Title – The Price We Pay 7/12
Rating – R (for this chapter only!)
Disclaimer – I own none of this, it all belongs to Rowling. I just have the honor of using her creations in my story. No slash, sex or profanity.
Summary – The Wise and Most Insane House of Dumbledore
A/N – This is a long chapter folks. I really didn't want to split it up into two chapters so be prepared; it's quite long. This chapter is also rated R for scenes of graphic violence. So consider yourselves properly warned! All reviews, questions, corrections and suggestions are welcome! Read and enjoy! Remember that Italics indicate flashbacks or memories!
The Price We Pay
Chapter 6
A modest, two-story cottage sat on a hillside overlooking a quiet cove. Bright multi-collared flowers lined the front walkway and dotted the green lawn that surrounded the white house. Walking along a brick pathway to the back of the cottage one came across a pleasant, well tended garden, complete with a pond, a variety of muggle and magical flora and a hammock suspended between two trees that was charmed to swing by itself. A covered patio provided plenty of shade for a peaceful meal outside and a dirt path led down to the private beach, where gentle waves lapped at a white shoreline.
The inside of the house was just as cheerful as the outside. White curtains framed wide windows that allowed in the sunlight and gorgeous views of the cove. Each room of the cottage was decorated in vibrant yet tasteful colours and assorted antiques. The furniture was practical and comfortable and merry fires roared in the fireplaces. Flowers fresh from the garden were placed in every room, adding to the wholesome atmosphere of the quaint home.
In other words the house practically screamed 'Albus Dumbledore lives here!'
Snape did not know whether to frown grumpily at his new home, or curl up in the sunshine like a contented cat and take a nap.
"Severus, have you seen Fawkes?" Came Dumbledore's voice from one of the guest bedrooms. Snape looked up somewhat irritably from his inspection of the curtains of his new bedroom (he was not sleeping in a room that had red and gold curtains, he remembered his Slytherin pride thank you very much) and sighed. It was the third time that day the phoenix had disappeared and the third time that day Dumbledore had asked him if he had seen the troublesome bird. Why the phoenix enjoyed exploring and hiding in a house it had been to countless times Snape could not figure out. Must be a weird habit particular to bothersome magical birds. He cast a disdainful sneer at the curtains and replied,
"No, Albus I have not seen that bird of yours today. Can't you keep track of him?"
An amused chuckle came from the other room. "It's harder to keep track of him in a large house than it is in an enclosed office Severus. He once hid from me here for 8 whole days, reappearing when I was taking a bath. Gave me quite a scare I assure you and I try to discourage him from his little game whenever I can."
Snape snorted, finding the whole situation oddly hilarious and decided to humour the old wizard in his quest to find his wayward pet. He walked to the next room to see Dumbledore standing in the middle, looking around and scratching his head thoughtfully. Leaning against the wall, Snape watched amusedly as the older wizard thoroughly searched the room. Finding no sign of the phoenix, Dumbledore shrugged and said,
"Well, he's not upstairs. Let's check the kitchen; it's time for lunch anyway."
They headed down to the kitchen and stopped dead in the entrance. Snape smiled at the flabbergasted look on Dumbledore's face. Perched on a chair was Fawkes, who looked up at them and chirped happily before leaning down to take another treat, offered by Dumbledore's house elf, Miel. The perky elf was cooing softly to the bird as she held up another sugary treat to be consumed. When Dumbledore quietly cleared his throat, the elf jumped in surprise and almost dropped the plate she was holding.
"Masters Albus and Sevrus is scaring Miel!" She squeaked, "Phoenix was hungry so I feed him lunch. Would you be liking lunch too masters?"
Dumbledore laughed and walked over to scoop up his phoenix in his arms, letting Miel know she was not in trouble. He stroked the warm feathers as Fawkes trilled mournfully over the loss of his sweets and replied,
"Lunch sounds wonderful right now Miel, please bring it to us outside today. We can work on your mental shielding as well Severus and take a break from all this unpacking."
