Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Scattered	By : Tnteacups Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 25013 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 5
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, and I don't make any money from this fiction.

Chapter List
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Occlumency

Snape woke with a grunt, and Hermione glanced into the open tent flap, to see him sitting upright, looking around. His eyes caught hers, and he looked at her suspiciously.
“Granger?” He asked, his eyes narrowing.
“Yes. Are you feeling better?” She asked, moving to crouch in front of the tent, reaching a hand out to feel his forehead. He jerked away, swatting at her hand, his eyes thin slits of distrust.
“What was the first thing I ever said to you, Granger?” He asked, watching her face closely. She wondered briefly if he could even practice his legilimency without his wand.
“You told me to sit down.” She said, clearly remembering her embarrassment from her first ever potion’s class. She’d known all the answers, and he’d refused to call on her. “You wanted to make Harry look like a- an idiot.”
He smirked at the memory, and she felt her face flame, deciding to test him, as well.
“And you, Professor? What’s the first thing you said to him?” She shot back, not needing to read his mind, to read his face.
“I believe I asked him about the Draught of Living Death, monkshood, and where to find a Bezoar.” He said, thinking back. “Couldn’t answer a single one.” He sneered.
“He’s dead.” Hermione whispered, watching his face as what could almost have been sadness took over.
“I know.” Snape muttered, closing his eyes. “I sent him to it.”
“You… what?” Hermione asked, leaning back.
“I gave him my memories, and I assume, if he’s dead, that he saw what Dumbledore had planned for him.” Snape said, looking remorseful.
“Dumbledore?” Hermione said, remembering how Harry had jumped up, just to be struck right back down.
“Yes. Is Nagini dead?” He asked, seeming suddenly more alert.
“Yes. Harry died getting her to us. I killed her.” Hermione said, remembering how she’d finished the snake, just before seeing Harry die.
“He… The Dark Lord killed him though, yes?” Snape looked eager, and Hermione felt a twinge of fear. She backed up a bit, worried he was going to lunge for her wand, and get back to his master.
“He did. He came carrying his body out of the forest, but Harry wasn’t really dead, and when he jumped up, to send Nagini flying to us, You-Know-Who cursed him.” She answered, watching his expressions. Triumph, confusion, sorrow.
“He never meant him to stay dead.” He whispered, and Hermione leaned in involuntarily.
“Sorry?” She asked.
“Dumbledore, he knew he had to die, but… He wasn’t supposed to stay dead. Is the Dark Lord defeated?” He asked, concerned.
“No. After he killed Harry, people scattered. He retook Hogwarts. I was trying to get away when I found you in the Shrieking Shack. You were still alive, so… I took you with me.” She explained, seeing dread, and terror cross his face at the news that Voldemort still lived.
“He’s got no horcruxes left. We must finish him quickly.” He said, and made as if to move.
“Slow down!” Hermione ordered, pushing him back. “What do you mean? You’re… not on his side anymore?”
“No. Didn’t Harry take you two along on his adventure through my memories?” Snape asked, looking at her suspiciously. She shook her head.
“No. We hadn’t even realized where he’d gone. He just left, while we were… Gathering the wounded.” Hermione choked out, remembering Fred’s pale face. Lupin and Tonks. Colin Creevy.
“Oh.” He sat back, looking a bit dismayed.
“What was in them?” Hermione asked curiously, remembering how Snape had been so adamant to get them to Harry, even as he bled out on the floor.
“The truth. And proof that it was.” Snape answered cryptically. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him.
“What did he see?” She asked, taking the more firm tone she’d used while he was feverish.
“My childhood. And a few conversations with Dumbledore. I suppose… he didn’t tell anyone what he saw? Just ran off to save the day in typical Potter fashion?”
“He did at that.” Hermione smirked, finding a bit of lightness if her friend’s memory.
“I… Remember we were at my house…?” Snape asked almost hesitantly.
“We were. You managed to tell me close enough, and I found it from there.” She said, feeling proud.
