Title – The Price We Pay 3/12
Rating – PG-13/T. For now.
Disclaimer – I own none of this, it all unfortunately belongs to Rowling. I just have the honor of using her creations in my story. No slash, sex or profanity!
Summary – Dumbledore returns to Hogwarts with Snape, the full extent of his injuries is revealed and a decision is made.
A/N – Big thank yous to everyone who reviewed! Not much to say here actually, just that Chapter 3 will be out in a week or so. All reviews, corrections, suggestions and questions are welcome! Read and enjoy!
The Price We Pay
Chapter 2
Of all the things Minerva McGonagall had expected that day, the shock of hearing Albus Dumbledore telling her he was resigning as Hogwarts Headmaster was nothing compared to the shock she received later that evening. After he had dashed out of his office without so much as a word of explanation to them, letter still clutched in his hand, Minerva turned to Remus Lupin for answers. The werewolf had explained that Dumbledore had put him in charge of searching the manors of deceased Death Eaters for prisoners, fugitives and evidence that could be used against those they had captured. He again told her about the circumstances of finding the letter before running after the Headmaster with a sigh.
McGonagall was now pacing the length of the entrance hall, too anxious for dinner, when the front doors of the castle swung open. Startled, she turned to see Dumbledore carrying someone wrapped in a cloak.
"Albus! What is going on? Who is,"
"I'll explain later Minerva." He interrupted, "I must get Severus to the Infirmary."
"Severus! Oh my," Shocked into further silence McGonagall stared at Dumbledore who paused and smiled sadly at the burden in his arms.
"Hard to believe isn't it? I'll tell you everything once Poppy has seen to him." He told her and continued to the Infirmary, a thoroughly stunned McGonagall right behind him.
- & -
"You're cheating Malfoy."
"Why, Potter, would I need to cheat when you are doing a brilliant job of losing all by yourself?"
"I wouldn't be losing so much if you would stop cheating!"
"Oh please! Would both of you just grow up! Can't you two play a simple game without dissolving into petty arguing!"
Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy turned in their hospital beds to stare at Hermione Granger, who shook her head and turned back to her advanced charms textbook. Harry smiled, while Draco sneered at her and Ron and Ginny Weasley snickered quietly from the other side of Harry's bed. Hermione looked up and continued her tirade,
"And you two can't play chess without physical fighting! I'm surprised you've managed this long without coming to blows. You all should really be using this down time to study."
"Study? Come on Hermione, you know Dumbledore postponed exams and our N.E.W.T.s until July while they repair the castle. We'll study later, I promise." Ron tried to appease the bushy haired Head Girl, "We can't leave the Infirmary yet anyway so a little relaxation after all that's happened isn't going to hurt. The war just ended you know."
Hermione pinned him with a glare and Ron wisely shut up, turning back to the chess game he was playing with his sister. She then made sure they were not disrupting the other resting patients in the Infirmary and buried her nose back in her book.
"Come on Potter, let's show the Head Girl we can actually play an honest game." Malfoy said and the two unlikely friends went back to playing exploding snap. Over the last year the Slytherin and Gryffindor had formed a sincere, if hesitant, friendship, surprising students and staff alike when they stood to fight together during the last battle. When asked what spurred the improbable change of heart Harry shrugged and Draco only said 'Professor Snape told me last year that sometimes you have put aside hatred and pride to defeat a common foe' before becoming strangely silent. No one had questioned their truce again.
A peaceful silence filled the Infirmary as the remaining patients settled down for a calm evening. Only a dozen students remained in the care of Madame Pomfrey, the rest having been released or in the most serious cases, transferred to St. Mungo's with the injured members of the Ministry and Order of the Phoenix. Pomfrey now walked between the aisles of beds, checking on her charges and making sure the house elves had delivered dinner. She had just reached Malfoy's bed when Headmaster Dumbledore burst into the Hospital Wing carrying a small bundle, Professor McGonagall hot on his heels.
"Poppy, I require your assistance over here. Is the private room available?"
Pomfrey looked startled at the abrupt entrance, but was completely professional as she waved them into the private room of the Infirmary. The three adults disappeared into far room leaving the students to share very confused glances.
- & -
Madame Poppy Pomfrey took one look at Snape, who was still wrapped in Dumbledore's cloak, and gasped in horror. Even when the man had returned from Death Eater gatherings he had not looked half as bad as this and she prepared herself for a tough night. Ignoring the many questions she wanted to ask at the moment, she turned to the Headmaster with a frown and said,
"Wait outside, Albus. Give me some time."