The house elf merrily nodded her head before jumping to prepare lunch for them. Miel was the lone house elf serving the Dumbledore family and like her ancestors she served her masters with fierce loyalty and love. She spared a glance at her newest master as he continued outside and frowned to herself. He was much too thin and pale and needed some meat on his bones. Miel clucked concernedly and made a mental note to make him eat more. She knew master Sevrus had been hurt terribly, master Albus had told her that much, and considered it one of her new duties to help master Sevrus heal any way she could. And as the only elf in the household Miel took her duties very seriously.
A very large and appetizing lunch appeared on the patio table a few minutes later and Dumbledore released his hold on Fawkes, who spread his fiery wings and disappeared into the garden. They worked through their meal in peaceful silence, Snape occasionally looking up and scowling when more food would surreptitiously make its way onto his plate, but he ate the food nonetheless. Dumbledore would simply smile serenely and turn to look at the beach. When they were done Miel came to take the dishes away and they sat and sipped their tea. Finally Dumbledore rose and held out a hand to his companion.
"Let's sit in the garden Severus. It's too nice of a day to be confined inside."
"What about unpacking? We still have to redecorate a few rooms Albus. Mine for starters. I was thinking of either blue or dark green for-"
"Boxes and redecorating can wait, your healing can't." interrupted Dumbledore with a smile. Snape sighed, resigning himself to another session of mental healing and followed the other wizard into the garden, sitting across from him on the hammock. He did not mind these sessions; they strengthened his mind and magical core and helped him recover lost memories. But they always left him sleepy and he wanted to stay awake for one afternoon. He was actually looking forward to redecorating his new room in his usual shades of green and silver.
They rocked for a while as Snape calmed his thoughts and body until he was completely relaxed. His eyes were half closed and his breathing deepened as he focused on healing the rifts in his mind and reweaving the strands of his magical core together. For the last month he had relied on Dumbledore or Pomfrey to guide him through the healing processes, but his reliance on others lessened every day and he only needed the presence of the older wizard to help gauge his progress.
A slight magical nudge from Dumbledore tested the strength of his mental shields. Snape was pleased to note that his mind barely buckled under the magical pressure and the shields remained steady against outside influences. It was getting easier to control his mind and soon he would have complete control over his magic and memories. He sincerely hoped that his control would not shatter when Minister Fudge arrived in five more days.
"Albus, what is it that Fudge really wants to question me about?"
Snape could feel Dumbledore tense and see blue eyes harden at the mention of the upcoming meeting they could not avoid. It was a curious reaction that he had only seen a few times in his life. Times where not even Voldemort would risk provoking the powerful magic hidden inside the body of a smiling old wizard with twinkling blue eyes. Times where one saw the reason why Dumbledore was called the greatest wizard of the age. Snape felt more than a little awed to be the reason for that reaction from the other wizard.
"The Ministry, as you know, is still searching for escaped Death Eaters and other supporters of Voldemort." Dumbledore finally answered with a sigh, "Someone suggested to Fudge that because you were with Voldemort during the last months of the war you might know something about his plans or the plans of the others. I told them that was ridiculous, that you were a prisoner, but Fudge is one of those who believe that once someone is evil they are always evil. He never truly trusted me when it came to you and I think this is his cruel form of revenge."
Taking a deep breath, Snape crushed the memories threatening to rise in his mind and replied bitterly,
"Oh yes, they don't dare thank me for years of loyal service, forget about showing the slightest bit of gratitude for someone who risked…everything for those idiots! 8 months Albus, 8 months of torture and pain for people…like Fudge and this is the thanks I get, this is the price I pay? Having to relive everything for their records and to satisfy their curiosity? Don't I get any peace?"
