Title – The Price We Pay: R Version 6/13

Rating – R

Disclaimer – I own none of this, it all belongs to Rowling. I just have the honor of using her creations in my story.

Summary – Snape heals and The Minister of Magic pays a visit.

Pairings – SS/LV, SS/LM, SS/Death Eaters and HP/DM

Warnings – Violence, torture, non-graphic rape, m/m slash

A/N –I'm sooooo sorry this hasn't been updated in a long while. Seems I kind of forgot about it. Oops. (Runs and hides). Everything is back on track though. All reviews, suggestions, corrections and questions are welcome!! Read and enjoy.

The Price We Pay

Chapter 5

Over the next seven days Dumbledore and the staff slowly settled into a routine that revolved around Snape.

Dumbledore of course was at the head of the recovery effort, spending most of his time in the Hospital Wing, tending to Snape with infinite patience and love. When he was forced to leave for a period of time Madame Pomfrey would usually take his place. It often worked out that Pomfrey would look after Snape during the afternoons, as Dumbledore would tend to the seriously ill wizard in the mornings and nights. The staff was eager to help in any way they could and volunteered to sit in the Infirmary with Snape and keep watch, wanting to do their part to help him. However everyone quickly realized that Snape was only comfortable around a select few of the staff and even then only tolerated their presences or touches for a short while.

McGonagall was the most readily accepted of the staff and came whenever she was not busy with her transition to Headmistress. She would often sit next to Snape's bed and talk about the exams the students would finally be taking soon or how life in the castle was slowly returning to normal. One afternoon Dumbledore entered the private room to find a sleeping Snape cuddled up with a contentedly purring tabby cat and he had a hard time suppressing his laughter. A chuckle escaped and the tabby cat looked up startled before jumping off the bed and transforming back into a flustered looking McGonagall.

"Albus! I wasn't expecting you back for another hour." The witch exclaimed as she straightened her robes and checked her hair.

"The interview with the Daily Prophet ended earlier than I anticipated so I thought I would come and see how Severus is doing. I didn't mean to interrupt your nap."

McGonagall huffed and told him,

"Yes, well, I've found he sleeps better with my cat form. No nightmares in my company."

"Of course Minerva." Agreed Dumbledore, a slight grin playing on his lips, "The cuddling was just a bonus."

McGonagall shot him a look daring him to try calling it 'cuddling' again. The Headmaster simply gazed innocently back at her until they shared a small smile and reveled in this moment of rare peace.

Though McGonagall had an obvious healing touch with Snape, there were some whose presence unfortunately only made things worse.

Poor Hagrid discovered this the first and only time he kept watch on Snape. The gentle gamekeeper tried to wake him from a particularly bad nightmare and gently shook a thin shoulder. Snape jerked awake at the contact and looked up at the looming half-giant with wide eyes, giving a shrill cry upon feeling the large hand touching his body. Hagrid tried to calm him, but his presence was too much for Snape who kept sobbing and moaning in distress. The cries attracted Poppy Pomfrey and she immediately understood the problem, ushering Hagrid from the room. It had taken the nurse several minutes to calm the frightened wizard and in the end they had learned an important lesson. Even in his depressed daze Snape would only recognize and accept the comfort of a few people, mostly witches with Dumbledore being the male exception.

Professor Sinistra was one of the other staff members who could spend time alone with Snape. She had been named Head of Slytherin House after Snape's disappearance and spoke at length about the latest news from his House, relaying the numerous well wishes from his students. Though Snape was mostly unresponsive that first week they did their best to let him know he was not alone and that he could trust them. Someone was with him at all times according to Belladonna Pomfrey's instructions, watching as their colleague and friend struggled to connect with reality.

