Please Be There If I Remember

Chapter Thirty-Two: Monopoly

A/n: Sorry for such a late update—I was without my laptop for a week due to vacation and, as much as I wanted to, was unable to work much on the story. Updates should go back to normal again, and I hope you enjoy the chapter because it has one of my favourite scenes in it :)

A week had passed since Draco met Luna in the library, and he made sure to wave to her just like he did with Haisley in the halls, watching how the girl's face lit up whenever he did. Draco would be lying if he said it wasn't his favourite part of his day.

He had finally found enough info on legilimency through small comments from Theo and hints he found around books, deciding it wouldn't hurt if he tried it on Potter. The least it could do was just not work, after all. (Which would be embarrassing enough in itself, but Draco didn't try to think about it too much.)

With this in mind, he slipped a note in Green Eyes' pocket just like he had those many days ago—albeit a lot more subtly than he had. At least Harry had the sense not to act too strange or surprised by it, but Draco could feel his stare boring into the back of his head as he carefully poured in the nettles into his bubbling cauldron.

When class ended, Draco strode past Harry and winked at him with a tap to his head to show that they were going to practise occlumency that night. Harry flushed a deep red that he almost missed as he briskly walked past, but he could see the boy as red as a tomato through the corner of his eye.

And if Snape stared at him conspicuously as he walked out, Draco didn't pay him any mind.

~*"*~

"Okay, I'm going to need you to breathe deeply and count to ten," Draco said to Harry who was sitting cross-legged across him on the green chair—he had quickly claimed the red again, much to Harry's obvious amusement.

He took a deep breath and Draco followed along, talking him through it.

"Inhale...pause...And Exhale," he said, and Harry did it dutifully, completely trusting Draco.

Apparently the session with Snape had been gruelling, and Draco was unable to glean much information about it as Harry got all defensive and closed off when he asked, changing the topic to something else.

Draco let it slide, but he didn't like the frown on Harry's face when he evaded the question like it almost hurt to think about it too much.

He didn't know Snape that well yet, but he did see how Green Eyes got treated in class by the professor and found it absolutely appalling that the Headmaster thought it would be a good idea for this professor—who literally hated his own student and wasn't afraid to show it—to allow him to enter his mind without any proper training first.

And he had the gall to say it was for the "greater good," as Harry eloquently put it, spouting spite into the words that the Headmaster had told him. Draco didn't miss the small red tint to his normally green eyes, though, when he said it, and he felt a tremor travel down his spine like a train along tracks, rumbling over his bones and sending his body into a chill at the look.

It almost reminded him of something. Something he wanted to forget.

Draco shook his head. He had enough forgetting already to last a lifetime—he didn't want to do anymore thank you very much.

"Okay, Harry. Shields up?" Draco asked Harry who opened his eyes to peer at Draco once more. "Also, remember that I've never done this before—so if I fail there will be absolutely no laughing, you hear?"

Harry laughed, effectively making that statement untrue, and ruining his supposed-to-be calm state. "Sure, but I don't doubt your abilities, Draco."

"Also," he added, trying not to blush, "if I pass your shields, I won't try to look through your head. Just attempt to push me out before your memories reach me. It's probably going to take a while for you to get it, though, so don't expect it to work on the first try."