Chapter Four: Friendship in Occlumency

With a spark the demonic, pixie-like creature fell to the ground; It's grey wings continued to twitch but otherwise it was completely paralyzed. Hermione grinned in triumph, Defense against the Dark Arts had taken an interesting turn within the last month and as always she had poured all of her focus into perfecting everything the Professor threw at her. Nothing felt better and it was the perfect distraction from her problems.

"Very good! Class pay attention, you could learn from Miss Granger's efforts." Professor Twinkwinkle announced.

"Then might I, Professor, Suck your cock too?" Draco shouted out from the back of the room, "After all, we all want to follow in Granger's footsteps."

The class erupted into laughter and the professor deducted 10 points from Slytherin for inappropriate outbursts. But it was too late, nothing could make Hermione feel better as she continued towards her seat between the aisles of humiliation and mortification. Despite her efforts to hide and escape from Draco, Ron and Ginny, over the past month, she couldn't seem to avoid them in class and Draco did everything he could to make her know it.

She hid her head in her hands, ignoring the rest of the lecture. She already knew it so what was the point? She had bigger problems than the Dark Arts , Romance was so much harder and much more deadly. There was no way one could prepare themselves for defense against or techniques in the matters of love and what was she to do? Draco continuously sent her letters mocking and teasing her about the day she begged him to take her virginity down in the mud. His offers were even more enticing and entirely too graphic for the proper mind.

To make matters worse Ginny continuously tried to seduce Hermione anytime they were alone! It was still mind boggling to think of her ex's little sister as a grown woman filled with lust. A woman who constantly whispered promises of what she would do to her if she were to ever to give in. All she would have to do is say yes, but Hermione's head was spinning. She never viewed herself as a lover of women, yet her eyes were always drawn to Ginny's supple lips and that little pink slip of tongue slipping between.

And then there was Ron. The love of her life and slut of the house of Gryffindor. She had never known and somehow missed all of the signs. But his sexcapades hadn't stopped the night she caught him with Neville. Over the month she caught him with Lavender, Goyle, several Hufflepuffs of both genders and even Madam Pomfrey! Her mind kept telling her to move on but her pleas landed upon deaf ears so her heart still held hope. In turn, she was despairingly sad.

After what seemed to be an eternity class ended, and at last she was left to her own devices. Even Draco spared her some time to herself; Though he made sure to give her one good, smoldering look before he departed, leaving her temporarily weak at the knees. Once sadness returned she had forgotten that the Professor was still there, watching her feel sorry for herself. Once she was almost in tears she felt a firm grip on her shoulder and looked up to see him, Professor Twinkwinkle. He was a large, rounded man with rosy cheeks and a happy grin, much like Santa Claus. His eyes, however, seemed kind, but shifty, behind his spectacles.

"What seems to be the matter Granger deary?" He asked brightly. She smiled weakly up at him. "I'm just tired Professor."

"Come now, you look as down as a river dwelling bramblefrooper." They laughed together at that remark and she instantly began to feel better. Everyone knew that he was an avid reader of the quibbler and often referenced back to it, but sometimes she wondered if he was just senile.

"It's just...I don't know. People are so mean...so cruel." She said quietly.

"How unfortunate... Welp, good day!" He went back to his desk without another word. Definitely Senile, she decided quietly. But none-the-less another potential friend was lost; Even the Professors wouldn't put up with her sorrows.

Hermione decided not to spend another minute here and frantically gathered her stuff. All she needed a place in which she could feel once again safe and alone, so she fled.

First her hair had become a shield against friendship or understanding and then it was her selfish friends, whom she strived to better and help. Yet she was always in the shadows of those same friends: Harry Potter and, her now ex-boyfriend, Ronald Weasley. Both of Whom still hadn't noticed her absence. It's no wonder she was so conflicted and confused about her next course of action. She needed to do research… or panic. So far, she was in favor of the latter. But alas it wasn't an option.

Elsewhere, Harry had been having issues of his own. Snape seemed to be after the boy like a vulture upon a corpse and it was frightening. So Harry ran and he ran fast. The library seemed to be the perfect place to hide from Snape and his sexual tension, slash rape. after all there could be nothing else Snape would want him for. As he hid, Harry pondered and couldn't quite understand why the older man was so attracted to him… other then he was Harry Fucking Potter, but still! It was absurd and Snape looked like he was ancient! Ancients shouldn't be going after hot gods like himself! It was preposterous!

"What a mother fucking creeper..." Harry muttered as he grimaced at the idea of it all. Then after a time, he got out from his hiding place, which had been under a table where a girl in a short skirt had been exposing herself to him. It was hot shit, but there was no time! He had to get a new hiding place, for soon she would know of his existence beneath the table and surely compromise his position soon after.

