Love, Lies & Loneliness
folder
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Snape
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
55
Views:
52,622
Reviews:
258
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
1
Category:
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Snape
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
55
Views:
52,622
Reviews:
258
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
1
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Practice Makes Perfect
Chapter 15
(Practice makes perfect)
Out of breath but on time Harry walked into the duelling clubroom dead on 7.30, to find Snape standing at the far end of the duelling platform his hands behind his back and his eyes closed in what Harry assumed was thought. Harry had felt awfully guilty lying to his friends about not spending the remainder of the evening with them but Snape was offering his help and Harry had no other choice but to accept.
Silently Harry stepped up onto his end of the platform and watched as Snape remained perfectly still. It was as Harry stared at Snape waiting for something to happen that he felt the niggling prodding of his mind. Harry tried to shake it off like a headache but the prodding became insistent and Harry found himself gritting his teeth as he realised that it was Snape already probing his mind without restriction. Calming himself like he’d practiced Harry closed his eyes and attempted to push Snape back out of his mind but the professor was too strong and before long Harry found himself flat on his backside with tears running down his cheeks as Snape found the memory of the night Uncle Vernon and beat him with the crystal decanter.
“Very sloppy Mr Potter and disappointing.” Snape strode down the length of the duelling platform and offered Harry a hand up from the floor. Potter graciously accepted the hand before hastily wiping the tears from his cheeks with the sleeves of his robe “Have you been practicing at all?” Snape led Harry down off the platform and over to a small bench that usually served as seating for members of the duelling club during their meetings.
“No.” The truth was far simpler than concocting an elaborate lie to why he’d not been practicing Occlumency at night. Snape accepted the answer without any demanded explanation for which Harry was grateful. Harry sat down on the bench and watched as Snape flicked his wand over at a cupboard several objects flying out of it and coming to rest on the floor beside Snape’s feet.
“It is hard to detach yourself from the chaos of things in your mind Mr Potter especially during such a turbulent time as ‘transition’ but do try.” Harry watched as the professor took each item at his feet and placed them randomly around the room before returning to Harry’s side. “I myself meditate regularly as a means of furthering my Occlumency as it helps me clear my mind. I have an instructional book of meditation practices if you wish to borrow it?” Harry nodded in acceptance. There was one thing that had bugged him so much about his fifth year and that was his dismal failure at Occlumency but this year he was more determined than ever to rectify that. “We’ll start with some basics, levitation and calling objects to you. I need to assess just how unstable your magic is and what it is affecting.” Harry was sure Snape was resisting a snide remark about the incident between he and Draco in the common room that morning but Harry said nothing as he stood from the bench and pointed his wand at the obnoxious looking cushion on the platform closest to him.
*********************************************************************
For the next half an hour Harry practiced the entire charms syllabus at Hogwarts, using every charm he’d learnt up until the end of fifth year. With as much ease and grace as a student of magic could manage Harry performed each charm perfectly, with no hassles aside from the usual student mistakes. Snape seemed to note everything Harry did the wizard intently watching everything from the way Harry held his wand to the pronunciation of each incantation. When he’d come to the final charm Harry was somewhat pleased with himself and what he’d actually learnt over the course of his five years at Hogwarts.
Turning to face his Professor expectantly Harry watched as Snape thought for a moment in silence before creating a big fat ugly rat with a flick of his wand. Ensuring the rat wasn’t going to escape Snape pointed at Harry and then at the rat.
“Transfigure it into a bottle of butter beer.” Harry inwardly groaned to himself, knowing the trouble he’d had trying to change a newt into a water goblet during his second year. Still gritting his teeth Harry pointed his wand at the rat and tried to concentrate as he spoke the incantation and firmly swished his wand in the rat’s direction. With a squeak and a shudder the fat rat elongated into the shape of a bottle of butter beer. The problem however was that while the actual bottle and its contents was butter beer, the top of the bottle still had ears and a nose and the bottom of the bottle still had a tail.
