Saved by Love (Severus Snape / Original Female Character)

Prophecy

 November 1995

Potions classroom

Severus watched the fifth-year Gryffindors and Slytherins leaving his classroom and sighed heavily, knowing he had already postponed his Occlumency lessons with Harry for too long.

He had promised Florence he'd talk to the boy after class that day; and if he didn't start those lessons soon, Dumbledore would sure lecture him and Florence would be angry – and not the good kind of angry.

"Potter," Severus called before the boy left the room.

He saw Harry wince and Granger push her friend to go towards the teacher.

Granger. It was Severus's turn to wince; he couldn't look at her and not think of James. He hadn't even been able to dock points from her as much since Nicholas had told him about James and her.

Harry stopped in front of his desk, looking at the man who once was his most despised teacher – but who had been recently, unexpectedly, outhated, "Yes, professor?"

Severus looked at Granger and Weasley: "You two need help finding the door?"

"No, sir," Hermione replied, forcing herself to remember that he wasn't really that insufferable, she still remembered how sweet she had witnessed him being nine months before at Sophie's birth.

Severus waited for the two students to leave and closed the door with a flick of his wand, casting a silencing spell as well.

"Sit, Potter."

Harry looked at the chair in front of his desk as if it was going to bite him; he discreetly poked at it with his wand and, only when he was convinced there was nothing suspicious about it, he sat.

Then Severus began: "Prof. Dumbledore has asked me to give you some extra classes."

"Extra classes?" the boy looked instantly miserable, "On Potions, sir?"

Severus sneered: "I wouldn't waste my time doing that. Although you really could use it," he added, maintaining the façade that he disliked the boy, "No, Potter. The headmaster wants me to give you Occlumency lessons. Know what it is?"

As expected, Harry shook his head, "No, sir."

"I'd tell you to read on it, but I doubt you would. So, if you have the time, which I know you do, I'd like to have our first lesson now."

Harry was about to protest and find an excuse to leave the dungeons, when the door was opened and they both looked towards it.

Severus frowned, "Madam Delacour." What are you doing here?

"Prof. Dumbledore sent me to give you a hand with Harry's lesson, professor."

Severus looked at her, knowing she was lying, but he didn't say anything.

Florence pulled up a chair beside Harry's and looked from him to her husband. So, go on.

He narrowed his eyes at her briefly before continuing: "Occlumency, Potter, is the skill where someone is able to protect their feelings and memories from external interference."

Florence rolled her eyes at his unnecessary introductory explanation and went straight to the point: "Mastering occlumency will allow you to block Voldemort from accessing your mind."

Harry frowned, looking for more explanation: "The dreams I've been having..."

"They are, most likely, not just dreams," said Severus, nodding.

"And I can't give you Dreamless Sleep Potion every night," Florence added: "It has awful side-effects when used for more than three consecutive days."

"That's why you must learn Occlumency," finished Severus, firmly, "The opposite of Occlumency is Legilimency. And the Dark Lord is a master Legilimens ."