As always, nothing of HP is mine, I make zero pennies.
Chapter Twenty
Saturday. The final day before Harry and Hermione had to consummate their marriage, or it would be void- leaving them both to the mercy of the Ministry. Harry was certain that even though he was the Chosen One, he wouldn't be able to get them to give some leniency.
He and Hermione traipsed down to the dungeons and knocked on the door of Snape's rooms. The door swung open and revealed the potions master, a light scowl on his face. "How can I help you both?"
Harry gestured a hand if they could come in. Snape stood back and let them pass him, shutting the door and gesturing to the sofa for them to sit down. Hermione held Harry's hand tightly, her mouth working to try and say something, but she couldn't. In the end she turned to Harry, who brushed his lips across her cheek. He squeezed her hand once, and she let go, laying down with her head in his lap.
Snape's brow rose but the man said nothing, leaving Harry to speak. "We've made two attempts to consummate our marriage, but Hermione has panic attacks. All her mind can focus on is what happened that day, and she can't stay present."
"A few drops of a Calming Draught would solve that," he said carefully.
Harry shook his head, hand moving to Hermione's hair when her tears began to fall. "No, we've agreed nothing that will drug her is acceptable. Nor am I going to do anything while under a Sleep Draught before you even suggest it."
Snap raised his hands and smiled tightly. "Not even I would suggest that, Potter. So, if it is not a potion you seek, why are you here?"
He didn't answer right away, checking with Hermione this was what she still wanted. Her brown eyes were so filled with fear that he had to swallow several times before he was even able to voice what they had discussed.
"Legilimency has more branches than just breaking into someone's mind. We discussed the idea of completely removing the memories of what Malfoy…"
"No!" Snape hissed. "That is a dangerous branch of magic that could end up damaging Miss Granger, I mean Mrs. Potter's mind."
Harry narrowed his eyes. "I know that! Let me finish before you jump in."
Snape's mouth shut with an audible click.
"Now, as I was saying, we discussed the idea of removing the memories altogether. But if she could no longer remember why she was afraid of him, it might leave her open to another attack. Either from Malfoy or one of the other Slytherins. Not to mention the unknown damage it could cause to her mind, anyway. There's too much that's unknown about the mind that it's far too dangerous to even try."
Snape nodded. "Indeed, the risk of damaging her mind would far outweigh any desire to be rid of the memory of something so traumatic."
"I agree but as I say, we dismissed the idea anyway."
Hermione nodded slowly from his lap, her eyes half closed as Harry stroked her hair soothingly. Snape glanced at the young witch he knew to always have her hand raised in class and spouting knowledge to anyone who would give half an ear. To see her so broken and meek was soul-destroying.
"Wise," the potions professor said.
Harry smiled. "Not entirely brainless, I know. So, we thought that instead of removing the memories, perhaps we could dull the effect they have on Hermione. Instead of them being raw and fresh, is there a way to make sure she remains fearful of Malfoy, but less towards what happened? As if it happened a while ago, and the memory is a little fuzzy. Like, she knows to steer clear, but has little fear of what he actually did."
Snape steepled his fingers thoughtfully, his chin resting lightly on the pointed tips. "That is an interesting idea. I have no idea if it would work, and if I recall, today is the last day to complete the consummation?" Harry nodded. "Then we haven't got time to research it. Skilled a Legilimens as I am, I am unsure of exactly what needs to be done, so I can attempt it, and see if it works. But I must stress, and I do not say this lightly, if this fails, you will have no alternative but to complete the consummation or your wife could be given to another pureblood, or half-blood. I do not think the Ministry would take kindly to even you trying to bend the rules."
Harry dipped his head in acknowledgement. "Which is why we plan to leave with a Calming Draught, just in case."
Snape sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Very well. Miss…Mrs. Potter, I will need you to keep down any Occlumency barriers you have in place."
She shakily sat up. "I don't have any. Harry was trying to teach me, but we didn't get very far."
Snape nodded and withdrew his wand. "It will feel uncomfortable, and everyone has a natural urge to try and force out the intruder, though without skill it's impossible. The more you fight, and try to hide from me, the greater the discomfort."
Hermione gripped Harry's hand like a vice. "I understand, Professor. Thank you for helping."
He sighed and raised his wand. "Thank me if it is successful, Hermione," he said. "Legilimens!"
-oo0oo-
Severus slid into her mind easily, the images a mass jumble of all sorts of things flying past at once. He doubted even he would be able to teach her Occlumency, never mind Potter doing it. He flicked them all away and searched for the night she was assaulted by Draco Malfoy.
He had been horrified to learn what had happened to the young Gryffindor witch, and by his godson no less. In the four weeks that the boy had been banned from the school, Severus had verbally ripped him apart for such a vile, unspeakable act.
Lucius had little to say on it, but Narcissa, the boy's mother, had been disgusted and refused to speak to him for the entirety of his suspension from Hogwarts. Severus soon found himself viewing what the little bastard had done and fought desperately not to throw up.
Of course, only his physical body could actually vomit, but he was quite sure his astral form could easily do it as well. While offering a memory up for viewing in a Pensieve did not allow the viewer to feel the donator's emotions, Legilimency was not the same.