The egotistical bastard slowly slipped out from beneath the table; His lily pad colored eyes quickly searched the room. At last, he didn't see that Gollum in the room. Thank god. Maybe the creeper finally stopped stalking him around the school… doubtfully but hopefully so.

Not taking the chance Harry ran away, back from the table, before finally hiding behind the tall pillars of the library. Not even Voldemort himself could find him here, truly it was a brilliant hiding spot. None the less he checked behind him to see if the skeever was there. He saw nothing… good.

"Hello Potter." The voice was monotone but to Harry it was like nails on a chalk board and he nearly had a heart attack from hearing it.

Harry's screamed like a little bitch and it echoed through out all of Hogwarts. Students put their books down and search quizzically at their surroundings. But the screams were quickly quieted as Harry Potter was slammed into the bookshelf. Snape held one hand on his throat with the other his mouth.

"Quiet boy." Snape warned him.

Harry's green eyes pierced up into Snape's and fear struck right through the boy. Oh no… this was it! "EPH! MYUR HAMFS SPHMEL FIME GAMPHIC!" He complained, muffled.

"…Curious…" Snape replied as he stared down at the struggling boy. Harry was saying something through his hands, causing the saliva to smear across his palm. Snape wondered if he was trying to get him to remove the hand, but despite Harry's best efforts Snape would have kept it there if he hadn't been curious. "What was that, Potter?"

"I said… EW! YOUR HANDS SMELL LIKE GARLIC! And that shouldn't be so since you're a god damn vampire!" Harry's answer was disappointing as always and Snape was in no mood to deal with it. Clearly the fame of being the chosen one had inflated his head, crushing his wits with it, and it was about time someone reminded him of his place.

"…Your ignorance and low IQ seems to show each time you speak… I would like to change your vocabulary to just begs and pleads of 'yes' and 'no'…" Snape purred, Harry's eyes widened. HORROR! Just horrifying!

"RED ALERT! SOME-!" once more Snape's garlic hands covered Harry's mouth, stopping him in mid-sentence. Harry could face death eaters, dragons and Voldemort himself but staring into the eyes of Snape in this moment left him a scared little pansy. After all Voldemort never threatened to rape him.

"No red. No need for alert… well maybe a little." Snape chuckled as they disappeared into the shadows. Hermione had arrived just in time to see them disappear and sighed. Surely it couldn't be life threatening seeing as Snape was a professor but he was also a suspected death eater. Muttering the proper spell Hermione disappeared into the shadows after them and found herself in a corridor she'd never seen before.

A Hurricane of memories surrounded Harry. Catching the Snitch.. kissing Ginny.. laughing with Ron.. stopping Tom Riddle. And it hurt. it hurt bad. Harry was on his knees and clutching his head. "STOP!" he shouted.

Snape stood before him and shook his head, "You want it to stop? Then shut me out!" he barked. If Harry had hated him before, he despised him now. Previously Harry assumed the Professor wanted his young nubile body but instead it was worse. Much worse. Dumbledore ordered Professor Snape to teach Harry Occulmency in an effort to prevent his mind from being penetrated and influenced by Voldemore. As if that could happen! Harry had scoffed but none the less if Dumbledore ordered it then he might as well try it but no one had warned him of how difficult the task would be.

The hurricane had stopped. "I told you to clear yourself of emotion! Those who cannot control their emotions are weak and stand no chance against his powers potter!"

"I can't... I need a break..." Harry huffed as he laid on the stone floor in a sweat. He was out of breath and he was done. But as always he would try again after a break. Snape sneered and turned, with a flair of his robe.

"We'll do this again tomorrow... and every day after until you can stop me from invading your mind." Then he was gone. It was ten more minutes before Hermione found him passed out on the floor. She ran to him and checked his vitals.

"Fuck 'Mione I'm fine." Harry shouted, swat her hand away, "How did you find me anyways?"

"I was worried so I followed you," She said stubbornly, voice filled with concern. "what happened?"

"Secret. Shhhhhhh..." He said, repeatedly brushing his fingers against her mouth until she stopped him. His ridiculousness brought a smile to her face and she laughed. He might be an arrogant prat at times but he would always be her goofy friend down deep inside.

"Oh come on now, I'll help you up."

"Thanks 'Mione." Harry said as she helped him up. "You're the best."

Next Chapter...

She hesitated a beat and for no certain reasons took his hand. He pulled her into him and they began to dance. "Clearly someone must teach you how to have fun but since it's quite overdue and no one has arrived, I suppose I must take it upon myself to educate you."

"Oh shut up," she smacked him on the shoulder and stubbornly looked into the distance.