Another update for my audience...
This chapter did not take me as far as I had anticipated, so consequently there will be another before Severus is back to himself. But if you are a fan of the angst, like me, then you won't mind too much.
Just a quick note about healing spells and potions. I gather from canon that there is a wide variance when it comes to healing times or being able to heal an ailment at all... please apply this logic to this fic, or any of my fics quite honestly. i.e assume broken bones can be healed instantly, but bruises and tissue damage might take longer, and might require a potion rather than a spell. And as I personally don't feel it is believable, there is not a way to 'spell' a potion into an unconscious/sleeping person's stomach.
We last left Severus agreeing to let Aries help him to get to the castle... let's see how it goes...
Oh, and it should go without saying, but I will say it anyway - PLEASE REVIEW!
Chapter 9 - Debrief
Severus needed assistance to get to his feet, which he tolerated merely out of practicality, but as soon as he was stable, he pulled away from the blonde girl supporting him with a staggered backwards step.
'Merlin, I feel sick,' he thought; his stomach cramping in time to his laboured breaths.
He closed his eyes momentarily, getting a grip on himself; gathering his determination.
"Do you want me to conjure a stretcher?" Aries offered in a quiet, slightly hesitant voice. "It's just that I don't think you ought to be walking. You really don't look very well."
"I'll walk," he replied with finality. Though the gasping of his breaths undermined the authoritative tone he'd been hoping to achieve.
"Sir, please…" the girl began, but Severus didn't hear any more of what she had to say, he was instantly overcome by a coughing fit.
The dreadful hacking and immense agony gouging deep into his chest blocked out everything else around him. When he was finally able to focus again he noted that Aries had apparently caught him and was supporting him again. He also noticed the stretcher, which had certainly not been there before, resting on the snow in front of them; she was guiding him toward it. In his desperation and distress he resisted.
"I don't want to lie down," Severus told her with a rough gasp. He just did not want to be placed in any such submissive position right now. It bore too much resemblance to the circumstances under which the pinnacle of tonight's events had occurred.
"I suspect you have a punctured a lung, Professor… you've coughed up blood… it's frothy," she explained, indicating toward his mouth. "You have to lie still," she insisted further.
He didn't really have the strength to resist more defiantly and he felt himself being led closer to the frame anyway. He swiftly lost the desire to be disagreeable as he recognised this as his only option when he felt a strand of warm fluid drip from his lip and happen to splash onto his icy hand. They paused and the girl deftly levitated the stretcher into the air, helped him sit on the edge and ease the rest of his body onto it. When he lay back he was surprised to find the head of the makeshift bed was raised to support his back so he was only reclined a little.
"See, you're not lying down… you're only sitting," Aries Cootes offered, a small amount of amusement evident in her tone, but he did not respond to her.
As he settled himself on the platform he made a small sigh of relief and he allowed the sense of appreciation for the persistent nature of the girl to swell. She may very well have saved his life tonight, he thought, taking stock of his many aches and pains and the harsh shivering that gripped his entire body. Though he did wonder very briefly why she'd come all the way out into the freezing grounds to the gates by herself instead of alerting one of his colleagues.
Had Severus not been feeling quite so bad he might have lectured her on her pitiable prudence, but currently he was just thankful he was receiving any kind of assistance.
For the most part Severus ignored the girl as she trekked up the road to the castle doors guiding his stretcher beside her. He instead attempted to rest and shut out his suffering. He made an effort to support his ribs with an arm wrapped firmly around his middle with some success, but the sickening memories that intermittently pushed at his consciousness still tormented him.
In this position he suddenly became aware that his trousers had moved quite a way down lower over his hips. The clasp had broken during the assault and he'd merely been relying on the zipper to keep them up, however it had worked its way down at some stage and was barely keeping the garment on him any longer. He could feel that if he stood upright again now he would most likely lose them down legs: a humiliating predicament he certainly did not wish to suffer at the moment on top of all else. With a disconcerted frown he reached down and grabbed a fistful of fabric to hitch them up, but it was a futile exercise whilst he was in a sitting position. He soon gave up with a hiss of pain and a disheartened sigh.
