"Clear your mind, Potter!"
"I. Am." He said through gritted teeth.
"Clearly not enough, or I wouldn't be able to see you and Cho Chang's rendezvous."
"Hey-that's-h private!" Harry spluttered back, clearly dismayed. For what Snape didn't know was that he was using occlumency, just not the way he expected it. He covered the bad memories: his home life, his mental state, the Dursleys and… Lockhart.
"It's not private if I can see it with no effort." He stated wryly.
In each passing moment until the lesson was over, he felt anxiety rising in his chest, threatening to overflow. Instead, he quieted it with anger as he left his worst memories hidden. Anger is better than anyone knowing, even if he seemed like a prat. He shuddered as he thought of how "Dudleyish" he was acting, internally chastising himself.
"Get up, you look pathetic."
"You're pathetic! Do you have nothing better to do?"
"Legilimens." Snape said coolly as Harry suddenly felt the most head-splitting, migraine inducing legilimens rip through his mind like a hot knife. And suddenly, his weakened shields burst, and the floodgates opened.
—-
I know I know, short chapter, but I felt the need to set the scene before we get into the heavy stuff, and this felt like the perfect ending. I already have the second Chapter written, so be prepared for a looottttt of new chapters.