Innocence | Severus Snape x Reader

51 - Shield

"Feeling sentimental?" Severus said. 

I had been sitting in during the occlumency sessions with Harry. At first, it was just to coach and offer a softer hand where I could, but now it became more because Harry wanted me there. Told me he felt safer with me in the room. 

"That's private," Harry said, in reference to whatever memories it was that Severus was poking around in. 

"Not to me. Not to the Dark Lord, if you don't improve." He said. Severus yet again seemed agitated by the boy. "Every memory he has access to is a weapon he can use against you, you won't last two seconds if he invades your mind." He said, approaching the boy and leaning over him. "You're just like your father." 

"Snape," I warned, being mindful to not call him Severus around the boy.

"Lazy, arrogant,"

"Don't say a word against my father!" Harry said, standing up and getting defensive. 

"Weak." Severus continued

"I'm not weak!" 

"Then prove it! Control your emotions, discipline your mind." Severus said. He stood straight and pointed his wand at Harry, who wasn't even standing. 

Severus crossed a line, and I was angry with him. 

"Legilimens." 

A few seconds passed by. Nothing happened. 

Harry looked at me, and Severus' gaze followed. 

"What did you do?" I heard Harry ask. 

"I didn't do anyth-" 

"Out," Severus said, cutting me off. He spoke to me as if I was some meddling student. 

"Excuse me?" I said to him. 

"Step out of the room." He kept his stern tone. 

"Don't ever talk to me like that again," I said, matching his sternness before abiding by his demands. I stepped out of the room and closed the door. 

The door was so thick  I could no longer hear what was going on inside. 

But a few minutes passed and Harry walked out briskly. He looked upset. 

"Harry-?" I had asked, but he ignored me and kept on. 

That was it. 

"What did you do?" I said, walking back into the room angrily. Severus was leaning against the table looking quite upset and angry himself.

"What I did do? He has no business sticking his nose in my mind. In my thoughts." He spoke aggressively, but he didn't yell. 

"He worked the spell on you?" I asked. He nodded. "Good! Good on Potter for defending himself! You crossed a line, Severus. I don't care what his father did or how much you hate him, or how much you resent Harry for something he doesn't even know about, you're acting like an immature brat! And don't you dare ever disrespect me in front of anyone like that again!" I ridiculed him. 

I, of course, was angry too. It seemed it was being passed around. 

"I didn't mean to speak that way to you, I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?" He said. All of his anger seemed to have been melted by the realization that he had made me angry for the first time. 

"Of course, I can forgive you, Severus." I ran a hand through my hair and approached him so that we were standing closer. "That doesn't excuse the fact that you crossed a line with Potter." 

"I know." 

"Then you be wise to not act that way again," I said.

"Understood." Said he. 

"Why did you kick me out?" I asked him. His hands had either intentionally or absent-mindedly found themselves around my waist.

"You had shielded me from getting into Potter's mind. I'm not sure how, you don't even seem to have realized you did it." 

"What does that mean though?" I asked. 

"It means you used your magic to put a barrier in his mind," Severus explained. 

"Is that... normal? Is that hard?" 

"It's something that normally, only very experienced witches and wizards could do." I looked down at these words. I was confused. What did that mean? 

Every time something like this happened I find myself asking that question. I was beginning to worry that there was something wrong with me. 

"There isn't anything wrong with you, my love. It appears you just have a lot of power when your emotions are high." Severus said. Of course, he had read my mind. 

"What is it that he saw, Sev? What made you so angry?" I asked. 

He didn't answer, and I looked back up at his eyes. He seemed to be thinking.

"Perhaps you'd like to try for yourself and see?" He tilted his head slightly. 

"I don't even... doesn't it take a while to get good at mind-reading?" 

"Potter was able to do it with only a rebounding spell, I'm sure you could. I shall make it easy for you anyways." 

I backed up and pulled my wand out, pointing it at Severus. It felt odd. 

"I've never used a spell on you though," I complained. 

"It won't hurt me." He said a light smile on his face. He was enjoying this, how funny. 

"Legilimens" 

A memory played of a teenage Sev, people laughing at him. Of course, my first impression was how handsome Severus was even back then, long before I was born. 

Severus was reading by the tree, it didn't take long for the marauders, primarily James Potter to come along and start poking fun at him, though it seemed more like torture to me. Something I'd expect Draco Malfoy to do to some poor first-year Hufflepuff.

"Prick." I had said before the connection broke. Coming out of it, from this end, was a lot less messy than the other. It felt as if I were only stepping out of his mind. 

"Every day for nearly all seven years," Severus said. 

"I suppose I can understand your harshness towards Potter then, not entirely, but enough."  

"You are right though, I went too far." Severus pulled me closer, embracing me. He rests his head on top of my own.

I rested my bead on his chest and closed my eyes. He played with my hair, I focused on his heartbeat and his breathing.

"I think that you were just overwhelmed tonight. I'm sure my presence and Potter's wasnt entirely a comforting atmosphere."

"You are right, shall we go to bed, little dove?"

"I had other ideas"