Chapter Eleven: After the Battle:

Taylor woke up in cat form on top of her husband under a blanket warm and comfortable she yawned and stretched and wanted to stay under the blanket on her husband she was so very comfortable. Yet the smells of cooking came to her and she got up as Mr. Taylor woke and smiled at her. She got up from the couch she had fallen asleep on at Grimmauld place with Mr. Taylor waiting for Severus to come back. A night and day had passed and she waited here with her husband for Severus to come back. She headed down stairs to dinner and was just tucking into her bowl of stew when Severus showed up. He looked terrible, his robes were missing quite a few buttons as was his shirt exposing his chest showing quite a few bruises and cuts. He had a massive black eye and half the side of his face was black and blue. He looked tired and limped to a seat, took out a small vial, grabbed a spoon and a glass, put water and the powder in the water, stirred it and drank it down.

"What the hell happened to you?" Taylor asked Severus.

"Deloris managed to upset the Centaur herd and when I came to rescue her they took their frustration out on me." Severus replied.

"Oh I am sorry, they didn't whip you did they?" Taylor asked knowing the centaurs had that right on their lands.

"They were going to but they saw my dark mark and instead were going to burn me at the stake." Severus replied, "If not for lady Celia the headmaster would be finding a new potions master. As it was Deloris was unharmed, she is a bit scared of the centaurs now but she was not hurt. They did feed us at least and it was good that Dumbledore was able to get us quickly."

" So what took you so long?" Taylor asked.

"I was summoned as soon as I got out of the forest, the dark lord was not happy, though my state did calm him and he only tortured me for a few hours. He let me go just now, it seemed that Lucius getting the prophecy to him curbed his anger."

"You act as if torture is a game Severus!" Molly said coming in setting a bowl of stew before him. "You cannot enjoy the pain he puts you through!"

"If all goes well I will not have to do so much longer." Severus said tucking into the stew. "I am alright, I still have all my fingers and toes and a bit of pain is worth helping bring him down believe me."

"You will eat then I will tend to you." Molly said getting him some bread.

"I will be fine, a bath and…."

"I will have Poppy come and get you." Molly said.

"Fine, you win." Severus said muttering "medaling old harpy."

He tucked into the bowl of stew and ate well, the powder he had taken was ground ginger root that calmed his stomach so he could get the food he needed after a round of torture from Voldemort. Severus did not enjoy torture, far from it but he took it in stride. After all he knew what he was getting into and he felt he deserved to hurt and suffer after all he had done. He refused to believe that others saw good in him because he knew he was an evil ugly man and… He glared up at Taylor who was looking at him with concern, great another bloody woman to fawn over him and henpeck at him! He went back to his stew and polished off the bowl of stew then went for another eating along with it half a loaf of fresh bread with fresh butter. Sirius came in along with Remus and the headmaster.

"What happened to you?" Sirius said as he saw how battered Severus was.

"Oh well I was in the Forbidden forest wooing a centaur filly." Severus said smirking.

"What?" Sirius said not sure if he had heard that right.

"Wooing, well a bit more the foreplay was rough but the sex well worth it." Severus said causing Dumbledore to choke on his tea.

"Well um that was a bit more than I wanted to know." Remus said.

"Well I may not have had human sex but doggy…"

"Okay that really needs to stop now, I doubt the headmaster wishes to hear how you guys spend your free time imagined or not." Taylor said.

"Fine, but speaking of perverts." Severus said as Moody slumped into the dining room.

"Shut it you insolent brat!" Moody growled at Severus then seeing the damage on him, "ye finally get in trouble fer that mouth of yers boy?"

"No I had to rescue Deloris, she upset the centaurs." Severus said.

"If you are finished eating Severus we need to take care of you." Molly said from the doorway and as he glared at her she barked out "now young man!"

"I am fine Molly and I think I could eat more…"

"Mary would you help him up?" Molly said sweetly, "I don't think he wants to get up on his own."

Taylor looked as if that was the last thing she wanted to do and Severus rose and walked out the door. He glared at Sirius who was smirking at him and followed Molly to the kitchen. Unfortunately Moody had followed Taylor into the room and Severus was not impressed. Moody wanted to help, he didn't like seeing anyone hurt like this from personal experience and he did respect in his own way what Severus was doing for the cause. Moody had interrogated Severus long ago but he had never tortured him, kept him in line but he had not tortured him. Still Severus did not want him around him as he was sure Moody had an ulterior motive for wanting to help him, he was after all just as Slytherin as he was.

"Need help wi' him?" Moody asked Poppy just as she came out of the floo.

"No he will be a good boy." Poppy said.

"I am right here you know." Severus snarled. "Why don't you go and amuse yourself terrifying people with your face?"

"Severus you apologize right now!" Molly said appalled Severus would say something like that.

"It's alright, at least I don't wash my hair with axel grease!" Moody shot at Severus.

"Pervert."

"Vampire."

"Auror a---"

"Stop it both of you!" Molly snapped.

"You want me to leave?" Taylor asked.

"No you can take pictures as I know you want to." Severus said silkily as he began to remove his clothing.

"Well if I was not married let's say you and me and a few hours…"

"Mary that is not appropriate!" Molly said.

Severus normally was very modest but as he was hurting badly he did want the care that could be given. He got on the table clad only in his black undershorts and the women here saw he was covered in bruises and Poppy frowned when she scanned Severus and found several broken ribs. She healed those up quickly then with Molly's help she healed up the rest of his wounds. He gave Taylor a full report of what had happened as he was going to be out for a few hours and she could relay this to the headmaster who was clearly not allowed around Severus when he was being healed up. Poppy was not happy Moody was here even but Moody was not going to leave. Taylor was glad to see that Severus was well built under his robes, he was still lean but had knotted muscles under his pale skin and very few scars. He kept trying to hide his dark mark and Taylor made a point not to look at it as it made him uncomfortable.

"So Severus how did Voldemort take getting his gift?" Taylor asked.

"I am still alive so he is not too upset and I believe I gave him a shock when I came in after the headmaster rescued Deloris and I from the Forbidden Forest." Severus smirked, "he cursed me then asked me where I had been so I told him."

"How did he take that."

"Thought it was funny." Severus replied.

"What an ass." Taylor said.

"I agree." Poppy said finally finishing up with Severus. "Now Severus you have two choices, you can come with me and stay in the hospital wing or you can stay here tonight to make sure you are alight."

"Fine I will stay here." Severus said.

"Good, you can stay in the guest room and Sirius will not bother you."

Severus dressed and went directly to the guest room as ordered. He did not want to stay in the hospital wing and so he went straight to bed as ordered. Taylor relayed the information that Severus had got. Lucius Malfoy had gone to Voldemort with the letter with the prophecy and so for the time being his family was safe. She did hope it was enough to bring him to their side. She knew he was a racist idiot but he was not evil, he was stupid in joining Voldemort and she was sure he knew that now. Dumbledore had taken a risk and she hoped that it would work, then again he had been through other wars and he did know what he was doing. She went back to the dining room and sat back down and helped herself to some cake for dessert.

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So there it is, Severus had a rough time with the Centaurs but it gave him an alibi with Voldemort. As for him shrugging off being tortured he would be that way. I don't see him as a man who would even see his being tortured as anything unnatural, it's part of his job. He is cold and can be cruel and has done many wicked evil things in his life and has had many hard cruel things done to him. However with Poppy and Molly gaining up on him he would have no choice but to let them take care of him! I don't know any man who can stand up to a determined woman who is hell-bent on getting her way. Here in this case they want to tend to Severus.