White Heather for Protection

Reality Check

Emerald eyes watched balefully as the two boys leaned closer to each other. Any closer and a certain Hufflepuff Prefect would be finding himself without hair overnight. Heather sighed into the book she was pretending to read. Her brother hadn't even noticed when she entered the library.

She'd been afraid of this. Hadrian and Cedric had been nigh inseparable since the Yule Ball. She had hardly been alone with Rian since. Even then, it was always 'Cedric this' and 'Cedric that'.

And no matter what Fred and George said, she was not sulking.

When Rian chuckled again, Heather shut her book with a huff and stood to leave. It was about time for her to meet Professor Snape anyway.

Even as she walked down the familiar path to the dungeons, her mind stayed stuck on the blissful scene she had just left.

Her logical mind told her that it was only natural for Hadrian to be a little fixated right now. It was his first relationship after all. She'd even encouraged him! Still, knowing all that didn't help her feelings. She had even glared at Cedric the other day for no reason at all! Not that she was feeling particularly charitable towards him at the moment. Still lost in her thoughts, she entered Professor Snape's office.

"Miss Potter, pay attention! I have better things to do with my time than to be stared at gormlessly by students," the man snapped.

Giving him a chastised look, she straightened and apologised. She couldn't afford to be distracted for these lessons. Her occlumentic shields might be coming along smoothly, but they still couldn't hold up against Professor Snape's attacks when she wasn't focussed. The full Legilimens attack was far from the earlier surface scans they had been practicing with.

Quick as a whip, he brandished his wand and incanted, "Legilimens!"

Heather's mind scrambled to shore up her defences against the piercing attack. Whether it was because of her earlier preoccupation or the Professor's irritation making his attack stronger, her shields crumbled after an admirable attempt at resistance.

She forced herself to stay calm and tried to exert pressure on the foreign presence in her mind, just like the book had explained. Then she noticed which of her memories was surfacing and paled drastically. She saw her four-year-old self being slapped because she had burnt the eggs. That was before she had properly learnt how to cook. Frantically, she tried to bury it with trivial thoughts and ramblings. Unfortunately, Professor Snape was adamant. Like a dam that had broken, snippets of life under the 'tender' care of the Dursleys started rushing across her mind's eye.

Shielding Hadrian from being pelted by stones.

Flinching because her sunburnt skin was being doused with high pressure hose water.

Passing the only piece of toast to Hadrian despite her aching hunger.

Being shoved back inside the cupboard. Again and again.

Then, to her horror, the most recent memory yet. Pinned to the wall. Hand circling her neck, gripping and choking. Sweaty palms running across her skin. Disgust and fear. The crippling fear.

'Only one good use for ya, whore.'

~~~

When the first memory came forth, Severus pressed his advantage, waiting to see if Heather would be able to push him out. It took a while for him to realise what he was seeing. He watched the flashing images in growing dread. He should stop, should pull out from her mind.

It was like an imminent broom wreck one couldn't resist watching.

He thought he had known about Heather's home life before now. She had told him about it herself. At the time, he had wished that what she said wasn't true. Now, he only wished it was. Frequent starvation and the occasional hit was the extent of what she'd mentioned. Her actual treatment at the hands of those mangy cur was much worse than that. They had systematically beaten her down physically, mentally and emotionally.