A/N: I've never done anything for HP before, but I had this idea that I really wanted to write. The main dialogue is based on episode 3x10 of Supernatural, but the rest just sorta happened. It's an AU of 6th year, where Lupin is still the DADA teacher, and Draco hasn't received the Dark Mark…

I own none of the characters, just the story.
Warnings: A few mature words, blood and hinted child abuse, so please read with caution. This can be read as friendship or Pre-Slash, whatever you prefer.

His greatest fear

Today had seemed simple enough. Professor Lupin had been going over creatures from previous years in order to help prepare the students for their upcoming exams. Naturally, their Boggart lessons had been brought back up. Since everyone hadn't had a chance to face a creature last time, a small test had been devised to make sure everyone knew what to do.

It was simple enough: a student would enter the protective circle with the Boggart and wards would be raised to stop any outside help. The person had five minutes to face and defeat their Boggart and get it back into the cabinet. After the time was up, Lupin would be able to step in and assist if necessary. The challenge was to see how well they could cope with emotional stress.

Everyone was gathered by the doors, and they watched on as students were alphabetically called up to face the Boggart. Hermione had defeated hers in relatively good time (McGonagall telling her she'd failed her exams), Seamus had turned the giant snake before him into a small puppy, and Neville had only just shoved Snape (wearing his Grandmother's pink robes, of course) into the cupboard in time.

"Excellent job Neville, well done." Lupin praised as he consulted the register to see who was next. "Now, let's see. Err… Draco Malfoy."

At this, Harry turned to look at the boy who had been uncharacteristically quiet throughout the tests. Not once had he joined in with the jeers of his fellow house mates, but had instead stood quietly in the corner, something that was becoming the norm this year. Malfoy looked up, and slowly made his way to the front of the class.

"Hey, wonder what the Ferret's worst nightmare is? Probably something like losing his hair gel." Ron joked quietly to Harry's right.

"Ronald, honestly." Scolded Hermione. "Malfoy may be a complete git, but you shouldn't joke about someone's worst fear."

"Whatever 'Mione. Personally, I just wanna see him squirm. Maybe we could use it on him next time he bothers us, right Harry?"

Harry didn't reply. Malfoy was one of the people who hadn't faced the Boggart in 3rd year, and he was more than a little curious to see what he, Malfoy, feared. Maybe it could give him his answer concerning Malfoy's behaviour this year. Or perhaps it was, like Ron said, something they could use as a defence. Maybe Draco Malfoy was secretly terrified of rats…

When Malfoy was in position, Lupin raised his wand to open the cabinet and cast the wards, before standing back with one last "Good luck."

The Boggart, no longer Snape, tumbled out of the door. Sensing that the person had changed yet again, it paused to study it's new victim, before transforming. What appeared made everyone in the room gasp.

Standing before Malfoy was a person with rumpled blonde hair and hard grey eyes. It was dressed from head to toe in black, with a long cloak draped over its shoulders. The sleeves of the robe were rolled up, revealing a dark snake tattoo covering the left arm. The Death Eater stood tall and proud, with murder in it's eyes.

Draco Malfoy's worst fear…was Draco Malfoy.

"Hello Draco." Normally, Malfoy had to put a lot of effort into sounding intimidating. His double on the other hand, pulled it off with ease.

Fear flickered over the blonde's face, but it was gone so quickly that no one would've seen it unless they were looking for it. That self-assured smirk was soon back in place. "Well aren't you a handsome devil" he drawled.

The creature said nothing, continuing to stare at the wizard. "Oh, I get it. I'm my own worst nightmare, is that it? How poetic. I mean, I would hit you, but I don't think I could bring myself to harm something that good looking" There were a few sniggers of laughter from the Slytherin side of the class, and more than a few eye rolls from the Gryffindor side.

"Joke all you want, smart arse, but you can't lie to me. I know the truth." The laughter died down, as the rest of the room's occupants seemed to notice the rising tension in the Boggart's victim's shoulders. Malfoy's double began to smirk. If possible, it was somehow more un-nerving than the original's. It spoke with a voice that somehow carried across the classroom without having to shout.

"I know how dead you are inside. How worthless you feel. I know how you look into a mirror, and hate what you see." Tense silence followed, and Malfoy's mask of calm began to waver. His grip tightened on his wand, and his bravado was now noticeably forced.

