Chapter 12: Pain

Severus Snape's cry filled the small room at Grimmuald place; it seemed the echo around the nearly empty house. Minerva tried to hold back her tears as she saw her colleague squirming on the floor in pain; she quickly released the Cruciatus curse and stared sadly at the man on the floor.

"Do it again!" ordered Albus Dumbledore, a ghastly smile on his face.

"No!" whispered Minerva

"Do you refuse me?" said Albus becoming angry.

He grabbed her wand hand and held her wrist firmly in his hand, he pointed the wand towards Severus who was crouched on the floor in ball and who was whimpering softly.

"Very well," he told her "we shall do it together!"

Minerva tried to drop the wand but Albus had put his hand over hers and he was also holding the wand.

"Crucio!" cried Albus at the top of his voice.

Severus was hit by the curse for the second time but refused to scream out in pain, he bit down hard on his lips as the unbearable pain shoot through his tired body. He would taste the taint of blood in his mouth and realised that he had bitten his lip. Albus was holding the curse for such a long time; it would surely kill Severus if it went on for much longer. The rest of the order watched defenceless, they wanted to help but they couldn't they had no wands and Albus would be able to kill all of them if they tried to intervene. Tonks grabbed hold of Harry and Ron and turned their faces away from the scene in front of them, she could mask their eyes but she couldn't stop them for hearing the manic laughter coming from Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster they used to adore.

Minerva could take it no longer; she used all the force she had to pull her hand from his grip. The wand fell to the floor as Minerva dropped to her knees beside the shaking body of Severus Snape. She held him in her arms as the shaking subsided, she tried to soothe the pain she had caused by whispering gentle words and rocking him.

"Oh Severus," she said softly "I am so sorry that I did that you."

"You had too!" replied Snape who could hardly speak "I understand."

Albus watched the scene in front of him, anger flowing through his body as he stared at Minerva and Severus. His angry eyes flashed around the room and then returned to bore into Minerva's body. Albus bent down and grabbed hold of Minerva's arms and forced her to her feet, he locked his arm around her waist and held her tightly.

"I'll deal with you later," he told her angrily before picking up his wand again and pointing it back at Severus and muttered the Cruciatus curse again.

"Stop it Albus!" pleaded Minerva who was trying to break free from his grip.

"No!" replied Albus and then he shouted the curse again.

Albus finally released Severus from the curse; he kicked the broken man on the floor with his hard toed boots and then spat on him before laughing again. Minerva had stopped struggling against his hold; tears were falling from her emerald green eyes. Severus wasn't moving at all, she couldn't even make out if he was breathing or not.

"Right now my dear!" Albus hissed at Minerva "I'll deal with you now but in private."

"No!" exclaimed Alastor Moody

"Did you say something Moody?" asked Albus as he glared at the ex Auror with his wand raised.

Moody looked at Minerva who shook her head as her tears continued to fall.

"I thought not!" said Albus with a twisted smile.

Minerva felt his grip on her tight as he moved towards the door; Minerva lost her footing and then found herself, being dragged from the room and along the dark corridor.

A/n: sorry it's just a short chapter

Minerva's quill