Chapter 3
"Okay, let's try again. I'm counting to three." Hermione announced.
Harry nodded and concentrated. He was determined to try and resist Hermione's intrusion this time.
"1, 2, 3 … Legilimens!"
The room blurred again in front of his eyes and Harry got lost in his memories.
It was Dudley's birthday, and Harry was lying in "his" cupboard under the stairs. He was hungry because he hadn't gotten anything to eat after the incident with the Boa Constrictor. And he was confused. He didn't understand what had happened today.
He was sitting in the small boat that brought the first years to Hogwarts, and was amazed when he saw the castle for the first time. He loved the impressive building at first sight, and was thrilled with the thought that it was going to be his home for the next seven years.
He was sitting in Umbridge's office, writing "I must not tell lies" over and over again until his hand was burning with pain. Then, the memory was replaced by a scene following this encounter. Harry could feel Hermione gently applying Essence of Murtlap on his hurting hand. He felt better immediately. Although, he didn't know if it was due to the cooling effect of the essence or due to Hermione's tender care.
Harry remembered his stomach doing somersaults when she gently stroked his hand, and he was glad that Hermione could only see his memories and not feel the effects her touch had on him. This thought brought him back to the present, and Harry remembered that he was supposed to perform Occlumency. He concentrated hard on shielding his mind from Hermione, but was surprised by the small amount of resistance Hermione offered him.
As soon as he made an attempt to resist, the sequence of memories stopped and the room took shape again. The first thing Harry noticed was Hermione sitting in front of him, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Well, that was easier then it was with Snape," Harry said, confused. "You didn't really resist me, Hermione. Why? Do you think I can't handle these lessons?" His voice betrayed his anger.
"No!" Hermione objected hastily. "I know you can handle this, Harry. You're the strongest person I know. It's just... I got a little distracted. I'm sorry."
The compliment calmed Harry and he looked at Hermione with a mixture of confusion and worry. "It's alright. But, why did you get distracted? Are you ok? I've never done this as a Legilimens, but it's probably quite exhausting to invade another person's mind."
Hermione smiled at Harry's concern. It was so typical him. He always thought of his friends first, no matter how exhausted he was.
"It's not half as exhausting as being the one whose mind is being invaded. I'm fine, I just got lost in our shared memories. I'm sorry, it won't happen again," she apologized again.
"Do you think you're up for another try or do you want a short break first?" Hermione asked, before Harry could deliberate the question why she had been so distracted by that particular memory.
"I'm good. Let's try again," Harry answered firmly. He wanted to finally learn this Occlumency thing properly, but that wasn't the only reason he wanted to continue. He wanted to occupy his mind instead of reminiscing about the feelings Hermione caring for his wounds had caused.
Hermione was going to ask Harry if he was sure that he was ready for a third go, but remained silent when she saw the 'I'm-determined-to-do-this' look on his face.
"Alright, we'll try one more time and then take a break, okay?"
Harry nodded his head in reluctant agreement.
Hermione raised her wand again and said: "Legilimens!"
He and Ron were sitting in their compartment on the Hogwarts express and Ron was trying to turn his rat yellow when a young witch with bushy hair entered. "Are you sure that is a real spell?" the girl asked before announcing that she had learned all their school books by heart, leaving Harry speechless.
"She's a nightmare!" Ron said, and Harry saw Hermione walking past them with tears in her eyes. He barely knew her then, but seeing her cry affected him more then he would have thought back then.
He saw Hermione entering the Great Hall after she had been petrified for months, and Harry felt happy and carefree for the first time since she had been petrified, when she ran towards him and threw her arms around him.
It was the day of the Yule Ball, and Harry couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Hermione enter the room. She was wearing a pretty festive cloak, her hair was soft and shiny and her eyes seemed to sparkle brighter than the stars on the magic ceiling of the Great Hall. Harry had never seen anything more beautiful.
It was their sixth year, and Gryffindor had just won the Quidditch cup. Hermione came to congratulate him and hugged him tight like she did each time they had won a game. This time was different though, because of the feelings Harry had developed for Hermione. The feeling of her body pressed against his sent his senses into overdrive. Fortunately, Hermione let go of him before she could notice his physical reaction to her closeness. He hurried to the locker rooms to take a cold shower ...
