Occlumency by rufuscoperpot

Rating: G
Genres: Romance
Relationships: Harry & Hermione
Book: Harry & Hermione, Books 1 - 5
Published: 30/05/2005
Last Updated: 30/05/2005
Status: In Progress

A response to a challenge... Beware of dental cavities...




1. Occlumency
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A/N: Another short story by yours truly… This time it's the answer to a challenge I came
across (http://talk.portkey.org/index.php?showtopic=15009)… I don't usually do challenge for
they are sometimes a bit (ok, scratch that, make it a lot) silly but this one caught my eye and
well, the plot bunny entered my brain again (just as I thought I had gotten rid of it… Damn…!).

Anyway, here it comes (you might consider taking an appointment by Hermione's parents by the
time you finished this…)

Occlumency

By Rufus Copperpot

“Try to block this one!” said a very tired Harry to an equally tired Hermione

“Legilimens!”

Seeing that Harry couldn't possibly learn occlumency with Severus Snape, Dumbledore asked
Hermione and Ron if they were willing to learn those topics with Harry so that he could have
partners for practicing. Hermione accepted immediately. Ron declined. Having Harry wandering about
in his mind was not something he fancied too much for some reasons.

So, for each day of the summer so far, Dumbledore came to the Grangers to train Hermione
personally. He also gave Harry some books on the “How and about” of occlumency and legilimency;
just enough for him to understand the processes. Now they were back at Grimmauld Place for the
remainder of the holidays.

Harry grieved during the month of July. About Sirius death, about the prophecy, about the
injustice in his life… And then he wrote a long and meaningful letter to Dumbledore in which he
explained that he needed to be a better wizard. Dumbledore had arranged for the trio to be trained
during August by Lupin, Tonks and Mad Eye Moody. Harry and Hermione were to train with each other
in the matter of the mind.

That was why Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny were in the boys' room. Ron and Ginny were
reading some books about strategy in combat and Harry and Hermione were sitting facing each other
on the other bed.

Harry managed to repel or block each and every attempts of Hermione to access his memories. It
was a very tiring exercise, for both of them. This time, Harry was attacking Hermione's mind.
She had still some difficulties blocking Harry and that's why they were reversing the roles.
The fact that she wasn't able to close her mind as well as Harry was irrelevant. After all, she
didn't have any mental connection to any psychopathic dark wizard. But being Hermione, she had
to be good… no, scratch that; she had to be the best there was…

Her attempts to block Harry's intrusion were vain. Usually, she was able to block him after
some seconds. But tonight, she was feeling powerless. Harry's strength of mind had improved
during the month. His magical powers were still rising and he was now performing magic as her equal
on a daily basis. This frightened Ron. But not Hermione. She was beaming with pride toward her
friend.

Today, she was way too tired to resist. That, or Harry was having a new surge of power. Harry
was currently bathing into Hermione's most intimate memories, and she couldn't stop him on
her life.

*She was in the library; a very shy Viktor Krum was approaching her and asking her to the Yule
Ball*

Yuck! That was something he didn't want to see. He picked another memory.

*Hermione was in Hagrid's hut, searching for some kind of comfort with their half giant
friend. She was crying, upset that her two friends weren't speaking to her because of her
cat*

Ooopsies! This was not something he wanted to see either. He closed that memory and chose
another one. Harry was surprised that he was not yet expelled from her head. She was trying though.
Of that, he was sure. He was about to retreat in his own mind when something in the blur of images
he was whirling in caught his eye. It was a memory of him sleeping. He stopped and concentrated on
it.

*He was sleeping on the couch in the common room. It was night outside. Hermione was at the
bottom of the stairs leading to the dormitories.*

*“Oh Harry… What are we going to do with you? What Am I going to do with you?”*

It was barely more than a whisper but Harry heard it anyway. That's the problem with
memories; you had no control on the volume.

*Hermione kneeled beside him. She was slowly brushing his bang out of his forehead. Suddenly,
she leaned over him and put her head on his chest.*

*“You may never realize what I feel for you” she whispered, “All I can do is hope that one
day, you'll see me as I see you”*

*And on those words, she kissed his scar, then his cheeks and then his lips. Then she got up
and retreated to her room…*

Harry blinked and broke the link. Hermione's eyes were downcast. Her face was very red. She
could feel Harry staring at her intently.

“Is it true?”

He had not spoken very loudly but as the room was silent, his voice boomed like the thunder.

“What is it?” asked Ron from the other bed.

Hermione didn't know where to hide. She wanted to crawl in a hole and never ever come out
again.

“Why are you so red, Hermione?” asked a very clueless Ron.

But neither Harry, nor Hermione was paying attention to their red headed friend.

“Is it true, Hermione? Is what I just saw the truth?”

Always looking at the comforter, Hermione was only able to nod. She didn't see the smile on
Harry's face. He reached her face with his hand. He leaned toward her and shyly covered her
lips with his in a very gentle kiss.

“What the…”

Harry didn't pay attention to what Ron was saying. The kiss deepened. Now Hermione was
kissing him back. Her hands had left the bed and were now gripping Harry's shirt. Finally, they
broke their first kiss and stayed forehead to forehead.

“I'm sorry” she said, “I should never ever have kissed you while you were asleep… But
I'm not sorry that you discovered it…”

“You know… In a weird way, I'm quite mad a you… What were you thinking, kissing me like this
while I was sleeping…”

Hermione lowered her eyes once again

“I'm so…”

“Let me finish please? I would rather have you kiss me when I was awake…”

They smiled at each other and leaned into another kiss. When this one ended, a rather radiant
Hermione smiled at her newly found boyfriend and said:

“Well, you know, maybe next time I'll just wake you up with a kiss…”

And they kissed again.

Fini…

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