Chapter 45

The Dark Mark

Severus slumped down at his desk after Harry had left and lent forward resting his head on his folded arms. He didn't hear the soft swoosh of fabric from nearby and looked up when he felt a hand gently rubbing his back.

"I suppose you saw most of it?" He said. Taya removed her invisibility cloak.

"No love, not all. I promise. I only just got back from the gardens." Avoiding Professor Sprout was a new pastime of hers. Whenever she saw her she simply couldn't get away from the woman's long boring conversations about her prized winning plants she grew for competitions.

"You heard enough." He stood up and paced for a short time. Severus stopped by the unlit fireplace and gazed into nothingness.

"Severus? Speak to me."

"Harry Potter knows I was..." he swallowed. "Raped." This time he let the arms slide around him completely. Taya rested her head against his chest.

"And that has upset you." It was a statement, not a question.

"Damn right it has up set me." He spun around and marched off toward the door. "The brat virtually demanded admission from me."

"Severus, I think that you are exaggerating a bit." She folded the fluid like fabric over her arm.

"I am not used to having my feelings and my past exploited in such a way."

"Love, you're not being exploited."

"I feel over powered by it all." She nodded and took his hand. Together they walked into the empty potions classroom. She followed him up to his desk.

"You've never had so may people care about you all at once."

"I suppose not." He looked down into her face and their eyes fell into each other.

Taya slid two fingers between the buttons of his jacket and found to her surprise bare skin beneath. He had taken her advice about wearing so many layers of clothes.

Pleased by what she found she opened several of the clasps and kissed his throat. He watched silently and let her gently stroke down the centre of his chest.

"Do you feel any easier now?" She said aloud and placed her hand flat against his heart and felt the flutter of it's beating.

"A little. It's going to take a long time. Pain has a hard time of extinguishing itself."

I know. Her voice echoed in his head. She nodded and picked up his feather holding up in front of her. Without giving it any thought she slid her fingers over the delicate fibres then blew, curiously watching the delicate wisps of filament ripple slightly.

"I just have to see my reflection in a mirror and ..." he went on.

Taya stroked the tip of the feather over one diminutive silvery scar on his chest causing him to tremble slightly. He captured the feather from her and placed it back down on his desk. "Why don't you have the scars removed then?"

The scars?" He frowned. "I didn't mean it in that sense."

"Hum?"

"I always saw him, it was like he was leaning over my shoulder all the time and-"

Abruptly a sharp pain jabbed down his left arm like threads of golden flame centring around the branding of the Dark Mark. Severus grasped his forearm squeezing the burst of fire that had exploded under his very skin.

"Gods-" he yelped as the burning progressed and he no longer could contain the gasp of fury and shock that was devouring him at his expense. Tay recoiled from the shock too. She quickly pulled free from his mind, unable to handle the burning that seared up her entire left arm to her shoulder and neck. She needed to be completely in control to help him.

"Severus?" Taya moved beside him. "The mark?" She said frantically.

"Yes." He hissed. Severus turned around.

"Wait a minute." She turned and hurriedly removed her shawl dampening it quickly at the sink. Severus had already torn most of the buttons off his jacket arm and was clawing at the throbbing flesh beneath. Taya was quick by his side and finished the job for him. She rolled up the sleeve to his elbow exposing the skull and snake.

Quickly she compressed the sodden fabric over the tattoo. Severus turned his head away, unable to watch. He heard hissing and beneath the fabric his skin bubbled. A jet of green, copper smelling steam was discharged into the air. Quickly she pulled the material away.

"Severus!" Her fingers lightly stoked over the surface of his arm.

"I can't bare to look."

"It's okay. It's not that bad. Look." Slowly he turned his head and gazed at his arm. It was blotchy and red, swollen, still slightly hissing, but as his eyes focused and he saw, what his eyes viewed made them widen in surprise.

The Dark Mark was gone.

He pulled his arm up closer, prodding it cautiously and he found it no longer hurt.

"My God...It's gone." He smiled. "The Dark Mark has finally gone. How?..." He was shaking his head wondrously.

"You don't know?"

"No." Then he remembered something from long ago. "Perhaps the last remaining true Death Eater is gone at last. It was him!"

"I don't understand."

"It was spoken only once to me. The mark of Voldemort would only go when the last of his faithful servants was killed."

"Does that mean that Lorsekruker was the only one left?"

"It appears so doesn't it?" He pulled open his jacket again and looked down. "The other scars remain though." A look of disappointment touched his face.

"They weren't done with a spell though."

"No" He shook his head. Taya pressed her hand against his chest feeling the heat from his skin. Slowly she dragged a finger over one of the deep slashes inflicted there years ago. It's point just ending by his left nipple.

Taya kissed the scar.

"Somehow you wouldn't look right without them," she said with a smile. "You know how particular sensitive to the touch some are." He closed his eyes relishing the feel of her mouth gently nibbling.

His arms dropped down by his sides.

"Does that mean that Lorsekruker's body has been killed too?" She asked.

"Yes."

"Then, you are free."

"I believe that I am." He smiled again. To an extent.