Dumbledore actually growled at her and sat resolutely in a chair at the head of the bed, hard blue eyes never wavering from hers.
"I'm not moving Poppy, so tell me what to do."
Pomfrey sighed and began to gather the many potions and supplies she would need, sending McGonagall to find clean blankets. Turning back to the bed, she smiled at the sight of Dumbledore gently stroking Snape's dirty cheek, whispering something in his ear. Resting a hand on his shoulder she said,
"Let's get him cleaned up first."
Dumbledore smiled weakly at her and together they unwrapped Snape from the cloak. McGonagall returned with the blankets and set them on a table before excusing herself to take care of the curious students. Pomfrey caught the glint of tears in her eyes before she left.
It took three tries of a cleaning spell before pale white skin could be seen and the rest of the blood and grime was gently wiped off with a sponge and warm water. His hair had grown long and was so disgusting neither wanted to touch it, so using their wands they washed and cut the foul black hair, tying what was left back with a tie. Pomfrey healed all of the cuts, abrasions and burns with a potion she gently dabbed over the wounds, eliciting a faint grimace from their patient. Whip marks crisscrossing Snape's back were treated with a special potion then a strong healing spell. The raw flesh of Snape's wrists, ankles and neck were cleaned thoroughly before being wrapped in healing bandages. The Dark Mark, Dumbledore noted, had vanished with the death of Voldemort and he rubbed a cool salve over the red, scratched forearm. Using a diagnostic spell, Pomfrey scanned for internal injuries, frowning at the low weight and disturbing tremor.
Teasing several potions down the unconscious man's throat, she healed the broken bones, battered internal organs and the dark bruises that covered the pale skin. The broken nose was set, a gash on the forehead was sealed and a cloth was wrapped around his eyes to protect them from all light until they could adjust and be healed later with magic.
Reaching over, Dumbledore picked up one of Snape's hands in his own. The once elegant hands had been cruelly twisted and smashed into deformed claws. The long fingers were broken no doubt by Voldemort who knew how much Severus needed his hands to make his treasured potions. He wondered what the brutal injury had done to Snape's spirit.
Pomfrey looked up and placing the tip of her wand against the deformed hands ran another diagnostic spell. Apparently satisfied with the results, she then bound the hands securely so they could not move and said,
"Could be worse Albus, but I think with time they should heal properly. Someone obviously broke them and then didn't bother to set them. Fortunately, it is a common practice with torture victims that we know how to heal."
The wizard nodded at her, but did not look up or say anything. Once the major wounds had been cleaned and healed they wrapped Snape in the blankets and charmed them with a heating spell before placing him back on the bed. Pomfrey then gave him a pain-relieving potion and placed him in a healing sleep. Dumbledore stroked the clean black hair until the nurse sat down beside him and said softly,
"I've done all I can for him Albus," she paused, "but I believe he should be moved to St. Mungo's as soon as possible. They are better equipped to deal with any complications once he wakes."
The Headmaster turned his head slowly to look at her and she could clearly read the guilt and confusion in his eyes. He shook his head.
"No, Poppy I will not leave him. Severus will stay here and we will summon a healer if necessary. I abandoned him to this and he will be my responsibility."
Sighing, she laid a hand over his and looked sympathetically at the young man who had suffered through so much and the old wizard who was suffering with him. Pomfrey had picked up strange readings during her diagnostic spells and knew it would take a lot of time and patience if Severus was to get better.
"Albus I don't think you understand me. Severus is going to need the kind of care only St. Mungo's can provide. He cannot stay here for very long. I think St. Mungo's would be better for him in the long term."
A cold demeanor suddenly came across Dumbledore and for a second Pomfrey was afraid she had said the wrong thing. He had just rescued Severus from hell after believing him dead for so long. Everyone, especially Albus, would need time to adjust. Dumbledore's blue eyes flared dangerously as he replied,
"I am not going to institutionalize him Poppy. I just rescued him from a dungeon and I refuse to place him in another one. Severus will get better, I will make sure of that." For a long minute neither said anything and the only sound was Snape's soft breathing. Finally Dumbledore averted his gaze back to Snape and sighed wearily. "8 months Poppy, for 8 months he was in the hands of a monster who took his hatred of me out on him. I was the one who sent him back to Tom, he suffered because I asked him to. I just found him, I cannot, I will not lose him again."