Severus was given front row seats to her agony, despair, shame and fear. He refused to look away, did not allow himself the fortune to spare his own emotions. When the memory finished, Severus shed tears for the young witch, and got to work on trying to burrow it deeper into her mind where it would grow fuzzy.
He wrapped it in several layers of protections spells and wards, praying it would be enough to offer her some reprieve from the agony and self-loathing she had been experiencing. Had she even told Potter how she had been feeling? He doubted it. He would never say it out loud but the young man deserved a medal for handling the witch with such care and compassion, for making such a sacrifice for her.
He had no idea how much time had passed, how long her worked for in Hermione's mind, but when he eventually pulled out, he found the two Gryffindors hugging tightly, the girl's face buried in Potter's neck trying to hide her sobs.
"I believe it will be enough now," he said softly. "The memories are there, and she will be able to recall everything clearly if she wishes to. But unless there is a desire to remember something from that night, they will remain in the background, fuzzy and all emotions tied to them the same."
Potter nodded and gently tried to disentangle himself from the clinging girl, giving up when she protested, and her sobs became audible. Severus afforded them the benefit of a Silencing spell and left to work on his potions in his lab.
He had no doubt the two would see themselves out once the Granger girl had managed to calm herself, and her mind given the time to adjust to the tampering he had done. While working, he made a mental note to pay another visit to his godson and put the fear of the Gods into the boy.
-oo0oo-
When Hermione finally stopped crying, Harry eased her back and smiled softly. "Feeling any better?"
She frowned. "Yes, I think so."
"Okay, are you ready to leave the dungeons now?"
Hermione cocked her head. "It's weird. I know Malfoy will be in the dungeons somewhere, but I'm not really afraid per se, more like I just know that going near him wouldn't be a good idea. But, if I really think about it, then I know why. Mind magic really is remarkable."
Harry kissed her forehead. "Well, that's a vast improvement. The other day someone just mentioned his name and you started shaking. Let's go back to our rooms so we can talk things through."
Harry was aware she knew that 'things' referred to the consummation of their marriage that had yet to be done. He could only hope that Snape's work had been enough that she would be able to look past what had happened, enabling them to complete the consummation.
It had started, which was something, and further than Harry had thought they'd get, especially after Hermione had freaked out at him rubbing his erection against her in sleep.
They walked hand in hand back to their rooms in the tower, outright ignoring anyone that tried to speak to them. The day was wearing on and if they went even a minute past midnight, their wedding vows were broken and Harry would be facing a possible incarceration in Azkaban, and Hermione would be given to someone else.
The idea of her being with anyone else, willing or not, made his blood boil. Hermione was his wife, his to care for. No one else had the right to touch her, to hold her. Only he did.
Harry opened their rooms, kicked the door shut behind them and enveloped Hermione in a hug. "Why don't you go have a bath? You might feel a little better, and calmer."
She nodded and disappeared, leaving Harry to change out of his jumper and shirt, leaving just his jeans on, and his boxers. He removed his shoes and socks, propping himself against the headboard and waiting patiently for Hermione to emerge.
When she did, Harrys' mouth went insanely dry. Hermione stood in the doorway of the bathroom, his brain registering that she had lovely legs. He got to mid-thigh before the skin was covered with sheer material, a vivid red against her pale skin.
There was lace on the thin material of the slip, the bodice wrapping her figure nicely, breasts encompassed in more lace, and twin, very thin, straps rested on her shoulders. Her hair was loosely braided to keep it out of her eyes, already dried. Her skin was rosy from the bath, and there was a bright sparkle in her brown eyes that Harry had not seen before.
"Harry, are you alright?" She asked softly.
He couldn't find his tongue, his vocal chords refused to cooperate and all he could get out what a weird squeak and a sharp nod.
She laughed and looked to the torches in the bathroom, the flames blinking out. Harry's mouth went impossibly drier, and his jeans were extremely tight, his erection screaming at its confinement. "I…you…erm…we should…well…"
"What is it?"
"Where did the slip come from?" He croaked.
She flushed red and nervously tugged on a strand of hair that had fallen loose. "I transfigured it, thought maybe it would, uh, help set the mood."
"You don't need anything to set the mood," he said, pausing and softening his words with a smile when she looked saddened. "You look beautiful in anything you wear."
Hermione grinned and climbed on the bed, her movements careful to not expose anything. Harry inhaled sharply when she straddled his thighs, his hands grasping her hips and trying to calm his thundering heart.
"Are you uh, feeling okay?" He asked.
"Yes, I don't feel at all frightened."
He smiled, gripping her a little tighter. "No worries, or concerns?"
She grinned and kissed him. "None at all."
Harry chuckled softly, his hands running over the flesh of her sides. "Nerves?"
"Plenty of those, but…well, I actually want this, Harry. I know this isn't what we had chosen, and that we're being pushed to this, but, you are attractive, and find that I do want you," Hermione murmured, covering his face in kisses.
Releasing a withheld breath, Harry surged up into the kisses and covered her mouth with his, nerves singing in his stomach. He was about to make love to his wife for the first time and she just admitted to wanting him.