"I hate to burst your bubble, but that's not going to work. You're not really me."

"You sure about that?" his own voice echoed back.

There were definitely murmurs behind him now, as he felt the stares of the rest of his peers. He vaguely heard Lupin to his far right prompt him to cast the spell.

"Riddikulus…" he called, cursing the shaking of his hand as he raised his wand. The spell did nothing; if anything, it amused the Boggart. It simply tilted its head, as two pairs of grey eyes locked. One confident, one terrified.

"I'm not going anywhere. Neither are you. After all, it's not as if you're strong enough. " Pausing to absorb the boy's clear discomfort, it began choosing words that he knew would invoke a reaction. Circling Draco, it carried on its onslaught. "I mean, you're being forced to join the Dark Lord, and you won't lift a finger to stop it." It scoffed, gesturing with the arm that was marked. "Talk about no self-confidence. But then again, I'm not sure that it's much of a life worth saving…"

"Riddikulus!" Draco shouted, however he was still too distracted for the spell to have any effect. His nightmare carried on talking, as if he hadn't done anything.

"I mean, come on. You've got nothing outside of your so called friends." It said, moving it's gaze to the horrified stares of the others in the room. It paused to study Harry, whose eyes never left the trembling form of his enemy.

"You are nothing." Draco's head snapped up, turning around so it was now him that was facing the class, and the Boggart with its back to them. "You're as mindless and obedient as an attack dog."

"That's not true…" he mumbled.

"No? So tell me, Draco. What is it that you want? What do you dream about? What makes you unique? I mean, your clothes? That's Father. Your favourite ring? That's Father's. The subjects you're taking? That's Father." The creature spat Lucius' title viciously.

Draco's eyes suddenly lost their fear. It was anger alone that was making him breathe harder now.

The creature cocked its head again, as if the boy in front of him was a puzzle than needed solving. Its voice was still low, and resonated around the room. "Do you even have an original thought?" It asked in genuine curiosity. "No, all there is in your head is 'Don't be weak. Maintain the Malfoy name, boy.' You can still hear his voice can't you? Clear as day." It chuckled. "Locked up in Azkaban, yet he still controls your every move!"

"Just shut up." Came the harsh growl from the other side of the circle.

"I mean, think about it for a moment." All of a sudden, the Boggart wasn't smiling. Draco watched as his double stepped towards him with a deadly glare. "All that man ever did was train you. Boss you around. Implant thoughts and emotions in your head that weren't yours."

They were now standing toe to toe. Draco was now breathing through his nose, not bothering to conceal that the creature's words were hitting home.

"But your Mother? Now her, he doted on. He loved her."

"I mean it. Shut up." The spell to stop the Boggart was all but forgotten.

"Professor, do something." Hermione whispered harshly to Lupin, who was as shocked as the rest of them.

"I can't." He replied, sounding genuinely apologetic. "The wards won't lift until the five minutes are up, and it's only been two. Any spells from us would do nothing- Mr. Malfoy has to be the one to cast it."

Harry paled, and looked to his teacher. He didn't think he'd be able to stand another three minutes of this, so he could only imagine what Malfoy was feeling. Although the Boggart had practically confirmed his theory about Malfoy having to work for Voldemort, he wasn't filled with the smugness he thought he would be.

The emotional battering was uncomfortable to watch, and hearing Malfoy taunting himself didn't leave him feeling satisfied. He felt sick.

He turned back to the events that were currently unfolding in the middle of the room. "Malfoy, come on!" he cried, "The spell! Cast the bloody spell!" Apparently no one else wanted to watch him suffer any longer either, as everyone (even Ron, to Harry's surprise) joined in his encouragements. Startled, Draco looked up and met Harry's stare. There were definitely tears in his eyes, and he was still shaking like a leaf. He opened his mouth, but the Boggart chose this moment to speak again.

"You honestly think they can help you escape yourself? You think they care?" it snarled. "You know who you really are: nothing but a soldier, and a pathetic one at that. Daddy's blunt little instrument." For the first time since the exam had begun, the Boggart raised it's voice slightly. "Your own Father didn't care if you lived or died, why should you?" That certainly got the reaction it wanted.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Malfoy yelled. He grabbed the smiling image of himself and roughly shoved it into the cabinet that it had originally been stored in. The shouts of his class vanished, and were replaced with gasps and even a scream or two. Forgetting about his audience, Draco let any rage he had go.