He suddenly stopped, panting heavily, trembling in anger and feeling faintly insulted. If he continued his tirade any further he feared he would burst into tears. His fingers twitched, wishing desperately for a wand so he could curse and hex whoever dared to confront him now. A gentle hand settled on his shoulder, causing him to jerk away and the calm voice of Dumbledore pierced through his anger,
"Severus, child, listen to me," A pair of wrinkled hands came up to frame his face, forcing him to meet Dumbledore's caring gaze, "You have more than paid for your sins of your past Severus. What you did for me and the Order can never be repaid, but you will always have the gratitude of the countless lives you saved with your information and actions. Take comfort in the knowledge that there are families kept whole and children safe in their homes today because you helped defeat Voldemort." The old wizard smiled then and Snape began to feel in his heart that it would all be ok, "Fudge doesn't know the Severus Snape I know and he doesn't deserve to. You have never truly believed I care for you like a son, but I would do anything to protect you from pain, physical or emotional, and I will be right by your side through all of this. Rest assured, Fudge will have to deal with me if he causes you any more harm."
Snape smiled shyly at the honesty and love in those words and turned to discreetly wipe a few tears away. It would not do to bawl his eyes out and he was grateful when Dumbledore turned to watch Fawkes dip his head into the large pond, trying to catch one of the fish darting through the water. A cloud of steam rose into the air when the warm feathers touched the cool water and the phoenix hopped back, spreading his wings in agitation. They shared a laugh at the strange antics of the bird when Snape raised a hand to cover his yawn.
"I think someone needs to rest for the afternoon. Take a nap while I unpack what's left." Dumbledore said with a grin and began to lead him back to the house. Snape raised an eyebrow and growled,
"Grown wizards do not take naps Albus! I prefer to call them energy replenishment breaks. And don't you dare start redecorating without me! I don't want to wake up in a room with red lions and yellow bunnies!"
"But Severus you look so cute with yellow bunnies."
Both Fawkes and Miel were startled by the frustrated yell that echoed through the garden.
- & -
Five days later found an aggravated Dumbledore opening the door to Cornelius Fudge, his personal secretary and an Auror he did not know. Dumbledore looked them each in the eye in turn before settling on Fudge. All three had the sense to look a bit nervous about what was to come and could not meet Dumbledore's stern gaze for very long.
"Good morning Cornelius." He said in a voice filled with false cheer, "I don't remember the presence of an Auror being required today."
"Good morning to you as well Albus. I thought Mr. White should be present as he is heading the search for the Lestranges."
"Well, surely he can read your report later at the Ministry? I don't see why he should be here at all." Dumbledore countered with a small smile that was anything but friendly. It was clear he was not going to allow the Auror in his house and waited patiently for Fudge to realize this. The Minister was not a stupid man, despite claims to the contrary, and knew it would not be wise to start an argument with Dumbledore on his own front porch. He would allow Dumbledore this small victory, the presence of the Auror not really necessary as it was pointed out, and concentrated on the mission at hand.
"Of course Albus." Fudge turned to White and dismissed him with a few words. White left with a small pop. "You don't mind if my secretary, Ms. Harper, records the meeting do you?"
"Not at all Cornelius. Let me explain a few things to you before we begin." Dumbledore's smile vanished and he leaned even closer to the Minister, who tried not to appear intimidated. His voice took on a lecturing tone, as if he was disciplining a student.
"I will be asking the main questions to Severus, not you or Ms. Harper. You are here to listen to what Severus has decided to tell you. Secondly, I can call an end to this interview at any time. If you ask a question that upsets him in any way I will throw both of you out of this house faster than you can say "Avada Kedavra". I hope I have made myself clear." Minister Fudge and his secretary nodded mutely and Dumbledore suddenly smiled widely, "Good. Severus is waiting for us in the sitting room." He did not wait to see if the other two would follow and headed for the room to the right of the entryway.
Snape was sitting on a dark blue couch in front of a window, gazing out into space. He looked up as they entered, giving Dumbledore a small smile.
