Chapter Seven

Hermione tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for Ginny to appear in the fireplace. It wasn't that she dreaded being at Harry's alone, she just felt a tad more comfortable if someone went with her. Oh hell, who was she fooling? She wanted to check up on them and the possibility of having to face Ron by herself was just something she wasn't ready for. He might as well have just moved in with Harry, since he practically seemed to be living there since the Minister's Ball.

Harry came into view then, looking every bit as pale as he had the night before when he had come back from Azkaban.

"Hey," he greeted her with a shaky smile.

"Harry, you look like – " she was going to say he was the splitting image of death, but decided against it. "You don't look so good," she finished.

"I've been better, can't argue with that," crossing his arms over his chest.

Bright green flames erupted in the fireplace then, which quickly died out and were replaced by the figure of Ginny Weasley.

If Harry didn't look good before, his face went as white as a sheet, seeing Ginny stepping out of the fireplace.

"Where's Ron?" Ginny asked, focusing on the clock on the wall.

"He's in the den," said Harry in a deadpan voice.

"I'm going to check on him," she said, speaking solely to Hermione. Then she took the path that led the farthest away from Harry but still in the direction of the den. When she was gone, Harry let loose on Hermione.

"What the fuck were you thinking bringing her here?"

His outburst startled her. She knew how strained things were with him and Ginny and that he had been staying away from Lupin's at all costs, except when he had Occlumency with Snape, but she had not been expecting this reaction from him. Yes, she expected him to be upset, but not like this. "Harry, calm down. I didn't bring her here. She wanted to see how Ron was doing."

"She's not supposed to be around me," he said as if that settled things.

"Don't worry, after what you said to her I think she wants the same thing. Honestly, Harry, mind rape? What were you thinking say that to her?

"She told you that?" He said incredulously.

"Yes, among other things," she said. "You started reading those books and began forming conclusions without even talking to Remus or Snape about what you found."

"You still could have warned me," he said rather sharply.

As angry as he was about Ginny, she knew that couldn't be all that was bothering him. His forehead was covered in sweat rivulets and he had shoved his hands in his jean pockets so she wouldn't see them shaking.

"Harry, you're not all right," she said moving towards him.

"No, I'm not. You shouldn't have brought her here."

"That's not what I meant," she said, her voice full of concern. "You were at Azkaban two nights ago and you look like you're still there."

He shrugged off her concern. "It's nothing. I just haven't been sleeping."

"Ron doesn't look as bad as you, does he?"

"No, he's fine."

She tried not to give away how relieved she felt.

"You know how badly the Dementors affect me," he admitted slowly. "They may have left Azkaban but it still felt like they were there to me. When that one came at me, I couldn't even conjure a proper Patronus." He had been so out of it, he hadn't even heard Ron's cries of the prisoner with the wand. Ron had saved his life and nearly lost his in the process. The curse that had burned through his cloak showed Harry how close it had been.

"You can't go back there," she told him.

"I don't have a choice. Moody's put everyone on rotating schedules. It's putting too much strain on the Aurors that have been there for months, now we all have to take turns there."

"Talk to Moody," she said stubbornly. "If he knew how bad – "

"Hermione, it's my job. I'm not asking for any special favours, all right?" He growled at her. All he needed was for the other Aurors to think he was getting special treatment because he was The Boy Who Lived.

Hermione sighed in resignation. Merlin, Harry could be stubborn. "Then let me help. I think I can make things easier for you."

He regarded her quizzically, adjusting his glasses on his nose.

"Well, I've been testing a theory," she said, suddenly averting his gaze, not wanting to see the questioning look in his eyes. "It's a spell that's essentially a combination of the Patronus and a cheering charm. It has the strength to fight back dark thoughts and despair, like the Patronus, and then the cheering charm elements provide a sense of warmth and happiness. I've already gone over it with Professor Dumbledore, and he assures me it would be safe otherwise I wouldn't have even suggested it." She pulled out her wand.

Harry looked very uncertain about this.

"You trust me, right?" She asked.

"You know I do."

Before he could change his mind, she touched her wand to his scar.

He gasped as this amazing warmth flooded through him, purging the Dementors and everything about Azkaban from his mind. When he felt her pull the wand away from him, he reached up and touched his scar. "What did you just do?" He asked in amazement.

"I'd like to know the answer to that to," said Ron coming into view, his gaze shifting between the two of them. Ginny was standing beside him with her mouth hanging open.

"How do you feel?" Hermione asked Harry. He was no longer pale, but there were still dark circles under his eyes.

"Okay… but I don't understand," he said, still running his fingers absently over his scar. In fact, he felt better than okay. He felt great, like he had gotten a week's worth of sleep in only a few short seconds.

"It was supposed to do that – purge the power the Dementors have over you from your mind."

"Hermione, that's incredible," Ginny breathed.

"Ginny and I should get going," she said. She could feel Ron's eyes on her and could easily interpret the look he was sending her. She left Harry standing there and walked back to the the fireplace.

"You shouldn't have done that," Ron's face sounded from behind her.

She spun around to face him. "You should have told someone how bad he was."

"You can't force help on Harry. You should know that by now."

"Just because he doesn't know how to ask for help, doesn't mean we can't give it to him."

"Oh, right, and helping is trying out untested spells on him."

"Ron, I would never put Harry in danger."

