* Boggarts and other fears *

"Stop it, Teddy!" She demanded, furiously. The blue-haired boy just laughed as they both walked down the halls of the castle.
"Call the Daily Prophet! This is going to be the best headline since uncle Harry killed Voldemort!" He joked. She smacked his shoulder.
"It's not something you laugh about!" She retorted.
"Oh, come on! Miss Know-it-all Granger-Weasley can't beat a boggart! That is a newsflash." He smirked. She fastened her pace. He sighed and followed her.
"Come on, Belle! It was hilarious!" He said. She stopped on her feet and turned around to face him.
"It was mortifying! How would you feel if your boggart was not only one but two of the people you're most afraid to let down and the entire class gets to see it?" She asked, her face red of anger and tears running through her cheeks. He just stared at her. She turned around and started running. She didn't know for how long. She just ran until she found an empty classroom. She got inside and locked the door. She didn't want anyone to disturb her. When she was sure she was all alone, she sat on the floor in a corner and cried. Hours passed. Teddy and her friends tried everything to get her out of the room unsuccessfully. So Teddy decided to pay the headmistress a visit.
"We need the Minister. She's the only one who can get Belle out." He told her after he finished his explanation of his visit. She didn't hesitate and put her head in the fireplace, calling for the Minister. Some minutes later, Teddy lead the headmistress and the minister to the empty classroom where Belle still was. The minister took out her wand and pronounced some incantations. A few minutes later, the door was unlocked and she walked in. Teddy tried to enter as well but Professor McGonagall stopped him. Teddy looked at her, shocked.
"You said it yourself, Mr. Lupin: the minister is the only one who can get Miss Granger-Weasley out of here. Now, off to class you go." She told him. Reluctantly, Teddy left, followed later by McGonagall.
Meanwhile, inside the classroom, Belle could hear footsteps approaching. She pulled out her wand and got up. "Mom?" She asked, a confused look on her face when she saw who was standing in front of her. Hermione looked at her and smiled a bit.
"McGonagall called saying you locked yourself in a classroom and wouldn't come out." Hermione started, partly reproching her daughter for such a childish behaviour. Belle sighed and looked down. "What happened, Belle? Did anyone bothered you?" She asked. The 16-year-old girl shook her face. "Then what, darling?" Hermione asked, concerned. Belle upped her face to her mother.
"It was you... and Adam." She said, blushing with embarrassment. Hermione looked at her confused and Belle sighed. "We were in DADA class and... we had to face boggarts. When it was my turn... you appeared, and then Adam." She said, her ears turning as red as her hair. Hermione couldn't believe her ears. Her own daughter was afraid of her?
"I... I'm your biggest fear?" Hermione asked, between shocked and hurt. Belle looked at her, feeling extremely guilty.
"No! I mean... not you as a person. You're not terrifying, mom. It's just... You are so amazing! Brightest witch of your age, war heroine, first minister of Magic who is a woman AND a muggle-born, and... well... I'm your daughter and everyone expects me to be as brilliant as you and... what if I'm not?" Belle explained. Hermione looked at her, trying to understand. "Your... boggart... it said to me that I..." Belle struggled as she fretted her hands. She sighed. "she told me I was a... disappointment. That I wasn't any good, that... I was your biggest mistake after all." she finally said. Hermione could see tears running through her daughter's face. She cupped it with her hands and brushed her tears away with her thumbs.
"YOU are an incredible person, Belle. You're sweet, caring, compasionate and incredibly smart. And you'll NEVER EVER be a disappointment to me." Hermione started. Belle looked at her and sniffed. "I don't care if you don't get all Os or Es in your exams. I don't care if you fail in one of those because it's part of the learning process. I just want you to be good and happy. I don't expect you to be me or anyone else. I just want you to be YOU." she continued. "And I believe I already told you not to say you're a mistake ever again, am I right?" she asked. Belle nodded and looked down. Hermione tilted her face and made her to look at her in the eye. "You are the best thing I ever made in my whole life. I don't regret for a second having you. You are brilliant in your own way, and I love you, Belle. More than words can say." she finished. Belle sniffed and smiled a bit.
"I love you too, mom." she replied. Hermione hugged her tight.
"So... you said your boggart was me AND Adam. Why Adam?" Hermione asked. Belle pulled away from her.
