Changes Made
Chapter Eight
Hermione stood nervously with Harry outside of Professor Snape's office.
"Are we supposed to be meeting here?" she asked, looking around and shivering. Her top was admittedly wanting in the warmth department.
"He didn't say," Harry answered, "but I'd assume so." He peered down the drafty corridor. "Do you want my jacket?"
"No, thanks. I'll be all right." Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes. "I should have known this would happen. What a miserable day."
"I don't think he's coming," Harry said. He turned his head and looked at Hermione's watch. "He's fifteen minutes late already." He looked hopefully at Hermione. "Can we go?"
"Not yet." They waited another five minutes.
"No, he isn't coming," Harry decided, and grabbing Hermione's arm, began to walk away. Hermione reluctantly trailed along behind him. They had just reached three Marble Staircase when someone spoke behind them.
"Potter! Granger! Where do you think you're going?" Professor Snape barked furiously, storming from the dungeons. "I have been waiting for twenty minutes and this is what I find? Shirking your first lesson?"
"We tried your door, sir," Harry tried to explain. "But it was locked. We waited at your office for twenty minutes but Hermione was getting cold and we didn't think you-" Snape cut him off.
"Miss Granger, is this true?"
"Yes, professor," she said meekly, looking at the floor.
"Come with me." Snape turned sharply and stalked away back into the dungeons. Harry and Hermione looked at each other, eyebrows raised. With a shrug, Harry followed, and Hermione after. Several corners later, they stood at a door, neither Harry nor Hermione had ever seen before. Obviously they'd been waiting in the wrong place. Snape tapped the doorknob with his wand and entered, leaving it open for his students.
Inside, Hermione was pleasantly surprised by the room's warmth. The dark glossy furniture was attractively simple, and she found herself intrigued by the globe sitting on the table. When her eyes alighted on the bookshelf, Hermione's fingers began to tingle… she could tell there were some worthwhile books on its shelves. A clatter diverted her attention. Harry had just tripped over one of two straight-backed chairs that matched the rest of the furniture in the room. Snape stared down his nose at the dark-haired boy.
"You sit on it, Potter, or had you been informed?" Snape said coldly. Harry seemed to ignore this and sat, gesturing Hermione to join him. "Your first lesson," Snape continued, "will not be easy. Occlumency is the art of defending your mind against unwelcome magical visitors who may," he looked at Harry sharply, "use it against you." Harry met Snape's eyes and held them until Snape turned his gaze to Hermione. "As I am sure you already know, it is a difficult skill but a useful one. I will not stand for lack of practice. If you do not, I will know. The skill used against Occlumency, Legilimency, brings forth memories and feelings from an opponent' mind. No one who is not trained in Occlumency has a defense against it. I will begin with you, Potter. Let's see how much you remember."
Harry stood and moved away from his chair to the centre of the room where a large Oriental rug had been placed. Hermione watched tensely as Snape faced him, wand drawn.
"Remember, Potter, you may use any defence you can think of against me. Now, clear your mind," Snape ordered. Harry closed his eyes in concentration. Snape raised his wand. "Legilimens!"
Harry grunted, his eyes screwing shut. He seemed to be struggling intensely with something. He raised his wand, arm shaking as if pressing against some unseen force.
"Tarantalegra!" Snape leapt aside as a dart of orange light shot past, hitting the wall and leaving a scorch mark on the grey stone. Harry stood up straight, gasping for breath, eyes now open. He glared at Snape as though challenging him.
"Better," Snape admitted grudgingly. "To whom did that sweatshirt belong?"
"My cousin Dudley. Sir," Harry spat. Snape's eyes narrowed.
"Potter," he said warningly. "Now Miss Granger. Step forward. The incantation is 'Legilimens'. You may defend against me however you like, although I recommend clearing your mind to begin"
Hermione did as ordered. Taking a breath she schooled her mind blank, just as she had read she ought to do. She met Snape's eyes. She heard him say the spell and then felt something like a feather brushing against the surface of her mind. It pulled, trying to find something, anything. Hermione kept as much as she could away, trying to build a sort of mental barrier between her thoughts and this probe. She raised her wand automatically.