"Are you okay?" the girl's voice sounded from alongside him. "Do you need me to help with… something?" she asked. Severus turned his face to her and caught her gazing questioningly toward the vicinity of the cause of his quandary.
"No!" he snapped, heat collecting in his cheeks and the mortification of earlier that evening flooding back into his core with a rush. She flicked her eyes to his, and Severus felt sure it would not be long before the girl garnered some kind of understanding out of what she was seeing; from what he was undoubtedly exhibiting through his behaviour.
Unable to bare her probing scrutiny he dipped his head, allowing his hair to curtain his face. But it wasn't enough, he still felt vulnerable and open; his hand itched to reach up and cover his face, though he just barely resisted the urge. Instead he held his closed fist against his lips and momentarily feigned that his nausea was a little worse than it really was.
There was a very conspicuous, silent pause from the student levitating him along the road, and Severus couldn't help but wonder what the girl had made out of the extraordinary manifestation of his distress. He was undeniably way out of control of his own reactions; that was certain... and it was quite bizarre that he was so aware of it, though could barely do anything to reign himself in.
"Well, we're almost there… I'll get someone else," Miss Cootes said concisely, though her underlying uncertainty and curiosity were more than obvious in her tone. Severus confirmed her claim when he lifted his chin a little, spying the monumental stone building with its large wooden doors ahead in the darkness.
Severus didn't know whether to feel relief or all the more anxious; Dumbledore would indubitably be able to read him like a book tonight, and he couldn't hide any of his emotions or reactions. And to be honest, Severus didn't know whether he wanted to or not; Dumbledore was the only one who already knew the whys and whos and he was also the only person Severus could truly let his walls down entirely and safely with if he so chose. If nothing else, perhaps the Headmaster might understand that Severus needed peace and quiet to master his emotions again… he had the power to keep all and everyone else at bay.
The castle doors opened up ahead of the pair, and the warm air wafted over Severus from within. He could barely wait to feel warm and comfortable again.
The girl was heading toward the staircase, evidently intent on delivering him straight to the infirmary. But Severus had no desire to visit the school Matron.
"Here is fine," he said, his voice soft and void of his usual authority, to his disgust.
"I can take you all the way to Madam Pomfrey, Sir-"
"I said here was fine!" he bit out with more insistence, making to push himself from the floating platform whether she halted its movement or not.
She thankfully stopped her advance and faced him in bewilderment, but after only a moment complied with his request and lowered the stretcher to allow him to slide off the side more easily.
Severus was aware of the girl watching closely as he levered himself to his feet, making sure he had a firm hold on his loose britches as he did so. She stepped closer to him as he proved how unsteady he was on his feet; swaying dangerously. She grasped him securely by his elbow and assisted him to make the few steps toward the stone wall where she helped him lower himself carefully to his knees and lean his shoulder against the cold, solid surface.
"Should I fetch her?" she asked unsurely.
"No… get Dumbledore," Severus hissed his reply, grimacing and groaning slightly as his ribs pinched painfully at his side.
She nodded obediently without another word, evidently wanting to please him because of their earlier confrontation, and paused only a few moments to transfigure the stretcher into a warm blanket and draped it over his shivering body before she bolted away up the staircase.
Once she was out of sight Severus closed his eyes, grateful the girl had done what she'd promised. He swallowed down a sob of distress, suddenly very near the extremity of his tolerance and endurance.
'Just a little longer,' he told himself firmly, refusing to allow the volatile emotions to escape. He forced his mind to focus on an imaginary white wall, shutting all other thoughts down as a defensive tactic.
S.S.
It seemed like no time at all had passed when he was gently shaken by the shoulder. Severus opened his eyes to discover the Headmaster leaning worriedly over him. He hadn't realised it, but he had dozed lightly while propped against the wall deep in meditation.
