The Dark Mark (The Girl Who Lived part II)

The Occlumency Lesson

Hope you enjoy this week's installment of TGWL. If you have any comments, feel free to send me a message. -Chopinssonata

"Neville, can you hand me the bucket?" And so he did. Inside the bucket, a clean washcloth. I reached into the cold water of the plastic bucket and retrieved the cloth, which I then wrung out. I folded the damp towel into quarters and placed it on Harry's forehead. He hadn't stirred once since he'd been hit with Neville's disarming spell. I stood, and brushed myself off. Dirt particles flying into the air. "It's late. How about you get some rest while I watch over him?" I offered. He shook his head. "No. I'm alright". His stomach growled. "I am a little hungry, though. I'll just pop out for a bit and bring us back some food". Neville left the room, leaving me and Harry. 

His hands that normally warmed mine, were cold. It was the opposite of what it normally was, now. My hands warmed his. "Harry. Please wake up". I pecked his cheek. His fingers twitched as a response. Neville returned with a bag full of food. "Scarlet, I'm back". He gently shut the door behind him. "I think Harry's beginning to wake up". I said. Neville sat next to me, placing the bag between us. He reached in and pulled out a roll of bread. He split it into two, giving me the larger of the two halves. The bread felt hot in my hands. Fresh out of the oven. It almost balanced out the coolness of Harry's hand in the other.

"His hand twitched. I think he's about to wake up". I said. "Scarlet, this is the fifth time you've said this". He bit into the bread. "Yeah. I'm sure". The night dragged on. My eyelids felt heavy, and so had Neville's. I leaned against the stone walls, still holding Harry's hand. Neville took a spot next to me. There were bags under his eyes. "Scarlet, you look tired. Why don't yo get some sleep?" I declined. "If you're not leaving, I'm not leaving. And we can't leave Harry alone". "How about you just close your eyes for a measly five minutes?" By the time he had suggested this, I had already leaned my head against his shoulder. He leaned his head on mine. "Just five minutes". I mumbled before dozing off. 

Neville woke me much later. I was refreshed. The bags under Neville's eyes had nearly doubled in size. He had not waken me up five minutes later. "Neville". I had to say his name a few times to catch his attention. "Go get some rest. I mean it". He was much too tired to argue with me. Neville rubbed his eyes, and headed off to bed. I laid on the cold ground with Harry, our fingers still linked.I removed his glasses, placing them on the other side of him. I took the opportunity to vent to him the things I longed to tell him. He wouldn't know what I had told him when he woke up, and it made me feel as if I had unloaded all of my burden. I stared up at the ceiling. "Harry-". His finger twitched. "-just because I haven't been one hundred percent honest, doesn't mean that my feelings for you aren't genuine. Which they are". His hand squeezed mine. "I know". He answered, leaning on his side and facing me.

How much had he heard? He must've only heard that last part. If he had known the entire truth, then he'd be outraged. "Harry. You're finally awake". I sat up first, and then helped him up. "How long have I been out?" He rubbed his temples. He must've sat up too fast. "A while. Don't worry about that".

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I sat in Umbridge's office. "Now Mrs. Weasley, what are your findings?" She leaned on her desk. "Nothing at all". I answered straight away. She favored me. She wouldn't do anything, but she still managed to give me quite a scare. She was about to say something when Snape had so rudely interrupted her. She was rather offended. It wasn't a secret that Snape had a certain hatred for Dolores Umbridge. "I'll be needing Mrs. Weasley". He didn't listen to any of her complaints as headmaster, and perfectly avoided every pen that she threw at him like darts, I followed him down several flights of stairs, and through several halls. "Thanks. She was beginning to give me a headache". I said. "By the way, what did you need me for?" I asked him as he opened the door to a room, and pulled me inside. 

Harry sat as stiff as a board in a rickety wooden chair. "Mr. Potter here, has been learning Occlumency with no such luck. I've become fed up teaching someone who will not learn. I thought that you could whack some sense into him. And I do mean that literally and figuratively". Snape said this before slamming the door. That left the two of us. Harry relaxed a little. "Would you like to rest? I know how straining it can be to try to learn Occlumency". Harry shook his head. "I'd like to give it another go". I sighed. At the end of my sessions with Snape, he taught me Legilimency. I was far from mastering it, but I was good enough to teach someone the basics. 

I pointed my wand at him, without reciting the spell. Sometimes I'd practice on Snape with no such luck, but he said that I was improving. Performing Legilimency and experiencing it was much different from Occlumency. You were pulled into a dream like state. But instead of it being your dream, it was someone else's. You were the audience in a theater that could interact with the actors. But more so, I was the director of the play. Watching the entire show run through, interfering when it was necessary. "Harry, empty your mind and all of your emotion". I continued to travel through the important moments of Harry's life. I was now at the time of the Yule Ball. I stood next to a lengthy haired Harry from last year who watched from a distance as I had my ever so long conversation with Oliver Wood that night. The night I broke his heart for the second time. 

Technically, it was only once. That wasn't me the first time, but Oliver didn't know that. "Shut me out". I urged him. I didn't want to experience this scene for a third time. I left the dream-like state through my own will. "Scarlet! I did it!" Harry was so proud of himself. I didn't bother to say anything. "The lesson's over". I exited the room, and headed to my room where I shut everyone out, even myself. I imagined my first and second years attending Hogwarts. Those were the days. A time when nothing had gone wrong.