A/N- I have been asked to make these longer so I shall do my best, & I will also try to have better grammar. I did yesterday's chapter work so I had to hurry. Here I go again…. I don't own any of these people (unfortunately) J.K. Rowling does!

I wake up to find myself in the bed of a strange house.

How did I get here? And where exactly is 'here'?

The last thing I remember was running into the man that has been a part of my dreams for my whole life, the man that is so dark & severe in appearance but so gentle in his actions. I don't know why I hugged him, I don't really know him, all I know is that I felt safe with him.

Where is he I wonder?

I start to struggle into a sitting position when I hear a voice from the doorway.

"I see you're awake. How are you feeling?"

The voice makes me to jump. Why do people keep startling me, I ponder, as a searing pain shoots up my left side. I cry out in pain & before I can even catch my breath again I feel him sit on the bed.

"You shouldn't move too much, you are hurt worse than we realized earlier. Here let me help you."

He reaches for me but I am not sure if I should trust him completely & I pull away. But I pause when I see a frown on his face.

"You are afraid of me I see. I will not harm you, nor will any other, I promise you."

I find I believe him & allow him to help me sit up. It still hurts but not as much as before.

"What's your name?" I ask when I finally find my voice.

He looks at me for a moment before he replies.

"Severus, not would care to tell me what happened? How you received these injuries?"

"Severus, that fits." I mumble, "I'm Jaszmine" I say ignoring his question.

"I know who you are girl, now do I need to ask again or will you answer me?"

"I won't go back there, if that's what you have in mind you can stop that little brain fart right now. And how do you know me we never met before tonight?"

Now it is his turn to ignore my question it seems.

"I won't make you go back to the orphanage but I need to know what happened. Will you trust me?"

"You ask a lot of me by asking me to trust you."

"I know I do but I trust you enough to bring you to my home, so I'm asking you to trust me now."

I look in his eyes & what I see I can't explain but I knew then I can trust him. I told him the things that Mistress Waller had done to me for the past 11yrs. The more I told him the angrier he got. By the end I was crying, again, I hate crying & very rarely do it but this was the second time today, what is wrong with me? As I was crying Severus wrapped his arms around me a just held me until I fell asleep listening to his voice. ******************************************************************************

Snape P.o.V.

She starts to cry & I can't stand to see her like this. I hold her close telling her that she is safe & no one will hurt her. I feel her start to relax & she goes to sleep. How could someone beat a child, especially Sevara?

I shift to lay her back down but am unable to because she tightens her grip on me in her sleep.

"No one will lay another hand on you or they will regret it." I tell the girl that was named for me. After 11yrs of watching over her as best I can I see how much she really is like me. I have failed her once & I won't again.

Holding as she sleeps I let myself relax & sleep peacefully for the first time in 11yrs.

A/N-I know I promised a longer chapter but my computer is not letting me, sorry, but I will update soon if not today!