"Did Dumbledore really give you approval to do this?" When she didn't answer her, he all but lost his temper. "Hermione, this has to stop. You can't go around using magic like this."

"Ron, this is the only way I can help," she argued. "I'm not an Auror like you or Harry, out saving lives every day. You saw to that, remember?" She said resentfully. "You have no idea what it was like to watch you both go off to Azkaban and not be able to go with you. We're both doing everything we can to help the war effort. But this is what I'm good at and what I spent every day at Hogwarts studying for."

Ginny came in then and the argument was over before it even had a real chance to begin. Ron suddenly wanted her to stay, and it wasn't so they could fight. But she was already stepping inside the fireplace and he couldn't think of anything to get her to stay.

For once, Harry showed up at Lupin's early for his Occlumency lesson. It wasn't that he was looking forward to another session with Snape, but the sooner they get started the sooner it could be over with.

He found Ginny and Lupin in the dining room, and though his brain told him he should just keep on walking he stopped there. He was still feeling the effects of the spell Hermione had performed on him, but it was starting to wear off. By the time his Occlumency lesson was over, he was sure to be feeling completely drained again.

"Is Snape here?" He asked Remus.

The older man nodded. "He's already in the study waiting for you."

If Snape was already waiting for him, he was bound to use the excuse that Harry was late – again.

"All right, I think that's it for another day of lessons," said Lupin, shuffling some papers into a folder. "I'll expect that essay on my desk first thing Monday morning."

"You really are a slave driver, Remus," Harry said with some amusement.

"I have to be, otherwise I'll have students taking advantage of me," he said, winking at Ginny.

She rolled her eyes. "I think it's the other way around. It'll be Christmas by the time I get through all this homework."

She gathered up her textbooks and parchments and stood up to leave. One of the papers fell loose from her pile and onto the floor."

Without thinking Harry bent down to pick it up, and his hand touched Ginny's as they both reached for it. The happiness he had been feeling moments before vanished, when she jerked her hand away from his. He backed off and she quickly retrieved the parchment before walking out of there.

"I've been doing some research," Lupin said, watching Harry's eyes follow Ginny out of the room. "Since your mind abilities obviously have to do with a direct link to Voldemort, I think once he's been destroyed they will disappear as well."

That was good news, but it was dampened somewhat by the fact that they were still a long way off from defeating Voldemort. "What about all the information on mind control?"

Lupin sighed. "Harry, I don't think anyone can give you a definite answer to that. Subconscious mind powers aren't something that can be easily detected. I'll stand by what I said before, Severus is probably the best person to ask. He'll know whether or not you'll be able to project thoughts, possibly without even realizing it. At least consider speaking with him. He's probably the only one who can give you answers."

Grudgingly, Harry nodded his head, though he knew it would be a cold day in hell before asked Snape for anything. That was the thought that stuck with him as he made his way to the study – the place that had become hell for him two nights a week.

It wasn't unusual to find Snape in a sour mood when he showed up for Occlumency, but when Harry found himself the subject of Snape's venomous glare before he even opened his mouth, he knew he was in for a rough night.

"I heard a most interesting thing the other day, Potter," he began. "It would seem that when I was in town I overheard Mr. Malfoy telling his friends an extremely incredible story."

Fuck. Harry tried to keep from showing like he knew what Snape was talking about, but it appeared that the Potions Master was already convinced of his guilt.

"It seems that Malfoy was having a bit of a run in with Weasley, when you came charging in to the rescue. Thought you'd show off a bit, did you?"

"I wasn't showing off," Harry said through gritted teeth. "I just needed to be sure Ron wasn't going to do something he would regret."

"Potter, you are not Weasley's mother. It is not your job to keep him in line, but since you saw fit do so anyways, you've risked exposing your powers."

"Malfoy didn't see anything."

"Then he tells a rather excellent tale of Weasley being thrown off him by an invisible force."

Harry just matched his glare, not owning up to anything that would incriminate himself further.

"You are even more arrogant than your father. You have no respect for the rules whatsoever. You just do whatever you please, with no thought as to potential consequences. It's a wonder you're not dead like him yet."

"Don't talk about my dad," Harry said, his voice dangerous.

"It's rather hard not to bring him up when you are the spitting image of him – and I do not mean that as a compliment. Malfoy is far from stupid – it's quite possible he'll figure out the mind abilities you possess. Did you stop to consider what the Dark Lord would do if he found out what you were in possession of? I cannot fathom how someone so stupid can be an Auror. They must be lowering their standards."

"Look, I know it was stupid," said Harry heatedly. "I wasn't thinking – "

"Therein lies your problem, Potter. You're impulsive and rash in the best of circumstances. You've wasted enough of my time with your inability to learn even the simplest of mind techniques."

It was a lie, but the words still had the effect Snape had been hoping for.

"How about I stop wasting your time then?" Harry shouted. "I hate fucking Occlumency and it's not like you've ever really tried to teach it to me. You spend most of the time insulting my parents and friends. I don't know what possessed Dumbledore to think I had anything to learn from you."

He had never seen Snape so outraged and it gave him a measure of satisfaction to know that he had caused it. Snape wasn't his professor and this wasn't Hogarts so there would be no punishment.

Shaking with anger, he made for the doorway.

"Potter, if you leave now, I don't care what Albus says, I will never help you again."

Harry didn't even hesitate before walking out of there.