"I know Albus, I know. This has been yet another trying day in a series of long days. Get some sleep and come back tomorrow morning and we can talk more then."
"No Poppy I'll stay here tonight. Let's talk now."
Pomfrey smoothed the blankets and watched as Snape moved his head closer to the warm hand touching his hair. In sleep the lines of pain and age had fallen off his face and he looked so very young. Completely different from the sarcastic, snarky Potions Master who prowled the halls and terrorized the students with a tongue sharper than a dagger. Instead he looked almost childlike, sleeping peacefully. 'Unfortunately,' thought Pomfrey, 'that is probably what he will be like when he wakes.'
"All right. But the moment this all becomes too much to Severus I'm owling the healers at St. Mungo's." There was another pause and Dumbledore had the distinct feeling he was not going to like what she was about to tell him. "When I scanned him earlier some unusual readings came up. I can see right away he is malnourished and the tremor comes from repeated use of the cruciatus. I suppose he is lucky there, You-Know-Who clearly wanted him to be sane and functional to a point because its use was regulated. Those effects can be cured in time and don't really concern me. It's the other results of the scan I am worried about."
"What could be worse than this Poppy?"
"His state of mind Albus. I read multiple overdoses of Veritaserum and other powerful mind altering potions, which have dangerous long-term side effects on certain areas of the brain. And his magical signature seems broken or altered somehow. The only explanation I have for it is that Voldemort must have finally broken through his mental shields, took a look around and didn't bother picking up the shards. Even the best Occlumens, like Severus, can be overcome by a strong enough power. What all this means is that we won't know his mental capacity or emotional state until he wakes."
Silence followed her explanation. The Headmaster removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose saying,
"Thank you Poppy, for everything. Would you please tell Minerva I am calling a staff meeting for tomorrow morning after breakfast."
"Of course Albus. Severus should sleep for the night without any problems but come and get me if anything should happen. We'll get him through this Albus, he's stronger than you think."
With that Pomfrey exited the room, closing the door securely behind her. Dumbledore stared at the door for a while then looked back to Snape. The ill wizard did not move save for the random twitching of limbs and the persistent tremor. He spent hours soothing his lost child before the reassuring sounds of his soft breathing lulled him to sleep.
- & -
The next morning Dumbledore woke when he felt another presence enter the small room. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he groaned as sore muscles protested against spending the night in an uncomfortable chair. He glanced over at Snape, who was still sleeping deeply with his face turned towards the pale sunlight drifting in through the window. Brushing back some stray strands of black hair Dumbledore remembered the reason for his waking and turned to meet the cool gaze of Draco Malfoy.
Malfoy was standing at the foot of Snape's bed, watching his former professor with sad gray eyes. No other emotion was readable on his face as he stood with arms hanging limply at his side. Dumbledore wondered how Draco had managed to sneak past the usually strict and watchful Pomfrey to enter this room, but then realized the crafty Slytherin would disregard any rules to satisfy his curiosity.
"Good morning Mr. Malfoy. I see last night did not escape your notice."
Young Malfoy said nothing as he continued to stare at his former Head of House. A hand came up to hold his left forearm self-consciously and he said in a pained voice,
"I promise you Headmaster I had no idea he was alive. My father told me nothing except Professor Snape was getting what he deserved." These last words were sneered as Malfoy continued to rub the bandages of his arm, "I swear I had no idea where he was."
The Headmaster rose and stood by the young man who had risked so much for the Order. For all the accusations of unfairness and blatant favoritism thrown at Professor Snape, he had protected and guided his Slytherins like no one else at the school could have done. He deftly encouraged them to make their own choices and not succumb to the pressure their parents leveled on them. When the time came, Slytherin House stood with the rest of the school and many of his charges, led by Draco, surprisingly turned away from Lord Voldemort and their parents.
Draco Malfoy, for all his pride, arrogance and attitude, had taken the loss of Professor Snape quite hard. Dumbledore had been pleased, but not very surprised, to find the younger Malfoy waiting for him in his office shortly before the winter break. He had revealed the Dark Mark on his arm and vowed to honor Snape by offering the same spying services to the Order of the Phoenix. How Draco knew Snape had been their spy the Headmaster did not ask, and it had taken several weeks before Dumbledore could trust the information the angry Slytherin brought him. Eventually he developed a working relationship with the proud Malfoy similar to the one he had with Snape. In the months that followed, Malfoy insisted he did not know what had happened to Snape and would glare at anyone who suggested otherwise. Guilt, it appeared, was in abundance this morning.
