Snape looked up the moment Gilderoy entered, his expression already carrying that familiar suspicion, as if expecting him to ask for something without paying.
"How much for the ingredients from last time?" Gilderoy asked directly.
Snape narrowed his eyes slightly, clearly not expecting that.
Gilderoy placed the galleons down before he could respond.
Snape's gaze dropped to them, then rose back up just as slowly. For a brief moment, genuine surprise flickered across his face before he suppressed it.
"Don't worry," Gilderoy said, cheerfully noticing the reaction. "I've got money now."
And he did.
The tournament had taken care of that. Reaching the semifinals had brought in more than enough galleons.
Snape took the pouch, placing it into his drawer.
Gilderoy, though, didn't leave. Instead, he made a strange request—one that caught Snape off guard again, enough that he didn't even bother putting his usual mask back on
"Ahem… Severus," Gilderoy paused for dramatic effect, "could you teach me Occlumency and Legilimency?"
Snape's reaction was immediate, his posture tightening as if he might reach for his wand.
"Who told you that I know Occlumancy and Legilimency?" he asked his voice almost a hiss.
"I have my sources, but I won't reveal them," Gilderoy replied cheerfully, noticing the shock on Snape's face. "I will pay you for each session, though, so don't worry."
That made Snape pause.
Not the secrecy, that only made things worse—but the persistence behind it. Snape studied him in silence, clearly weighing his options, and more importantly, judging how much of a problem Gilderoy would become if he refused.
Because refusal wouldn't end it. Gilderoy would come back.
Again and again.
"I want fifty galleons for all sessions," Snape said at last, looking at Gilderoy as if he expected him to refuse.
Gilderoy hesitated at the astronomical sum but still nodded.
"Alright… you got it."
Snape allowed himself a faint smirk, the expression brief but unmistakable.
"However," he continued, his gaze sharpening again as it settled on Gilderoy, "After we are done, we will establish a safeguard."
"A safeguard?"
"A Fidelius Charm," Snape said smoothly. "Anything we see within each other's minds during these sessions will remain protected. Neither of us will be able to reveal it unless permitted by the other."
That actually surprised Gilderoy.
"We can use a Fidelius for that?"
Snape's smirk widened slightly.
"Yes we can. Why, Lockhart?" he asked, voice laced with quiet amusement. "Are you afraid?"
Gilderoy paused for a fraction of a second.
"Whoa… I just found a way to tell Amelia and others about my original world," the thought crossed his mind instantly. "Maybe not now… but later."
Outwardly, he shrugged. "Not really."
"We can begin now if you have the time," he said. "We will start with Occlumency."
Gilderoy sat on the stool in front of him while Snape remained standing.
"The art of Occlumency," Snape began, "is the control of your own mind. You must suppress your emotions, clear your thoughts, or, if necessary, create false ones to mislead an intruder."
Gilderoy listened carefully.
"Focus. I will attempt to penetrate your mind, and you will attempt to resist," Snape instructed, raising his wand.
"Legilimens."
Gilderoy felt Snape pushing into his mind, searching through his recent memories, trying to latch onto anything clear enough to follow.
Gilderoy reacted instinctively.
The memories Snape tried to grasp blurred like those in certain anime, losing clarity the moment he tried to observe them more closely, turning indistinct and difficult to follow.
For brief moments, Gilderoy even managed to quiet his thoughts entirely, leaving nothing for Snape to read.
Snape pulled back sooner than he had expected.
He studied Gilderoy with a different expression this time.
"Have you practiced this before?" Snape asked.
Gilderoy shook his head. "No."
Snape didn't look convinced, but he strangely didn't press the matter further.
Internally, Gilderoy considered the reason for a moment.
"Maybe it's because I'm an Animagus and I have better control over my mind and awareness."
"You resisted longer and better than expected," he said. "Most would not last even a second."
Gilderoy gave a small smirk. "I'll take that."
"You need only few sessions on occlumency considering your progress," Snape said.
There was a brief pause before Snape added, "It is late. We will practice Legilimency another day."
Gilderoy stood up, brushing off his robes slightly as he did. "Alright, Snape… please cast the Fidelius now as we agreed."
Snape's eyes narrowed just a fraction as he regarded him, then he asked for the keyword to bind the secret, his tone neutral but precise.
Gilderoy didn't hesitate. "Learning"
Snape gave a small nod, and the two of them raised their wands, casting the charm together, Gilderoy repeating the latin phrase exactly as Snape instructed.
Fideliorum sigillum, secretum ligatur Learning
It wasn't visible, there was no flash or outward sign, but Gilderoy felt it all the same—a subtle shift in the air, like something intangible snapping into place, sealing what had just been shared beyond reach.
Snape lowered his wand.
"It is done."
Gilderoy nodded and cheerfully patted Snape's back "Well then, friend, looking forward to our next session."
He turned and left, giving a brief wave over his shoulder as he did.
Snape watched him go, his face unpleasant at Gilderoy's friendly pat and his cheery goodbye, but he strangely did not mind Gilderoy's company, and maybe that was the reason he had agreed to teach Gilderoy.
---
Thank you for giving me stones last time ❤️
We reached numbers I honestly couldn't even believe, and it helped me more than I can say. If you enjoyed the story, please consider supporting again this time too.
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