Snape, for his part, slept most of the time, letting his tortured body heal and regain its strength. The cuts, bruises and whip marks faded away quickly; unfortunately leaving scarring in some places too deep to be healed with magic. Pomfrey had healed his eyesight soon after his awakening, although he was still sensitive to bright light and would frequently bury his head into Dumbledore's beard or his blankets to avoid it. The rest of the external injuries took longer to heal, however Pomfrey kept to the regimen prescribed by her niece and diligently fed Snape his required healing potions. A slight fever from some infected wounds had broken the day after Belladonna's first visit, but Snape was still very thin and weak and could not move on his own, relying on the strong arms of others or levitation spells.

He also could not use his hands; Pomfrey judged they should remain bound and immobile for at least 2 more weeks. A hint of the old Severus emerged the first time Dumbledore tried to feed him; he gifted the Headmaster with a sorely missed glare and refused to open his mouth. Before Dumbledore could react, Snape quailed and meekly opened his mouth, eyes lowering in surrender. Troubled by this behavior Dumbledore set down the bowl of soup and gently cupped his hands around the younger wizard's face, being mindful of the still swollen jaw.

"It's all right my boy. I promise I will never punish you for disagreeing or expressing your own wants. I imagine a part of you is ashamed and angry to be fed like this, but until you get better you will have to rely on us. Will you let me help you Severus?"

Dumbledore waited with a patient smile as Snape slowly digested his question, mind working to comprehend what was being offered. After living for so many months with having absolutely no will or freedoms of his own and being subject to the whims of others, Snape was understandably confused. Here he was given a choice over his own life and tears sprang to his eyes at this unexpected kindness. Grateful black eyes rose to meet Dumbledore's before Snape glanced back at the soup bowl and nodded.

"Excellent my dear." Dumbledore beamed. "Now let's get some of this delicious soup in you. You're all skin and bones."

While Dumbledore cared for Snape in private, the inhabitants of Hogwarts waited with baited breath for any news from the Hospital Wing. Pomfrey had released the last of the injured students the previous day and the only occupants of the wing were now Snape and Dumbledore. Snape had been slowly coaxed out of the private room to a bed in a nice corner, where he could adapt to light and open places. The Headmaster even had his own bed next to Snape's, as Pomfrey was tired of finding him asleep in hard chairs.

Seven days after rescuing Snape Dumbledore was in the Hospital Wing, as usual, tending to a decidedly stubborn patient.

- - - - - - - - - -

"Severus you know Poppy said that your body is still weak and vulnerable to other illnesses, you must keep warm."

There was no reply from the huddled mass under the blankets and Dumbledore gave a weary sigh. Snape was being particularly difficult today, and although Dumbledore was heartened to see more of the old Snape appear it was becoming very frustrating, stretching his patience to the very limits.

It had all started earlier that morning when Snape had refused to eat his breakfast, shutting his mouth and stubbornly shaking his head when offered a spoonful of the special soft cereal the house elves had created to help him gain weight. Though he was worried about the lack of appetite Dumbledore gave in to Snape's refusal to eat and hoped to coax something into the too thin wizard later in the day. Then Snape had ignored Poppy when the nurse came to administer his daily healing potions by curling into a ball and crying miserably. Stunned at this sudden change in emotions Dumbledore could do nothing but soothe him through the crying episode until Snape fell into a restless sleep.

Now he was awake and Dumbledore was trying to finally get Snape out of bed to stretch badly neglected muscles. Belladonna Pomfrey was due to arrive in an hour or so for another healing session and the Headmaster wanted to get Snape up and moving before then.

"Please Severus? You must get out of bed sooner or later, especially if you want to get better. It's just a short walk over to the window."

Not expecting a reply from the still silent Snape, Dumbledore was suitably shocked when a faint whisper drifted up from the blankets.

" . . . no"

It took the Headmaster a moment to find his own voice and he thought about summoning Poppy to tell her about Snape's first words to any of them, but decided against it. He did not want to break the mood and continued speaking to Snape as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

"Why not my boy? I'm not asking you to walk to the Great Hall or outside. Just over to the window where you can feel the sunshine." When no further sounds came from the lump he sighed again and said gently, "No one else is here Severus. Nothing bad will happen, I can assure you."

