Walk the Shadows

Severus bared his teeth in a mockery of a smile and climbed to his feet to face the Dark Lord. Seconds later, he was shocked again -- but undeniably pleased -- to find Professor McGonagall appear suddenly in front of him and grab his arm. With a familiar tug behind his navel, the Deputy Headmistress' portkey pulled him away.

TBC . . .

A/N -- Next chapter: Recuperation and recovery. Will be up by Thursday.

*Chapter 10*: Chapter 10

Walk the Shadows – Chapter 10

By jharad17

Warning: This chapter contains references to torture, violence and rape, but no graphic descriptions.

Disclaimer: Not mine, never was mine, never will be mine, alas.

A/N at end

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Previously:

The boy vanished, very much to his surprise.

Severus bared his teeth in a mockery of a smile and climbed to his feet to face the Dark Lord. Seconds later, he was shocked again -- but undeniably pleased -- to find Professor McGonagall appear suddenly in front of him and grab his arm. With a familiar tug behind his navel, the Deputy Headmistress' portkey pulled him away.

The second the portkey let him go, Severus hit the infirmary floor running. 'Where is he?' he asked McGonagall, though she could hardly know more than he, having arrived at the same time Severus did.

Still, she nodded at a bed not five feet away, which Poppy was currently hovering over, and he got there in two strides, one hand out conjuring robes for himself without even thinking about it. He pulled the dark clothes over his head in one motion and then took in the Boy Who Incredibly Still Lived, lying pale and unmoving under the white sheets of the hospital bed, which were hastily drawn over his body. Only his face showed now . . . probably the only part of him currently unmarked, but for the inflamed scar on his forehead.

'My stars,' McGonagall said, and put a hand over her mouth. She looked to Severus for answers he knew he wouldn't be able to give. 'What happened to him?'

'Nothing good,' he answered shortly. He glanced at Poppy, and she ignored him in favor of running diagnostics. Just as well. Still, he summoned a chair from the other side of the room for Minerva, hardly missing his wand in the effort. Anger was great for something, after all.

Nymphadora Tonks materialized in the infirmary only moments later, clutching a battered lemon drop tin, and looking startled and disheveled. McGonagall went to her, and they conversed in low tones as Severus tried to listen in. Then, giving it up, he approached the medi-witch.

She looked over at him, then down at his bare feet, and frowned. 'Do you need anything? Are you hurt?'

He shook his head. His leg would need to be seen to, but he could deal with that on his own, later. 'How far have you gotten?' he asked quietly.

'How many times?' she asked back. Her voice was even lower than his. She knew, then.

'Twice.' He swallowed. 'Lucius, then the Dark Lord himself.'

She drew a sharp breath, then nodded solemnly as she let it out, professional to the core. 'Just as well he's not conscious, then, for the healing I have to do. Pull the curtain round, will you?'

Severus complied, then staggered as adrenaline left him in a rush that made his head swim. They were safe, for the moment. Out of the awfulness of that manor-house prison, and safe. He would never be able to go back to his spying, now that the Dark Lord knew his true loyalties . . . he would never have to go back to his spying.

Perhaps some good could come from this after all.

Outside Potter's sanctuary, McGonagall grabbed Severus' arm before he could fall down, and settled him in the chair he'd meant for her. He rubbed his hands over his face, exhaustion taking the place of his rage.

'You were bleeding, too, Severus,' McGonagall said. 'Your leg . . .'

'It's fine,' he said and stared at the curtain that hid the broken body of the savior of the Wizarding world. He knew, he knew what such an experience could do to the boy. Would he survive it, or would it be the proverbial straw to break Potter's back? As he'd mused days ago – or was it weeks? – this boy had been through so much in such a short time that it was frankly amazing he still had his sanity intact. Or at least, he'd had it before this latest encounter.

Watching the Dark Lord teach the boy his lessons in 'manners' had been one of the hardest things Severus had ever been forced to witness. He had lost count of the number of times each of them – Lucius, Bellatrix, and Voldemort – had cast the Cruciatus on Potter, likewise the number of cutting curses, stinging hexes, and all the rest. But with everything and anything they did, the boy bore it better than any Wizard or Muggle he'd ever seen. His courage, his fortitude, was undeniable. Potter had endured it all, until the end.

'What did they do to Harry?' Tonks murmured, loud enough for him to hear.

'Everything,' he said under his breath. 'Everything they could think of, to break him.' While Minerva and the young Auror stared at him with wide eyes, he climbed to his feet again. He'd promised the boy he'd make a potion for his eyes. If he got going on it now, he might even have it done before Potter woke. That is, if he woke—