"I believe you Draco. This is nobody's fault but Voldemort's. We will make a school wide announcement concerning Professor Snape after breakfast. You best return to your bed now before Madame Pomfrey discovers you are gone."
Malfoy tore his eyes away from Snape to smirk and answer, "Actually I talked Potter and Weasley into covering for me while I came in here." The smirk vanished and solemn eyes gazed at him, "Will he be all right Professor?"
"We don't know Mr. Malfoy." Dumbledore replied honestly, "We will see when he wakes. Back to bed now, perhaps you will be able to visit later."
Malfoy frowned at the Headmaster before taking one last look at his professor and slipping out of the room as quietly as he had arrived. Dumbledore stared at the door, admiring the devotion the Slytherins had to their Head of House before sitting back down. He absently ran his fingers through the raven locks, murmuring to himself,
"Where did things go wrong Severus? I am so sorry my child. More sorry than you will ever know." He became lost in his own guilty thoughts for a while, watching the sleeping man and turning Pomfrey's words over in his mind. Snape would not be the same man he was before he was captured, that much was clear. He would need time and gentle handling if he was to recover. Slowly his heart came to a decision and he smiled, pleased with himself. Dumbledore knew exactly what he would do now that Hogwarts would no longer be a part of his life. He would have the all the time and love in the world to take care of Severus, to help his hurt child heal.
Dumbledore sat like this going over his options until a knock at the door caused him to look up. Pomfrey came in and began attending to her patient, changing bandages, casting healing spells and giving him more potions. The nurse finished with her work and told him,
"He should sleep a bit longer Albus. I'll check for any leftover curses or hexes this morning while you are at your meeting. Also take the morning to freshen up and eat Albus. I wouldn't want you to become my patient as well."
"Thank you Poppy. I'll return shortly then. Let me know if anything changes."
Pomfrey nodded and walked with him to the doors of the Infirmary. As he walked up to his office Dumbledore knew in his heart he had made the right choice and he was going to see them through to the end. Now to only explain his choices to his staff.
- & -
Trying to be heard over Hagrid's wails, Dumbledore gave a sharp whistle and waited until the attention of the staff returned to him. Hagrid continued to blubber incoherently into his handkerchief though he calmed down enough for the Headmaster to continue. The staff had been saddened to hear about Snape and stunned to hear about his retirement and asked the normal curious questions while offering to take turns caring for the injured professor. Snape and the rest of the staff may have had their numerous angry arguments in public, but in private they grudgingly learned to respect the Potions master and Snape learned to tolerate the presence of his colleagues. Some of the staff, like McGonagall and Sinistra, had even earned Snape's cautious friendship, something the Headmaster said was not given easily. But while even Dumbledore grew frustrated and angry with Snape at times, he could claim ownership of something even more valuable. Snape's trust. He just hoped this shell of the former Severus retained some of that inherent trust.
"Like I said before, I will be assisting Minerva in the transition over the summer. I expect her to have your usual support as she assumes more of my duties and responsibilities. Which brings me to my next announcement." A fond smile formed on Dumbledore's lips, "Once the transition is final I will be retiring to my summer home with Severus and I am making it my new responsibility to assist with his recovery."
This announcement was met with encouraging smiles and various bits of advice. Once again Hagrid burst into tears murmuring, "Great man, Dumbledore," into his now very wet handkerchief. The staff meeting ended on a bittersweet yet supportive note. Dumbledore took a few minutes to reassure each of his professors personally that he was firm in his decisions and he would always be there to support Hogwarts. Finally the professors left to attend to various business around the castle, leaving Dumbledore and his deputy alone. Dumbledore sighed and stroked his beard. He found he could barely concentrate on other school matters, his thoughts always drifting back to Severus. Minerva, it appeared, was thinking the same thoughts as she finally stood and said,
"We'll never get work done now Albus. You look dead on your feet and in need of some food and rest. I'll take care of the announcements to the students." The witch patted his shoulder and straightened her hat before exiting the office. Following the advice of the two witches, he washed and changed robes after ordering some lunch from the house elves. Anxious to return to the Infirmary, Dumbledore was therefore surprised and worried when Pomfrey's grave face appeared in his fireplace. She glanced back over her shoulder at someone, concern in her voice as she exclaimed,
"Albus! Severus is waking! Please get down here right away!"
TBC
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