Dumbledore waited and was rewarded by Snape peeking his head out from the cocoon of blankets. The Headmaster smiled and brushed the short strands of black hair off of Snape's brow, noting that he was growing more comfortable with certain touches every day.

"There you are. I was wondering when you were going to come out. Look at what I have for you."

Grabbing the pair of enchanted bright yellow bunny slippers before they could hop out of the hospital wing Dumbledore held them up for Snape to see. The ill wizard slowly emerged from the blankets and stared at the slippers with a small frown. His mouth opened and closed a few times before another whisper escaped.

" . . . yellow"

Dumbledore chuckled softly and said,

"Your feet will thank you if you put them on. Walk to the window with me and I will change them to a different color for you."

Snape appeared to think about this before nodding and uncurling his legs. The Headmaster slid the slippers on and a heating charm immediately warmed the cold feet. Staring at the cheerful yellow bunnies Snape gave a small smile of thanks to the older wizard.

"See, that wasn't so bad Severus. Let me help you up, there we go." Dumbledore slipped a dressing robe over rumpled sleep clothes and slid an arm around the slender waist. Carefully they worked their way over to an enlarged plush chair next to a window that overlooked the school grounds. They settled comfortably in the chair and Snape lifted his head to stare pointedly at his slippers. When Dumbledore failed to notice he reached up and tugged on the long beard. The older wizard looked over at his friend and smiled slyly.

"Ah yes I did say I would change them didn't I?" With a wave of his wand Dumbledore charmed the slippers from bright yellow to gloomy black, ignoring the glare Snape was still giving him. "What? They are black now aren't they?"

" . . . still . . . bunnies" Came the hoarse whisper.

"I happen to like bunnies Severus and those black bunnies seem to like you."

Snape frowned unhappily at his feet, staring at the black rabbits adorning the slippers and decided he would learn to like them too. He did not want to consider what would happen if he displeased this particular wizard. While the old wizard – Albus his fragmented memories told him – while Albus had done absolutely nothing to hurt or humiliate him, he was still a very powerful wizard and Snape knew all about pleasing very powerful wizards. So he forced his unhappiness away and wiggled his feet experimentally. The bunny on his left foot wiggled its ears in response and Snape smiled obediently at the slipper's antics.

Smiling himself at his child's reaction, Dumbledore reached over and retrieved the Daily Prophet from a nearby table. Since it was Sunday there was a larger edition than usual, with a whole section devoted to the trials of captured Death Eaters. He began to read certain articles to Snape, quickly deciding to skip that particular section of the paper, and only reading aloud the parts that would not upset the wizard nestled next to him.

His mouth stopped when he came to an article detailing the continued hunt for escaped Death Eaters Bellatrix and Rastaban Lestrange. They were the only two to escape the final battle at Hogwarts and were proving to be very hard to catch. The pair had been seen last in Muggle London, but rumors placed them in various cities like Paris, New York and Moscow. They were reported as being obsessed with revenge for the death of their Lord and crazy enough to do anything necessary to accomplish that goal. Suppressing a sigh Dumbledore knew he would have to organize sufficient protection for Harry and his friends once they left the castle, as well as members of the Order and their families. The Lestranges were not to be taken lightly and everyone who played a part in the war would have to be protected. Another light tug on his beard made him look down into Snape's worried black eyes.

" . . . wrong?" Snape managed and tried to lean forward to look at the paper. Dumbledore nimbly moved the paper out of Snape's reach and sight and replied,

"No, nothing's wrong. I was just pondering today's horoscope. Let's take a look at yours my dear."

With his short attention span Snape was now sufficiently distracted and drowsed as Dumbledore continued to read. The Headmaster kept speaking but his mind was going over the different spells and wards necessary to defend key people from homicidal Death Eaters. So absorbed in his thoughts was he that when a hand touched his shoulder he jerked in surprise, startling Snape into full awareness as well.

"Sorry for disturbing you Albus," said Professor McGonagall, "but several owls arrived for you during lunch that need your immediate attention. I'll watch over Severus until Belladonna arrives."

