Shadows of Memory

indiscretus:

~

Harry was left standing, rooted to the spot when Snape said they ought to go elsewhere. “This is where we had them last year,” he said, just barely avoiding wincing at how dumb he sounded, knowing that he’d likely just tossed any chance of avoiding the brunt of the man’s ire out the proverbial window.

“Besides- I’m. Sure Dumbledore will understand you can’t teach me now- there’s got to be a lot for you to catch up on. Hermione found a book on it so-“ So she can help me because I’d rather it be her poking around in my head than you a second time! It was a pathetic escape attempt, and he knew it, but some small part of him hoped that the younger Snape wouldn’t take as much vicious pleasure in ripping his mind apart as the adult one, and would want out of it as much as he did.

Severus frowned, looking back into the dark office with its ( admittedly admirable ) collection of potions ingredients upon the shelves, the somewhat grim lighting casting frankly disturbing shadows upon the walls and asked with genuine curiosity, “Did you take a shining to potions then? If this room is comfortable enough for you to meditate in we can stay here. Personally it’s a bit – dramatic for my tastes.” He mused dully, wondering – not for the first time – what kind of weirdo he grew up to be after all.

Looking at Potter now, he gave him an unimpressed brow arch and pointed out flatly, “You can’t pick up occlusion from a book. If it were that easy you wouldn’t need a tutor and I likely would have just assigned you reading and been done with it. I can’t say I am eager to teach you anything, but frankly I’d rather spend two hours pretending a Potter can meditate and build shields than not do that and have Dumbledore on my ass.”

As soon as he said it, he paused and looked thoughtful. “Probably shouldn’t cuss if I’m supposed to be a professor.” Let’s see if I can go two days before someone reports me for being unprofessional. Shoot for the moon and all that. “So,” He jerked his head toward the office, “Office of the doomed, or fourth floor study hall?”

Shadows of Memory

indiscretus:

@severelysnapped | cont.

It was when Snape turned around that Harry was suddenly reminded of what he’d been told had happened. That didn’t stop the feeling like he’d had the wind knocked from him, seeing someone who looked more like the kid from Snape’s memories than the man who’d hounded him for the past five years. What really startled him, though, was the man’s tone- the bitterness was all there but… well everything else was wrong. He sounded more scared than angry, and it unsettled Harry beyond belief- to such a point that he forgot to be stubborn and difficult.

“Right- no, I thought Dumbeldore would’ve reminded you, I guess.“ he stammered, looking like he wanted to bolt as much as Snape did. “He wanted me to continue Occlumency lessons with you this year. They were supposed to start again, today.” Not that it’ll do much good. If I need some git to shout ‘control your emotions!’ at me I’ll just have Ron do it! It didn’t occur to him to lie to get out of it- that never really worked out well, and Dumbledore would certainly catch him at it, if nothing else. That didn’t mean he couldn’t take an escape route when he saw one. “But- of course if you’re not feeling up to it I can just-“ he stepped back out of the doorway, glancing down the hall like he could see a light at the end of it.

Severus did not drop his guard, not even when it became apparent
the teenager seemed a bit ( understandably ) alarmed. He was hardly about to be
lured into a false sense of security in this
castle. He may have been younger than the man he’d replaced but his mother
didn’t raise him to be stupid,
contrary to what some might believe. Though when the explanation did come, the
silence that descended in the wake of it was deafening.

Occlumency. The old
man said I was a valuable asset to the Order as his inside man and he has me
teaching a Potter occlumency. I knew I smelled guano, Severus thought
acerbically, even as he slowly sheathed his wand. Dumbledore was clearly off
his gourd – and in no good way if he
was still the Vanguard of the Light and playing at games like this.

“Something tells me we’re being maneuvered whether we like
it or not,” Severus sighed, striding toward the door now and keeping a steady
eye on – Harry. Pausing once he was
closer, he was able to note more subtle differences in appearance, but he didn’t
waste time sorting through them. “There’s no point in avoiding his orders, it’ll
only be made more miserable for the effort.”

Making a motion with his hand, he indicated the other should
get a move on from this office. He had no intentions of ever putting a Potter at his back. All men died, but he at least
intended to go out with something resembling dignity. “There’s no point in
trying to teach you occlumency in a place like this,” He wondered where they
usually went, but ultimately decided it didn’t matter. “We’ll use a classroom
on the fourth floor, down the runes wing.” Most of those rooms were abandoned
and generally used as study halls – Hogwarts couldn’t have changed that much.

Damn place didn’t seem to change at all, ever, for any
reason after all.

❛ Can I stay here for the night? ❜ ~ indescretus | Harry ( feel free to plop this in an AU!! )

{ Question Starters }

Severus understood immediately the young man’s reluctance to return to festivities. It was easy to forget amid the frivolity that not everyone had something to celebrate on this day, and for Harry this was more an anniversary of loss than it was a cause for joy. It still struck enough of a chord to draw a sigh from him, particularly with the awareness that this year had been especially difficult for the young man.

It was not the done thing, he knew, but after some deliberation Severus lowered his quill and checked the time. “Your detention ends in ten minutes. If you wish to stay, you are welcome to do so.” He looked over at the young man and added, “I will not require you to work, but I would suggest finding a means of distracting yourself. Did you bring any of your other homework with you?”

@indiscretus