Harry shrugged off Hermione’s open concern and Ron’s more tacit inquiries until Monday. ‘Occlumency,’ he muttered, about to leave.

‘Are you going to be okay?’ Hermione asked.

‘Well I don’t need you to come with me, if that’s what you mean.’ He watched as her expression changed to hurt. She looked close to tears. ‘That’s not what I meant. It wasn’t your fault.’

‘If we hadn’t...

‘It would have happened some other time. Probably in the heat of battle, so I should really be grateful.’ He smiled at her, then dashed back into the room, gave her a quick half-hug, and dashed out. She sniffed, and then left to find Ron and reassure him that his best friend wasn’t mad at him, despite appearances.

Severus watched his two students with apprehension. He had been observing them all week. Normally they tossed insults at each other casually, to ensure no one suspected anything. But lately... they weren’t that good at acting. Draco radiated anger with every movement. Harry looked more tired than angry, reverting to the near silence in class that had been his method of coping after he received Black’s will. Neither boy looked as though they had slept. And now he had to encourage them to violate each other’s minds. Someone was to blame for this. He chose Albus.

‘We’re going to try something different tonight,’ he said. ‘Power is one sign of mastery of this skill. Finesse, however, is equally if not more important. Especially for you.’ He looked at Draco.

‘Sir?’ he inquired politely.

‘Both of you are well equipped to prevent someone entering your mind. Nevertheless, there are still aspects to be improved upon. You, for example, should be able to block entry, subtly. So it doesn’t appear as though you are trying to hide anything. Do I make myself clear?’

‘Yes, Professor,’ Draco replied.

‘So the aim tonight is not to force entry. It is to allow the other person to refine their blocking. Understood?’ He looked at them both this time, hoping that would be enough to stave off any catastrophes tonight.

‘Yes,’ they responded together, expressions darkening a little at the synchronicity.

‘Good. Draco may try the Occlumency first.’

The boys faced each other. Harry gave Malfoy a moment to pull together his thoughts and then began the spell. It was an effort, after weeks of throwing all they had at each other, to prod gently. Harry held back as much as possible, feeling Malfoy’s attempts to make his mind slide off rather than be thrown back. He continued carefully poking at the holes in the other boy’s defences. Then there was one moment, perhaps he pushed too hard or perhaps Draco just wasn’t ready.

--A split second of pain and fear all focused on the looming presence of Lucius Malfoy--Harry pulled out quickly, about to mouth an apology to Malfoy. Draco didn’t give him the time.

‘Legilimens!’

This wasn’t careful, and it wasn’t anything to do with lessons or testing each other. Harry was unprepared and he was tired and if Draco wanted in that badly then so be it.

--‘This is your punishment for spreading evil, nasty, attention-seeking stories’ ‘So arrogant that criticism simply bounces off him.’‘Playing the hero’

‘Don’t you think you’ve got a bit of a – a – saving people thing?’

‘It seems fame isn’t everything.’

‘I expect you need to be up early for a photocall or something’

‘The “people” see me as either a hero, a tragic victim, or a delusional psychopath depending on what the Prophet said today.’

‘The great Harry Potter saving people once again!’ --Harry looked at Draco searchingly when he wrenched himself out. Then he turned and quietly left the room.

‘What did you do?’ Snape asked.

‘I pushed too hard.’

‘I know that. What did you do beforehand?’

‘What...’

‘I thought he had said something upsetting to you. It appears I had the story the wrong way round.’

Draco flared up. ‘He wants me to come to his little group of Gryffindors. Put on my white hat and join in the sing-a-longs.’

‘And your refusal upset him?’

‘Why are you assuming I’m at fault here? If he wouldn’t keep trying to be the saviour of the world nobody would accuse him of it.’

‘Is that what you said?’ Snape had risen to his full height and Draco couldn’t quite understand what about that last sentence had upset him so much.

‘I didn’t even say that much. I just told him to stop trying to save me.’

‘So you haven’t been speaking. Then he breaks into your mind, accidentally I should add, and comes right out. Whereupon you invade his head, stir up some very unpleasant memories, or rather, get a look at the unpleasant memories you stirred up. Harry leaves the room and you remain convinced that he is the one at fault here.’

‘Yes.’

‘What did you see?’

‘You. Me. His friends. Umbridge for some reason.’

‘Did you see Sirius Black? Or Cedric Diggory?’

‘No...’

‘That’s strange because they’re two of the people Harry was unable to save. And if you had broken into his mind as often as I have you would realise that they’re in the back of his mind constantly. Normally doing something ridiculous like blaming him for the fact they’re dead. I have spent a considerable amount of my valuable time trying to disabuse Mr Potter of the notion that he needs to be the saviour of anyone and in a week you have undone all my work.’

Draco watched him quietly. Snape waved a hand at him to leave.

‘Goodnight Professor.’

‘Goodnight, Draco.’

‘I wasn’t trying... ‘

‘I don’t imagine he was either.’