Both occupants of the chair looked up at the witch, who merely smiled and used her wand to transfigure a glass into a comfortable chair next to theirs. Dumbledore eased himself out, mindful of not bumping Snape's sensitive body, and tucked the blankets around the squirming wizard; unhappy now that he had lost his warm Headmaster pillow.

"I'll be right back Severus. Sit here with Minerva and she'll take care of you. Remember Minerva? She came yesterday." Dumbledore said and watched as Snape blinked a few times before nodding at them, showing he recognized McGonagall. The Headmaster shared a pleased look with his Deputy and knowing Snape was in good hands hurried out to take care of whatever needed his attention now.

McGonagall smiled at Snape and pulled a book out of her robes. Black eyes watched her curiously as she held it up and said,

"I brought a book to read to you Severus. It's about potions; one of the first year Slytherins loaned it to me the other day. Would you like me to read some of it to you?"

" . . . yes"

The witch gasped and looked over at Snape with wide eyes.

"Severus! You spoke!"

Snape merely stared at her blankly until McGonagall managed to subdue her surprise enough to reply,

"Well then, let me read some of this and we will see what you can remember."

She opened the book and began to read in a calm, lilting voice that soon lulled Snape back to sleep. McGonagall stared at her younger colleague, curled peacefully in his chair despite the trials of the last week, looking so young and her maternal instincts suddenly flared to life. She wanted to sit with the hurt wizard and comfort him, but knew he was only truly comfortable with Dumbledore and would probably panic if she touched him for too long. Footsteps outside the Infirmary alerted her to someone's presence and McGonagall looked up expecting to see Dumbledore return. When the doors flew open with a bang she was surprised to see the Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge storm into the room with two Aurors right behind him. A very angry Minister of Magic.

"WHERE IS DUMBLEDORE??!!!"

- - - - - - - - - -

For the thousandth time Dumbledore wished apparation was allowed within the walls of Hogwarts. Then the trip back from his office to the Infirmary would not take so much precious time. He sped around a corner, nearly knocking over a student in his haste and loosed his wand in his sleeve as he approached the doors of the Hospital Wing.

When told by Professor Sinistra that an irate Minister Fudge was looking for him, Dumbledore frowned and wondered what the Minister wanted now. There had been a letter from Fudge sitting on his desk, but he had burned it without a second thought. Only a few hours after the final battle had ended he had kindly asked Fudge to stay away from Hogwarts and its students until things calmed down and injuries had time to heal. Well maybe not exactly kindly, Dumbledore recalled using the words unforgivable and pus filled boils when telling Fudge to keep out. The Ministry had no right to disturb his students, many of whom were still grieving for friends and family slain in the war. He had fought Fudge for the privacy and sanity of his children, keeping the Ministry and press away from Hogwarts, at least for a little while. Now apparently the Minister had come uninvited, with a pair of Aurors, demanding to speak to him right away.

The doors to the Hospital Wing were already open when Dumbledore entered and the sight that met his eyes made his heart drop and jaw clench.

Professor McGonagall had drawn her wand and was pointing it at an Auror and Minister Fudge, who had also drawn their wands. All three were yelling various insults and orders at each other. Another Auror was standing guard by the door, but he glanced at Dumbledore's face and backed away quickly, lowering his wand. McGonagall was standing protectively in front of a hospital bed, her eyes blazing as she prevented the three intruders from coming any closer. Dumbledore took one look at whom she was protecting and his blue eyes grew cold, his magic crackling dangerously.

"CORNELIUS FUDGE!!!" Dumbledore roared, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

Fudge spun around and all the color drained from his round little face. He looked to his Aurors for help, but the other two wanted nothing to do with the enraged Dumbledore and wisely stepped away. Dumbledore did not wait for a response and lifted his hand to wordlessly summon their wands to him. As he slowly advanced on Fudge the other wizard quickly found his voice and stammered,

"Al-Albus! I was told you were in the Hospital Wing and came up to look for you! We meant no harm here, honestly!"

