Disclaimer: I still do not own the rights to Harry Potter. This is just a hobby.xShow me some love, I'm waiting for my first review!xxx~Chapter 6, Transparency.~
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Katja woke up, her eye lids slow to obey when she tried to open them. She could feel that she was laying down, a warm blanket covered her. She groped for it and snuggled down tighter.
A moment later she felt a hand on her side and she jumped awake, her eyes snapping open and then shut again as a blinding pain split her skull.
Memories surfaced of Professor Snape using legilimency on her, forcing her to relive and show him memories of Lucius assaulting her.
She placed both hands on either side of her head and groaned. That damned hand was back. Gripping her by the chin and pulling her face towards the light of the fire place. A bottle was pressed to her lips and a bitter liquid flowed into her mouth. She swallowed it, having no choice as the hand continued to pour it.
Then it was gone, and she heard the glass clank on an invisible table somewhere in front of her.
After a few moments the burning in her skull began to subside. It felt like someone had attempted to bust it open with a wedge and hammer. She opened one eye expirementally, seeing the tall dark figure that she recognized as Professor Snape. His black eyes were watching her.
Katja wanted to be angry, but she didn't have the energy. What was done was done and in a way... she was grateful to have someone to share her secret with.
"Hi," she whispered to him quietly, turning over onto her other side and tucking her fists under her chin.
He arched a black brow, sinking down in the soft green armchair in front of her. "How are you feeling?" He asked, sitting stiffly and obviously uncomfortable.
Katja felt self-conscious about what he'd seen. She blushed crimson, knowing that he'd seen her naked... and even more so with the shame of knowing that he'd seen memories of Lucius raping her.
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Severus did his best to keep his face blank. He knew that Katja didn't mean to project her thoughts and even though it was true, it's not as though he'd leered. Lucius was in the way most of the time anyway...
Not that he'd bring that up.
He shifted awkwardly in front of her as the image of her pressed against the wall flashed through his mind. Some things you just couldn't unsee.
"I... I think I'm okay." Her blush darkened and he sighed.
"There's no need to be embarrassed, Miss Solomon. It was my fault for invading your mind." He said slowly. It was as close to an apology as the witch as going to get.
"I know what you saw..." her lips trembled but the blush receeded. "but I don't know how much."
Severus sighed and ran an aggravated hand through his hair, looking everywhere but at the girl infront of him.
This was not something he wanted to talk about. Everything about tonight had been extremely inappropriate.
"When I invaded your thoughts, you clamped down in attempt to protect yourself. It's a common reaction and why a willing participant is preferred. When you clamp down on your thoughts after someone has already invaded them, you trap them. That's why your head was hurting so badly. I had to, in essence, rip myself out of your mind." He explained. It was a lot more complex than that, but he'd spare her the details. It would take hours to explain all of the complications of legilimency, even more the principles of occulemency and it's natural -unintentional- counterparts.
They sat facing each other, her green eyes searching his face.
"So, what all did you see?"
"Everything that you remembered. I saw what Lucius did to you, as a spectator. It was like I was standing right next to you." He pressed his lips together, pushing away another snippet of memory.
This perverse smutt was the last thing he needed occupying his mind. Not to mention, it was very awkward for him to sit here when she kept sending him random bits of memory and nudeness, so slowly he pulled down his occulemency shields.
Katja lowered her eyes to the floor, her bottom lip quivering. "Can you help me?"
Severus opened his mouth slightly and then shut it again, looking away and resting his hand against his face. Katja continued watching him, hopeful and yet sorrowful all the while.
"No," he said finally, watching as that fragile hope flickered out of her eyes. "I can't."
"Why?" She asked, her voice tight and cracking.
Severus leveled his gaze on her, the oddest regret settling inside him. He knew what Lucius was doing to her, and yet here he sat unwilling- no- unable to do anything about it.
"Lucius and I have a long and complex... history." He said, knowing she needed an answer.
Thankfully, she seemed to understand and accept it. With followers of Voldemort as her parents, and Lucius as her guardian... she probably knew what complex history he was referring to.
With the Dark Lord having come back... there was no telling what unfortunate fate she'd have now.
Her eyes filled but the tears didn't fall. She threw the covers off of herself and swung her legs to get into a sitting position.
"Okay. Thank you, Professor. I'd like to leave now, if that's alright." Katja said hallowly, her eyes trained on something across the room.
"It's four o'clock in the morning, obscenely after curfew. I can't just turn you loose to wander the halls or disturb your fellow housemates with your arrival." He said, frowning in disapproval.
"So... what do I do until morning?" She asked, looking around the room.
"I suppose, we wait." He replied.