"Severus?" the old man questioned him gently.
"Albus," he replied weakly, shifting slightly and grimacing as a result.
"Remain still, my boy, Poppy is on her way… Miss Cootes has gone to fetch her as we speak," Dumbledore explained.
"But-" Severus began in opposition, but Dumbledore raised his hand to refute any argument.
"There is no time to enlist the assistance of another, Severus… you appear to be injured rather seriously, and I will feel far more at ease to have you looked over by the school nurse rather than wait and risk further complications."
Severus sighed silently, glad to hand control of these decisions over to another… one whose judgement he trusted.
"However, just so we understand one another, you were attacked sourcing rare potions ingredients for your upcoming seventh year classes in Knockturn Alley this evening, with both my knowledge and consent, am I right?" the older wizard suggested cleverly, raising a questioning eyebrow over a meaningful gaze.
Severus nodded. "Yes, I understand," he replied softly, knowing exactly what the old man was getting at. Poppy Pomfrey, although a trusted member of the Hogwarts staff and an exceptionally upstanding Wizarding citizen, was not a member of the Order of the Phoenix, and was not privy to Severus' clandestine affairs as a spy – which ironically he appeared to be so for either side of this conflict. Poppy was indubitably out of the loop.
"And we can debrief when you are feeling more comfortable, alright?" the Headmaster added, sending the injured man a further inquiring look.
The dark man nodded again, "There's nothing urgent to tell," Severus responded succinctly, shaking his head, assuring his colleague he had no information of imminent plans to impart that the older man need be concerned about. He closed and screwed up his eyes and actually gulped as a sharp pain lanced across his torso. Even small movements now were causing him considerable grief.
"Good. And Poppy will have you feeling much better in no time," Dumbledore assured giving the dark man a gentle squeeze on the shoulder. The remark was made rather flippantly in Severus' opinion; he doubted his injured state would present the Matron with a swift undertaking as the Headmaster seemed to suggest.
As if summoned by mere thought the Medi-witch chose that moment to fly down the stairs toward the injured man.
"How is he?" she asked of the Headmaster.
"Alert and lucid, Poppy… though very much in agony if I am not mistaken," he replied immediately. "It seems highly likely there is at least one broken rib which appears to have pierced a lung."
Poppy nodded attentively, and swiftly took Dumbledore's place at Severus' side, beginning her own assessment of her patient's condition. In a short time the both of them had stabilised the man and were ready to transport him up to the infirmary upon another conjured stretcher. At one point Dumbledore had needed to heft and secure the dark man's trousers back into position for him, earning Severus a questioning and uneasy glance, but nothing more was made of it at that point.
Severus was now resting with his eyes shut upon the floating platform, forced into a prone position by the fussing Medi-witch despite his protestation, however he easily heard the Headmaster greet the Slytherin prefect, Warrington, who had apparently suddenly appeared off to his right in the direction of the dungeon corridor.
"What are you doing out of your common room, Mr Warrington?" Dumbledore asked. "It is far too late for the need for prefects to be patrolling."
"Er…" Warrington intoned, evidently distracted by the sight of his obviously injured, former Head of House laid out on a stretcher in front of him. "What happened?" the boy asked, both curiosity and concern colouring his tone.
"Nothing for you be concerned about, Madam Pomfrey has the situation well in hand. Professor Snape will be fine. Now, what was it that you needed?" the Headmaster prompted the teen.
"Um… the other seventh year girls told me that Aries Cootes is missing from the dorm, Sir… I was just on my way to inform Madam Hooch," the boy answered.
"Ah," Dumbledore intoned, nodding his understanding, but doing some very quick thinking.
Completely unaware of the Headmaster's intention or desire to keep Miss Cootes' involvement in any of Professor Snape's affairs overlooked, Madam Pomfrey unfortunately responded to the prefect before he was able to invent and share an alternative, plausible truth.