"If you wanted to speak with me Cornelius you should have waited in my office. How dare you come in here and harass patients!!" Blue eyes flashed and the air around Dumbledore practically shimmered with potent magic. Fudge however appeared to regain some of his former anger when he replied,

"Harassing? We were doing nothing of the sort! Listen here Dumbledore; I demand to know what is going on in this school! We have heard nothing from Potter or the students involved in the battle and now you have decided to resign? And is that Severus Snape? He looks like he should be in the permanent care ward of St. Mungo's. We may want to question him later about the whereabouts of the Lestranges."

"No you listen Minister Fudge," said the Headmaster coldly, "I have not allowed you inside Hogwarts for this very reason! You have no consideration for the students or staff here and will do whatever is necessary to achieve your own purposes here without thought of the consequences!!" Dumbledore paused and visibly reigned in his anger and magic before he did something he would later regret. "I will not speak with you today Cornelius, owl me with your questions if you have to. Minerva, would you be so kind as to escort Minister Fudge and his guests out of the castle? I am afraid they would not make it far with me."

Fudge had no reply to that and allowed a fuming McGonagall to usher them out of the Infirmary. All three Ministry officials appeared suitably intimidated by Dumbledore's cold gaze and aura of invincible power. The Minister somehow found courage worthy of a Gryffindor to lock eyes with Dumbledore as he passed and said,

"I will authorize an investigation into Snape's continued presence here Headmaster and you will be hearing from me again. There are questions being raised and I demand the answers."

"And I will fight you every step of the way." Dumbledore replied as he raised his wand at Fudge, "You do not want to push this issue or I will make you regret it."

Fudge frowned and glared at the end of Dumbledore's wand.

"See here Dumbledore, I am the Minister of Magic! You would not dare threaten me!"

Dumbledore waved his wand slightly and watched as his silencing spell took effect. Fudge flapped his mouth, but blessedly no sound came out of it. "I believe I just did Cornelius. Unfortunately you should get your voice back in a day or two. Now please get the hell out of my castle."

Handing the three wands to McGonagall, Dumbledore told her to return them to their owners at the gates and motioned for her to lead them out of the school. The Aurors moved to escort the silently raging Fudge out of the room, quickly following McGonagall. When they had left he sighed heavily and turned to repair whatever damage had been wrought by Fudge and his incompetence.

Snape had immediately woken up at the Minister's yell and panicked; the loud voices and raised wands bringing back too many horrible memories of his imprisonment. He had quickly sought the sanctuary of the dark space underneath the closest bed, curling tight and hoping the strange intruders would not notice him. McGonagall had no time to calm the frightened wizard before Fudge was yelling for the Headmaster and wands were drawn. The transfigurations professor had then moved to protect Snape from the curious Aurors and tried to explain to Fudge where Dumbledore was and what had happened to Snape. That was when Dumbledore had entered the wing and put an end to the ridiculous encounter.

Kneeling, Dumbledore began to gently coax Snape from underneath the bed. He was in the middle of another crying episode, trembling fiercely, breath hitching and tears streaming from clenched eyes. He pulled the unresisting body into his arms and rocked slightly, murmuring the same words he always did to help calm Snape down after these attacks. After awhile no sound came from the limp form in his arms and Dumbledore wondered if Snape had fallen asleep when a soft voice drifted up to him,

" . . . gone?"

"Yes, Severus they're gone and won't be back anytime soon."

A short, halting laugh came from Snape that made Dumbledore look down in surprise.

" . . . idiot . . . Fudge."

Dumbledore blinked a few times before starting to laugh; a deep, hearty laugh that washed away all the fears and tears of the last hour. Wiping away tears of laughter this time Dumbledore gave Snape a gentle squeeze and said,

"That, Severus, is very true."

Snape only smiled quietly in return and snuggled closer, burying his head in the white beard.

TBC

Thanks for the reviews! I'm so glad many of you like Belladonna; she'll be back in the next chapter with more therapy. Keep the feedback rolling!