Pulling his black robes closer around him, Snape openly stared at the Minister and his secretary, who shifted uncomfortably under that dark gaze. Even Fudge realized this was not the frightened wretch he saw at Hogwarts and adjusted his tactics accordingly. There would be no underestimating Snape today. Poor Ms. Harper simply looked at her shoes and nervously tightened her hold on her parchment and quill. Snape finally broke his stare when Dumbledore sat down next to him.
"Let's get this over with shall we?" Snape said in a smooth voice and waited while seats were taken and quills inked. Casting one last meaningful look at Fudge, Dumbledore cleared his throat and said,
"Well Severus, let's start at the beginning. It should be noted that Severus was an undercover agent working for the Order of the Phoenix for over 15 years and not once during those years have I questioned his loyalty. Now, if you will Severus, tell us how Lord Voldemort discovered you were a spy. Take your time if necessary."
Snape took a deep breath and seemed to gather his thoughts before speaking.
"I was summoned to a gathering one night in early October of last year. I left Hogwarts and headed into the Forbidden Forest to apparate away. The meeting proceeded as usual as far as I can remember…my memories on that part aren't clear yet. I know Lucius Malfoy had finished giving his report…when the Dark Lord turned to me."
"We have one last piece of business to attend to tonight my loyal Death Eaters. It appears we have a traitor in our midst. And we all know what we do with traitors."
"I couldn't disapparate because the Dark Lord…had raised the wards around his manor. I was disarmed and stunned before I could even draw my wand. I was then bound kneeling in front of the Dark Lord's throne."
"My dear Severus, did you think you could get away with it forever? You had me played for such a fool all this time. Such a sly little snake. I will enjoy seeing what is really inside that clever little mind of yours. Crucio!"
"He cursed me several times before I passed out from the pain. When I woke the Dark Lord allowed the others to curse or beat me in turn."
"Now, now Walden put the knives down. I want his tongue intact. I want to hear his pleas for mercy, his cries for death, his screams for the muggle-loving fool who can't save him, who won't save him. Let Lucius have his turn."
Soft laughter rippled through the assembled Death Eaters and Macnair swore unhappily before reluctantly returning to his place in the circle. Voldemort gestured and Malfoy grinned widely as he advanced on the bloodied form of his former friend.
"I was barely conscious at the time by the time the Dark Lord rose and knelt beside me. The pain had weakened my shields, but not enough for him to search my mind for the information he wanted. So he told me what had happened and how he had undeniable proof…I was working for Albus."
"Your precious Dumbledore placed his trust in too many weak minded fools Severus. He should have known not to trust a drunken thief like Mundungus Fletcher. I didn't even have to use Veritaserum before he was spilling all his secrets."
Dumbledore nodded sadly. Fletcher had alerted the wrong crowd to his position within the Order after a night of hard drinking in a sleazy bar and subsequently went missing for two days last summer. He had shown up in front of the gates of Hogwarts, half dead and insane and was now a long-term care patient at St. Mungo's. The Order could only assume what secrets had been revealed to the enemy and acted accordingly. They had not considered the possibility of Fletcher betraying Snape and it proved to be a grave mistake.
"What kind of proof did he have Severus? How did he finally find you out?"
"The Dark Lord is a…thorough…person and planted key bits of information during our meetings to see what would become of them." Snape continued with a small bitter smile.
"I still don't know what gave me away. Probably some bit about an attack on muggles…that I had alerted Albus to. No honest, pureblood Death Eater would care about the fate of a few muggles after all."
"My poor deluded Severus. Why did you turn your back on us, your true friends, for a senile Gryffindor who would betray you, who has betrayed you, if it suited his purposes and protected his golden children? Answer me! Crucio!"
"He questioned me some more, about the Order and Hogwarts, but I didn't tell him anything. I knew it was only a matter of time before they used Veritaserum and they would force everything out of me."