"Expelliarmus!" she cried. Snape jumped backwards as his wand flew through the air. "Legilimens!" Hermione continued. She was unprepared for the intensity of emotion she felt touch her mind. Anger that brought blood to her cheeks, a flashing image of a broken mirror, the figure reflected in it distorted beyond recognition. Glee that made her heart skip a beat as she watched a dark haired boy leap from his chair, shaking all over. A hint of sadness, a snatching touch of embarrassment, raised voices from far off, and then as if a door had been shut in her face, it stopped. Snape stood a few feet away, breathing heavily. A strand of hair had escaped from the tail at the nape of his neck. His eyes showed the barest hint of surprise.
"I see you have studied. This is certainly an improvement on Potter." His lip curled. "You may sit." Hermione hastened to do so, glancing apologetically at Harry, who shrugged. Harry's next match with Snape was short. He managed to get his wand up in time to shield himself from Snape's first attack, and fought off the second one in less time than before."
"Better. Miss Granger." Hermione stood and met Snape in the middle of the room. She raised her wand and met his eyes, mind already half-empty, but before she could close it completely, Snape attacked.
"Legilimens!" Hermione heard him cry, and then the feather-light touch was at her mind again, but meeting no resistance, drove through her thoughts. She was in a school courtyard, watching the other girls talking....in an alley as a dark figure advanced….in Transfiguration, triumphantly brandishing a needle….watching herself enter Charms….petting Crookshanks in her bedroom… Hermione fought against the force, pulling her thoughts away, controlling them. She focused on one thought, broadcasting it as if through a megaphone. GO AWAY!!! She raised her wand.
"Protego!" the memories stopped as Snape's wand shot away from him.
"Effective," he said, retrieving his wand. "You must be quicker, however, to gain control of your thoughts." He pocketed his wand. "That's enough. You may go."
…………
"Not bad back there, Harry," Hermione said. They were climbing a staircase making their way back to their rooms.
"I could say the same for you!" Harry laughed. "That was brilliant. He wasn't expecting that, you know."
"He was much more polite than usual," Hermione said thoughtfully. "Did you notice what he said about each of us? 'Better,' and 'Effective.' It wasn't very nice of you to spit at him like that, though. One would think you hated each other," Hermione said with a perfectly straight face. Harry gaped at her. Hermione laughed. "You thought I was serious! But honestly, Harry. He is really making an effort, I think."
"But he still thinks I'm lower than scum. And I know why," Harry stated glumly.
"It can't be as bad as all that," Hermione said comfortingly. "I know he and your dad weren't great pals-" Harry cut her off.
"Did I tell you what I saw in the penseive last year? Did I tell you what I saw?" Harry demanded, turning to face Hermione, who shook her head. "I saw my dad making fun of Snape. For no reason. Humiliating him completely just because he could. Sirius was there, laughing along, and Lupin made no move to stop any of it. Only my mum did." He stopped, breathing hard. Hermione swallowed.
"Oh."
"I know how that feels, Hermione. I know what kind of a person you have to be to do that to some one. I think maybe everything Snape ever said about my dad was….right."
"Oh, Harry," was all Hermione could say. They stood in silence for a moment and then continued down the corridor together.
"You know," Hermione began tentatively some minutes later, "People change. Maybe your dad learned his lesson later. Maybe he even regretted what he did. Loads of Muggles do, I've read about it. I knew someone once who picked on me in grade school. She apologised later. Said she felt bad about it. Your dad would have to have had a conscience or your mum wouldn't have ever liked him at all."
"I hope so," Harry sighed and looked at her. "Tell me…do I strut?"
Hermione giggled. "What?"
"Just something Snape said once. He told me I strutted, just like my dad. After seeing that stuff last year, I'll believe that he did, but do I?"
"Of course not!" Hermione cried. "Don't be an ass." Her eyes went wide. She clapped a hand to her mouth. "Did I just say that?" Harry looked at her in surprise.
"You did. Else I'm going mad. Maybe Hogwarts is a bad influence on you, Hermione."
"No, it's just you and Ron," Hermione answered, and the two of them laughed the rest of the way to their rooms.
…………
"Hermione! Time for dinner! How are your feet, by the way?" Harry poked his head through the door between their rooms.
"Oh, just fine. That potion of Snape's worked a treat. Are you ready to go?"
"Yeah. Come on."
