Chapter 10

The Gift

His peaceful slumber was soon interrupted by the most incubus of nightmares.

Severus awoke. Screams of terror awoke Taya. This hadn't been the first time. She felt him pull away and watched as he ran across the room and drop down to the floor near the table and curl into a ball. She ran to him. Slid her arms around him, what more could she do to soothe him. He sobbed, the dream was so real, he ached, his body rejecting her caresses. Finally he calmed enough to let himself be taken back to her bed. She lay him down and wrapped her arms around him.

"I feel you," she said in a whispered sob. "Oh, Severus. How can you cope with this night after night?" He cried in her arms, burying his face, to ashamed for her to see him. There was only one thing she could do and now nearly two weeks of his nightly terrors it was time she broke with her own fears and help him. It scared her but he was more important than her trepidation.

She slid her fingers under his wet hair, and pushed it off his face. Taya took deep breaths forcing herself to relax and she closed her eyes.

"What are you doing?" He said between angry bitter sobs noticing that she appeared not to be doing anything.

"Shush now," she whispered. Severus struggled fear was clearly evident. "Relax your mind, We will go through this together."

"Please no," Realisation struck him like a heavy blow across the face. "Please I beg you. No." The words remnant from a certain memory came into his mind. "Oh Gods." He shook his head, eyes darting as if searching for an escape route. "I can't let you do this. No." His breathing laboured. Taya leaned in close.

"It's all right darling, you're safe now. You're with me. Well go through this together," she repeated. The memory of Lorsekruker invaded his mind. You have my body but you'll never have my soul, how wrong had he been. Suddenly he felt his mind relax and Taya slid into him. She enveloped him, pulling him closer and closer into her, bathing his tortured mind in the glow of hers.

The image of Severus' abuser came to her. She saw the dream, as real as if it had happened a moment ago, not thirty years in the past. Severus had been an innocent, his chastity taken from him by force. The man in blue raped him, broke his soul, never again could he live without the constant terror, the nightmares that coerced his soul atomising any kind of peace inside. Taya stroked his soul and captured it's essence into herself.

Feel me Severus, he felt her say rather than hear. Love enveloped him, love, tenderness, passion, everything he denied himself of for years.

She felt herself falling again, his eyes swallowing her up, pulling her into him. She felt as if she were attached to an invisible cord, bit by bit it was pulled in taking her with it. She felt everything, she could touch things she had never deemed possible and only a blink away.

She saw the images, the depravity and the loss. With all her might all her strength of will she embraced them, taking the pains from his past into herself.

For a brief moment they were one then she pulled away. She felt dead, a sickening lurch pulled her down into a tunnel of blackness then there was his eyes. They were all she could see. She physically had to pull herself away before she was swallowed into them again. She was crying.

"Please... don't leave me," he whispered inside her. She still felt him despite the vestiges of the fading link and his cry made her reach out. She clasped his face between both her hands lightly rubbing at his temples rubbing away the migraine that was rapidly forming.

Her soul had soothed him, but now she was gone.

"I won't leave you. I'm here," He closed his eyes and let her fingertips gently stroke his eyelids. He felt light and heavy at the same time. His mind felt pleasantly relaxed.

Finally she removed her hands from his face and slumped down beside him on her back. He found she was smiling at him. Taya was exhausted. Tears slid without encumbrance down his cheeks. "I'm here," she said quietly.

Severus closed his eyes again and saw images, echoes of her when she had been inside him.

He turned towards her, reaching out he slowly brushed her face with cautious fingers. She took his hand in her own. "I have to sleep now," she said. "It takes a lot out of me." Professor Snape nodded.

"I better leave now then." He moved, but stopped when he felt her hand stroke a line down his back.

"I don't want you to leave. I want you here with me."

"Really?"

Why did it seem so surprising to him, she wondered.

"After all I put you through?"

"Yes, my love. I want you here. I don't want to think of you cold and alone down in those dungeons. Please...Severus cuddle me." He was about to say that he didn't cuddle when she pulled him down anyway.

Letting caution to the wind he slid strong arms around her and lifted her small form on top of him. She sighed and breathed in his scent. His skin felt warm for once. Not deathly cold, not clammy nor feverish.

When he awoke beside her, she was curled close with her arms wrapped around his torso, he found her smiling at him. Evidently she had been watching him as he slept and he felt slightly annoyed.

"What?"

"Good morning to you too, Professor," she said grumpily, then laughed lightly. "I was just thinking how sweet you look when you are asleep."

"Sweet?" Severus looked horrified.

"Yes." She smiled then leaned forward to plant a light kiss on the tip of his nose. "Stop scowling Severus."

"I am not scowling," he said defiantly.

"Yes you are. You always scowl when you are annoyed. Severus raised an eyebrow as if offended then managed a weak smile. Taya smiled back and kissed his lips softly. "That's better. Your face wont crack from a little smile."

Loosening himself from her embrace he sat up. Taya followed suit.

"Why don't we do something together today," she said. "After all it is Sunday. No kids, no lessons."

"What did you have in mind?"

Shrugging, she said, "I don't know, maybe go for a walk or perhaps visit Hogsmeade. I haven't visited there since I was a student at this school. What do you think?"

Severus thought for a moment. "I would prefer to go for a walk, maybe fly?"

"I haven't flown on a broomstick for some time, I guess I'll be a bit out of practice but, okay then."