Dubhán sits down at the table the next morning and stares at the open kitchen window while he eats eggs and sausage. He's seen both adults get mail through the window and he knows this is where Potter feeds the snowy owl he calls Hedwig, but there hasn't been a flutter or a hoot all morning. He looks at his plate – he's only got a few bites left. Potter finally walks through the door. He mumbles something about not working finally getting to his sleeping habits.
"Do you think he just decided to ignore me?" Dubhán says out loud to anyone who cares.
"He's probably just waiting until breakfast is over in the Great Hall before he brings his post to the owls."
"Do you think he'll say yes?"
Potter lifts his coffee and takes a sip before answering, seeming to choose his words carefully.
"You never know with Snape, Dubhán."
Dubhán eats another couple bites of egg, looking depressingly at his final piece of sausage. He's just bringing it to his mouth when a brown owl lands on the windowsill and gives an impatient hoot. His fork clatters onto the plate as he rushes to get up and untie the message. Written on the envelope in tight neat scrawl is 'Devlin Potter'. He rips it open quickly, ignoring the quiet laughter behind him from Potter. He doesn't think Potter gets how serious this is.
Mr. Potter,
I have given your request it's due thought and come to the decision that I will teach you Occlumency on the condition that you are, unlike your father, at least marginally capable of the art. If you cannot prove this to me during the first session, then there will not be another one. I expect you to know what Occlumency and Legilimenecy mean. Tell Potter to bring you to my office tonight, at 6pm. If anyone questions your visit have Potter use his old excuse.
Severus Snape.
He looks up and gives a shaky smile, clutching at the letter.
"He says he'll do it if I can prove I'm better at it than you, in the first session. He also says that if anyone asks why we're there, for you to use your old excuse." Potter's face goes sour.
"He's still a git," he mumbles into his coffee. "What time?"
"6pm tonight!"
"Wonderful…" Alex is chuckling lightly behind her work papers.
OoOoOoOoOo
"Come in." The voice behind the door is cool with an edge of impatience. Alexandra pushes the door open, Dubhán following close behind her. For a moment Severus seems surprised to see her. He stands and wraps his cloak around him, crossing his arms in an imposing way. "Did your husband decide he didn't want to spend his evening in my presence?"
"No, I decided you wouldn't want to spend your evening in his presence," she says kindly, smiling.
"I see." Dubhán guesses this is his way of saying 'you're right', since otherwise he surely would have made her aware of her mistake. "And what do you intent to do with your evening?"
"Finish off a report for work in a corner here. I'll stay out of the way."
"I did not expect to have to entertain two people," he says scathingly. "Surely the brat is old enough that he doesn't need his mother within reach."
"He is, but it is either me sitting here or Harry," she makes to rise from a seat she's pulled into a corner. "I can call him if you'd like, of course."
"No," Snape drawls, "that will be far from necessary." She smirks knowingly at Snape. Dubhán watches the interaction; he doesn't know why she has to be there either, but since he'd already heard Potter argue with her earlier, he decides not to add his own opinions. He'll live with her presence.
"Before we start," Dubhán says softly, drawing Snapes attention away from Alexandra and over to him, "I'd like to get your word that whatever you see…it will just be between us." Snape regards him for a long moment.
"I will not speak of what I see in another's presence, but I will not take responsibility for anything you mutter unawares."
"People do that?" Dubhán asks nervously, taking a step back. Perhaps this hadn't been such a good idea…
"Not all people. Throw me out early enough and it won't happen." He raises his wand. "Now, on the count of three, I will try to penetrate your mind."
Dubhán begins breathing quickly, his heart racing. It had been one thing to realize the man would see things, but to realize he might inadvertently speak about them with his Mum sitting over there…
"One, two, three – Legilimenecy!"
There is a pressure at the edge of his thoughts, like the first sign of a headache. The room around him is swaying, like he'd been put under the Imperius, except that he's still aware and as fearful as before. He clenches his teeth, trying to keep his frame of mind about him.
Snapes eyes disappear. He's cold now. No, the ground is cold. He's close to the ground. He's a wolf, creeping along the ground. Sneaking. Trying to get somewhere important. Trying to get to-
NO!
He growls and his wolf comes forward, throwing Snape out violently. He looks up. The professor is looking wearily at him.
"While effective," Snape says, "that is not the way we're learning. Please refrain your feral inclinations. You have to learn how to do this, not count on brute strength from your wolf." He nods, blowing out a breath and inhaling deeply. Don't think. Don't feel. Just do what you have to do.
"One, two, three – Legilimenecy!"
The room sways, but he narrows his eyes and brings everything into focus again. He breathes again. He feels out the spot where the headache is approaching and builds his own pressure, pushing it away. It pushes back and breaks through.
"Crucio." Pain. It is inside him. It is on his skin. In his eyes. On his lips. In his bones and their marrow. It is everywhere. He can feel it searing his nerves as it rushes through him. It's in his mind and he can hardly think of anything but it, the pain. His limbs want to thrash around. He makes them tense and tries desperately to keep command over them…he must not scream.
"Devlin!" It is the lady, she is shouting. He wonders why she is shouting, until he realizes that he is on his knees with his head thrown back, screaming. He collapses. Above him the lady is saying words to the professor and he knows she's worried.
"M'okay," he mumbles, rising to his knees. "Do it again. I'll do better." He stands up, swaying on his knees. Snape is looking weary again and for a moment Dubhán thinks he sees concern in those eyes. He hopes the man will keep his word.
"Dubhán, sweety-" It's the lady. He knows what she's going to say.
"Please, sir. I can do better. I'm fine." He straightens himself up.
"Let's see about that, Mr. Potter," despite his words, Dubhán think he's forcing himself to lift his wand again. His mind is buzzing with alertness and caution. He can feel it zooming this way and that way, paranoid about the exterior force that it knows is about to penetrate it's defenses. "Legilimenecy."
He swallows hard. He has to over-come this. Don't think. Don't feel. Just do what you have to do. He tries to picture wind inside his mind, rushing in gusts at the penetrating force, keeping it at bay. All of a sudden Snapes spell lifts and Dubhán, who had been leaning forward slightly, falls to his knees.
"That will be enough for tonight." Snape stretches out a hand and lifts him up. "Your mind was defending itself by the end, but you have to curtail the verbal walk-through your giving yourself. Occlumency, when done in front Voldemort, must be done discretely."
"Yes, sir."
"We will resume this after the weekend. Mrs. Potter, you may owl me some good times for you and I will select one."
"Of course, Severus. Thank you."
Hope you liked it! I think it turned out okay, although I still think I could have done better. I'm re-reading the 5th book's Occlumency parts. I might polish it a bit more after getting a couple more chapters done. By the way, In the process of writing this chapter, I ended up with some silly snippets and some not so silly ones. The silly ones I may post, like a conversation between Severus and Lily regarding the name Devlin. The not so silly one will play a big part in the upcoming chapters (although a far bit away).
If you liked reading it, please drop a review saying so! :)