"Aries has been helping us with Professor Snape, Charles, and she is currently safely in the infirmary, so back off to bed with you," she answered in her usual abrupt manner, gesturing for the boy to return the way he had come and beginning to guide the laden stretcher up the staircase.
Unable to halt the Medi-witches' enlightenment before the pertinent details had already been imparted, Dumbledore had no choice but to not make a greater deal of it; simply hoping that Mr Warrington might never gleam any remarkable connection between his teacher and fellow seventh year student.
However, upon seeing an unsettling comprehending expression cross the boy's features Dumbledore worried that a small amount of damage had already been done.
"You heard the Matron, Mr Warrington… back to the dungeons, off you go," he prompted.
"Ah… yes, Sir," the teen stammered, before swiftly turning and doing what he was told.
Having heard the exchange, Severus swore quietly to himself, knowing the implications as well as Dumbledore did. And in fact he knew the inadvertent slip was potentially far more damaging than the old man even realised, for the Headmaster was not yet aware of what Draco Malfoy had somehow discovered and imparted to his dear father and consequently the Dark Lord himself… but Merlin knew who else the brat had bragged to.
Nevertheless, Severus let the worries slide away as the stretcher bobbed along with him balanced on top; he was hardly in any position to do anything about it now. He would deal with whatever complications it brought when he was feeling better.
Once the Professor had been lowered onto a bed in the infirmary Madam Pomfrey set to work to treat the most obvious and serious of his injuries. He'd caught a glimpse of Miss Cootes on the way in through the doors, but as soon as the curtains were drawn around his bed he quickly put her presence from his mind; dealing instead with the excess pain caused by Poppy's probing examination and the overwhelming sense of vulnerability his ordeal had made him feel having her encroach so closely on his personal space, pinnacled by the removal or unfastening of some of his attire.
On the other side of the curtain, Dumbledore approached Miss Cootes.
"Madam Pomfrey asked me to see to the scratch on your chin, my dear," he said, tilting his head seeking permission.
Aries frowned in confusion, lifting her hand to her chin to explore what the Headmaster had meant.
"My chin?" she asked, perplexed, but she immediately found a tender spot she hadn't even noticed was there.
"Don't touch… I will be able to apply a potion to help it heal quickly," Albus said, pushing her hand down and away. "What happened?" he inquired, summoning the appropriate jar from the Matron's store room.
"Um… I'm not sure… Professor Snape must have caught me when he shoved me away. I didn't even realise," she said, quite surprised and puzzled. "He was really distraught; something awful has happened to him… he didn't seem to want to be touched at all… I don't think it was just me," she explained, rambling a little as a result of her own turmoil.
Slightly troubled by what Aries Cootes was illuminating of Severus' behaviour, and her own evident distress because of it, Dumbledore reached out a comforting hand to her shoulder, from which she instantly flinched a little with a slight grimace.
Concerned, he questioned her. "Are you hurt elsewhere?" he said with a small frown, retracting his hand.
"Um… it's just a small bruise… I'm okay. It's not his fault, he didn't mean it; he's… not himself I don't think," she expressed quietly, her own anxiety for her teacher more than evident.
Albus nodded, indicating he'd heard her concerns. "Professor Snape will be fine, Aries, don't worry yourself. Now, come on, we best get you all fixed up and off to bed… it's rather late."
With her aid the Headmaster had her scratched chin smeared with healing potion, and her bruise infused with bruise salve in a timely manner. He provided her with her own small supply for reapplication over the next couple of days and sent her on her way.
But before she had made it out the door he stopped her.
"Oh, and Miss Cootes…"
"Yes, Sir," she answered, turning to face her elderly Headmaster.
"We'll need to have a chat about what you were doing out of your common room at this time of night. And not to mention how and why it was you that happened to come across Professor Snape injured," he added meaningfully.