“Did you manage to bring any of the potions?” He asked, and she shook her head again.
“There wasn’t time. Bellatrix was after us. Though, I don’t think she knew it was us.” Hermione repeated his earlier assessment to him.
“Yes, I remember that. A bit.” He said. “I don’t remember much after that, it all starts to blur together. What happened? How did we end up in the woods?” He asked, and Hermione held up her hands.
“Wait, I have questions, first.” She stated, and began before he could refuse. “Why are you suddenly acting as though you’re still on our side? You killed Dumbledore.” She accused. “He trusted you. Why?”
“That’s my business.” Snape snapped, crossing his arms. Hermione lifted her wand, and put on her fiercest scowl.
“And you owe me your life. Answer my questions.” She demanded. She couldn’t afford any weakness.
“Fine!” He snarled, giving her his nastiest glare. “The Headmaster asked me to kill him, so Draco wouldn’t have to. The curse on his hand was spreading, and would have killed him in under a year anyway.”
“And why he trusted you?” Hermione prompted when he held his tongue.
“The Dark Lord killed someone I loved. He never had my support afterward.” He answered quietly, not meeting her gaze, glaring instead at the tent wall.
“And why should I trust you, since I don’t have proof of these things?” Hermione asked, not lowering her wand even an inch.
“You can’t, can you?” Snape sneered, looking back at her with black hate-filled eyes. “All you have is a life-debt that you’re owed, and, I assume, my wand.”
“Yes.” Hermione admitted, keeping her eyes firmly on his. “But I’d like your help, even if I can’t fully trust you. You know things. Things I need to learn. Teach me, and I’ll consider your debt paid.” She bargained.
“Fine. What do you want to be taught?” He asked, his expression clearly expressing his disbelief that she COULD be taught.
“Occlumency. Oh, and how to hide better, as well.” She said. “For starters.” He sighed sharply, still glaring.
“Fine. For Occlumency, clear your mind, for disguise, hide behind a tree.” He spat nastily, pushing suddenly past her, and standing to stalk into the dark.
“Wait, where are you going, that’s not a proper lesson!” She called after him, jumping to her feet.
“I’ve been unconscious for what, two days? I feel the need for a bit of privacy if you don’t mind. Don’t worry, I’m not going to run off.” He spat, and kept stalking away, his green-transfigured cloak flapping as he went. It rather ruined the bat effect, but still managed to make his walking sound more angry than it already did. Hermione sat back against her tree, taking solace that he couldn’t apparate away without his wand, and she’d know if he passed her wards.
She was starting to worry that he really had run off, and her wards had failed, when he came stalking back, looking just as peeved.
“Do you need more water?” She asked, seeing his slightly flushed face from the walk.
“No. I’m fine.” He snapped, leaning against a tree while standing. Hermione fell silent, wondering if she should bring up the subject of their lessons again, or if she should give him time to calm down. He seemed to be getting no less angry though, and when he finally spoke, she flushed red with guilt.
“Have you been clearing your mind?” He asked, turning his baleful gaze on her.
“Er, no, sorry.” She yipped, looking down apologetically. Snape grumbled to himself, and wandered off again, his footsteps still audible as he walked a small circle around their campsite. She focused on the sounds of the forest nightlife, trying to clear her mind of thought.
Snape’s footsteps were harsh, and even, even after his recent brush with death, and illness, he seemed determined not to let it make him any gentler, or any less angry. As his footsteps circled back to where she sat, she jumped slightly, and focused again on clearing her mind. Forest creatures, rustling leaves, footsteps. Nothing substantial. Just sounds. She focused only on the closeness of his boots, and not the meaning behind the sounds, as he walked back up to their small camp.
“Well?” He asked testily. Hermione opened her eyes.
“I’m practicing. Should I be focusing on sounds, or just pure nothingness?” She asked. He paused, his expression muddled for a moment, as though he hadn’t expected her question.