“Transfiguration isn’t my best subject.” Harry admitted quietly more to himself than Snape before he sighed heavily and looked to Snape expectantly waiting for a sneering remark about his incompetence. The remark never came though and Snape merely flicked his wand at the rat/butter beer shaped thing and in an instant it disappeared.
“Nothing out of the ordinary Potter, just poor technique and lack of practice.” Snape fell silent again for another moment before looking Harry over with a curious gaze. After a moment of silence Snape called the large round plastic ball to him from where it had been left by the window after Harry’s levitation charm. Putting the ball in the middle of the duelling platform Snape moved around to stand behind Harry and directed the boys’ attention to the ball. “I want you to hex the ball with the same curse you hit your cousin Dudley with.” Harry turned around slightly to look at Snape over his shoulder unsure of whether Snape was being serious or not. When he found his potions professors deadly serious expression Harry shrugged his shoulders and turned back to face the ball. With his wand tight in his grasp Harry flicked the curse from the end of his wand as he’d been taught in many Defence Against the Dark Arts classes.
“Razoratis.” The curse that left the end of Harry’s wand however was certainly not the ‘Razoratis’ and as the purple flame shot through the air towards the ball Harry physically braced himself for the impact. The explosion was deafening and Harry on instinct fell to the floor and covered his head as flying debris from the ball and what had been part of the duelling platform exploded. Snape too it seemed had taken cover and when the dust had settled and Harry sat up, the look on Snape’s face told far more than anything the professor could have said in that moment.
“I think we’ve discovered what aspect of your magic is being most affected by your ‘transition’ and it is certainly not a common aspect.” Snape stood up from the floor and brushed the dust from his robes just as Harry did the same. “I think that will be all for this evening Mr Potter, there are some things I wish to get a second opinion on before taking any action in an attempt at guiding you though this.” Harry nodded and collected his things from the bench and stood in front of Snape, feeling a little guilty at leaving Snape to clean up but ready to leave none the less. “I shall see you tomorrow evening in my office, same time.” Harry nodded in understanding and left quietly, Snape watching him go.
TBC>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
(Practice makes perfect)
Out of breath but on time Harry walked into the duelling clubroom dead on 7.30, to find Snape standing at the far end of the duelling platform his hands behind his back and his eyes closed in what Harry assumed was thought. Harry had felt awfully guilty lying to his friends about not spending the remainder of the evening with them but Snape was offering his help and Harry had no other choice but to accept.
Silently Harry stepped up onto his end of the platform and watched as Snape remained perfectly still. It was as Harry stared at Snape waiting for something to happen that he felt the niggling prodding of his mind. Harry tried to shake it off like a headache but the prodding became insistent and Harry found himself gritting his teeth as he realised that it was Snape already probing his mind without restriction. Calming himself like he’d practiced Harry closed his eyes and attempted to push Snape back out of his mind but the professor was too strong and before long Harry found himself flat on his backside with tears running down his cheeks as Snape found the memory of the night Uncle Vernon and beat him with the crystal decanter.
“Very sloppy Mr Potter and disappointing.” Snape strode down the length of the duelling platform and offered Harry a hand up from the floor. Potter graciously accepted the hand before hastily wiping the tears from his cheeks with the sleeves of his robe “Have you been practicing at all?” Snape led Harry down off the platform and over to a small bench that usually served as seating for members of the duelling club during their meetings.
“No.” The truth was far simpler than concocting an elaborate lie to why he’d not been practicing Occlumency at night. Snape accepted the answer without any demanded explanation for which Harry was grateful. Harry sat down on the bench and watched as Snape flicked his wand over at a cupboard several objects flying out of it and coming to rest on the floor beside Snape’s feet.
