Chapter 25

Eliza knocked on the door of Snape's office quietly, part of her wishing that he had forgotten the arrangement.

"Enter." Eliza sighed and opened the door slowly. Snape was sitting at his new desk and he looked up at Eliza as she entered.

"So Potter, what exactly do you want me to teach you in these extra lessons? Your latest essay was one of the highest in the class."

"It's not the theory I'm worried about Professor, it's the practical. I need to learn how to defend myself better. I just panic." Snape nodded and pulled a scrap of parchment towards him and scribbled something down.

"That is a common reaction Potter, do you have any particular spells that you'd like to learn? Apart from the Patronus of course."

"Well my shield charm is okay but I tend to use a wall instead, my…"

"The Dark Lord is aware of your affinity with walls Potter; it has become your signature spell and if you want to avoid detection you need to try and stick to a shield charm." Eliza nodded, not surprised that Voldemort was aware of her reputation.

"We'll start with a Patronus tonight and then next week we can work on some offensive spells and hexes." Snape waved his wand and the office swelled. He stood up and came to stand next to her and she tensed automatically. Snape clearly noticed because he stepped away.

"Potter this isn't going to work if you're tense. You need to relax to learn this spell. Don't you trust me?" Snape looked at Eliza carefully.

"I trust you, Professor." She replied, not looking at him, Snape smirked but did not comment.

"You need to focus on a happy memory. You need to let it fill you up and consume you. You need to relax completely into it. Do you have a memory to use?"

"Yes Professor." Eliza focussed on the first picnic that she shared with Fred over the summer; it was the happiest she had ever felt.

"The incantation is Expecto Patronum, you need to focus on pushing the positive emotion out through your wand, try now."

Eliza took a deep breath and performed the spell, not speaking out loud. A sliver of silvery mist leaked out of her wand and hovered for a moment before vanishing.

"Not bad for a first attempt. Why did you choose to perform the spell non-verbally?"

"I…I didn't think about it, it's just the way I've always performed spells. It feels unnatural to use the incantation."

Snape looked at Eliza for a moment, before indicating to her that she should try again.

"Should I say the incantation?"

"It's difficult to say Potter, the spell is advanced and every person I have ever come across, even when they have mastered non-verbal spells, has said the incantation for the Patronus charm, simply because of the power of the spell. But…you are not like anyone else, you mastered non-verbal spells before you even knew of their significance. When did you stop talking?"

Eliza looked at the ground; she hated discussing the topic, even now she had starting talking it was something all her friends knew to avoid, even Harry skirted around the issue.

"Umm…I was about six, or maybe seven. I can't really remember." Eliza lied, she knew the exact moment.

"And you started again when you were…fourteen, after a traumatic event." Snape looked like he was developing a theory.

"Yes Professor."

"Why did you stop…?"

"I don't really like to talk about it, Professor Snape."

"Yes…well I would advise you not to say the incantation aloud."

"Not to, why?"

"The Patronus Charm gets its power from the positivity of your emotion, it could be, that with you Potter, when you use your voice the Charm may be diluted by the trauma that forced your voice."

"Okay." Eliza turned to face the open space, not wanting to discuss the topic further.

She performed the charm again and a little more mist and the start of a solid form began to appear from the wand. It remained for a moment before vanishing again. Eliza felt herself get tired suddenly and wavered slightly.

"Alright Potter, that was better. Sit down, this charm takes a lot out of people when they first start." Eliza sat down and Snape moved round his desk and made some more notes on the parchment.

"There was something else I wanted to ask you Professor." Eliza said, looking across at him.

"What?" He asked, not looking up from his notes.

"The twin bond makes Harry and I share dreams, could Occlumency help with that?"

"It may, but your brother would never agree to it again, nor do I think I could handle much more contact with him than strictly necessary."

"What if I tried again? I know I was better than him…" Snape snorted but did not speak, so Eliza continued "But I've been having a lot of dreams of his and I'd really rather not."

Snape looked up sharply, looking intrigued.

"Dreams from the Dark Lord?"

"No, nothing like that. Just normal teenage dreams but it's making him…nervous."

"It would be better if he improved in Occlumency but that is clearly impossible, it may help… well put it this way it can't hurt. Would you like to try now?"

"Yes please." Eliza suddenly felt incredibly nervous, she had hoped that he would say that it wouldn't impact the twin bond.

"Very well, have you chosen your colour? I have no desire to be impaled by one of your walls."

Eliza nodded, deciding to focus on green.

"Leglimens"

Green

Green grass after the portkey brought them back to the arena

Green grass poking through the holes in the shed

Lily's green eyes in the muggle photo

Voldemort laughing at her in the graveyard

Snape stopped the spell quickly and turned away from Eliza.