Aries took a few quick steps back toward her Headmaster, her expression alarmed. "Professor Dumbledore, it's not what you think, honest… I had Astronomy earlier-"
"Later," Albus said firmly, holding up a hand to halt her defence. "We'll talk about it later, Aries, it's late." In all honesty he was quite worried about Severus and this was a task that would wait. He again sent her on her way, bidding her a good night.
She nodded, "Goodnight, Sir," she replied, and left promptly.
When she was out of sight he joined Madam Pomfrey at Severus' bedside. The young professor appeared to be resting comfortably and Albus gazed at him anxiously for a few moments before addressing the Matron.
"He's asleep?" he asked, to which the Medi-witch nodded. "How is he?"
She was still busy working her healing magic, but it did not prevent her from answering the concerned Headmaster.
"His injuries will heal completely with time," she offered, and Dumbledore nodded appreciatively. "All this damage you see was inflicted the Muggle way, did you realise?" she added, "not a scrap of magic used against him by the looks."
Albus was surprised at the news. He badly wanted to ask if Poppy suspected Muggles of perpetrating this offence against him, but his discretion for Severus' position as spy and prior knowledge that the dark man had indeed been summoned this evening had him hold his tongue – the less the Matron considered Severus' misfortune the better. Besides, he would get the full and accurate account from the man himself in mere hours at most when he woke.
"I see," he said, out of pure politeness to acknowledge the Medi-witch. "What have you given him?" he asked, indicating to the empty phials sitting on the bed-side table.
"Pain-reliever and Dreamless Sleep, and for once he didn't complain about having to remain here," Poppy replied with a degree of humour. "Ordinarily he is clamoring to get back down to his own rooms, even when he's quite unwell – he must be feeling extraordinarily bad not to argue this time."
"Hmm…" Dumbledore sounded, contemplatively, "Yes, well Miss Cootes also suggested he didn't seem himself when she found him. Did you discover anything unusual that might explain that during your examination?" he asked on a whim.
The woman became somber instantly, swallowed and hesitated before she answered. "I think that might be something you'd best talk to him about directly. It's just that he was asleep before I discovered… well, a concerning symptom, so I've not had a chance to discuss what I found with him; though it is my suspicion that he may not want to talk about it at all…" she added at a murmur.
The Matron looked as though she wanted to say more, but it was evident she didn't feel at liberty to do so without the injured Professor's permission; and in fact appeared guilty enough at what she had divulged.
Many scenarios immediately ran through Dumbledore's head, each more horrific than the last, taking into account the report of Severus' apparent odd behaviour; not wanting to be touched, Poppy's reaction, the broken clasp on the man's trousers, the Muggle style beating, and the summons by Lord Voldemort who certainly held no aversion or reluctance to exact acts of perversion or cruelty - and together they did not bode well. His stomach swooped in anxious trepidation at what the lad might have had to endure.
'Though with what motive?' he thought, at a loss. If Voldemort had indeed inflicted this brutal 'punishment' upon his spy, Dumbledore truly had no clue as to the reason why; what transgression had Severus committed?
Dumbledore just watched for the next ten to fifteen minutes whilst the school's Medi-witch worked her healing spells on the injured wizard, noting how the man displayed more and more evidence of ease as she went on despite the fact that he was asleep.
Lastly the woman summoned another large bottle filled with orange potion and set it upon the side table with a small glass.
"I don't really want to disturb him," she said, gazing at the sleeping man with a reluctant expression, "but he needs to take a dose of tissue regeneration draught as soon as possible – it will help with the repair to the damaged internal organs."
"Let him rest a little longer… I'm sure up to another hour won't hurt too much," Dumbledore suggested to the fussing Medi-witch. "And before you even think about settling yourself in to wait…" he began, raising a meaningful eyebrow at the ordinarily overly diligent woman who was indeed about to take a seat until he'd spoken, "I'll sit with him… you go off to bed. I will ensure he has taken his medicine by the appropriate time," he offered.