"What exactly did you reveal to You-Knew-Who?" Fudge suddenly asked, earning a quick warning look from Dumbledore. Snape paused for a second, thinking, then answered,
"I didn't know much about the workings of the Order for that precise reason. It was safe if I remained ignorant of what Albus had planned…in case I was captured. I could only name some members of the Order, old missions and plans, things like that. The Dark Lord however, was more interested in my knowledge of Hogwarts."
"I'll ask you one more time Severus, what wards does Dumbledore have in place to protect the castle?"
Severus bit down hard on his already torn and split lip, desperately fighting the serum.
He knew they had given him too much and that fighting was pointless, but he fought it anyway. His hands twisted in the chains and blood from his broken nose splattered the ground when he shook his head in a last attempt to deny the desire to talk. But eventually the serum won and he heard himself answer the questions demanded of him. A pale white hand came up to touch his face in the mockery of a tender caress.
"See, that wasn't so bad was it Severus? We can have so much fun if you just give in. I have so much planned for us."
He raised his head and defiantly met those awful red eyes. Though his raw throat did not permit speech at the moment, the meaning of the look was clear. Voldemort laughed and turned his back on the traitor. The Dark Lord motioned to a pair of Death Eaters waiting off to the side.
"Give him a good whipping. A hundred lashes at least. We'll see how defiant our professor is then."
Snape fell silent then, turning his gaze to the pattern of the rug on the floor. Fudge opened his mouth to ask another question, but a sharp shake of Dumbledore's head stopped him. Frowning, the Minister waited somewhat impatiently while Snape gathered enough nerve to continue.
"Can you continue Severus? We can stop if you want." Dumbledore asked kindly, resisting the urge to touch the younger wizard. An unwanted touch in Snape's frame of
mind would likely do more harm than good. Snape shook his head and replied,
"No, I'm fine. Let's go on."
Dumbledore knew it was his Slytherin determination and pride that was keeping Snape going right now and chose his next question carefully.
"Was there anything else Voldemort wanted to know, anything about the Ministry perhaps?"
"Not really. He stopped asking questions when he broke my mind using Legilimency."
"My lost little snake. A pity to crack that brilliant mind of yours Severus, but I'm sure you understand. Or maybe not, you haven't spoken in three days."
There was no response from the broken and beaten body at Voldemort's feet so he gave it a sharp nudge with his foot. A low groan issued from Severus as he was rolled onto his side, taking the pressure off the blistered and raw whip marks on his back that were still oozing blood. The pain in his body however was nothing compared to the pain that was currently splitting his skull apart. He felt disoriented and confused and it was incredibly difficult to string coherent thoughts together.
"I must leave for a few days Severus, but Lucius here will take good care of you. Won't you Lucius?"
"Of course My Lord."
"Well, what did Voldemort do with you then if you weren't of use to him anymore?" Fudge interrupted, "Why didn't he just kill you?"
Dumbledore half rose from his seat, eyes flashing as his hand itched toward his wand. This was exactly the kind of cold-hearted question he had expected from Fudge and as far as he was concerned this meeting was over. A slender hand on his arm stopped any action he was going to take and he turned to see Snape looking at him with a strange gleam in his eyes. Dumbledore nodded his understanding and sat back down.
Snape leaned forward, clasping his hands together on his lap as his black eyes bored into Fudge unmercifully. His lips twisted into a vicious smile as he said,
"That is a very good question Minister Fudge. Why didn't the Dark Lord just kill me when he was done with me? Do you know how many times I asked myself that same question? Every day I asked myself, 'why wasn't I dead yet?' And do you want to know the answer to your question? Let me enlighten you as to what the Dark Lord…did to those who dared to betray him."
A sharp whistle flying through the air was all the warning he had before the head of the hammer crashed down on his hand, splintering bone and crushing his fingers into bloody pulp. A spell roughly reset the bones so they could break them again.
"Death is too good for traitors Minister."
The red-hot iron was pressed to the sensitive skin of his stomach, the excruciating pain and smell of burnt flesh making him retch. The minute of rest he was given was to reheat the iron, not out of any consideration for his pain.
