'Are you feeling any better Harry? Are you sure your up for this?'

'Usually I'd use any excuse to avoid a Granger study session but I know how important this is Hermione, what I saw, what I felt I do not want to feel again. I thought they hurt you but worse, I cannot feel that again'

I clasped Harry's hand gratefully, he cared about me, pure and true, the love of a friend, uncomplicated and steadfast.

'And you shan't! I myself shall make sure of it, and when have I ever let you down?'

'Never, and I don't believe Voldemort himself would stand a chance in the face of a stubborn and resolute Hermione Granger'.

'I'd like to think so! Now lets get stuck into this theory, I've included in your readings other mind connections as well. I think it best that you learn the background of proven and well known mind connections like legilimency and occlumency but also ones that exist in magical theory, ones that may be rare or rumoured. I'm not taking any chances, Voldemort could seek to exploit some obscure branch of mind magic and I'm not going to be unprepared for the possibility'.

'You've certainly thought of everything, when do you start your lessons with Snape?'

'Professor Snape Harry, and some time this week. Just have to organise around our schedules'.

'Are you scared?'

'What of Professor Snape? No of course not why would I be scared?'

'Because the greasy git is going to be rooting through your mind and you through his thats why, I'd rather eat a bogey flavoured every flavour bean than spend my evening doing that'.

Laughing at Harry's dramatic proclamation I paused and thought about what he said, Severus and I were lovers and imprinted ones at that, what if he saw something he didn't like in my mind or the reverse?

'Perhaps I will find out something horrifying like that Snape secretly practices ballet, Snape in a leotard can you imagine?'

Snorting with laughter Harry shook his head, 'No Hermione I cannot and I certainly hope you don't live to witness such atrocities'.

Leaving him to read over the information I prepared for him I curled up on a lounge in the library and got ahead on my Transfiguration readings.

'Hermione, come check this out'

'What is it Harry?'.

'There's one of those rare and rumoured mind connections that I find interesting'

'Oh what is it?'

'Its the melding phenomenon, its where a witch or wizard melds their mind and power with another to channel the power of a more powerful witch or wizard in times of crises. The author says it was a pureblood custom of the middle ages, when witches were hunted during the inquisition she could channel the power of her lover, mother or friend etc to overcome the witch hunters. Do you think Dumbledore and I have a close enough bond? I mean if I had mine and Dumbledores power then perhaps I could defeat Voldemort right?'

My mind was whirring with possibilities but not with thoughts of Harry melding with Dumbledore but Harry melding with me and by proxy also Severus and Draco.

'I think its something to put in the to be revisited pile Harry, it definitely has merit but needs more research, but right now we need to focus on training your mind'.

'Great, thanks for doing this Hermione, I feel like I actually have some control back in my life doing this, I'm so grateful your my friend'.

'Me too Harry now hurry up and finish this chapter, Ron will kill me if you miss Quidditch practice because you were studying'.