Poppy looked surprised at the offer, but soon expressed her gratitude. The students would inevitably ensure she was kept as busy tomorrow as every other day cursing and experimenting on one another, and the Medi-witch was grateful to be able to get sufficient rest to deal with the daily mayhem. After doing one final check upon her patient she left promptly for bed, leaving the old Headmaster to settle himself next to his spy's bed, satisfied the young man was out of danger, but still troubled by what had transpired at Lord Voldemort's meeting and why.
Because of the Sleeping draught Severus had taken, he had needed to be woken approximately an hour later to swallow the dose of orange potion. Dumbledore assisted him to rise a little so as not to spill the thick brew all over his chest, but instead of lowering the Potions Master back to the bed, the older wizard used his wand to raise the head so the dark man was resting in a sitting position once more.
Severus was feeling a little under the weather still, despite Madam Pomfrey's efforts, but knew that he had to have this conversation with the Headmaster no matter how much he wanted to avoid it.
Still, the dark man made no move to begin the dialogue, so Albus gently offered him a small nudge by asking, "How are you feeling?"
"A little better…" The man fell silent once more, so Dumbledore pushed a little harder.
"What happened?" he asked, coming straight to the point. He knew that Severus most often appreciated the direct approach.
Severus let out a small, ironic chuckle, clutching at his injured side with a short gasp as a result. Although the bones had been healed, and he'd taken a measure of Pain-Reliever, severe bruising and internal damage remained enough for him to feel the damage.
Dumbledore resisted the urge to remind his young colleague to take it easy.
"He knows of the incident between Miss Cootes and myself," Severus provided somberly, all the sarcastic mirth now wiped from his demeanour. "This," he continued, working hard to control the shudder in his voice and gesturing to the evidence of the beating, "was both punishment and a warning… and also a message to you, quite probably."
The older man noticed a trace of something he could barely identify in the younger wizard's voice when he explained, but instinctively he knew it was significant.
"Oh?" Dumbledore inquired.
"Apparently the Dark Lord did not find your punishment… satisfactory," he elucidated.
"Ah," Albus replied, nodding. After a short pause Dumbledore asked. "Did he do it himself?"
Severus shook his head.
Albus was not surprised, "No, hardly," he agreed. "So, who else was involved?"
Severus closed his eyes and dipped his head; this was inching close to the heart of his trauma, dredging up the memories to the forefront of his mind.
"Mulciber. Avery. Nott. Lucius, though he did not participate. Walden Macnair and…" here Severus halted, deciding whether to even mention the Werewolf or not. His presence was of no consequence really; the creature was no Death Eater, he'd been invited for one purpose only. But still, he was now privy to some very potentially damaging information about Severus.
"And…?" prompted Dumbledore.
"Fenrir Greyback," he said, almost involuntarily; making him recognise that somewhere inside he really wanted Dumbledore to know… so he might receive any form of comfort or support from someone who understood what he'd been through.
"Greyback?" the Headmaster repeated slowly, clearly considering the implications of the non-Death Eater having been included in the assembly… especially now he had been made aware of what the 'punishment' was in aid of.
Severus lifted his head to see the older man's reaction. He was staring at Severus with an intense gaze, and Severus stared right back, willing the wise, old wizard to come to the right conclusion so he might not have to say it aloud himself.
After several moments it became too much, and the dark man lowered his chin again to stare at the covers resting over his legs.
"Severus…" the old man said softly. But the dark man did not look up again.
Albus continued regardless. "I noticed your… trouser clasp had been broken," he said, forming the sentence as a statement and not a question; and Severus felt himself begin to shiver slightly again. He closed his eyes as his breaths shallowed and sped up; several recent, sickening images bombarded him.
"Tell me, lad… were you raped?"
How took a shuddering, gasping breath in, not prepared for the degrading term Dumbledore had used to describe what had been done to him. He himself hadn't yet put a name to it.
He took a breath in, wishing and waiting for the word to spill from him automatically as the Werewolf's name had before, but he was not so fortunate. This time he had to force the sound past his lips.
"Yes…" he whispered, ashamed, humiliated, mortified all over again.
