The Challenge: A few days ago, my LJ
friend autumnmist posted a great link to Harry Potter: Order of
the Phoenix quotes that are pretty smutty taken out of context.
For the first challenge, pick one of these three quotes and
develop a story surrounding the quote. It doesn't have to be
smut, of course. The quote should be in your fic somewhere.
I used Quote #3: "Manners, Potter," said Snape
dangerously. "Now, I want you to close your eyes."
Harry threw him a filthy look before doing as he was told. He did
not like the idea of standing there with his eyes shut while
Snape faced him, carrying a wand. (page 535)
Title: Private Lessons
Rating: PG
Pairings (if any): Harry/Snape, in a pre-slashy kind of way
Author's Notes: An alternate version of Occlumency Lessons in
OotP
"I won't do it again, Professor. I...I'm so sorry..."
"You're sorry. Sorry? Dear gods, boy, I've spent all this
effort trying to school your thoughts so that the Dark Lord
cannot hurt you, and you could easily get me killed by not
practicing what I've tried to drill into your thick skull. If he
can see into your mind, he might realize that I am a member of
the Order! Idiot boy!"
Anger flared up in Harry. "I have had other things on my
plate besides practicing Occlumency! I have O.W.L.S. to study
for, or don't you remember?" Harry hadn't realized that in
his fury he had pulled his wand out and was vaguely waving it in
his professor's direction.
"Expelliarmus," Snape muttered, deftly catching
Harry's wand in his hand.
"What in the bloody hell..."
"Manners, Potter," said Snape dangerously. "Now, I
want you to close your eyes."
Harry threw him a filthy look before doing as he was told. He did
not like the idea of standing there with his eyes shut while
Snape faced him, carrying a wand.
Sulkily, Harry did as he was told. For an excruciating moment, he
stood, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, as he heard Snape
move around the room. He attempted to focus on the sounds of his
robes, but found that the potions master was too silent in his
movements. Harry became consciously aware of Snape's scent for
the first time in his life, which to his surprise, wasn't the
least bit unpleasant.
"Nervous?" Snape said casually from somewhere behind
Harry. Harry whirled around, never opening his eyes.
"What do you want with me?"
"I want you to free your mind and concentrate on my voice,
Potter. I'm going to attempt to enter your mind again, and I want
you to block me this time. Fight me. Pretend I am the Dark Lord
for all I care. But this time," Snape hissed, "you will
block my attempts."
A frisson of fear, mixed with a tingle of anticipation, wormed
its way up Harry's spine. He smelled Snape's scent grow stronger,
and could almost feel him brush past. Suddenly, he felt Snape's
attempts to penetrate his mind again.
Harry concentrated on a single thought, one that was so tenuous
at first that he had trouble grasping it. It was the scent, the
promise of something darker and more fulfilling down the road.
Sophisticated, opulent, experienced...long fingers pushing,
exploring in just the right places...
Stop it!!! Harry knew where the thoughts were leading, and
he didn't care for Snape to have access to them. If it hadn't
been for the tantalizing scent of his professor, the thoughts
wouldn't have been there at all.
"Very good, Potter," Snape said grudgingly, shaking his
head. "I wasn't able to get past your defenses that time.
You finally seem to have grasped the simple concept I have been
trying to drill into your head. Focus on something that produces
a strong pleasurable response, and you won't become the tool of
an evil overlord. Not a difficult theory to master."
Harry blushed, opening his eyes to see his professor standing
directly in front of him. Snape was eyeing him with a measure of
unusual respect. "It is a very accomplished Occlumens that
can block me, Potter. Keep it up, and perhaps someday you'll be
as known for this as you are for that blasted Patronus."
It was ridiculous that Harry was feeling such an absurd pleasure
at Snape's comments, but he was unable to hide a smile.
"Don't get cocky, Potter," was Snape's only reply.
"Let's try again, shall we? Close your eyes..."
When Harry closed his eyes again, he was even more hyper-aware of
Snape's presence hovering nearby. A fleeting image of himself,
tangled up on the floor of the classroom kissing Snape, crossed
his mind. He quickly dismissed it so that Snape would not
accidentally see it if he was unable to block. It came again,
unbidden, and he suddenly wasn't sure if it was his own thoughts
or those of his professor. His eyes flew open, and he could read
it clearly in Snape's face.
"You were able to push me completely out and you got into my
mind again," Snape said with a mixture of annoyance at the
violation and pleasure that he was finally getting somewhere with
this difficult boy. As far as Snape was concerned, the faster
Harry Potter was out of his life, the better. He was grossly
uncomfortable being so close to the young man, thinking thoughts
that were altogether inappropriate. It had been the same with his
bloody father, years ago, but at least Snape hadn't had the
stigma of being a dirty old man.
"That's enough for tonight," Snape said abruptly.
"I..." Harry trailed off, not knowing what to say. He
now knew his professor's secret.
"Thank you, Professor Snape."
"Get out of my sight, boy."
"Next Thursday at eight?"
"Yes," Snape sighed, watching the door close behind The
Boy Who Lived.