"Traitors deserve pain and suffering."
Cracking open sore eyes, he saw Macnair tapping a knife thoughtfully against his chin, apparently deciding which section of Severus's body would deserve his attention next. The large Death Eater settled on an unmarked portion of his chest and bent down to begin his work, knife gleaming in the low torchlight.
"And pain and suffering was what I received."
He flinched as Malfoy casually twirled his wand in one hand while slowly circling him like a snake ensnaring its prey. Malfoy preferred traditional curses and spells as opposed to more physical implements of torture. He wept when Lucius finally cast a curse besides the Cruciatus.
"In ample amounts I might add."
Snape paused as a shudder tore through his body and closed his eyes. He reached out for Dumbledore's hand and gripped it tightly, seeking the support of the older wizard. Fudge had turned white and was staring at Snape in horror. Ms. Harper looked like she was going to be violently ill and the quill shook in her hand. There was absolute silence until Snape opened eyes that were haunted by painful memories. When he spoke however, his voice was steady.
"I do not know where the Lestranges are or what they are planning. I do not remember anything that would help you send…captured Death Eaters to Azkaban. I refuse to go into more detail concerning my time as the Dark Lord's prisoner. If you or anyone else in the Ministry…threatens Albus or me again, the consequences will not be pleasant."
Dead silence met this final declaration from Snape, who gave them one last penetrating look before turning away from them and curling up into a ball in the corner of couch, wanting to go to sleep. They stared at the man who had survived so much before Fudge rose and motioned to Ms. Harper that they were leaving. The Minister looked solemnly at the huddled wizard and wisely made a quick and silent exit. He had no longer had the heart to question Snape. Dumbledore stopped only to tuck a blanket around the still form, then escorted Fudge and his secretary to the door. His face was sad yet resolute.
"I firmly agree with what Severus has said. Do not attempt to coerce us again Cornelius, this is the final warning I will give you. I hope you and Ms. Harper have an excellent day."
He then shut the door on Fudge before they could say anything else and did not spare another thought for them. Dumbledore pushed the entire morning out of his mind and went back to the sitting room.
Snape was still curled on the couch, obviously exhausted from the events of the morning. He had endured a great trial today and had shown tremendous emotional and mental strength. Things could only get better from here.
"Severus? My boy? Are you awake?"
"Of course I'm awake Albus. Do you think I want to sleep with the threat of those nightmares in my head?" Snape answered from underneath his blanket. He pushed up and leaned against Dumbledore like in the early days of his recovery, clearly seeking the comfort of his touch. The old wizard smiled and managed to plant a kiss on the raven head as Snape half-heartedly scowled. The scowl quickly changed into a content smile and the pair enjoyed the peacefulness of the moment. They did not need to say anything about what was discussed, both wizards trusted the other. Where words failed, love succeeded.
Dumbledore was about to suggest moving out to the garden for an early lunch when Fawkes suddenly appeared in a burst of golden flame, startling both wizards. The phoenix trilled happily, sensing the heavy emotions in the room and wanting to cheer up his wizards.
"I think Fawkes was waiting for Fudge to leave before making his appearance, don't you think Albus?" said Snape wryly. Dumbledore laughed and held Fawkes in one arm and hooked his other arm around Snape, drawing him up off the couch. As they walked outside he replied,
"Well, Fawkes is a very smart bird Severus. I'm just thanking Merlin that this is all over. We'll never have to worry about Fudge again."
Snape nodded, but remained silent.
It was not the Ministry he was worried about.
TBC
Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed so far! Your thoughts mean a lot to me! This was one of the hardest chapters to write, believe it or not, and I am very interested in what you have to say, even if it is to yell at me for hurting poor Severus so much! I finally figured out how long this will be and I am tentatively planning on 10 chapters with a possible prequel. Anyway, Chapter 7 should be out this weekend. As always let me know what you think!
