Harriet Potter 1

New strategy

"Close your eyes and clear your mind."

Harriet's eyelids drifted shut. The dungeon air was cool and she could feel goosebumps pebbling over her arms.

His dark voice swelled around her, a powerful caress "I want you to think of nothing,"

Harriet focused on the dark, the cool dungeon air, his scent of mingled herbs and parchment.

Harriet listened to his footfalls as he strode to stand behind the chair she was seated in.

Harriet struggled to keep her breathing even as she was deeply conscious of his presence behind her.

His dry chuckle sent a shock through her.

"So easily distracted, Potter."

She shivered. Somehow having her eyes closed made it feel more intimate. As though their usual hateful parrying only existed with her eyes open.

"I do have a first name you know, Professor."

"If I recall correctly, you rather liked it when my godson used your first name."

Harriet drew in a shuddering breath at the memory of Snape watching her remembered encounters with Malfoy.

"Forgive me if I do not want to be in the same category as him."

"Would that be such a bad thing?" Harriet dared.

Maybe she was imagining it but his voice seemed shaped by an ironic smile, "Perhaps in time you can tell me."

Was he saying what she thought he was saying?

"Now, Miss Potter, focus on a sense of nothingness."

"I- I can't."

For a moment he seemed to consider her response. "Perhaps you require some...motivation."

"But I am motivated for you not to see my memories!" Harriet exclaimed.

His voice was dry but Harriet knew instinctively that he was smirking. "Maybe that is what you think on a conscious level, but at a subconscious level, you seem rather... eager to share."

"I am not" she said quickly, her eyes popping open in indignation.

His dry palms slid over her face to cover her eyes, and she could feel the warmth of his chest as he stood behind her.

His breath brushed against the shell of her ear as he spoke "focus, Harriet."

She bit her lip to contain a whimper at the sound of her name on his tongue it was just her name, but in that voice, somehow it felt indecent. Her body was hot and her breath came hard.

"I want you to focus on the image of a wall."

Harriet pictured a wall in her mind, she struggled to focus. Wall, wall, wall!

"Now I want you to describe it to me."

Harriet's words tumbled out of her mouth "It's uh big? Yes, very big. And um, hard? Rock solid."

His voice was dangerously soft as he replied. "Miss Potter, are you quite sure that it is a wall you are picturing?"

"Well Professor, from my limited experience, that's exactly what walls look like" she shot back.

His voice in her ear seemed to purr "perhaps your experience of walls needs...broadening."

She could feel the smirk in his words as he spoke "well, Potter, since you seem unable to adequately describe a wall, I will do it for you. I want you to picture the wall exactly how I describe it. Do you understand?"

"Yes Sir."

"Picture a grey stone wall that goes as high as you can see. There are no gaps between the stones."

He took her hand in his, guiding it to the empty air in front of them. "Trace your fingers over it, can you feel the cold rough surface under your fingertips?"

For a moment Harriet could almost feel the stones. "Yes."

"Good girl" he purred.

Her breath caught in her chest and he slowly released her hand.

"This time when I attempt to penetrate I want you to picture the wall."

For a disjointed second Harriet imagined herself spreadeagled beneath him while trying to focus on the image of a wall as he pounded into her.

"Mmhhm okay, Sir."

"Legillimens!"