“Starting by focusing on something such as sound is fine. As you get better you’ll be able to completely clear your thoughts.” He answered, his tone less sharp. She nodded, and closed her eyes again, focusing on a soft rustling noise, not sure if it was the wind, or an animal. It didn’t matter, it was just white noise.
“Granger.”
She opened her eyes again, and looked up into black pools.
“Yes, Professor?” She asked, trying to keep her tone light.
“How did we end up in the woods?” He asked, his voice forcibly un-angry. She tried to hide her smirk.
“You had Dream Fever, so I had to take you to St. Mungo’s. The receptionist turned us in, so I had to escape, and we couldn’t stay at my parents’ anymore. So, here we are, the only place left to be.” She said. She saw his face blanch as she told what he’d had. He seemed on the verge of asking another question, but held his tongue, gesturing for her to continue her practice. She closed her eyes obediently, and focused on her breathing. In. Out. Iiiin. Ouuuut.
“Was I unconscious throughout the fever?” His voice cut across her meditating again, and she opened her eyes, trying to discern if she should tell him the truth or not.
“No. I managed to feed you, and give you pills.” She settled on half of the truth. She wasn’t sure she was ready to tell anybody about what had happened on the counter, or in her parents’ bed. She closed her eyes again, and tried to add a bit of curiosity to her voice. “What’d you dream about, anyway?”
“That’s a rather personal question!” Snape snapped, and she heard his feet stalking off again. She sighed, and tried not to focus on the sounds of his boots. The wind rustling the leaves was pleasant, and she focused on that instead, finding herself drawn back to the boots, and thoughts of Snape’s ire, repeatedly.
“Did I say anything to you about them? While I was delirious?” Snape suddenly asked, his voice making Hermione jump. He was in their campsite again.
“Yes.” She admitted unwittingly, and nearly slapped her own forehead with her folly. “You said they were realistic.” She finished, hoping it was enough. It was the truth. It really was all he’d said about them. No, wait, there was something else… “You also said that you could never tell the difference.”
“I see.” Snape said, his inky eyes holding hers. She wondered briefly again if he could see into her mind without a wand.
“Professor, are you testing me? Can you do Legilimency without a wand?” She asked, finally giving her worries voice.
“I can. Though with one, it’s so much more powerful.” He said, grinning at her viciously.
“Oh.” She balked, and closed her eyes again, hoping to cut him off from her thoughts. She focused again on the rusting of the wind. She could do this. She could learn Occlumency.
“Don’t think about what you are doing. Don’t think about anything.” Snape said, and she popped her eyes open, staring at him befuddled.
“Can you see into my mind, even without eye contact?” She asked, slightly horrified.
“Not with Legilimency. Your expressions give away your thoughts just as easily.” He lectured, looking haughty, his own face holding a fair amount of expression. She glared at him a moment, and unfocused her mind, letting her face go slack, as she listened to the leaves.
“Look at me.”
She met his black gaze, her mind calm, the sound of leaves filling the silence as his eyes bored into hers.
“Good, I think you may actually learn, in time.” Snape said with what could almost pass as a smile. He left her alone, to keep practicing, and stalked back into the woods, walking another circle around their camp, his footsteps much quieter than earlier, nearly undetectable as he got farther from camp. Hermione sank back into the meditation, trying to keep her mind blank for longer, and longer, pushing all emotion down, and trying to feel a calm void. She could do this. She would.
A/N: No sexy in this chapter, sorry. but next one should be getting a bit more personal.
Snapeswhore: I feel the same way about the misuse of such simple words, however, sometimes, due to an impariment incredibly similar to dyslexia, it's difficult for me to catch all of the mistakes I make in my writing, and correct them before uploading. Feel free to point out any other errors I happen to miss, or if something doesn't seem right, as my brain loves to tell my fingers to type out the wrong words, and then ignores them when proofreading.

Clem_ : Thanks! I hope you can forgive the blandness of this chapter, and look forward to the next! I promise there will be more drama in the next chapter!
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