Hermione Granger was unable to manage even a gasp after the storeroom's door was thrown wide before she heard him, in a low silky voice, announce "Legilimens!"
The witch felt her thoughts swirling around her as if they were tangible objects. She was distinctly aware that there was an unwelcome presence in her mind as well. Professor Snape was breaking into her mind, and she could do nothing to stop him. The swirling slowed and images were now discernable to both viewers.
Harry, Ron, and herself had their backs against the wall of the stairs in Grimmauld Place as Mrs.Weasley sobbingly left the room where other members of the Order were congregated.
The trio was in Harry and Ron's bedroom, where a pale Hermione spoke in a low, determined voice, "I am going to find out the truth."
She saw herself, explaining to Ron and Harry how Ron would distract Snape from reaching the dungeons, where she would brew an Infurious Potion and lace his FireWhiskey. How Harry would complete the plan by casting a Legilimens on the seething Potions Master, who would be unable to block it.
She was opening the door to the storeroom. She searched for the desired jar with bright eyes, that finally landed on one which contained dragon scales, fiery and red.
She prepared for the images to stop their assault. He knew the truth now, there was nothing she could do. Hermione tried to groan, but wasn't completely sure whether she had made any sound. Her entire body and mind felt alien, as if they were no longer her own. They certainly weren't complying. She realized a new scene was springing forth from the cyclone that was her memories.
As she thought,'He can't! He got what he was after!' she heard her own words echoing all around her.
She was in the girl's bathroom, brewing the Polyjuice potion.
She was sneaking into the Restricted Section of the library with Harry and Ron, hidden under Harry's invisibility cloak.
She was being kissed on the cheek by Viktor Krum.
She was dumbly telling Professor Snape that she had left her quill in his classroom and that she had come to retrieve it.
Her own voice screaming, 'No, I will not let him see this!' seemed to be bouncing off invisible walls and assaulted her ears from every direction. She tried to close off her mind. She tried to recall any memory besides the one which was playing out in front of her. It seemed to be working, as the scene from her dream hung in front of her for a moment, frozen, as if it was a remarkably life-like painting. She felt the memory pushing back against her attempt to stop it, seemingly of it's own volition. And then, like water from behind a collapsing dam, the rest cascaded forward. She was licking a drop of blood from her lips. And with fury and passion she pressed her body into his and kissed her Professor back.
The sound of her own crying brought Hermione Granger back to her senses. Images were no longer swirling in front of her. In fact, she was distinctly aware of nothing but blackness. She slowly opened her eyelids, realizing she once again had control over both her body and mind. She was struck by the fact that she was in a heap on the cold stone floor. Still a bit unsure as to whether or not this was real. She tried to raise herself from the floor, finding her legs responded easily.
"How very lucky that the rest of me has no recollection of the ambush" she mused.
"That is because, Miss Granger, I violated your mind, not your body." replied Severus Snape, coolly. "Though, it seems I did just that in the last memory."
Hermione Granger momentarily forget that she was fearing be sent to Azkaban. Redness rushed to her face as she flushed with anger. "You vile, loathsome man!"
"So easily you forget, Miss Granger, that I am the injured party. You have stolen from my stores not once, but twice. You have eavesdropped on sensitive information I gave to the Order. And, you devised a rather intricate plan for extracting more information from my mind tonight. A very Slytherin-like plan, if I might add."
Despite his overuse of her surname reminding her of her place and the situation, she glared back at him, hatefully undaunted.
"You had no right to go further once you got what you needed!"
He waved off her words with a smirk, "As I was interrogating one suspected of brewing Dark Potions, I had EVERY right. I was looking for further evidence. And as I heard you mention this was not the first time you found yourself in my storeroom, I felt I was duty bound to discover what else you had brewed. Do not worry though, I do believe a botched Polyjuice Potion was adequate punishment for that particular indiscretion."
Hermione's nails were puncturing the skin of her palms as she tightly balled her fists at her sides. Listening to him calmly relate what he had seen in the personal recesses of her mind was infuriating.
"Miss Granger, I suggest you relax your fists before you draw blood. I can assure you, no one will be licking the blood from them in this classroom tonight."
The young witch had had enough. She rushed at him, fists flying, ready to inflict whatever pain she could manage before he was able to summon Slytherins, Dumbledore, Aurors, or whoever else he could to pull her off him.