“It is hard to detach yourself from the chaos of things in your mind Mr Potter especially during such a turbulent time as ‘transition’ but do try.” Harry watched as the professor took each item at his feet and placed them randomly around the room before returning to Harry’s side. “I myself meditate regularly as a means of furthering my Occlumency as it helps me clear my mind. I have an instructional book of meditation practices if you wish to borrow it?” Harry nodded in acceptance. There was one thing that had bugged him so much about his fifth year and that was his dismal failure at Occlumency but this year he was more determined than ever to rectify that. “We’ll start with some basics, levitation and calling objects to you. I need to assess just how unstable your magic is and what it is affecting.” Harry was sure Snape was resisting a snide remark about the incident between he and Draco in the common room that morning but Harry said nothing as he stood from the bench and pointed his wand at the obnoxious looking cushion on the platform closest to him.
*********************************************************************
For the next half an hour Harry practiced the entire charms syllabus at Hogwarts, using every charm he’d learnt up until the end of fifth year. With as much ease and grace as a student of magic could manage Harry performed each charm perfectly, with no hassles aside from the usual student mistakes. Snape seemed to note everything Harry did the wizard intently watching everything from the way Harry held his wand to the pronunciation of each incantation. When he’d come to the final charm Harry was somewhat pleased with himself and what he’d actually learnt over the course of his five years at Hogwarts.
Turning to face his Professor expectantly Harry watched as Snape thought for a moment in silence before creating a big fat ugly rat with a flick of his wand. Ensuring the rat wasn’t going to escape Snape pointed at Harry and then at the rat.
“Transfigure it into a bottle of butter beer.” Harry inwardly groaned to himself, knowing the trouble he’d had trying to change a newt into a water goblet during his second year. Still gritting his teeth Harry pointed his wand at the rat and tried to concentrate as he spoke the incantation and firmly swished his wand in the rat’s direction. With a squeak and a shudder the fat rat elongated into the shape of a bottle of butter beer. The problem however was that while the actual bottle and its contents was butter beer, the top of the bottle still had ears and a nose and the bottom of the bottle still had a tail.
“Transfiguration isn’t my best subject.” Harry admitted quietly more to himself than Snape before he sighed heavily and looked to Snape expectantly waiting for a sneering remark about his incompetence. The remark never came though and Snape merely flicked his wand at the rat/butter beer shaped thing and in an instant it disappeared.
“Nothing out of the ordinary Potter, just poor technique and lack of practice.” Snape fell silent again for another moment before looking Harry over with a curious gaze. After a moment of silence Snape called the large round plastic ball to him from where it had been left by the window after Harry’s levitation charm. Putting the ball in the middle of the duelling platform Snape moved around to stand behind Harry and directed the boys’ attention to the ball. “I want you to hex the ball with the same curse you hit your cousin Dudley with.” Harry turned around slightly to look at Snape over his shoulder unsure of whether Snape was being serious or not. When he found his potions professors deadly serious expression Harry shrugged his shoulders and turned back to face the ball. With his wand tight in his grasp Harry flicked the curse from the end of his wand as he’d been taught in many Defence Against the Dark Arts classes.
“Razoratis.” The curse that left the end of Harry’s wand however was certainly not the ‘Razoratis’ and as the purple flame shot through the air towards the ball Harry physically braced himself for the impact. The explosion was deafening and Harry on instinct fell to the floor and covered his head as flying debris from the ball and what had been part of the duelling platform exploded. Snape too it seemed had taken cover and when the dust had settled and Harry sat up, the look on Snape’s face told far more than anything the professor could have said in that moment.
“I think we’ve discovered what aspect of your magic is being most affected by your ‘transition’ and it is certainly not a common aspect.” Snape stood up from the floor and brushed the dust from his robes just as Harry did the same. “I think that will be all for this evening Mr Potter, there are some things I wish to get a second opinion on before taking any action in an attempt at guiding you though this.” Harry nodded and collected his things from the bench and stood in front of Snape, feeling a little guilty at leaving Snape to clean up but ready to leave none the less. “I shall see you tomorrow evening in my office, same time.” Harry nodded in understanding and left quietly, Snape watching him go.
TBC>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>