"What happened Potter? That was much worse than last year!" Snape turned back to her, looking paler.

"I'm sorry, I guess I wasn't ready."

"You were expecting me to say that Occlumency wouldn't impact the twin bond?"

"Yes, how did you know?"

"I have just been inside your head Potter, I don't just see images, I also hear your thoughts."

"Oh, should I practice at night again?"

"Yes, and that will do for this evening. Practice your Patronus when you get chance."

"Yes Professor, thanks for your help." Eliza stood up and was nearly at the door when Snape spoke again.

"And Potter?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sure the wer…Lupin is fine." Eliza felt her heart constrict tightly, nodded and left the room.

In spite of the strong dislike Eliza had for Snape she couldn't deny that he was a good Defence against the Dark Arts teacher, not as good as Remus of course, but no one was. Eliza walked back to the common room slowly, wondering who was following her. She had not spoken to Tonks since the previous week and Eliza could not bring herself to apologise. Walking into the common room she heard Ginny call her name. Eliza closed her eyes for a moment, trying to focus before she turned to her.

"Eliza, you alright you look a bit strange?" Eliza felt herself blush, she could not tell Ginny that she had spent the previous night imagining the girl suddenly breaking up with Dean and falling in love with her instead. Silently cursing Harry she tried to arrange her face into a casual one.

"No I'm fine, what was it you wanted?"

"Oh, this parcel came for you. It's from Fred but Hedwig brought it here, where were you?"

"Just studying, thanks Ginny. How are you?"

"I'm alright, can't believe how much work I've got this Transfiguration essay is going to kill me!"

"What's the topic?"

"Vanishing spells, any pearls of wisdom from the Transfiguration guru?" Eliza smiled.

"Check the chapter footnotes, he hides a lot of good stuff down there."

"Thanks! See you later." Eliza walked over to Harry, Ron and Hermione who were working over by the window.

"Where have you been? What's in the parcel?" Ron asked, putting down his quill and looking at the package.

Eliza sat down and opened the parcel discreetly so the others couldn't see.

"Aren't you going to tell us?" Ron asked, looking annoyed.

"No, it's from Fred."

"It better not be anything…" Harry began hotly.

"Anything what? Lacy, maybe green lace?"

"It's not is it?" Ron asked, looking horror-struck. Harry paled significantly and returned to his work. Hermione looked between the twins confused.

"Of course it isn't, Hermione, do you want to borrow those Transfiguration notes? They're upstairs." Eliza said, throwing Hermione a significant look. Hermione nodded and gathered up her work.

"Night Ron, sleep well Harry." Eliza said with a glint in her eye. Ron bade them goodnight but Harry continued looking at his work.

"What was all that about Eliza?" Hermione asked, as they pushed open the dormitory door and sat on their beds.

"It was just my way of making sure they didn't ask about the parcel, I wanted to ask your opinion on it."

"It's not underwear, is it?" Hermione asked, laughing. Eliza giggled with her before emptying the parcel on her bed. Ten balls of wool toppled out along with a pair of knitting needles and a letter from Fred.

"What are you going to make?"

"I was thinking over the summer that Mrs Weasley makes jumpers for everyone, even you and me, but she doesn't have one for herself so I thought I could try and make her one for Christmas."

"That's a lovely idea, Eliza!"

"You don't think it's presumptuous or rude or anything. It's not like I'm family or anything."

"Yet, she'll love it Eliza."

"You really think? What colour do you think I should do?"

"She'll definitely love it. Maybe purple, I think she likes it." Hermione said, pointing out the purple wool and feeling it lightly.

"Yeah, I think she does. Are you coming to the Burrow for Christmas?"

"I don't know, I'll have to see if Ron asks me. If not I'll have to stay here." Hermione looked away from Eliza.

"Have you written to them?"

"No, they don't want to hear from me."

"Hermione, don't you think you should tell someone?"

"Who?"

"Professor McGonagall or Dumbledore."

"Why? So they can beg them to take me back?" Hermione asked, tears springing to her eyes.

"No, just so they know. What if the wrong people find them?"

"You mean…Death Eaters?"

"It's a possibility Hermione, just think about it?" Hermione wiped the tears away and walked back over to her bed.

"I'll think about it. Now what was all that with Harry and green lace?" Eliza laughed.

"Believe me, you do not want to know!" Eliza said, knowing she wouldn't betray Harry's trust. It was just a useful piece of blackmail to have in hand.

A/N Hi all, a bit of Snape time for you- let me know what you think!

Thanks to mozie for beta-ing