Harry was alarmed. He couldn't let Hermione see the rest of the memory. It would be embarrassing enough if she saw him naked taking a shower, but it would ruin their friendship beyond repair if she saw him in the shower desperately trying to get rid of the hard-on he had gotten from her hug. Harry did his best to resist Hermione's intrusion in his memories, but she gave him a hard time doing so, like she had promised earlier. Harry panicked, and without thinking he clenched his fingers around his wand and yelled "Protego!"
The room was blurring again, and Harry saw memories that weren't his own, although the scenes contained familiar people and places.
Hermione was sitting on a chair in the Great Hall, the sorting hat on her head, and Harry heard a familiar voice speaking. 'Well, that won't be an easy decision. You've a bright head on your shoulder, that's a sure thing, and you're studious. You're ambitious, and you can be quite cunning from time to time. You are a loyal friend, given the chance, and you have a heart willing to help the weaker ones. I see a lot of courage in you, too. Probably more than you're aware of. You're a tough case; I think all of the founders would have liked you. So, where do I put you, little lady?' Harry heard another familiar voice. 'Gryffindor! I want to be in Gryffindor! It's where Harry Potter will be; I'm sure. His parents were in Gryffindor, and he has to be a fighter if he survived Voldemort's curse. Please, put me in his house, he was really nice to me on the train, and I think we could become friends.'
Harry was surprised. Hermione wanted to be in Gryffindor because of him, even though she had barely known him. Maybe she had felt as lonely as he had before he came to Hogwarts.
She was flying with Harry on Buckbeak's back, her eyes shut, and she was clinging to him, burying her head on Harry's shoulder
Harry remembered this incident, and smiled at the memory of Hermione's death grip around his waist. She had been scared to death, but she didn't hesitate for a second to join him.
She was watching Harry fight against the dragon. She screamed in panic when she saw the creature spitting fire in Harry's direction.
For the first time, Harry saw his adventures with Hermione's eyes, and it made him fully realize how terrified she had always been when she saw him doing something dangerous. Harry felt slightly guilty for causing her so much worry during the past seven years.
Hermione was in a room Harry recognized as the prefects bathroom, wearing nothing but a light blue silk robe that only went to her knees. She bent down to test the temperature of the water and obviously found it satisfying, because she started to unfasten the belt of her robe.
Harry knew he should end the session now, before memory Hermione was fully undressed, but he wasn't capable of any action at the moment, he just stared in awe at the nearly naked Hermione.
Hermione discarded her robe, and Harry got a brief glimpse at her gorgeous body before she vanished in the bubble bath. Harry could only see her head. She swam a few rounds, and then rested against the side of the immense tub, reaching for a soft sponge at the edge. She started to wash herself and stretched a little so that Harry was able to see the onset of her perfectly rounded breasts. Harry felt himself begin to harden when Hermione started to run the sponge over said breasts.
That's enough! Harry told himself. He was acting like a voyeur and to make it worse he was doing that to Hermione! Harry felt ashamed and was about to lower his wand to stop the session when something memory-Hermione said, or rather sighed, caught his attention.
Hermione's eyes were now closed and she had finished washing her breasts. Her hands were now working lower, and Harry could only imagine where they were and what they were doing there. The thought was disturbing, but incredibly arousing. Memory-Hermione continued whatever it was she was doing and sighed softly: "Harry!" The object of her desire watched in awe as her face became more flushed and her breathing quickened while she moaned, and sighed his name again and again.
The room came into view again and Harry was surprised because he hadn't done anything. Then he saw Hermione sitting in front of him. She didn't meet his gaze, but Harry could see tears streaming down her cheeks. The sight broke his heart. He wanted to apologize for acting like a prick and not stopping the session sooner. He wanted to take her in his arms and tell her that she didn't have to feel embarrassed. He wanted to say that he felt the same way about her. Before Harry could do anything though Hermione stood up and fled the tent.