The witch felt her thoughts swirling around her as if they were tangible objects. She was distinctly aware that there was an unwelcome presence in her mind as well. Professor Snape was breaking into her mind, and she could do nothing to stop him. The swirling slowed and images were now discernable to both viewers.
Harry, Ron, and herself had their backs against the wall of the stairs in Grimmauld Place as Mrs.Weasley sobbingly left the room where other members of the Order were congregated.
The trio was in Harry and Ron's bedroom, where a pale Hermione spoke in a low, determined voice, "I am going to find out the truth."
She saw herself, explaining to Ron and Harry how Ron would distract Snape from reaching the dungeons, where she would brew an Infurious Potion and lace his FireWhiskey. How Harry would complete the plan by casting a Legilimens on the seething Potions Master, who would be unable to block it.
She was opening the door to the storeroom. She searched for the desired jar with bright eyes, that finally landed on one which contained dragon scales, fiery and red.
She prepared for the images to stop their assault. He knew the truth now, there was nothing she could do. Hermione tried to groan, but wasn't completely sure whether she had made any sound. Her entire body and mind felt alien, as if they were no longer her own. They certainly weren't complying. She realized a new scene was springing forth from the cyclone that was her memories.
As she thought,'He can't! He got what he was after!' she heard her own words echoing all around her.
She was in the girl's bathroom, brewing the Polyjuice potion.
She was sneaking into the Restricted Section of the library with Harry and Ron, hidden under Harry's invisibility cloak.
She was being kissed on the cheek by Viktor Krum.
She was dumbly telling Professor Snape that she had left her quill in his classroom and that she had come to retrieve it.
Her own voice screaming, 'No, I will not let him see this!' seemed to be bouncing off invisible walls and assaulted her ears from every direction. She tried to close off her mind. She tried to recall any memory besides the one which was playing out in front of her. It seemed to be working, as the scene from her dream hung in front of her for a moment, frozen, as if it was a remarkably life-like painting. She felt the memory pushing back against her attempt to stop it, seemingly of it's own volition. And then, like water from behind a collapsing dam, the rest cascaded forward. She was licking a drop of blood from her lips. And with fury and passion she pressed her body into his and kissed her Professor back.
The sound of her own crying brought Hermione Granger back to her senses. Images were no longer swirling in front of her. In fact, she was distinctly aware of nothing but blackness. She slowly opened her eyelids, realizing she once again had control over both her body and mind. She was struck by the fact that she was in a heap on the cold stone floor. Still a bit unsure as to whether or not this was real. She tried to raise herself from the floor, finding her legs responded easily.
"How very lucky that the rest of me has no recollection of the ambush" she mused.
"That is because, Miss Granger, I violated your mind, not your body." replied Severus Snape, coolly. "Though, it seems I did just that in the last memory."
Hermione Granger momentarily forget that she was fearing be sent to Azkaban. Redness rushed to her face as she flushed with anger. "You vile, loathsome man!"
"So easily you forget, Miss Granger, that I am the injured party. You have stolen from my stores not once, but twice. You have eavesdropped on sensitive information I gave to the Order. And, you devised a rather intricate plan for extracting more information from my mind tonight. A very Slytherin-like plan, if I might add."
Despite his overuse of her surname reminding her of her place and the situation, she glared back at him, hatefully undaunted.
"You had no right to go further once you got what you needed!"
He waved off her words with a smirk, "As I was interrogating one suspected of brewing Dark Potions, I had EVERY right. I was looking for further evidence. And as I heard you mention this was not the first time you found yourself in my storeroom, I felt I was duty bound to discover what else you had brewed. Do not worry though, I do believe a botched Polyjuice Potion was adequate punishment for that particular indiscretion."
Hermione's nails were puncturing the skin of her palms as she tightly balled her fists at her sides. Listening to him calmly relate what he had seen in the personal recesses of her mind was infuriating.
"Miss Granger, I suggest you relax your fists before you draw blood. I can assure you, no one will be licking the blood from them in this classroom tonight."
The young witch had had enough. She rushed at him, fists flying, ready to inflict whatever pain she could manage before he was able to summon Slytherins, Dumbledore, Aurors, or whoever else he could to pull her off him.