They made their way down to the Great Hall where a large table was set with a brilliant magenta cloth and several candlesticks. Dumbledore sat at one end with Professor McGonagall at his right. Next to her was Professor Sprout, then Madam Pomfrey, and Professor Trelawney. On Dumbledore's left sat Professor Flitwick on a pile of books, then Hagrid, and then Professor Snape, looking quite uncomfortable. Two empty chairs sat waiting next to Snape.
"Ah! Harry, Miss Granger. Do come in." Dumbledore beckoned them to the table. Hagrid shot out of his chair, nearly overturning the table.
"'Arry! 'Ermione! Great ter see ya! How've you been?" He folded them into a warm hug, then shoved them into their seats. Hermione found herself closer to Snape than she would have liked.
"How was your first lesson of this year?" Dumbledore inquired pleasantly.
"Excellent, Professor," Hermione answered as Harry murmured "Fine." Snape's knuckles turned white as he gripped his juice goblet, forcing himself to sip from it.
"I do believe Severus has the right idea," Dumbledore announced. "Please, begin!" The bowls and platters on the tables immediately filled with roast beef and mashed potatoes. Buttered rolls as large as bludgers peeked from beneath a cloth-covered basket. Harry took on and cut it in half, offering part to Hermione. Steamed vegetables had appeared in one bowl and Hermione served herself before passing the dish to Professor Snape. He didn't look at all pleased to participate. Ignoring this, Hermione poured herself a goblet of pumpkin juice, and with a delicate flick of her fork, managed to flip a piece of beef onto her plate. Satisfied with this, she watched amusedly as Harry spooned a large helping of potatoes onto his plate, adding to this an exorbitant pool of brown gravy. Hermione could see nothing of the plate beneath the food he'd piled on.
"What?" Harry asked, looking at her.
"I really don't understand how you do that," Hermione said. "You and Ron both. I am quite astounded you haven't ended up like Dudley!"
"It's the enforced fast thing Aunt Petunia does over the summer. You know, I'm really lucky to be here at Hogwarts. If I had to live with the Muggles all year round, I'd wither to nothing." On the other side of Hermione, Snape snorted into his pumpkin juice. Hermione stared at her professor, astonished for a moment, then resumed her conversation with Harry, who was in the process of enjoying his potatoes and gravy.
…………
Hermione had just climbed into bed and begun to relax when a thought sprang into her mind.
"Harry!" she cried, leaping back out of bed again. "Harry!"
"Yeah?" Harry asked, leaning through the door. "What is it? More beetles?"
"No. I just had a thought," Hermione said.
"Oh good," said Harry. "Keep it up!" Hermione rolled her eyes.
"No, listen. Do you remember third year when Dumbledore told you your dad had saved Snape's life?" Hermione asked.
"Yes," Harry replied, "But Snape thinks that my dad only did that to save himself from being expelled."
"You told me and Ron about that," Hermione recalled, "but Harry, your dad was known for breaking rules, some of them quite dangerous. I don't think he would have been that upset to see Snape hurt if he really hated him, Harry. That means your dad did have a conscience, after all. I think there's more to it than Snape lets on. As terrible as it is to be made fun of, there has to be more. I am certain of it."
"Maybe these Occlumency lessons will be good for something and you can find out what it is," Harry said yawning. "But thanks, Hermione. Really."
"Sure." Hermione returned the yawn and laughed sleepily. "Good night!"
"Don't let the bed bugs bite," Harry grinned. Hermione waited until he'd gone back to his room, then shut the door. In her bedroom, she climbed into bed once more and turned out the light, finally able to relax.
............
A/N: I am quite surprised....this is going better than I expected. I'm already halfway finished with chapter nine. More Occlumency and stuff. Harry and Hermione comparing notes on Snape's memories. Now look, you guys. If you are reading this for quick, hot Hermione/Severus action, stop reading. This story is more intent on building a friendship before they run into the whole carnal lust thing, okay? It will get there eventually, but honestly, would Hermione just rush right into Snape's bedroom for a romp without knowing him first? Not likely. She has issues to work out, and Snape, too. Character development is important to me, but believe me, I have already got some interesting scenes running in my head....make it stop! make it stop! :-) Have a great day! Happy reading!