"MY FATHER IS AN ABUSIVE BASTARD," he screamed, kicking the Boggart back into the solid cabinet when it tried to move. He grabbed it by the lapels of it's uniform, before punching it roughly in the face. He grabbed it by the shoulders and held it firmly as he ranted. "ALL THAT WEIGHT HE PUT ON ME ABOUT MAINTAINING AN IMAGE? THAT WAS HIS BURDEN, NOT MINE. HE'S THE ONE WHO COULDN'T PROTECT HIS FAMILY." Draco continued to attack the Boggart, seemingly unaffected by the fact that it still looked like him- in fact, it's form only seemed to encourage him.

"HE'S THE ONE WHO LET MY MOTHER GET DRAGGED INTO THIS. HE WASN'T THERE FOR HER, I ALWAYS WAS." A few more hits. His double didn't appear to be fighting back. Instead, it twisted Malfoy's face into an evil grin, blood staining it's teeth. "HE WASN'T FAIR. I DIDN'T DESERVE EVERYTHING HE MADE ME DO, AND I DON'T DESERVE TO BECOME A DEATH EATER!"

With a final rough shove, he released his grip and let the copy of himself slide down the cabinet to the floor. Relaxing his bloody fists, he slowly crouched down in front of the Boggart, who was seemingly unconscious. There was a beat, when two dark red eyes snapped open, and the doppelganger surged forward, causing Draco to lose his balance and fall back, allowing everyone to see the damage Draco had caused with his beating, as well as the malicious red orbs.

"You can't escape this, Draco. You're going to get the Mark. And this? THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO BECOME!" it roared.

"RIDDIKULUS!"

The yell came from behind, and Draco was too stunned to do anything as someone rushed past him to force the Boggart back into the cupboard before it could transform again.

Five minutes were up.

Flinching at the hand that was placed on his left shoulder, he looked up to see Professor Lupin bending down to meet his eye.

"Draco, it's alright, it's gone." He said in a quiet voice that only he could hear. "Can I take a look at your hands?" he asked softly.

Confused, Draco looked down at his hands, only to find them covered in bloody scratches. Pain suddenly flared, as he realised that he had attacked so brutally that he must have injured himself. Wincing, he flexed his fingers and felt a stab in his dominant hand. Seeing this, Lupin gently pulled his hands up to examine them.

"It doesn't look too bad," he reassured "but I think we should go to Madam Pomfrey just in case. Class dismissed." The last part wasn't directed at him, but reminded Draco none the less where they were. Feeling his cheeks beginning to flush, he attempted to stand, if only to prove that he could. Lupin gently but firmly held him down, knowing that Draco was in no condition to stand yet, which would only embarrass him further. As the sound of shuffling and mumbling became slowly less, he suddenly became aware of the moisture of his face. Taking solace from the fact that he had his back to the class, he harshly brushed the tears from his face, which only aggravated his hand.

A handkerchief was offered and he took it without looking up, not wanting to see the looks of pity that he knew he'd be getting. Keeping his head down, he tried to wipe away any evidence that he'd been crying. He desperately tried to think of something-anything else. All he knew was that he needed to leave. Now.

As if reading his mind, Lupin slowly helped Draco to his feet by holding the crook of his elbow. Somehow, the werewolf had managed to move his body so that he was blocking the cabinet from sight. Something that Draco was extremely grateful for. Taking deep, slow breaths, they began the challenge of getting to the Hospital Wing. The younger managed a handful of steps before he began to fumble. In an instant, there was another presence on his right, gripping his other elbow to steady him. Too mortified and exhausted to lift his head, Draco didn't acknowledge the other person, instead keeping his eyes firmly on the stone floor.

The rest of the school were still in lessons, meaning that there weren't any students in the corridors as they walked. Draco took little comfort in this, knowing that at the rate of gossip, the entire castle would be well aware of the incident by dinner. He was so lost in his own thoughts, that he hadn't realised they had reached their destination until he was being seated on a hospital bed, and someone was taking his hands again.