"Well... It's just... you see... Tory told me that her and Teddy... well... you know..." Belle said, suddenly blushing even more than before. Hermione looked at her. Belle looked back. "you know... they were... together..." she said.
"Oh." Hermione said, suddenly realizing what her daughter was talking about.
"Tory says that, after being in a relationship for so long and after saying 'I love you' to each other, the next natural step is having sex, as a prove of that love." Belle explained. Hermione just looked at her for a moment.
"So... you and Adam...?" Hermione asked, fearing her daughter's answer. Belle looked down and slowly shook her head.
"I mean... I love him. We've been dating for two years and everything's great, but..." Belle started and looked at her mom. Hermione looked at her, expectant. "I think it's a very big step and... I'm not ready, mom." she said. Hermione sighed and put her hands on her daughter's shoulders. She was proud her daughter was being rational about such an important decision.
"That's ok, Belle. You don't have to do anything you're not ready for." Hermione said.
"His... boggart... he told me he would leave me, that he wouldn't love me if we didn't..." Belle sniffed.
"Oh, sweetheart! If he does leave you for that, then he doesn't deserve you. If you don't feel ready, he should respect that. I know for a fact that Adam loves you and that he wouldn't force you to do anything you're not comfortable with. If this really bothers you, you should talk to him. Maybe he feels the same way but is as scared as you are right now." Hermione said. Belle sighed and nodded, then brushed her tears with her hand. They suddenly heard noise coming from one of the cupboards and they both looked at it.
"Must be a boggart." Hermione whispered.
"Well, now I know why no-one uses this classroom." Belle said. Hermione looked at her. Belle looked back.
"What's the funniest thing in the world for you?" Hermione asked. Belle thought.
"Aunt Luna's lion hat." the teenage girl said with a smile. Hermione rolled her eyes. Of all things that were funny in this world, her daughter chose that silly hat.
"Ok... I'll open the cupboard. When the boggart appears, think of me in that hat and say the spell, ok?" Hermione instructed her, getting closer to the cupboard Belle hesitated but got her wand ready and nodded. Hermione opened the cupboard, but she wasn't the one who appeared. Instead, a slim, pale woman with black and white frizzy hair appeared. Hermione turned as white as a ghost and as still as a rock. Belle looked at her, confused, as the woman leaned towards Hermione with an evil grin in her face.
"Well, hello, dearie... look at you. It's like you've just seen a ghost." the woman said. Hermione was speechless. Her eyes were fixed on the figure in front of her. She was terrified. "Look at the mudblood! Has the cat got your tongue again like that time in the Manor?" Bellatrix asked, laughing. Hermione just looked at her as tears ran through her cheeks. "You are a filthy little mudblood! You can't fight your own demons. And you expect your silly little mudblood child would do the same thing? You're a pathetic example of a mother for her and anyone. I should have killed you both when I had a chance!" Bellatrix shouted. She drew her wand to Belle.
"Cru-" she shouted.
"NO!" Hermione shouted.
"Riddikulus!" Belle shouted pointing her wand at the boggart, and Bellatrix suddenly had a roaring lion-head hat covering her face. The girl laughed, then shouted: "Reducto!" and the slim figure shattered to pieces. Belle immediately ran to her mom and held her. "It's ok, mom. She's gone! She can't hurt you now." she said, reassurengly as Hermione cried. Belle kept holding her, telling her that everything was alright. Slowly, Hermione pulled herself together and stopped her crying.
"I... I'm sorry you... you had to see that." Hermione cried.
"It's alright, mom. You were closer to the boggart than I was, so it was expected to turn into your fear first." Belle said but Hermione shook her head.
"I should... I should have protected you. I should..." Hermione began.
"She's the woman who tortured you, right?" Belle asked. Hermione looked at her and nodded slowly. "You did protect me. You did your best. I'm here and she's not." the girl said.
Hermione looked at her daughter and smiled. How come this mature, brave girl was her child? She hugged her daughter tight and kissed her head.
"I'm so proud of you, baby girl." she said. Belle hugged her.
"I'm proud of you too." she whispered. "And you're an amazing example for everyone." she added. Hermione just held her tighter. After this, she knew Belle would overcome all of her fears without hesitation. And she knew her girl was going to be amazing at that.