an experience like that. More experienced wizard than yourself have failed to overcome a Boggart. Boggarts wield fear as a weapon. Fear is among the hardest aspects of ones self to overcome, especially a fear as deep-seated and personal as yours. You have nothing to be ashamed of, for failing to overcome the Boggart, or for what you are."

Alex nodded, finishing his cigarette and hesitating, glancing around. Dumbledore extended an arm, a small ball of fire appearing in his palm. Alex dropped the cigarette butt into it and it burned away before it reached his hand, Dumbledore allowing the flames to dissipate.

"Now, I believe you are both late for your first class of the day," Dumbledore said. "Allow me to walk you both there."

Both nodded and followed him out of the office together.

Alex drifted through the water in silence. It was over. His heat cycle had officially ended. The giant squid nudged him with a tentacle and he rolled over, allowing it to tow him toward shore before retracting his fins and webbing and walking out of the water to Luna, who smiled brightly up at him. He smiled, drying himself with his wand before sitting beside her in the grass and pulling his socks and shoes on. She was doing her Transfiguration homework, so he helped her like usual while getting started on his own. However, as he was reaching down to pull out his Defense Against the Dark Arts book, he found one wrapped in brown paper. He pulled it out of his magically extended bag and frowned as he stared at a note on the front of it.

"A few friends and I made this book when we were in school. I heard you were quite good at picking up new spells, and based off of the Undetectable Extension Charm on your bag, I'd say I heard correctly. I thought you might enjoy this book. Enjoy."

He pulled the wrappings off and found a battered, blank cover staring up at him. He frowned as he opened it before his eyes went wide. It was a compendium of spells, like the one Fred and George had given him, which he'd then copied and given to Ginny. Except that this book was much, much thicker, had many, many more spells, and was hand-written in a flowing, elegant script, though a small one, which crammed all of the information of each spell onto a single page, including diagrams, without the book feeling cluttered. He leafed through the book. They were all very high-level, very powerful spells. He grinned widely, closing it, and put it back in his bag, pulling out his Defense Against the Dark Arts book.

"That looked useful," Luna said.

"It probably will be," Alex said. "Though, I'm expecting a lot of spells in it I already know."

Luna nodded. "Do you want to go for a swim?"

Alex laughed. "I just got out my book."

But he was already setting it aside. Luna smiled brightly and set her own book down, taking his hand as they walked out into the water. He turned to her once they were waist deep, taking her free hand as well and beginning to swim backward, pulling her with him. After a few moments, the lake's kelpie swam up to let them ride it and Alex climbed up behind Luna, wrapping an arm around her as both held onto the kelpie's mane. Then, it was off. Luna leaned back against Alex as it raced around the surface of the water and Alex smiled, holding her a little tighter.

"Thank you for keeping your distance," Alex said. "And for standing up to Malfoy for me. I was about to do much worse than throw porridge at him."

Luna smiled back at him, Alex's brain failing to miss how close it put their faces to each other's. "You're my best friend, and my first true friend. Of course I'll stick up for you."

Alex smiled, and once she'd turned back around, he gave her a light squeeze just before suddenly holding her snug to him as the kelpie dove, then jumped out of the water. Alex smiled as Luna sucked in a large breath. Then, they dove under again. Instantly, they were greeted by Selkie women, who began to swim in a spiral around them, singing in order to greet them happily. When Luna's hand gripped Alex's arm tightly, he tugged the Kelpie's mane and it breached the surface again, allowing Luna to take another breath before splashing back down. Finally, after two more jumps, the kelpie surfaced and Luna let out the breath she'd been holding, panting for a moment and leaning back against Alex, shivering. The kelpie swam them back to shore as Alex tugged his collar up over his gills, then allowed them to clamber off its back and walk over to sit on the grass, Alex using his wand again to dry them, then wrapped an arm around Luna, rubbing his hand up and down her opposite arm to try and get her blood flowing and warm her up again.

"H-How's he d-doing?" Luna stammered, still shivering as she pointed at the wand.

"Lively as ever," Alex said, pulling a small jar from his bag and using his wand to fill it with a bluebell flame before putting the cover on it and passing it to Luna, who set it in her lap as she leaned on his shoulder. "He's itching to hex Malfoy as much as I am."

Luna nodded. "I wish I could have met him. I love horses."

He glanced at her, seeing her left hand was holding the necklace he'd given her. He smiled, then forced his face neutral. It wasn't like that. Ginny was just messing with his head. That's all. And right now she was just cold.

"How are your classes going?" He asked.

"Pretty good," Luna said. "Potions is the worst, obviously. Snape probably won't like me very much after yesterday morning. But it was worth it to see the look on Malfoy's face."

Alex laughed, squeezing her lightly. "When did you get to be so sadistic? I thought you always acted like you were only ever halfway present."

Luna shrugged. "He's been begging for it."

Alex's smile dropped instantly. "He's been bothering you?"

Luna shook her head. "No more than usual. He's a git. It's nothing to get worked up about. At least, not usually. What he was saying yesterday was too far, so I stopping him."

"And almost set off the biggest dueling brawl in Hogwarts History," Alex said, smirking. "I'm kind of proud of you for being able to pull something like that off with a bowl of porridge."

Luna beamed proudly, and Alex had to laugh. After a few minutes, they both pulled out their homework, Luna's head not leaving Alex's shoulder until they left the lake.

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