As they were being wrapped in bandages, and he was soon given a potion that would "calm your nerves, dear."(although he just loosely held the goblet, as opposed to drinking it) Lupin had left after giving his shoulder a final squeeze, and Pomfrey had went through to her office to give him some space. The second party who had helped him out of the class had stayed, and Draco's curiosity began to outweigh his exhaustion. He lifted his head to look at the person, and his grey eyes widened as he met the green ones of Harry Potter.

His usual "What are you doing here, Potter?" lacked the malice that it usually did, which demonstrated just how tired he really was. "Listen, if you're here to pick a fight, I'm really not in the mood to-"

"No, Malfoy, I don't wanna fight." Harry interjected softly, "I just…wanted to make sure you were alright."

"I'm bloody fantastic. Couldn't be better, thanks for asking."

Normally, the sarcastic reply would've annoyed Harry to no end, but on this occasion he found himself hiding a small smile. It may not have been irritatingly snobbish, but it assured him that Draco Malfoy couldn't be too badly damaged. There was a pause.

"…I'm sorry. About…you know…that. It couldn't have been-"

"Don't. Just…don't, please." Draco slowly shook his head and closed his eyes. "I don't want to talk about it."

Harry would have normally pressed the issue, but the quiet pleading made him stop. Malfoy never said please. Hell, Malfoy wasn't polite, least of all to Harry. That one word was enough to tell the Gryffindor how badly shaken up he really was. There was another silence, this one much longer than the last. Harry knew that he should leave, yet he couldn't bring himself to. In situations like this, he knew from experience that there would be a moment that all of today's events would sink in, and he also knew that it helped when you weren't alone. This may have been his enemy for the past 6 years, however watching Malf…Draco face his Boggart had shown the boy in a new light.

Sure enough, the breathing next to Harry began to hitch, and tears once again trailed down Draco's face. This time however, the tears weren't though embarrassment. Draco was playing the entire lesson over in his head, and not just the Boggart's taunts. He remembered what he'd said, or rather screamed, in reply. He remembered attacking the thing that had looked like himself, and he remembered how…good it had felt.

As the tears turned into silent sobs, he felt the goblet of forgotten potion being taken from his grasp, and a warm arm being thrown around his shoulders, pulling him towards the body next to him. He stiffened for a second, but eventually leaned into the offered comfort, no longer caring that it was Harry Potter.

"Hey, it's okay. You're alright." Harry told the sobbing Slytherin.

They stayed like that for a while, until Draco eventually calmed down enough to form a coherent sentence. "…Sorry…" he said shyly without moving away.

"Don't you dare apologise." Harry replied not unkindly.

Draco took in a steady breath "It's just…" he began "everything…it said. It…none of that was anything that I hadn't thought before. It was in my head…"

"You can't seriously believe…?" No reply. "Malfoy, look at me." Nothing. "Draco." The use of his first name got the addressee's attention. The blonde looked up, and Harry was startled at how wrong vulnerability looked on his face. "Listen to me. If that's what you truly think, then you're wrong. You're not weak, you're not pathetic and you are certainly worth saving. Understand?" Draco simply stared at him disbelieving. "You don't have to become a Death Eater. Dumbledore will be more than happy to provide you with protection. But you have to ask for it." At least he thought he would. If Draco had already been marked…

As if sensing Harry's uncertainty, the blonde rolled up his sleeve to reveal pale, unmarked skin. "I was meant to receive it over the summer," he confessed "but I just…couldn't. I know what the bastard's done, and I want nothing more to do with him." Whether he was talking about Voldemort or Lucius remained unclear.

He looked up and regarded the Boy Who Lived with faint scepticism. "You really think you can save me from this, Harry?"

The use of his own first name caused Harry to smile. He reached out his free hand in an all too familiar gesture that wasn't lost on either boy. "I know I can, Draco."

Draco gently grasped Harry's hand with his own broken one, and answered his smile with a small grin of his own. He could worry about the rest of the school, Lucius and Voldemort later. For the first time in far too long, he breathed easy.

The End.

A/N: I do have a vague idea about a follow up to this, where Draco wants to try and face his Boggart again, (with just Harry in the room with him) but I'll only write that if people are interested. Thanks for reading, and I apologise if anyone was OOC, or if I made any mistakes. Please leave me a review telling me what you think (or if I should just go back to writing Marvel and Supernatural) Until next time guys :3